I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 77
While having breakfast, the knights took a brief moment to catch their breath before resuming their march.
Fortunately, the constant attacks had ceased, at least during breakfast.
The knights, thinking about the possibility of another attack, gradually increased their pace.
It had only been a day since they entered the Refaar Forest, and much of the journey still lay ahead.
For the sake of their precious young lady, Lia, who was also the duke, they needed to swiftly finish off the demons and return.
Once again, Lia was naturally carried in Cassian’s arms.
“If you’re sleepy, you can sleep,”
“But it’s only been an hour since I woke up,”
Lia responded, protesting softly as if it was impossible for her to be tired already.
“Well, it’s best to rest and sleep whenever you can,”
Although they hadn’t been traveling for long, they couldn’t predict when the demons might attack again.
If the attacks resumed, Lia wouldn’t be able to rest easily, so now was her chance.
“It’s fine now. You don’t have to worry so much,”
She had been more startled because it was the first day, but today would be different. She felt she had become a little, just a little, more accustomed to it.
“It takes more than a day to get used to this,”
How could one become accustomed to it so quickly?
Even those with special abilities only got used to it after several demon-hunting experiences.
These individuals were inherently bound by their duty to hunt demons, as from the moment they awakened their abilities, fighting demons became a matter of course.
Nevertheless, it took quite some time to get used to the gruesome and terrifying sight of demons and the sensation of cutting them down.
Some with special abilities never managed to adapt and ultimately chose to give up their duty, resigning themselves to imprisonment instead.
“It’s not about being able to do it, it’s just… because it has to be done,”
Lia said, knowing full well that her words would pain Cassian.
No one struggled more than the knights tasked with the demon-hunting mission. Lia couldn’t afford to complain or show weakness, even if she couldn’t be of help to them.
The knights, though they pretended not to, were considerate of her. In return, Lia felt she had to ensure she wasn’t a burden to their mission.
The knights, despite their seemingly stoic demeanor, wouldn’t continue the journey if they knew she was struggling.
Lia didn’t want to hold them back.
“This is truly unfortunate,”
Cassian thought, sympathizing deeply with Lia’s situation.
It was tragic that she had lost her only grandfather at such a young age, and because of that, she had to take on the duties of a head of the household, responsibilities that would be tough even for an adult, long before she reached adulthood herself.
Lia had no family to rely on or lean on, no one to give her permission to be vulnerable.
Her time with her family had been too short, and the period when she could be a child was even shorter.
Cassian deeply regretted that she hadn’t been given more time. Although he was by her side, taking care of her, he was only her guardian and could never be her true family.
Though they had a family-like relationship, it was just that—like a family, but not truly family.
Cassian wondered what it would have been like if he had been her real family.
If that were the case, Lia might have been able to be more at ease with him.
Moreover, if they were family, they could share the burdens she now carried alone.
All of this made his heart ache, filling him with frustration and helpless anger.
“As long as I have you, Khal, it comforts me greatly,”
Lia said, and it wasn’t an empty reassurance to soothe Cassian’s worries. It was Lia’s honest feeling.
Though Cassian wasn’t her family, Lia felt a family-like affection for him.
He had shown her what it was like to have a father’s love, something she had never experienced before. And that was enough for her.
Knowing she wasn’t alone, and that she had someone to walk this difficult path with her, was the strength that kept her from falling apart.
It was her greatest comfort.
“I will do anything the angel baby desires,”
For Lia, there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
It was as if she was the very reason for his existence. Cassian was blindly and devotedly loyal to her.
“My only wish is… for you not to get hurt, Cassian,”
Lia confessed. If she had one more desire, it would be to continue this relationship with Cassian forever.
But theirs was a relationship with a predetermined end. Once she reached adulthood, Cassian’s role as her guardian would end, and they would become complete strangers.
Even now, Cassian was merely a guest at the ducal house, and when he recovered from his injuries, he would eventually return to the grand duchy.
Yet Lia selfishly wished to stay with Cassian.
She didn’t want to lose another precious person, even if it wasn’t a permanent farewell. By now, Lia couldn’t imagine the ducal house without Cassian.
Cassian read the sincerity in the words Lia hadn’t spoken aloud—her wish to stay with him.
“Angel baby, you don’t need to worry about anything. If you want something, go for it. If you desire something, take it. Don’t think about anything else.”
There was no need to worry about whether he would stay with her or not.
If Lia wished it, Cassian would gladly comply, and if anything stood in the way, he would remove it.
To Cassian, Lia was more important than any duty as a grand duke or anything else.
Cassian had no ambition for the position of grand duke.
It was simply something he inherited because it was expected of him from birth, nothing more.
Therefore, if that position interfered with his time beside Lia, he would have no qualms about abandoning it.
Lia was that precious to Cassian.
Lia remained silent at Cassian’s words.
Usually, she would have protested, arguing that such a thing wasn’t possible, but she swallowed her rebuttal. Instead, she felt more deeply moved by the sincerity behind Cassian’s words.
But the warm atmosphere didn’t last long. Soon, the demons, which had been quiet for a while, resumed their attack.
The knights immediately assumed their battle stances, and Cassian, holding Lia in his arms, moved to a safe position where they wouldn’t interfere with the battle.
From his vantage point, Cassian watched the unfolding battle with sharp eyes, remaining vigilant in case any demons evaded the knights’ attacks and targeted Lia.
Amidst the quiet tension within the group, Cassian, with a serious expression, was lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Lia, exhausted, had fallen asleep in his arms.
Even while deep in thought, Cassian carefully adjusted his posture to ensure Lia was comfortable.
At that moment, Shion, who had been leading the knights, approached Cassian.
“Sir Khal…,”
Shion addressed Cassian, using a different title instead of calling him ‘My lord or Grand Duke’ to maintain discretion.
Officially, Cassian was present as Lia’s guardian, not as the grand duke, so they avoided any titles that might reveal his true identity.
“What is it?”
Cassian, annoyed at being interrupted, revealed his displeasure.
“We should take a short break,”
Shion suggested cautiously. Cassian glanced indifferently at the state of the knights.
They were visibly exhausted, which was no surprise.
The relentless attacks had continued from the first day into the second, with only brief moments of rest that were insufficient.
This demon-hunting mission was the most grueling and taxing one they had ever undertaken.
This situation gave Cassian pause.
To shorten the hunting schedule, it would be best to minimize rest times, but he couldn’t ignore the knights’ condition either.
“Hmm, there’s no other choice,”
Cassian muttered, reluctantly nodding his head.
Shion immediately returned to the knights to announce the break.
The knights, who were exhausted, sat down wherever they could to rest. Shion, watching them sympathetically, returned to Cassian.
“How is the duke?”
“Do I really need to tell you that?”
Cassian retorted sharply, implying that it was obvious if Shion simply looked.
“Ah, yes… but Sir Khal, don’t you find this situation strange?”
Despite Shion’s incomplete sentence, Cassian immediately understood what he was getting at.
“This is not a normal situation,”
“It’s not just unusual, but there are many things that feel off,”
They had received reports that there were far more demons in the Refaar Forest than expected.
Thus, they anticipated more frequent encounters with demons than during previous hunts. However, the frequency of attacks was still too high.
Moreover, with the constant attacks, the forest was filled with the stench of demon blood. Normally, by this point, the demons would begin to hide or flee rather than attack.
On the first day of the hunt, they usually faced many attacks, but afterward, they would spend their time tracking down and chasing hiding or fleeing demons.
This time, however, was different.
The attacks were continuous, with no demons hiding or fleeing.
But that wasn’t the only strange thing.
