I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 81
“I think it’s time for us to part ways.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
Lia nodded obediently at Shion’s words, but there was a certain darkness on her face.
“If you’re feeling uneasy, I can escort you near the duke’s mansion.”
Shion, assuming that Lia’s troubled expression was due to the fear of another demon attack, spoke in a gentle voice.
It was a reasonable concern. They had been tormented by demon attacks until they exited the forest.
Moreover, Cassian was also injured.
“No, no, that’s not it.”
“Then… what is it that’s bothering you?”
“I’m more worried about the knights. Khal and I can return to the duke’s residence and rest, but the knights have to continue the subjugation.”
Though they planned to take a short break before the reinforcements arrived, she couldn’t help but worry.
She couldn’t be sure if the fatigue accumulated within them would be fully relieved, and it seemed that continuing the demon subjugation would not be easy.
And it wasn’t just Cassian who was injured.
The other knights were also wounded, and even those who weren’t injured weren’t in good shape.
All the knights were utterly exhausted. It seemed like even taking a single step was a struggle for them.
“We’ll be fine.”
“They say those with abilities have more stamina than those without, but it doesn’t mean they don’t feel fatigue. Anyone can get hurt, and when they do, they need treatment.”
“This much is something we must endure…”
“Enough.”
Before Shion could finish speaking, Cassian interrupted.
“Sir Khal?”
“Injured people will be excluded from this subjugation. Also, anyone who feels it’s too much to continue will be withdrawn as well. Since reinforcements are on their way, losing a few members won’t be a problem.”
Shion and the other knights widened their eyes at Cassian’s words.
They were shocked that such words came from Cassian, who was known for pushing the knights hard.
Normally, if someone got hurt, he would blame it on their weakness and push them even harder with more intense training.
If you could still move, it didn’t matter if you were injured—there were no exceptions.
Even if someone felt like they were about to collapse from exhaustion, if they hadn’t actually died, Cassian would push them harder, telling them not to slack off.
“Will that be okay, angel baby?”
“Yes, then I’ll feel a little more at ease.”
“Then it’s decided.”
Cassian said casually, not minding the knights’ shock.
Upon hearing this, the knights looked at Lia with respect.
As expected of the angel baby, they thought. She had managed to change Cassian’s mind with just a few words.
It was something no one else could have done.
“Thank you for your concern, Duke.”
Shion sincerely expressed his gratitude to Lia.
Considering how difficult it must have been to take care of herself, it was only natural that they felt grateful for her concern.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“No, just having you with us was more than enough help.”
It was because she had agreed to participate in this demon subjugation that Cassian had also joined in.
And because of her consideration, Cassian was unusually lenient towards the knights.
“Thank you for saying that.”
Lia smiled softly at Shion’s words.
When the usually stern Shion smiled, the atmosphere changed in an instant.
His smile held many things within it.
Shion had already thought highly of Lia before, but after this subjugation, his opinion of her became even more favorable.
He even felt that as long as the path she walked was not in opposition to the Grand Duke’s family, he would be more than willing to support her and stand by her side.
“Then we’ll be off now.”
“Yes. Oh, but please, don’t push yourselves too hard! Make sure to get enough rest!”
“Understood.”
Shion, with a kind expression as if he were looking at a niece, bid farewell and turned to leave with the knights.
“Then shall we go too?”
Now that they were finally alone, Cassian felt a strange satisfaction and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Wait a moment.”
Lia grabbed Cassian’s sleeve and rummaged through her belongings.
After searching for a while, she frowned, unable to find what she was looking for.
“Is there something you need?”
“I do need something… but it’s no use.”
Lia responded vaguely to Cassian’s question, letting out a frustrated sigh.
Then suddenly, the sound of fabric tearing could be heard.
Lia had torn her dress.
“Lia?”
Cassian called out to her with a displeased look, as her dress was now torn up to about 5 centimeters above her ankle.
He couldn’t understand why she suddenly tore her skirt.
“Khal, let me see your arm for a moment.”
Rather than answering Cassian’s question, Lia decided to address her own needs first.
