I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 88
“How about the subjugation of the demons?”
Cassian cast a fleeting glance at Shion and asked in a detached voice.
“Thankfully, it ended safely without any injuries or casualties.”
“At least that’s fortunate.”
“…Yes, indeed. However, I can’t help but be concerned about the Duke.”
The demon subjugation, which had been difficult while Lia was present, proceeded too easily after she left.
The endless attacks from the demons stopped, and the situation mirrored previous subjugations.
As a result, it became all the more certain. The strange occurrences in the Refaar Forest were definitely related to Lia.
But why, and for what reason?
Those questions tangled in Shion’s mind.
“Forget about the angel baby. Don’t try to think about it.”
Reading the doubt on Shion’s face, Cassian spoke in a stern voice.
No matter who it was, even Shion, Cassian couldn’t reveal anything about Lia lightly.
The fact that Lia was a saint, and that there was something special about her, had to be kept hidden at all costs.
It was enough that only he knew this.
No, maybe someone already knew. Whether they knew about Lia’s existence was still uncertain, though.
“I understand. I haven’t seen anything, and I don’t know anything.”
Shion obediently followed Cassian’s words.
Although he didn’t know what Cassian knew or what was going on with Lia, as long as it was for Lia’s sake, there was no reason not to follow.
Shion, though not as much as Cassian, also cared for and worried about Lia.
“But what’s going on?”
Recalling the letter that had urgently summoned him back to the Duke’s residence, Shion asked seriously.
Given past experiences, it was highly likely that it was another unnecessary command, but he couldn’t be sure.
Sometimes, unexpected and shocking news was delivered.
“There’s something we urgently need to find out.”
“What is it?”
How urgent was it that they didn’t even allow him time to rest before assigning him more tasks?
A small amount of discontent surfaced on Shion’s face.
“Poison, and the antidote.”
“Pardon?”
Suddenly, poison? And an antidote?
Shion’s expression filled with confusion.
“I’ve been poisoned. So, I need the antidote.”
Cassian spoke in a calm tone, as if it were nothing serious.
His manner was so casual that it made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal at all. But just because he acted that way didn’t mean the person hearing it would react the same.
Shion was truly taken aback by Cassian’s words. He was so stunned that he was momentarily speechless.
Cassian had always been a superior with many secrets. He preferred to handle things on his own rather than seek help from others.
Shion understood this about Cassian. Being naturally exceptional, it was likely that others felt like burdens to him.
In fact, it was hard to find anyone who met his standards.
But still…!
For the first time, Shion felt a surge of anger.
“Are you some kind of onion, my lord?!”
How could there be endless secrets, layer after layer, like peeling an onion?
At first, it was just that he was injured, and he would stay at the Duke’s residence for a while. Then later, it turned out that he was more seriously injured than expected, so he lost his memory.
And now… it wasn’t just a simple injury, but he had been poisoned?
How could he mention such an important fact so late and in such a piecemeal manner?
If the person in front of him hadn’t been the ill-tempered Grand Duke, Shion would have surely hit him on the head.
“Lower your voice. You’ll wake the angel baby.”
Cassian, clearly displeased, reacted to Shion’s raised voice.
Not that his voice was as pleasant as Lia’s, but it was grating on the ears, like a noisy assault on the eardrums.
“She’s not some superhuman, my lord. Do you think she’ll hear us from here even if we raise our voices?”
“And so?”
“…Ha, yes, you’re right. Of course.”
Shion sighed in resignation.
Well, the Grand Duke had always been like this.
It wasn’t like Shion hadn’t been shocked enough to raise his voice.
But understanding his feelings? Not even a chance. The superior in front of him simply got annoyed and released an ominous aura instead.
Suddenly, Shion felt sorry for himself.
But that was beside the point. What mattered now was Cassian’s exact condition.
“What kind of poison is it? How did this happen, and what sort of poison are we dealing with?”
“I’m still investigating that.”
“……..”
Shion was at a loss for words.
But then, a fact hit him, and he accepted it.
He had briefly forgotten due to Cassian’s usual brashness, but Cassian’s memory wasn’t intact.
So, it made sense that he wouldn’t remember how he got poisoned.
“Did all of this happen that day?”
The injury, the memory loss, and now the poison — Shion was asking if they all occurred on the same day.
“Yes.”
Cassian nodded calmly.
