I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 95
At the moment when Lia was having the happiest time in her dream, Cassian was in a private meeting with the Emperor.
The Emperor’s expression, under Cassian’s fierce gaze, was extremely dark and complicated.
This reflected the gravity of the current situation.
Fortunately, unlike the knights, both Jeshuan and Lia were not severely injured.
However, due to Jeshuan’s rampage, both had lost consciousness and had yet to regain it.
One of them was the Crown Prince, and the other was a Duke, making this situation far from trivial.
Moreover, Lia had Cassian’s affection as the Grand Duke.
If things went wrong, it could strain not only the relationship with the Ducal House but also with the Grand Ducal House.
Such a scenario would mean the Emperor losing two of his most reliable allies.
Cassian, staring silently at the Emperor, struggled to suppress the urge to kill him immediately.
He knew well that the cause of this incident wasn’t Jeshuan, but rather the sudden appearance of demons at the Imperial Palace.
Thankfully, a knight who had regained consciousness managed to provide a rough explanation of the situation.
Though he didn’t witness the entire scene, he at least saw Jeshuan’s rampage before losing consciousness.
Jeshuan’s rampage was triggered by his efforts to protect Lia from the demons, making it hard to blame him entirely.
Yet, despite understanding this logically, Cassian couldn’t suppress his anger, believing Jeshuan to be the one who had put Lia in the most danger.
Initially, Lia came to the Imperial Palace to meet Jeshuan. If she hadn’t come to meet him, as part of a deal with the Emperor, she wouldn’t have been attacked by demons here.
Furthermore, the enchanted item Cassian had given her now had only one use left out of its three.
The first activation protected her from a demon attack, and the second one saved her from Jeshuan’s rampage.
With just one chance remaining, continuing her meetings with Jeshuan was far too dangerous for Lia.
Notably, this was the second time Jeshuan had gone berserk.
Once someone experiences a rampage, the likelihood of it happening again increases.
Jeshuan, in particular, already had a higher risk of losing control than other individuals with abilities.
Now that he had experienced it twice, even smaller stimuli could trigger another rampage.
Although Jeshuan wasn’t solely to blame for this incident, Cassian couldn’t allow further encounters between Jeshuan and Lia.
In the silence that filled the room, Cassian, having gathered his thoughts, slowly opened his mouth.
“I can no longer allow Lia to meet the Crown Prince.”
“…That is Duke Sithran’s own decision.”
The emperor could understand Cassian’s feelings. After all that had happened, how could he allow Lia to keep meeting Jeshuan?
However, the emperor found it difficult to accept his words.
As a father, his inclination was to act in his son’s best interest.
The knight’s testimony confirmed Jeshuan’s rampage. Yet strangely, the situation concluded more easily than expected, without significant damage.
It was unclear who suppressed Jeshuan’s rampage or what exactly happened, but the answer seemed to lie with Lia.
Jeshuan showed a strong interest in Lia and wished to keep her close. There must be a reason behind his actions.
It was evident that Lia had some positive impact on Jeshuan’s condition. Thus, the Emperor found it impossible to let go of Lia for the sake of his beloved son.
He had to protect the precious thing Jeshuan had found.
However, if this strained relations with the Grand Ducal House, it would be problematic for the Emperor.
“Yes, you intentionally kept your mouth shut and hid important facts, shaking Lia’s emotions.”
“That is…”
“Do not think I will let your tongue go unpunished, even if you are the Emperor. I have no intention of listening to excuses. There’s no consideration for Lia in those excuses.”
Interrupting the Emperor’s attempt to explain, Cassian responded coldly.
He was aware that the Emperor was hiding significant information, but Cassian also remained silent, having his own reasons.
After all, he couldn’t openly challenge the Emperor’s gag order.
If he had known that this small concession would lead to such an outcome, he wouldn’t have remained silent.
“He was always cautious about hurting others. For the first time, he made a request of me. How could I refuse as a father?”
