I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 71
Cassian and Lia spent half a day on horseback, arriving at the place where they were to meet up with the knights.
The location was on the outskirts of a quiet village, quite a distance from the capital.
Although the knights from the grand duchy could have joined them directly from the duchy’s territory since it wasn’t far from the capital, Cassian didn’t want that.
He was cautious about stepping into the duchy’s territory too easily, and he wanted to enjoy a bit more time alone with Lia.
Moreover, Lia wouldn’t be as comfortable when they were with the knights as she was when it was just the two of them.
So, to ease Lia’s nerves, it was better to delay the rendezvous with the knights as much as possible.
When Cassian and Lia arrived at the meeting point, already displaying a certain level of affection, the knights from the grand duchy were already there waiting for them.
“Let me help you down.”
Cassian, who had dismounted first, extended his hand to Lia in a gentle voice.
Initially, they considered riding separately, but Cassian decided against it.
He didn’t want to miss the opportunity to ride with Lia, and it was much more efficient for them to ride together than separately.
Even though Lia had learned to ride a horse, she was not used to long distances.
Especially considering she was only twelve years old. Riding a horse fitted to her size for the purpose of demon subjugation wasn’t a good idea.
Thus, Lia naturally rode with Cassian, but mounting and dismounting from an adult-sized horse alone could be dangerous for her.
So, Lia accepted Cassian’s hand without resistance.
Unlike a carriage that has steps to help get on and off, a horse didn’t have such conveniences.
While there was a place to rest one’s foot, Lia, being short, couldn’t reach it.
“…So, this is happening again?”
Lia intended to dismount with Cassian’s help, but it seemed Cassian had no such intentions and instead lifted her into his arms naturally.
Lia, finding herself in Cassian’s arms, spoke with a slightly exasperated expression.
“You must be tired.”
Though they had ridden for just over twelve hours, it was still a long ride for Lia, who wasn’t used to such journeys.
They hadn’t rested properly during the journey, and Lia had woken up earlier than usual that morning, getting less sleep than normal.
Cassian didn’t want Lia to endure any hardship.
Even something as simple as standing on the ground seemed like it could be too much for her in his eyes.
“A little tired, but not so much that I can’t walk.”
“Well then, let’s pretend I’m the one who’s too tired.”
“Pardon?”
Lia looked puzzled at Cassian’s words.
“If I don’t carry you, I might collapse from exhaustion.”
“But if you’re tired, shouldn’t you avoid carrying me?”
“You’re my recovery potion, angel baby.”
Cassian stated confidently.
It wasn’t just a little white lie but the truth. Lia brought him joy and happiness that he couldn’t easily find elsewhere.
Any frustration or anger melted away at the sight of her.
That’s why he was holding back his anger now.
He was infuriated by the empire’s laws and the emperor, which forced this young child into demon subjugation, but he refrained from acting out because of Lia’s presence.
“I am a duke, you know. It’s about maintaining my dignity. Wouldn’t it be better to put me down?”
Lia couldn’t meet the knights of the grand duchy in Cassian’s arms.
What would they think of her?
Many nobles already looked down on her for being young, and she didn’t want to show such childishness.
She was not just a twelve-year-old child but a dignified head of a family.
“You don’t need to worry about anything, angel baby. You are already a duke just by being yourself.”
Dignity as a duke?
Anything Lia did represented her dignity as a duke.
Even if she wore rags or was covered in mud, as long as she was a duke, that was her dignity.
If anyone thought otherwise, Cassian would make them see it by force if necessary.
“That might be true, but I want to appear solemn at least for the first meeting.”
No matter how imposing she tried to appear, in this state, she would only look like a child.
“It’s already enough. If anyone dares say otherwise, I’ll personally take out their tongues and eyes.”
“No, still…”
“Tsk, seems like I have no choice.”
Hearing Cassian’s annoyed tone, Lia hoped for a moment that he would put her down.
But Cassian wasn’t a conventional person.
“If my angel baby is that worried about them, I’ll just preemptively…”
“No, I’ll stay put.”
Seeing that Cassian seemed ready to carry out his words, Lia quickly stopped him.
Her dignity as a duke was important, but she couldn’t sacrifice the knights’ eyes and tongues for it.
Moreover, they had gathered for demon subjugation. If any harm came to their bodies, it would affect the demon subjugation.
“You’ve made the right choice.”
Cassian, who had no intention of actually cutting out the knights’ eyes and tongues, smiled in satisfaction at Lia’s response.
The knights of the grand duchy, who had been sneaking glances at the two, were shocked.
Had they really seen what they thought they had seen?
Could it be someone else?
From the moment they arrived, all of Cassian’s actions were unlike his usual self.
When had he ever thought about others, riding together and helping someone dismount?
And not just that.
Someone who hated being touched was now lifting another person into his arms and even smiling gently.
This was more shocking than hearing news of the world ending.
‘Yes, it must be someone else.’
Although Shion had said that the duke would come with the grand duke, the person in front of them couldn’t be the grand duke but someone else.
After all, they could have come separately.
With his hood pulled up, his face was barely visible.
Though his aura screamed ‘I am the grand duke,’ the knights tried to deny it.
They knew Cassian better than anyone, so they should have recognized him immediately despite the disguise, but they didn’t want to believe it.
Amidst the knights’ confusion, Shion remained calm.
He knew that Cassian thought of and cherished Lia in a special way.
He had seen a similar scene before.
With an undisturbed face, Shion approached Lia and Cassian.
“Was your journey difficult, duke?”
Shion only greeted Lia.
While everyone knew Cassian’s identity, officially and outwardly, he was here as Lia’s guardian, not as the grand duke.
Therefore, at this moment, Cassian was just Lia’s guardian.
However, Shion couldn’t completely ignore Cassian, so he gave a simple nod in greeting.
“What a foolish aide to the grand duke.”
Before Lia could respond to Shion’s question, Cassian interjected with a critical comment.
Shion looked taken aback.
Speaking like someone else’s aide was one thing, but being called foolish upon first meeting?
“Did you think it wouldn’t be tiring for her to ride for several hours with such a frail body?”
“………..”
Shion remained silent.
It was just a formal, polite greeting.
But being looked down upon for such a remark?
It wasn’t surprising, so Shion accepted it with resignation.
Lia spoke up in his place.
“Why are you picking a fight, Khal? It was just a greeting.”
“Just a greeting, huh.”
Cassian was already displeased that Lia was accompanying them for demon subjugation. What good was a greeting?
Of course, if there hadn’t been a greeting, Cassian would have been angry about them ignoring Lia, but he was confident.
“Khal, if you keep this up, I’ll get down.”
At Lia’s warning, Cassian made a reluctant face but said nothing more.
“Let’s go, Khal. There are others to greet besides Shion.”
Ignoring Cassian’s minor rebellion, Lia directed him firmly.
What else could she do? She was currently in Cassian’s arms and couldn’t move on her own.
Despite his sullen expression, Cassian obediently followed Lia’s words.
Shion watched the two with a complicated expression.
Even though he was less shocked than the other knights, it was still surprising to see them like this.
A young duke effortlessly handling Cassian, and Cassian following her words without resistance.
It was a scene hard to imagine even in dreams.
