The rural train station rarely had many people disembarking. As soon as we got off the train, whispers began to circulate.

“Isn’t that the young lady from the Este barony?”

“Oh, that family.”

If they had greeted me openly, I might have retorted, asking if they were pretending to be close friends.

Sensing the stares as if we were zoo monkeys, Yuri whispered to me with a bewildered expression.

“Titi, is it just me, or is everyone whispering and looking at us?”

“It’s not just your imagination.”

Soon, my father would come running. Someone would undoubtedly rush to tell him that I had returned home.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Let’s walk to the nearest hotel for some exercise.”

The path from the train station to the town was a single road, so there was no chance of missing my father.

Halfway there, my father got out of a carriage, beaming with a big smile, and ran toward me with open arms.

“Titiana! My beloved daughter!”

Just looking at him, one would think he was the most loving father in the world. The reality was quite the opposite.

However, having long since dried up any feelings of disappointment toward him, I didn’t even attempt a smile.

My father, oblivious to my cold expression, rushed over and hugged me tightly. He patted my back with his large hands and exclaimed.

“I knew a dutiful daughter like you would come down soon. Did Robi explain your father’s situation to you?”

“What situation?”

“Did your brother say nothing? Titi, please save your father!”

I had expected this.

‘He really has no interest in me.’

If a runaway daughter showed up with two men, shouldn’t he at least ask who they were, out of politeness?

Even though I knew what kind of person my father was, I couldn’t help but feel a chill in my heart.

I had decided not to waste any more of my time on family in this life, so I didn’t bother with pointless questions like why he was acting this way or what he needed. Instead, I reproached him coldly from the start.

“Did I tell you to die? Why should I save you?”

When I harshly cut him off, my impatient father quickly showed his true colors.

“Listen to you! I heard you succeeded and made a lot of money! Then you should sort out your father’s affairs first. Isn’t it natural for a child to repay a parent’s debts?”

“Did I ask you to incur debts? Or did you go into debt raising me? Why is it natural for me to repay that money?”

“You’ve picked up a lot of bad habits in the capital! You used to give money without asking questions.”

Unable to win the argument, my father resorted to nonsensical accusations.

Regardless, the foolish daughter who wanted to hear she was good was gone.

“Your brother is going to prison. He’s currently detained as a quasi-criminal.”

“What the…!”

My father looked shocked. I drew a clear line, speaking precisely to prevent any false hopes.

“For gambling debts, by the way. If you have debts and can’t repay them, you’ll have to go to prison too. That’s the law in this country.”

“So you’re just going to watch me go to prison?”

I couldn’t believe it. Had he really accumulated enough debt to go to prison already? How long had it been since Mom passed away?

‘No, with Mom and me gone, he must have run wild like an unbridled colt.’

In fact, my disappearance had only added wings to my father’s reckless lifestyle. It seemed his brazenness had grown as well.

“Did I raise you like this? I cherished you despite our poverty.”

“They say parents who haven’t done much make the loudest noise. Truly loving parents hide their struggles, fearing their children might feel guilty.”

“What?”

I waved my hand at my father, who was yelling.

“See you at Robi’s trial. That’s the only reason I came all this way.”

“Titiana!”

“Oh, wait a minute. Let me ask you one thing.”

Just as I was about to turn away, I asked a question.

“Who told you I made a lot of money in the capital?”

I wanted to confirm if it was Princess Sabina who had dragged me into this hell.

My father scrunched up his face as if my question was strange and replied, “Someone from the capital told me. Isn’t that obvious?”

“Why would someone come all the way from the capital to this countryside?”

“How should I know? What’s important is that what they said is true.”

“Ah, so you just spilled my personal information to a stranger.”

“Who do you think you are to hide anything?”

If he had even a sliver of concern for me, he wouldn’t have acted like this. I nodded calmly.

“I didn’t expect anything, but it’s surprising how I could still feel disappointed. Thank you for making me lose any remaining affection.”

Perhaps because I had rejected my father so decisively, he hesitated and didn’t follow me as persistently as I had expected.

As we walked toward the hotel, Yuri tugged at my sleeve.

“Titi.”

His gaze flickered between my father, who kept glancing at my back, and me. I spoke in a calm voice.

“Don’t look back. Anyway, my father isn’t interested in me. Now that the rumor of my return has spread through the village, he’s probably just thinking about where to borrow money using me as collateral.”

Yuri’s face twisted with disbelief. He asked in a tone that suggested he couldn’t fathom it.

“…Does he really think like that when his daughter leaves hurt?”

“He probably believes that if he gives me a few compliments, I’ll help him again. That’s how it’s always been.”

To be precise, that was how I used to be. I was nothing but a fool.

Yuri hesitated, struggling to accept this. But he soon fell silent as the noise around us grew louder.

“I told you, my daughter would come to pay off the debt!”

“Where is that daughter? I need to collect the overdue credit!”

“Me too! I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes!”

“…….”

This was the kind of disgrace I had expected to encounter upon returning to my hometown.

Worthless parents and siblings? That was just the usual annual event. The real disgrace was being grabbed by the collar by those who had lent money to my father, demanding repayment.

We soon arrived at the only hotel in this rural area. As we were about to enter, Yujin, who hadn’t spoken a word until now, finally spoke up.

“What about sending him to a verified treatment center?”

“A treatment center for gambling addiction?”

“Yes. If we pay off the debt and provide proper treatment to prevent him from doing it again, he might improve.”

It was indeed an exemplary answer. As the empire grew wealthier, various addictions that had previously gone unnoticed were recognized as mental illnesses, leading to the establishment of treatment centers. Treatment centers for alcohol or drug addiction were now common, and there was even one for gambling addiction in the capital.

Of course, I had considered sending my father to a treatment center.

But Yujin overlooked one crucial fact.

“With whose money?”

“Well….”

It costs a fortune to admit someone to a treatment center. In other words, I would not only have to take on their debts but also cover the treatment costs.

Perhaps Yujin hadn’t anticipated that I would point this out, as his face showed embarrassment. I didn’t stop there and continued to highlight the flaws in his reasoning.

“You know that gambling addiction often relapses even after treatment, right? Most people are dragged back by their families within a year. Even the doctor said so. Unless a miracle occurs that makes them forget gambling, they’ll keep coming back.”

Essentially, it would mean confining him to a treatment center for life.

‘Do you expect me to cover those treatment costs for life? How is that any different from paying off gambling debts forever?’

Besides, I had already experienced the treatment center path in my past life.

‘It’s useless. It only ends up wasting money and time. And getting brutally disappointed if you have any expectations.’

I bit my lip to prevent myself from saying something foolish if I let my guard down. Unknowingly, my clenched fists dug my nails into my palms.

In my ear, Yujin’s voice echoed like a sigh.

“But still, isn’t there no choice?”

I looked at Yujin with hollow eyes. He seemed to be contemplating for a moment before frowning and speaking.

“If the cost is the issue, then I….”

“It feels like we’ve had this argument before, Count.”

I cut him off. If he finished that sentence, I knew I wouldn’t be able to face him in the future.

I needed to hold back, but I no longer had the patience. In the end, I lashed out at him in a cold voice.

“Don’t make me into a bad woman who abandons her family because of money. Just leave. You can’t understand my feelings anyway.”

Those were truly my honest feelings.