IPUMFWLH Chapter 144

 144

"Is the angel baby really my daughter?"

Cassian got straight to the point with a serious expression.

Lia was taken aback. It was an unexpected question.

She had already been preparing to bring up the topic of her biological father with him again.

Since it was such an important matter, she thought she couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer, no matter how he reacted.

She had been thinking about how to properly explain it so that he would understand her clearly, but she hadn’t expected him to bring it up first.

Knowing that she could finally convey the truth relieved her, but at the same time, it made her nervous.

There was no way he had suddenly come to the conclusion that she was his daughter without reason.

Something must have triggered this thought.

Had something happened to him without her knowing? That was what worried her.

She was concerned that he might have gone through a dangerous situation again.

For a moment, she had a conflicted expression, but soon, with a determined look, Lia slowly opened her mouth.

"…Yes, that’s right."

She nodded without hesitation, giving a clear confirmation to his question.

Even though she answered without a second thought, she was nervous about his reaction.

He would surely welcome the truth.

But since it was such a shocking revelation, she couldn’t help but be concerned about how it would affect him.

Cassian remained silent for a moment.

It was something he had already suspected to some degree.

At first, it was just a possibility.

A simple thought. Maybe it’s true.

However, while waiting for her to recover, his suspicions had grown stronger.

Considering the things Lia had mumbled in her sleep and how she had behaved in front of him, he couldn’t dismiss the thought as mere speculation anymore.

And now, it turned out his suspicions were correct.

The truth made him happy.

The child he would give everything to without hesitation was truly his daughter.

How could he not be overjoyed?

Especially since Shion had told him that he and the Grand Duchess had shared a deep love.

He had loved her, and she had loved him.

A daughter born from their love, it was a blessing in itself.

But… the circumstances surrounding that truth were complicated.

"Do you remember? Last time, I told you I needed a little bit of blood from Khal."

"Yes, I remember."

"I needed to confirm something. So, as my reward from His Majesty, I requested holy water that could verify blood ties. That’s why I needed Khal’s blood."

As Lia explained calmly, Cassian’s face remained unreadable.

So that’s what it was about…

At the time, he hadn’t thought much about it. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wondered why she needed his blood, but in the end, the reason didn’t matter.

Even if Lia had asked for it out of simple curiosity, with no reason at all, he would have given it to her without hesitation.

"The holy water confirmed it. Khal is my father. That fact is certain."

"…I see."

Cassian carefully chose his words.

Countless questions swirled in his mind, unresolved. He wasn’t sure which one to ask first.

Even though he had suspected it, the confirmation still came as a surprise.

Before hearing Lia’s sleep-talk, he hadn’t considered the possibility at all.

He had never thought that she could truly be his daughter.

But now, it was clear, his angel baby, Lia, was really his daughter.

Which also meant that the mysterious Grand Duchess had actually been the Duke’s daughter.

Lia quietly waited for Cassian to speak.

He must have countless questions.

Just as she had when she first learned the truth, he must also feel overwhelmed with curiosity.

Lia was ready to tell him everything she knew.

That was only natural.

He had the right to know.

After a brief silence, Cassian finally spoke.

"When did you find out?"

"…Not too long ago. The day of the demon attack at the imperial palace, I had a dream. In that dream, I saw Khal. But he wasn’t the only one. My mother was there too. So I started to wonder."

Cassian carefully recalled his memories.

Yes, that was when it began.

That was when Lia’s attitude toward him had started to shift.

That was when she had begun to look troubled, lost in deep thought.

"I needed to be sure. I couldn’t just believe Khal was my father based on a dream."

"Of course. That makes sense."

How could someone so easily believe something like that?

Neither of them had ever considered such a possibility before.

But now, Cassian accepted it.

After all, Lia herself had acknowledged the truth.

She was not the kind of child to blindly believe something without evidence.

And she would never lie to him.

"…And while checking my grandfather’s study, I stumbled upon his journal. That’s where I learned parts of the truth I hadn’t known before."

"I see."

Cassian simply nodded.

"…I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I should have said something earlier."

"How could that be your fault, angel baby? You tried to tell me many times. I was the one who didn’t listen properly."

Cassian muttered bitterly.

"…No, that’s not entirely true. After learning the truth, I struggled for a long time. I didn’t know if I should tell Khal or keep it to myself. That hesitation made me delay even longer."

Lia’s face showed her guilt.

She deeply regretted having hidden the truth, even if only for a short while.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, angel baby."

Cassian’s voice was filled with warmth.

He wasn’t just saying it to comfort her, he truly meant it.

How could she be blamed for taking time to tell the truth?

From the very beginning, Cassian had never once thought to blame Lia.

He had no right to.

No matter the circumstances, he had been the one to send his daughter away.

Even though she had a father, she had grown up in her grandfather’s care instead of in his arms.

How could he ever blame her?

If anything, he should have been the one to recognize her first.

Before she had recognized him.

And yet, it was Lia who had realized the truth first.

She had borne the weight of that knowledge, the burden of uncertainty.

Thinking of that made his heart grow heavy.

He felt like a terribly lacking father, so much so that guilt consumed him.

"But…"

"No, I’m the one who should apologize. I should have realized it sooner."

If he had, Lia wouldn’t have had to carry this burden alone.

She wouldn’t have had to struggle with the sudden revelation.

She was a child who deserved nothing but love, yet because of him, she had suffered again.

He regretted every moment.

Why hadn’t he recognized her sooner?

Why had he ever let her go?

If only he had found Lia earlier…

If only he had stayed by her side…

Cassian couldn’t even bring himself to look at her, overcome with the thought that all her hardships were his fault.

"I’m fine. I know there must have been a reason."

Noticing the guilt on Cassian’s face, Lia forced a bright smile.

She didn’t want to see him blaming himself.

Cassian had already done more than enough for her.

Even when she hadn’t known he was her father, she had wished he was.

So just as he didn’t want her to feel guilty, she didn’t want him to either.

She no longer resented him for leaving her with her grandfather.

She might not be able to judge whether his decision had been right or wrong, but she knew one thing for certain.

He had done it for her.

Cassian had made what he believed was the best choice for his beloved daughter.

And that was enough.

They could make up for the twelve years they had lost.

Though she regretted that lost time, she knew they had far more years ahead of them.

She wanted to focus on that instead.

And even though her father hadn’t been by her side, those twelve years hadn’t been meaningless.

She had been loved deeply by her grandfather.

If she had remained as the Grand Duke’s daughter, she might not have been able to grow so close to him.

"Well, regardless of the reason, my choice still happened."

"That’s true. But because of it, I also had many happy moments."

Her past wasn’t just filled with sadness and longing.

It hadn’t only been painful.

She had many cherished memories as well.

Cassian had no reason to carry guilt over that time.

"My angel baby is so kind."

How could she be so warm and gentle?

He couldn’t help but love her.

Not because she was his daughter, but because she was Lia.

Because she was a light in his life.

"Now that we’ve confirmed Khal is my father, there’s something else I need to tell you."

Beyond just revealing that Cassian was her father, there was something else he needed to know.

Something that might even be a missing piece of his lost memories.

♡♡♡
Hi~ If you enjoy the translation and would like to support me or access advanced chapters of this novel, feel free to visit my ko-fi by clicking here~. Advanced chapters available:
𝟭𝟰𝟲-𝟭𝟰𝟳 [New, July 22]
♡♡♡