Normally, when someone injures their ankle, you don’t just wrap the ankle—you also wrap around the sole of the foot to make the support more secure.
I carefully asked Dad,
“Dad, I recently learned a method for treating this kind of injury… Can I give it a try?”
Maybe because he trusted me a little more after I developed Dospirin, Dad stepped aside without hesitation.
Okay… to help blood circulation, wrap it away from the heart like this…
I slowly wrapped the ankle while recalling the proper method. Dad came closer, making an impressed sound.
“Ria, you’re wrapping the bandage really well. This definitely holds it in place better.”
He smiled as he pointed to the bandage wrapping neatly from the foot up.
“Ahaha. I combined a few techniques I read in books. I figured this way it won’t loosen as easily.”
Dad stared at the bandage curiously, and then, as if something occurred to him, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.
He dipped it deep into the bucket full of snow, and his hand turned red.
“Dad?”
“If you place a wet cloth over the bandage, it’ll help relieve pain. Bandages can trap heat on the injury, which makes swelling worse.”
Just then, the injured woman’s ankle twitched slightly.
It seemed she was finally waking up.
“Mom! Are you okay?!”
“Mmm…”
Her eyelids fluttered, and finally, she fully regained consciousness.
***
As soon as she woke up, Lala explained everything to her. The woman immediately bowed her head to us.
“Thank you so much, for helping me and my child and even letting us ride in your carriage…”
“It’s no trouble. Please rest. We’ll drop you off at the next village.”
Dad gave a kind smile as he spoke.
Now that she was in a safe, warm place, Lala’s mother relaxed a bit. She smiled and looked around.
“By the way… where are you two headed?”
Dad and I exchanged a glance, and I answered for us.
“We’re on our way to the Duke’s territory.”
At my answer, the woman’s face visibly darkened.
“I thought so…”
She looked down at her bandaged ankle and nodded.
“So that’s why my ankle was treated while I was asleep… I don’t know how I could ever repay you…”
Dad quickly waved his hand.
“There’s no need to feel burdened. It wasn’t a difficult treatment.”
Even though he’d just been rubbing her hands and feet nonstop to bring her temperature back up…
“I know it’s shameless of me to say this after receiving free treatment, but… you really shouldn’t go to the Duke’s estate right now.”
Dad, who hadn’t heard the earlier conversation I had with Lala, looked surprised.
“What do you mean?”
“Well… I heard that some doctors who went to the Duke’s estate were imprisoned.”
“Imprisoned?”
Dad muttered in disbelief, then looked toward me.
Honestly, I was a bit shocked by the word “imprisoned” too.
The woman bit her lip anxiously.
As a servant, she wasn’t supposed to talk about her master’s matters, but she pressed on.
“It was something the maids who served those doctors told me. I ended up fleeing with Lala because of some difficult situations too.”
Dad lowered his gaze to the floor, looking troubled and unsure what to do.
Lala’s mother leaned in and lowered her voice further.
“Besides… even if you go to the Duke’s estate, you won’t be able to treat the young lady.”
“Why not?”
“Even the royal physician couldn’t cure her.”
“The royal physician…?”
“Yes, the emperor’s personal doctor—Viscount Terban Marias.”
The moment she said that name, Dad’s mouth dropped open.
Terban Marias.
I knew the name too.
He was considered the most skilled doctor in this world.
He was also the female lead’s mentor and often cleaned up after her medical messes.
“…Isn’t he known as a medical genius?”
“Yes. Viscount Marias examined the young lady and said it wasn’t an illness—but divine punishment.”
There it is again. That nonsense about the wrath of the gods.
Claiming a 10-year-old girl is being punished by the heavens? What a joke.
Thinking the conversation would only go in circles if we stayed on that topic, I shifted to something more useful.
“You mentioned you used to serve the young lady, right? Then you must know her condition well. Can you describe exactly how she is?”
The woman looked at me with concern but soon gave in and began to speak.
“…The young lady complains of constant indigestion and headaches. She barely eats…”
So far, the same symptoms Dad had mentioned.
Then she paused, as if unsure whether to continue. I focused closely.
“She cries in her sleep every night. She’s become more aggressive, doesn’t want anyone near her, and sometimes throws up her food.”
“Are you sure?”
Dad’s voice turned serious. Vomiting was considered a bad omen in this world.
But I had a different thought.
Hmm… these symptoms don’t really fit a single disease…
Her symptoms were all over the place and inconsistent—no clear diagnosis came to mind.
That led me to a conclusion:
Could this be a somatization disorder?
(Somatization disorder: a mental condition where a person shows physical symptoms without any medical cause.)
Children often complain of pain in odd places when something’s bothering them emotionally.
It was possible this illness had a psychological root.
If that’s the case, I’ll have to meet the patient directly.
While I gathered important info from the woman, Dad remained silent.
When the conversation ended, a heavy silence settled over the carriage.
Then, from the driver’s seat, the small window opened and Traven cautiously spoke.
“Um… We’ve arrived at the nearby village. After this, it’s straight to the Duke’s estate. Should we stop here?”
“…Yes, let’s stop.”
At Dad’s command, the carriage slowed.
Soon the horses snorted and came to a full stop.
Dad stood and looked at the mother and daughter.
“You can get off here. I must continue to the Duke’s estate, so it’s best we part ways now.”
He smiled gently at Lala.
The mother and daughter looked at each other, clearly worried, but hesitantly got off the carriage, realizing they couldn’t stop him.
Once they were off, Dad turned to me.
“And Adelia.”
“Yes?”
At his firm voice, I flinched a little.
He hesitated, then looked me in the eyes and spoke clearly.
“You should get off too.”
“What? Me?”
“Yes, you should go with them. I’ll give you money for the inn—”
“No.”
“Adelia!”
Dad looked at me sternly.
As I met his worried green eyes and furrowed brow, I realized something.
All this time, Dad hadn’t been thinking about the young lady’s illness—he’d been worried about me.
Who’s worrying about whom right now?
I bit my lip and shook my head again.
“You promised before we left. You said you’d take me with you to the Duke’s estate.”
“Ria! But… you heard what they said!”
Dad pleaded, shaking his head in frustration. But I couldn’t back down now.
Not after hearing everything from Lala and her mother.
I can’t let Room 406’s father die like that.
Sometimes, you do something not because it’s smart, but because your heart tells you to.
And for me, saving that man was one of those things.
Even though I’d only known him for about four months, he believed in me, encouraged me, and treated me kindly.
Now, I could understand why Room 406 had so desperately begged me to save him—and why I was sent to this world.
I clenched my fist quietly and took a deep breath.
