Though I’m a Homebody, I Found Myself in a Dark Captive Genre

“The beginning was…”

She calmly began to explain what she had experienced.

“It started with a small cough. I thought it was just a common cold.”

But the cough showed no sign of stopping.

Not only that, but because of the persistent coughing, she couldn’t sleep, let alone eat properly.

And as her explanation continued, my expression hardened.

‘This… It sounds similar to King Berga’s symptoms.’

Two years ago, Salt was in turmoil because the king had fallen ill with a similar disease.

Berga had also suffered from a dry cough at the time, leading the physicians to suspect asthma or lung disease. Naturally, they focused on finding medicinal herbs that were beneficial for the respiratory system.

But the cause was something entirely different.

‘The Boyard people.’

Who would have guessed that the source of the unrelenting cough lay in racial characteristics?

In fact, the ancestors of the Salt Kingdom, the Boyard people, had unusually fragile ribs that were prone to breaking.

However, as generations passed and different bloodlines mixed, this issue diminished. Berga’s symptoms were merely coughing rather than pain, making it difficult to detect.

It was only later, thanks to a scholar’s hypothesis, that the cause was identified as a rib issue, allowing for appropriate treatment.

Even for a king, it took quite some time to figure out the cause. Wouldn’t it be even harder in an ordinary case?

As my thoughts settled, I unconsciously asked a question.

“Pardon me, Baroness, but where are you originally from?”

“Oh, how embarrassing. This mansion was inherited from my late parents. I was born and raised here.”

“And your parents?”

Though I was careful, worried that my question might seem impolite, she answered with a gentle smile.

Cough, cough! “My mother was from Kletan, and my father was born in the Salt Kingdom. He immigrated to Kletan at a young age.”

“I see….”

Just as I thought.

Upon learning that her bloodline was connected to Salt, I silently gasped.

This made my theory even more plausible.

‘Still, I should verify it to be sure.’

“But… cough Lady, may I ask what brings you here?”

“Oh, right!”

Distracted by her story, I had completely forgotten my original purpose.

Even so, bringing up the topic wasn’t easy.

‘I was always told not to interfere in in-law conflicts.’

What if I made things worse between them?

In the past, when I tried to resolve a wheat trade dispute on my own, it had ended in disaster. I was afraid history would repeat itself.

But…

‘Ignoring it won’t solve anything either.’

After hesitating for a moment, I made up my mind again.

“Baroness.”

“Yes?”

“What are your thoughts on your in-laws?”

“…Ah.”

A complex emotion flickered across her pale face.

But soon, her eyes softened.

“I think they are good people.”

“What? But…”

Hadn’t they opposed her marriage to Baron Pavron?

And now, they had practically cut ties. As a daughter-in-law, she couldn’t possibly be at ease with that.

Then why?

“Hehe, I understand why you’d look at me like that.”

She chuckled lightly and continued, as if reading my thoughts.

“They’re just ordinary parents who love their son dearly. Cough, cough! My husband may see things differently, but I know they truly worry about and love him.”

“……”

So, they are good people.

Her face glowed with sincerity as she added those words.

“My husband once told me that he never lacked anything growing up. He never felt deprivation.”

James Pavron, the outstanding son of the Marquis couple.

He had lived a life where he got everything he needed under their support. Some might even call him a spoiled noble.

But his life changed completely when he met a woman at a social gathering.

“I always thought we weren’t a good match. I assumed I was just a passing romance… But in the end, he chose me. He went against his parents’ wishes and married me, a daughter from an insignificant family.”

As I listened, I felt relieved that Baron Pavron wasn’t here.

“So, I understand why they opposed our marriage.”

In noble society, marriage was a means of securing power through strategic alliances.

If Baron Pavron had been just a little more pragmatic, he would have kept his now-wife as a mistress while marrying a powerful noblewoman.

That was the common sense and behavioral norm of this era.

‘But Baron Pavron chose to uphold his loyalty.’

The Baroness seemed to share a similar thought, as her voice grew even softer.

“Aside from being grateful to him as his wife, I believe it was only natural for his parents to oppose our marriage for his sake. And they aren’t truly bad people either.”

What followed was a story I had never heard before, not even from the Marchioness of Ambrose.

Before Baron Pavron completely left his home, the Marchioness had once visited the Baroness.

Expecting to be doused with water or perhaps even struck with a fan, the Baroness had been taken aback by the Marchioness’s unexpected demeanor.

“I’m sorry to say this to you, but… for the sake of my son’s future, I hope you’ll break up with him. I’ll personally arrange for you to meet the best suitor through the most renowned matchmaker in the capital.”

“I understood where she was coming from. However…”

Her gaze lowered, sadness welling up in her eyes.

“I respected his love more, and my own feelings mattered to me the most. That’s why I couldn’t comply with her wishes.”

“I see.”

It was more complicated than I thought.

A situation where there was some degree of affection, yet the fundamental difference in interests kept them from closing the gap.

But occurrences like this weren’t uncommon.

I nodded slightly to myself and spoke up.

“Then… if you had the chance to reconcile, you wouldn’t let it slip away, would you?”

“Of course not. It pains me to think that people who love their son so dearly are now completely estranged from him, not even keeping in touch.”

If this were a K-drama, wouldn’t it resemble a common trope—an ordinary woman marrying the heir of a conglomerate?

And if I had to pick a cliché scene that always appeared in such stories, I’d immediately think of the ‘mistreatment’ trope.

Of course, someone as straightforward as the Marchioness of Ambrose wouldn’t resort to petty methods to torment her daughter-in-law.

‘But just the feeling of not being welcomed would be hard enough.’

Besides, given the Baroness’s poor health, trying to mend the rift might end up worsening not only her physical condition but her emotional well-being as well.

“If you reconcile, wouldn’t that put you in a difficult position? You might feel uncomfortable…”

“If it were the past, I might have worried about that. But now, I trust my husband. There are things a wife comes to understand.”

“And… what would that be?”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips.

Then, in a voice filled with unwavering conviction, she answered,

“Whether my husband is someone who will become a solid shield for me when I need him the most.”

Her gaze was so warm that I found myself nodding in silence.

‘What kind of heart does one need to have to show such faith?’

For a moment, I was genuinely curious.