I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 82
Upon hearing the news of Lia and Cassian’s arrival, the butler, Sebain, rushed out to greet them with a sense of urgency.
“Duke!”
It was as if he was reuniting with family members he hadn’t seen in decades. Sebain welcomed Lia with a face full of emotion, overwhelmed with relief.
He truly thanked God for Lia’s safe return.
Since Lia had left to join the demon subjugation, Sebain hadn’t had a moment of rest.
Every day, every moment, his thoughts were solely focused on Lia, worrying about her well-being.
No matter how much he tried to reassure himself that she would return unharmed, the concern for his only master never left him.
How could it be otherwise?
Lia was the only remaining bloodline of the former Duke of Sithran, and to Sebain, she was as precious as a granddaughter.
Lia was the reason Sebain stayed with the ducal family and the reason he continued to live.
“Be careful. What if you fall?”
Lia spoke in a concerned tone, worried that Sebain, given his age, might stumble and hurt himself.
Lia’s face was filled with affection and joy as she looked at him.
Sebain, usually composed and dignified, had forgotten all decorum as a butler, running out to greet her with unrestrained happiness.
Just from this, Lia could tell how much he had worried about her.
This made her feel warm inside, and it finally hit her that she was truly home.
“There’s no way that could happen. I won’t allow myself to get injured or die until I see you get married, have children, and live a happy life, Duke.”
Having already lost one precious family member, how could Sebain possibly leave Lia behind?
Lia smiled once more at Sebain’s affectionate words.
However, beside her, Cassian wore a dissatisfied expression, as if something was bothering him.
“Is the butler immortal or something?”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Sebain looked puzzled, not understanding the intent behind Cassian’s words.
“The angel baby will live with me forever.”
By this, Cassian meant that Lia would never marry or have children with anyone else.
Sebain was momentarily at a loss for how to respond to such a statement.
“I never agreed to that!”
“Well, you can agree to it now.”
Despite Lia’s protest, Cassian remained confident.
“No, I don’t agree.”
Of course, it wasn’t that she was planning on getting married right away.
She was still too young for that.
Even if she were to get engaged, it would have to wait until she was 16, and marriage would have to wait until she was 18.
In other words, it was something that could only happen in six years.
So, while she had no plans for it now, one could never predict the future.
And for the sake of the family line, she would eventually have to marry and have children.
She couldn’t be the one to end the ducal line.
Unless there was a suitable relative to adopt, which wasn’t the case.
“…So you’re saying you’ll leave me for another man…”
“Is your head hurting because your hand got injured?”
Lia shook her head, dismissing Cassian’s words as nonsense.
“Such a cold-hearted angel baby.”
Cassian pretended to be hurt, his eyes drooping in a pitiful manner.
However, Lia ignored him, pretending not to notice.
But only for a moment.
“Sebain, call a doctor right away.”
“Are you hurt?”
“Not me, Cassian. I’m fine.”
“Are you really okay?”
Even if there were no visible injuries, it was hard to believe she was completely fine.
Demon subjugation was no easy task.
It must have been incredibly difficult for someone so young to endure.
“Yes, Cassian took care of me the whole time.”
If it weren’t for Cassian, she might not have made it.
It had been very tough, and just thinking about it now still made her tremble with fear, but knowing that Cassian was by her side had been a great comfort to Ria.
Knowing that there was someone she could rely on, someone she could trust more than anyone else, was what had kept her going.
“Thank you, Sir Cassian.”
Sebain expressed his sincere gratitude to Cassian.
Cassian, however, brushed off the thanks as if it didn’t matter to him.
He didn’t feel there was any reason to be thanked. He had only done what he wanted to do.
Everything had been entirely for his own sake.
He didn’t want Lia to get hurt, and he didn’t want to see her struggling.
“So, Sebain, please call the doctor.”
“Yes, understood. Where should I send him?”
“Tell him to go to Khal’s room.”
With that, Lia and Cassian moved towards their destination.
The place they headed to was Cassian’s room.
They had already called for the doctor to come there, and it was also to ensure that Cassian, who was likely more exhausted than anyone, could rest immediately after receiving treatment.
“I’ll stay until I see you treated.”
“You can stay longer if you like.”
