I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 84
Cassian’s expression naturally darkened as he recalled what had happened in the Refaar Forest.
By now, Lia must have regretted going on the demon subjugation mission with him. But Cassian thought it was a good decision to have gone.
If he hadn’t followed her, Lia might have been in real danger.
The issue wasn’t just the demons in the Refaar Forest.
Even if those demons weren’t targeting Lia, she would have been in danger no matter which demon subjugation she participated in.
In fact, it would have been even more dangerous.
The knights responsible for the demon subjugation weren’t knights from the Grand Duchy, and they were less skilled than the Grand Duchy’s knights.
It was only because he had accompanied her, and because the knights in charge of the Refaar Forest subjugation were from the Grand Duchy, that they were able to return safely.
Therefore, he had to figure out the cause of all this.
Why were the demons targeting Lia?
It was not common for ordinary people to encounter demons.
The ones with special abilities had always worked hard to handle demon subjugation, and because of their efforts, demons rarely left their strongholds.
In that sense, there was no need to overthink things too seriously.
As long as she didn’t encounter them, what problem would it be if the demons were targeting Lia?
But Cassian couldn’t take the situation so lightly.
It was because it involved Lia.
Even if it wasn’t common for ordinary people to encounter demons, it wasn’t as if such things never happened.
What if, by any chance, Lia happened to face a demon?
And what if he wasn’t there with her when that happened?
The mere thought of it was terrifying.
There is no certainty in life. Even if, at the moment, Lia had no reason to face a demon, no one could guarantee that it would never happen in the future.
And what if… what if demons, sensing Lia’s presence from afar, decided to pursue her all the way to the capital?
Then, they would never be able to relax.
That’s why he needed to uncover the reason why the demons were targeting Lia and stop them from doing so.
Finding the cause wouldn’t solve everything, but at the very least, they could come up with a countermeasure.
Besides, to find the antidote, he would need Shion. Cassian was careful about moving on his own, so he needed someone to act in his place.
Right now, Shion was the only person he trusted, someone who could be both reliable and dependable.
However, at the moment, Shion was on a mission for demon subjugation.
It would take some time for Shion to return after completing the subjugation. Meanwhile, Cassian intended to investigate why the demons were targeting Lia.
And once Shion returned, he would tell him the facts he hadn’t revealed yet and seek his help in finding the antidote.
Of course, even before that, Cassian planned to search for the antidote by himself as best as he could.
He couldn’t afford to delay or remain complacent anymore.
Cassian’s thoughts were briefly interrupted as his gaze shifted to Lia, who was now looking at him with teary eyes.
“Lia, my angel baby.”
“…What is it, Khal?”
Her reply was somewhat curt, but her tone was cautious and sullen, driven by her feelings of guilt.
“I’m just glad I was able to protect you, my angel baby.”
“…But you got hurt.”
“It’s a wound of honor. And even if the wound doesn’t heal, that’s not your fault, my angel baby. It’s just because of the poison. And getting poisoned was simply because I was careless.”
Of course, since he hadn’t regained his memories, he didn’t know.
Who had inflicted such a wound on him and used poison?
And how it had happened?
However, part of the reason surely lay in his carelessness.
If he had been a bit stronger, a bit more cautious, he wouldn’t have gone through such an ordeal.
“But…”
“I’m a little thankful. Because of it, I was able to meet my angel baby.”
Thinking about it that way, he could almost overlook getting poisoned.
If it hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have met Lia like this.
Given his personality, which avoided appearing in front of others, the chances of him meeting Lia were extremely slim.
Even if they had met, they wouldn’t have developed such a close relationship like they had now.
In that sense, perhaps everything was destined.
Yes, meeting Lia was fate for Cassian.
Lia didn’t say anything in response to Cassian’s words.
She couldn’t say anything.
She just felt worried.
She desperately hoped he would find the antidote and get better soon.
Cassian gently comforted her with a tender gaze.
As if telling her not to worry, as if there was nothing to be concerned about.
After a moment, Cassian turned his gaze toward the doctor.
