IDEFP 14

1. Chapter 14

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

So it was only natural that the closer we got to Roxia, the more people would recognize her.

I turned toward the cautious voice calling my name. When I looked again, I saw a man carrying a bag stuffed with herbs. He looked like someone who lived around here.

I answered carefully.

“Who…?”

At my question, his face lit up.

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

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

Even if he had appeared, he was probably just an extra with a minor role. When I didn’t react, he continued as if he had expected it.

“It makes sense you don’t recognize me. It’s been six years. Or maybe it’s because I took off my glasses?”

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

“How about now? Do you recognize me a bit? Austin, son of Bolke Pharmacy.”

The moment he put them on, a memory surfaced in my mind.

A bookish boy who used to follow Isabella around relentlessly as a child.

I let out a small sound of realization, 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 shone with emotion at the reunion, but the moment I remembered he was a doctor’s son, I snapped.

“Are you still studying medicine?”

“Of course.”

Then he noticed Noah slumped over my back and widened his eyes.

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

I cut him off immediately.

“Stop imagining nonsense and hurry up! He’s burning up with 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 a village appeared.

But the Roxia I had read about in books was nowhere to be seen.

The entire place was dim and heavy, completely unlike the “Land of Light.”

Austin, carrying Noah on his back because I couldn’t move properly, quickly crossed the village. People watched us and whispered as we passed.

Soon, a large mansion came into view.

A worn, gloomy estate stood there, with guards posted at the gate.

They wore armor, but something about them felt sloppy—not like proper knights of a marquis house.

One guard, yawning as he leaned on one leg, stepped in front of us.

Before he could even ask questions, he recognized Austin and relaxed.

“Oh, it’s you, Austin.”

Austin, still out of breath, spoke quickly.

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

One guard lifted Noah’s hood and frowned.

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

“I’m not sure. But he’s very young, and his body is burning hot.”

Even after hearing this, 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 escaped me at the absurdity.

While Austin struggled, I stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder.

All eyes turned to me.

“What exactly is the reason you need to confirm whether he’s a barbarian?”

“Because barbarians are violent and cruel—”

“Then it sounds like you, a knight personally granted title by House Gwell, are incompetent enough to be threatened by a child.”

The knight’s face turned bright red.

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

“Then open the gate.”

I pulled back my hood.

Red hair spilled into view.

Their eyes widened.

Austin sighed as if he couldn’t stop me anymore, and the guards immediately opened the gate.

Inside the mansion

The interior wasn’t much different from 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.

Do they even heat this place properly?

My breath turned white in the air.

Austin hurried ahead with Noah, heading straight to his father, while I followed the butler Joseph to the study.

I wanted to follow Noah immediately—he looked like he was in critical condition—but Joseph’s expression made it hard to refuse.

He looked like someone who had just seen a long-lost granddaughter after ten years.

Soon, Joseph stopped in front of a door.

He opened it and handed me a blanket with a gentle smile.

“Please wait in the study. The master will arrive shortly.”

I stepped inside.

Unlike the hallway, the study was warm thanks to a burning fireplace.

As Joseph closed the door, I was left completely alone.

And suddenly, my thoughts quieted, as if swept away by water.

So I finally made it.

I had run all this way to escape the main story, and somehow I had actually arrived.

It wasn’t the end yet, but being in my homeland gave me a strange sense of relief.

My eyes fell on the marquis’s portrait above the fireplace.

The features were faded with age, but the red hair clearly marked him as my father.

Now it was my turn to overcome this situation, just as Noah had endured his.

I’ll need to stay here for a few years while I gather money.

In most villainess stories—especially romance-focused ones—the villain’s backstory was always a mess.

Cruel parents, lonely childhoods, all arranged to justify their personality.

Of course, this novel never even bothered to show those clichés.

But Isabella leaving home young and refusing to speak of her origins didn’t seem so different.

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

I crossed my arms.

“Maybe I should threaten him like I did the auction manager… but he’s still my father. That’s a bit too much.”

While I was spiraling in thought, the door opened.

“The Marquis has arrived.”

I turned.

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

For a moment, I froze.

So this is Isabella’s father…

He was unexpectedly handsome.

Red hair swept neatly back revealed a sharp face with strong features—too refined for his age.

But his expression was cold, like winter itself.

My throat went dry.

Then he spoke.

“Isabel—”

I 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 lowered my head slightly.

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you.”

He didn’t respond, only stared as if waiting.

I hesitated, then Joseph subtly signaled from behind him.

Finally understanding, I continued.

“…Father.”

At that single word, his composed expression wavered for a moment.

Then he quickly turned away, as if hiding it.

I stared, stunned.

Wait… is he actually just bad at family emotions?

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

Before I knew it, my tension eased.

After a brief silence, he spoke again.

“May I come closer?”

I nodded.

He approached slowly, his expression carefully neutral again.

But when he stopped in front of me, he looked down as if studying me.

For a moment, I thought he might be completely unreadable—but then his hand reached out.

My body stiffened instinctively, but instead of striking me, he gently pulled me into an awkward embrace.

It was more like placing a hand on me than a hug.

Still, it was warm.

“Welcome home.”

Only then did I realize—

I had been completely wrong.

I quietly patted his back in return.

Only the crackling fireplace filled the study.