“No, I have a lot of work to do.”
“…You’re going to start working again as soon as you arrive?”
Cassian frowned deeply, filled with dissatisfaction.
They hadn’t had a proper rest since returning to the duke’s estate.
Even during the demon subjugation, they had been constantly on the move, so it could be said that they hadn’t rested properly for over a week.
But now, instead of taking a break to relieve the accumulated fatigue, she was determined to start working again.
He was on the verge of wanting to get rid of all the work in the world.
“I feel like I should at least write the report.”
The head of the family who accompanied the demon subjugation was required to submit a report to the emperor within a week of returning.
Although there was a week’s deadline, Lia felt more at ease getting it done quickly rather than letting the work pile up.
“Someone else can take care of that.”
“Someone else?”
“Yes, someone who’s perfect for that sort of thing.”
From Cassian’s nonchalant reply, Lia could immediately guess who he was talking about.
It had to be Shion, who was the only one Cassian would delegate such tasks to.
“But it’s my report. Why should someone else do it?”
“Your work is their work, and their work is their work.”
“No, thanks. The demon subjugation isn’t even over yet, so it wouldn’t be right to make someone else do it.”
“Subordinates exist to be given various tasks.”
“No, really. I prefer doing it myself.”
Cassian frowned at Lia’s firm refusal.
He had suggested it with her in mind, but being so decisively turned down left him feeling a bit offended.
But the feeling didn’t last long.
He knew Lia’s personality well enough and understood that just because he offered a favor didn’t mean she had to accept it.
Cassian soon returned to his usual expression and playfully poked Lia’s cheek with his finger.
Lia initially tolerated the first couple of pokes, but as it continued, she frowned.
Just as she was about to say something, the doctor arrived.
After bowing to Lia, the doctor immediately began examining Cassian’s injuries.
Even though three days had passed, Cassian’s wounds were still not healed.
The bleeding had decreased compared to when they first arrived, but the wounds still hadn’t clotted.
It was strange because they had received basic treatment from a village doctor before arriving at the duke’s estate.
“How is it?”
Lia asked the doctor with a worried expression, seeing that Cassian’s wounds hadn’t improved at all.
The doctor hesitated to respond, his expression dark.
“It’s….”
Before the doctor could say anything, Cassian interrupted.
“He says it’s fine. There’s no need to worry.”
“But I asked the doctor, not you, Khal.”
Lia shot a sharp glance at the doctor, signaling that she expected a proper answer.
Given the state of the wound and the doctor’s troubled expression, Lia felt that something wasn’t right. She couldn’t just take Cassian’s word for it and move on.
Under Lia’s intense gaze, the doctor found it difficult to speak up, especially with Cassian emanating a menacing aura beside her, warning him not to say anything unnecessary.
Regardless, the doctor was serving Lia, so no matter how much Cassian tried to intimidate him, Lia’s orders took precedence.
However, the doctor couldn’t easily ignore Cassian’s threatening presence—it was too intense and intimidating.
Seeing the doctor’s hesitation, Lia turned her attention to Cassian, her expression questioning.
“Khal.”
“Yes, angel baby?”
“Why are you scaring the doctor?”
“Me? I didn’t do anything like that.”
Cassian feigned innocence with an unaffected expression.
“I have the right to know your condition. After all, you were injured protecting me.”
“…It’s a wound that will naturally heal over time. There’s no need to worry….”
“Khal, don’t lie to me. That would hurt me.”
Cassian found himself at a loss for words at Lia’s statement.
How could he possibly do anything that would hurt Lia?
But he didn’t want Lia to know about his condition.
Nothing good would come of it.
“Lia, I’m really fine….”
“I’ll decide whether you’re fine or not after hearing what the doctor has to say. And you’re my guardian, so as your ward, I have every right to know about your condition.”
Lia spoke with a voice that left no room for argument.
Judging by how Cassian was trying so hard to silence the doctor, it seemed the situation was serious.
Something was definitely wrong.
In this tense standoff, Cassian eventually had no choice but to concede.
When had he ever won against Lia?
As Cassian backed down, the doctor, who had been hesitant to speak, finally felt more at ease and started to explain.
And as LiaLia listened to the doctor’s words, her expression grew increasingly grim.
