IDEEP 13

Chapter 13

After thinking it through carefully, Roxia was Isabella’s homeland.

So it made sense that the closer we got to Roxia, the more people would recognize her.

I turned toward the cautious voice calling my name. Looking again, I saw a man carrying a bag stuffed full of herbs—he looked like someone who lived around here.

I answered carefully.

“Who…?”

At my question, his face brightened.

“So it really is Isabella! It’s me—Austin.”

I didn’t remember seeing the name Austin in the novel.

If he had appeared at all, he must have been just a minor extra.

Seeing my lack of reaction, he continued as if he had expected it.

“You not recognizing me makes sense—it’s been six years. Or maybe it’s because I took my glasses off?”

He pulled glasses from his chest and put them on with a smile.

“How about now? A little more familiar? Austin, son of the Bolke pharmacy.”

As soon as he put them on, something clicked in my memory.

A bookish boy who used to follow Isabella around relentlessly when she was a child.

I let out a small gasp, and he smiled brightly.

“You remember now?”

“Yeah… long time no see, Austin.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say. It really has been a long time.”

Austin’s eyes shimmered with emotion, clearly moved by the reunion.

But as soon as I remembered he was the son of a doctor, I snapped.

“Are you still studying medicine?”

“Of course.”

At that moment, he noticed Noah slumped over my back and widened his eyes.

“That child is… don’t tell me, Isabella, you—”

I cut him off immediately.

“Stop imagining nonsense and hurry up! He has a fever!”

After that

It wasn’t a lie—the driver had been right.

Following Austin’s guidance, we went deeper into the forest and eventually reached a village.

But what I saw there was nothing like the Roxia described in books.

The entire place was dark and subdued, completely unlike the “land of light.”

Austin, carrying Noah on his back since I couldn’t run properly, quickly crossed through the village streets while people stared and whispered.

I followed behind him.

Soon, a large estate came into view.

A worn, gloomy mansion stood there, with guards stationed at the gate.

They were armored knights, but something about them felt… sloppy, unlike proper guards of a marquis household.

A guard yawning lazily stepped in front of us.

Before he could even ask for identification, he recognized Austin and relaxed.

“Oh, it’s you, Austin.”

Austin, panting, spoke quickly.

“My father is inside, right? We have an emergency patient.”

The guard glanced at Noah, lifting his hood, then frowned.

“Austin… is this, by any chance, a barbarian?”

“I’m not sure. But he’s very young and burning up with fever.”

Despite Austin’s urgency, the guards only exchanged looks and didn’t move.

“No matter who you are, we can’t let a barbarian into the mansion…”

A laugh slipped out of me at the absurd situation.

While Austin struggled, I stepped forward and spoke.

“What exactly makes you think you need to verify whether he’s a barbarian?”

“Because barbarians are violent and cruel—”

“So you’re saying a knight personally granted title in House Gwell is incompetent enough to be threatened by a child?”

The guard’s face flushed red.

“How dare you—do you even know who I am? I was personally knighted by House Gwell—”

“Then open the gate.”

I pulled down my hood.

Red hair spilled out.

Their eyes widened.

Austin sighed as if he was used to this, and the guards immediately opened the gate.

Inside the mansion

The mansion wasn’t much better than the village.

It was so dark that you could barely see a few steps ahead, even in daytime.

We had to rely on candles, and it was freezing cold inside.

Austin hurried off with Noah to his father, while I followed the butler, Joseph, toward the study.

Part of me wanted to go with Noah, whose condition looked critical, but Joseph’s expression made it hard to refuse.

He looked like someone who hadn’t seen his granddaughter in ten years.

Joseph led me to the study, gave me a blanket, and left me alone.

As soon as I was alone, my thoughts drifted.

We finally arrived.

I had run all the way here to get as far away from the main story as possible, and yet somehow, I had reached my destination.

I glanced at the portrait above the fireplace.

The features were faint with age, but the red hair—identical to Isabella’s—confirmed it.

This man was my father.

Now that I was here, I would have to face everything ahead.

While I earned money and stabilized myself, I would likely need to stay here for a few years.

Villainess characters in these kinds of stories always had messy backstories—cold parents, lonely childhoods, all the usual clichés.

Of course, this novel didn’t even bother to elaborate on that.

But given how Isabella avoided her surname and left home at a young age, it probably wasn’t far off.

So it wouldn’t be strange if the marquis simply said, “I never had a daughter like you.”

I muttered under my breath.

“Maybe I should threaten him like I did the auction manager… but he is still my parent. That feels too much like filiation abuse.”

Just as I was spiraling into thoughts—

The door opened.

“The Marquis has arrived.”

I turned.

A tall man stood there, wearing a heavy coat despite being indoors.

For a moment, I froze.

So this is Isabella’s father…

He was unexpectedly handsome.

His red hair was neatly styled back, revealing a strong forehead. His features were sharp and striking—too youthful for his age.

But his expression was as cold as winter.

My throat went dry.

Then he spoke.

“Isab—”

My shoulders flinched at the way he called me.

But unlike his cold appearance, his voice was unexpectedly gentle.

Before I could respond, he continued.

“You look pale. The journey must have been cold.”

I bowed slightly.

“It’s been a while.”

He stared at me silently, as if waiting for more.

I hesitated until Joseph subtly gestured behind him.

Finally, I understood.

“…Father.”

At that single word, something in his expression broke for just a moment.

Then he turned away quickly, as if hiding it.

I blinked in confusion.

Wait… is this man actually just socially awkward?

He didn’t seem like someone rejecting a daughter at all—more like a father unsure how to act after six years apart.

After a brief pause, he stepped forward.

And then—

He gently pulled me into an awkward embrace.

It wasn’t really a hug—more like a cautious touch.

Still, it was warm.

“Welcome home.”

Only then did I realize I had been completely wrong about him.

I quietly patted his back in response.

The only sound in the study was the crackling of the fireplace.