“I will investigate as much as I can. You, do what you need to do.”
“…Then, I’ll just perform a simple treatment for now and take my leave.”
They couldn’t just leave the wound untreated because it wasn’t healing.
At the very least, they needed to administer basic treatment to prevent it from worsening.
“I’ll do it. Just tell me how.”
“Understood.”
The doctor nodded readily and explained the treatment method to Lia.
The procedure wasn’t complicated, so Lia could easily manage it with just the doctor’s explanation.
Cassian quietly watched Lia.
Her small head moving busily, her focused expression, and her careful touch.
Just watching her made his heart feel warm.
“I’ve had quite the experience.”
“…What do you mean?”
Lia asked with a slightly puzzled expression.
“I was able to monopolize the attention of my angel baby, after all.”
Moreover, she had personally treated his wound with those small hands of hers.
Thinking about how Lia felt guilty because of the wound annoyed and angered him, but it also made his heart ache in a good way.
All of this meant that Lia considered him that precious.
That he held such significance to Lia.
“Angel baby, are you sorry?”
“…Yes.”
Lia nodded without hesitation. Her face remained somber and dark.
“If you truly feel sorry, then why not take care of me?”
Though he said ‘take care of me,’ it was really just an excuse to spend more time with her.
Because he was always busy, the time they spent together was exceedingly short, even though they lived in the same place.
“Of course, I should.”
He had been hurt while protecting her, so taking care of him didn’t seem like a difficult thing to do.
Cassian’s expression showed satisfaction at Lia’s determined reply.
“And… I’d like permission to access the study.”
“You don’t need my permission to enter the study.”
The study wasn’t a private space, and there was no reason to deny him access when they were living together.
“Still, I’m a guest, after all.”
“And you’re also my guardian. So, as long as it’s not a restricted area, you can go anywhere you like, as long as you don’t steal anything.”
“What I want to steal most is right here, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
There was nothing in the Duke’s estate that he particularly wanted or desired.
Anything that could be obtained here in the Duke’s household could be acquired with the power of the Grand Duchy anyway.
So the only thing he wanted to take was none other than the little angel in front of him.
“I’m not allowed,” Lia said firmly.
For some reason, she felt that Cassian might truly whisk her away like a kidnapping, so she made her stance clear.
“Then how about my angel baby having me?”
“I’ll have to decline that too. People aren’t possessions. We can be together without needing to own each other.”
“…That’s a wise answer.”
Cassian looked at Lia with a satisfied expression, as if gazing at a well-raised child.
That atmosphere lasted for only a moment, as Lia soon left the room with a reminder for him to rest.
Cassian didn’t stop her.
Although he wanted to spend more time with her, he had his own thoughts to organize, and it seemed Lia needed some rest as well.
And… as long as they were together, Lia would surely continue to feel guilty toward him.
***
Late at night, when everyone was asleep.
Cassian was still awake, searching through the study for something.
He was looking for a book that might contain the information he wanted.
But… it was somewhat vague because he didn’t know where such information would be found.
So, for now, he had pulled out every book that contained information about demons.
He hoped that by digging into these details, he might uncover a clue as to why the demons were targeting Lia.
The Duke’s study contained quite a few books on demons.
Although it wasn’t as grand as the Grand Duchy’s collection, the Duke’s household held enough prestige that even the Grand Duchy couldn’t dismiss it lightly.
Naturally, this meant they possessed a large number of books.
Especially since the previous Duke of Sithran enjoyed reading and had a wide range of interests.
Despite that, Cassian felt disappointed. No matter how many books he went through, he couldn’t find the information he was looking for.
‘…Should I visit the Grand Duchy after a long time?’
For a moment, Cassian considered this but soon shook his head.
Judging by the number of books they had, the Grand Duchy’s collection might not have anything more. In fact, the Duke’s household might even have more books.
So, even if he went to the Grand Duchy, he didn’t think he would find the specific information he needed.
“Well, I guess I’ll stop here for today and come back tomorrow.”
It seemed like it would be better to approach the situation from a different angle rather than just looking for books on demons.