“And you hid it this whole time.”
“It’s a sensitive matter. It’s not an ordinary poison. It affected even me, someone with abilities, and is interfering with my powers.”
“We need to know exactly what kind of poison it is to find the antidote.”
Even if they didn’t know what the poison was, they had to understand its effects in order to search for a cure.
At Shion’s words, Cassian briefly explained his condition in a detached tone.
But Shion couldn’t remain as composed after hearing it.
“You joined the subjugation in that condition?”
He had known something was off about Cassian’s physical state.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have hidden himself due to an injury and stayed at the Duke’s residence.
But after hearing Cassian’s explanation, it was worse than he had imagined.
Almost as bad as it could get.
No wonder Cassian had been holding back during the subjugation.
“I was more concerned about the angel baby’s safety than my own condition.”
“Why are you so concerned about her, to that extent?”
It was a question Shion had been wondering about for some time.
Of course, Shion understood to some extent. Lia was undeniably lovable and charming to anyone.
Even the knights who had accompanied them on the demon subjugation had fallen for Lia completely during that short time.
But Cassian’s behavior was beyond that.
“That’s not the important part.”
Whatever the reason, Lia had become someone incredibly special and precious to Cassian.
So what mattered now was the future.
‘Is this because Lia is a saint?’
Cassian briefly considered the thought but shook his head.
The feelings he had for Lia were different from that.
He wasn’t sure how or why, but he knew for certain that it was something far deeper and stronger than her being a saint.
“Ah, yes, of course.”
It wasn’t as if asking 20 questions could be more frustrating than this.
But Cassian clearly had no intention of explaining anything properly.
He only gave the bare minimum of information when it suited him.
“It’s best to find the antidote as quickly as possible. The poison… it’s still spreading.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I don’t even know what will happen if the poison spreads completely.”
At Cassian’s follow-up remark, Shion nearly hit him for real.
But he held back. Not because Cassian was his superior, but because he knew he might lose his head if he tried.
“…Phew. I’ll do my best to find the antidote as quickly as possible, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
“It can’t be helped.”
“How can you say that so casually?!”
Despite saying he didn’t know what would happen if the poison spread completely, how could he be so nonchalant?
Shion was beyond frustrated and was getting angry.
Even in response to Shion’s reaction, Cassian remained calm.
Of course, it wasn’t that Cassian wasn’t concerned.
If something happened to him, the one who would be in the most danger was Lia. For Lia’s sake, he needed to detoxify the poison as soon as possible.
However, there was one thing he was relying on. Or rather, something he was hoping for.
That was Lia.
Given her ability to heal his wounds, perhaps she could also remove the poison that had spread through his body.
In fact, along with the healing of his wounds, the distinct presence of the poison that had once been so apparent had subsided.
Even so, the reason Cassian was seeking an antidote was that he preferred to resolve the issue himself rather than rely on her help.
He didn’t know how the detoxification process might affect Lia, and it could place a burden on her.
Detoxifying poison was not the same as healing a wound.
Just because she had the ability to heal didn’t guarantee it wouldn’t affect her in some way.
That’s why relying on Lia was a last resort.
If they couldn’t find an antidote, he would have no choice but to rely on her. But if possible, he wanted to solve it himself.
“I trust you.”
Cassian spoke in an indifferent tone, but he had noticed the worry in Shion’s sharp outburst.
This was the truth.
Cassian did trust Shion.
He was not only a highly competent aide but also a reliable right-hand man.
The reason Cassian kept many secrets from Shion wasn’t that he didn’t trust him. It was simply easier to maintain secrecy if fewer people knew.
Besides, the only reason Cassian had been able to leave the Grand Duke’s household for so long was because Shion was there.
Shion flinched at Cassian’s words, then sighed.
“Haa, fine… I’ll do my best.”
“Good.”
Cassian nodded calmly.
“I hope you’re not hiding anything else from me.”
Shion fervently hoped this was true.
The things he had learned so far had been shocking enough. If there were more… it would be unbearable for him.
“But, what’s the progress on the investigation of Marquess Lathsiron?”
Cassian, completely ignoring Shion’s previous words, asked with a serious expression.
It had been a while since he had ordered the investigation on the Marquess Lathsiron, so by now, there should have been some results.
At Cassian’s question, Shion’s expression became peculiar.
Somehow, his expression seemed complicated as well.