The Emperor knew that these words wouldn’t help soothe Cassian’s anger at all, but he had no other choice.
This was all he could do as the Emperor.
“So, you sacrificed Lia for your son’s sake?”
“It wasn’t a sacrifice.”
“Shut your mouth. You must have known, Your Majesty.”
Even if there seemed to be no immediate danger, Cassian was aware that something like this could happen eventually.
Jeshuan could go on a rampage anytime, even without a demon attack.
“…Well, I anticipated that something like this could happen.”
The Emperor nodded without resistance.
How could he not have known?
Jeshuan had already gone berserk once.
Although it hadn’t happened again since, the previous incident was enough to keep him anxious.
Yet, he tried to believe that it would be okay, that there wouldn’t be another rampage.
He didn’t want more trials for Jeshuan, who was already living in hell every day.
“And despite that, you allowed Lia to meet the Crown Prince? Why, did you think Lia was immortal and would be unharmed even if Jeshuan went berserk?”
“No, that wasn’t the case.”
“It wasn’t? Then what exactly should I do? Should I cut off your useless head or slice off the tongue that dares to utter such excuses?”
Even though Cassian maintained a minimum of decorum in front of the Emperor, his arrogance and self-centered attitude were still evident.
This time, however, was different. Cassian showed no respect for the Emperor, viewing him as the culprit who had endangered someone precious to him.
“I had knights watching over them, to protect Duke Sithran.”
“Did you really think that would prevent this situation? If your head is that useless, why not remove it yourself?”
Cassian’s sharp words indicated that he had no intention of offering any more effort to protect the Emperor.
“If it hadn’t been for the demon attack, Jeshuan wouldn’t have gone berserk.”
The Emperor was aware that his words were merely excuses to deflect responsibility. He realized that his actions, ultimately, had put Duke Sithran at risk.
But… he wanted to lessen Jeshuan’s blame, making it clear that this incident wasn’t entirely Jeshuan’s fault.
“Hah!”
Cassian let out a hollow laugh filled with rage.
The Emperor, standing by his son’s side and speaking in his favor until the end, fueled Cassian’s anger.
Just as the Emperor valued his son, Cassian also cherished Lia.
However, Cassian had never sacrificed Jeshuan for Lia’s sake. But the Emperor…!
Despite facing Cassian’s murderous aura directly, the Emperor remained unfazed.
Though aware that he was showing a less-than-imperial side, he couldn’t help it.
Jeshuan was more than precious to him; he was a gift left behind by a loved one. Before being the Emperor, he was a father.
“…Jeshuan stayed there and used his abilities, which he usually avoids, to protect Duke Sithran.”
As the Emperor finished speaking, Cassian’s energy surged violently. He knew it was wrong, especially since he hadn’t found the antidote for the poison yet, but he couldn’t contain his anger.
He wanted to silence the Emperor immediately, even cutting out his tongue to prevent further reckless words.
Indeed, the demon attack had triggered all of this.
Jeshuan had used his powers to protect Lia, and Cassian didn’t deny this fact.
It was the only reason he was restraining himself.
Instead of blaming the Emperor, Cassian had hoped to quell his anger by ensuring that Lia would never meet the Crown Prince again.
Yet, the Emperor refused even this single request, only offering excuses.
Then… as if blaming Lia, the Emperor’s words further fueled Cassian’s rage.
It was as if the Emperor was implying that Jeshuan wouldn’t have gone berserk if Lia hadn’t been present.
‘…I’ve held back enough.’
Cassian’s demand was not excessive; it was a reasonable request that anyone would have made.
The Emperor’s refusal left Cassian with no reason to restrain himself any longer.
Just as Cassian’s sharp energy was about to pierce the Emperor…
“…It’s all my fault.”
Jeshuan, who had regained consciousness at some point, suddenly appeared and blocked Cassian, offering a sincere apology.