Cassian, still puzzled, obediently held out his arm.
“No, not this one, the injured arm.”
“That’s dirty.”
“You got injured while protecting me, so how is that dirty?”
Lia scolded him with a stern look as if he had said something terribly wrong.
“That’s not a good sight for my angel baby to see.”
He was worried that the precious angel baby’s eyes might be hurt by the sight.
Although Cassian had already shown Lia his injured arm for a check-up, he didn’t want to show it again unless absolutely necessary.
“Khal.”
Lia called Cassian with a very firm and stern voice, shaking her hand as if demanding him to quickly offer his arm.
“Angel baby.”
“Khal.”
“Ah, my angel baby is so stubborn.”
He couldn’t understand why she wanted to see the wound again, even though it wasn’t something pleasant to look at.
Under Lia’s persistent urging, Cassian reluctantly placed his injured arm on Lia’s palm.
Seeing the wound again made Lia’s face twist as if she were about to cry.
The more she looked at it, the more her heart ached.
Even with such a serious injury, he continued to pretend as if nothing was wrong.
If she hadn’t noticed his injury, Cassian would have hidden it until the very end, not wanting to cause her any worry.
How could someone be so selfless?
Cassian truly moved only for her sake.
He thought only of her and worried only about her. It was as if his own well-being was of no concern to him.
Otherwise, why would he only care about her safety while in such a terrible condition?
Without showing the slightest sign of pain, he remained focused on her safety until the end.
“I’m really fine, angel baby.”
“But I’m not fine.”
“That’s… a big problem then.”
This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to show her his wound.
Seeing her cry was far worse than being in pain or getting injured himself.
Pain was something he could just endure. Even if he wasn’t used to it, he could manage to get through it.
But seeing Lia in such pain was something he couldn’t bear.
It felt like someone was plunging his heart into boiling lava.
“It’s a shame. I wish we at least had some simple first-aid supplies…”
Seeing the blood still flowing from the wound, she knew immediate hemostasis was necessary. But they had no hemostatic agents, not even ointment.
“If you’re that worried, we can stop by a clinic on the way back.”
No matter how small the village, there should be at least one doctor, so finding a clinic wasn’t difficult.
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
Cassian nodded and used his uninjured hand to gently stroke Lia’s head.
Even after that, Lia, with a face as if she might cry, looked at Cassian’s injured arm and then wrapped the piece of her dress tightly around his wound like a bandage.
Even this simple act would help stop the bleeding to some extent.
Especially since it wasn’t good for the wound to be exposed to the air.
It was the obvious choice to protect the wound.
“I feel bad using something so precious on such a minor wound.”
Cassian, who now realized why Lia had torn her dress, said this with a displeased look.
“How could you say it’s just a minor wound?”
“It will heal in a few days. And after some time, even the scar will fade.”
“Still, I don’t like you talking about your wound that way. So let’s correct that: I used a mere piece of my dress on a precious wound of yours.”
Her wardrobe was overflowing with dresses she wasn’t sure when she’d ever wear.
Besides, as she was still growing, she would eventually outgrow them.
It was just a dress, nothing more.
So there was no reason for Cassian to feel bad about it.
“How could anything of yours be mere?”
“It’s the same. To me, the wound of someone precious, no matter how small, can never be just a minor thing.”
At Lia’s firm words, Cassian quietly gazed at her.
Every word she said resonated deeply within him.
The warm atmosphere lingered for a moment, and then Lia spoke with a slightly sulky face.
“And… from now on, no more carrying me.”
“But…”
“No, absolutely not. It’s forbidden. Don’t even think about it for a second. From now on, I’ll walk on my own two feet.”
In the forest of Refaar, the terrain was rough, and they had no choice but to be carried due to the demons, but that wasn’t the case anymore.
Moreover, how could she be carried by someone who was injured?
At Lia’s firm words, Cassian’s mood suddenly became somber.
***
It had been three days since Lia and Cassian had parted ways with the knights.
Finally, the two of them arrived at the duke’s mansion.
