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Chapter 4
“No. That man is rumored to be a cold-blooded monster without a shred of mercy!”
“Huh?”
“It’s true I’m grateful he safely brought you home, but…”
Only then did I remember I had no idea how I even got back.
I looked at Viscount Adrian, still flustered.
“By the way, Father, who brought me home?”
“It was Duke Bovertin. Don’t you remember anything? Then how exactly are you connected to him?”
Duke Bovertin.
The moment I heard that name, my head throbbed.
Lucas Bovertin.
He was Ian’s childhood friend and a war hero who defended the Empire from monsters.
And he was also known for something else—his nickname.
A cold, merciless iron-blooded duke who cares only about the Empire’s survival.
I had heard that troops who had gone to subjugate monsters in the northern region recently returned to the capital. The duke must have returned with them.
And the only reason he would come to the palace would be…
Monster reports.
A man like him had no reason to endure the stares of noblewomen just to attend a banquet.
So that man… brought me home?
Now I understood why my father looked so worried. But his imagination was completely wrong.
I knew that better than anyone.
Because fragments of that night were returning.
“Ack!”
“W-what’s wrong?!”
Father panicked.
But I couldn’t care less about his concern.
Because I had just remembered what I did before collapsing—
Mistaking Lucas for Ian… and clinging to him.
“You came to find me. I’m so happy, Your Highness…”
Just recalling those words made everything come rushing back.
Touching his cheek.
Complaining to him.
And—
“Perhaps I’ve become weak after wandering battlefields for so long.”
That bitter murmur…
Why did I say something like that?
No, that wasn’t the important part.
I clutched my head in despair.
At least it was fortunate that I couldn’t clearly remember his face.
“I think you still need more rest. You started speaking formally to me earlier—something felt off.”
Father gently pushed me back onto the bed, tears welling up in his eyes.
He must have sensed I was distancing myself from him after regaining my memories.
“Father… no, Dad.”
“What is it, my daughter?”
The moment I said it, his expression changed.
His eyes softened into the exact look he used whenever he would do anything for me.
Now was the chance. I had something I needed to say.
I grabbed his hand.
“I’m fine. And what I said earlier was serious.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve decided to give up on His Highness. I’ve already sorted out my feelings. I realized there are things more important than love.”
“What do you mean, Elisha?”
He looked worried, unsure of what I was about to say.
I smiled slightly.
Then I felt his hand stiffen.
Given everything Elisha had done in the past, that reaction made sense.
He was probably expecting me to cause more trouble.
Poor Father.
But I wasn’t going to cling to something pointless anymore.
“Dad… I want to earn money.”
“What? That’s nonsense! Absolutely not! You don’t need to work—your father will handle everything—”
“Dad, I already know. We’re struggling with debt.”
His face turned pale.
As expected. The Adrian family didn’t have money to spare.
So they were in debt.
That realization made my chest tighten.
But what could I do?
This was my responsibility too.
“I’ll stop spending recklessly and find a way to work and repay the debt. So please… don’t carry everything alone.”
I held his trembling hand.
In the end, I failed to convince him.
“That alone is enough for me. Don’t worry, just do what you want.”
His love for his daughter was far greater than I expected.
“Damn it.”
And so I was forced to stay home while recovering from my fever.
Three days passed.
For the old Elisha, this level of laziness would have been nothing.
But for my past self—the overworked, productivity-obsessed worker from my previous life—doing nothing made me anxious.
Interest was accumulating even now.
If I didn’t repay the debt, I couldn’t even dream of building wealth.
I bit my lip.
The Lovely Saintess.
If I recalled the novel’s future, I needed money—and fast.
Because of what came later.
Monster invasions would eventually reach the capital.
The Empire would collapse, one territory at a time.
Nobles would flee to the Volt Principality across the sea.
And that required an enormous amount of money.
Even wealthy nobles struggled to afford the journey.
For our poor household, it was impossible without preparation.
The only relief was that Ian hadn’t met Christine yet.
The story hadn’t even properly started.
Now is the time to earn money.
I stood up immediately.
Father was out working.
This was my chance.
I changed clothes quickly and stepped out.
“Miss!”
A familiar voice stopped me.
Bell.
My maid since childhood, and one of the few remaining servants in the mansion.
“Where are you going? You’re still not fully recovered!”
She placed down the dish she was holding and hurried toward me.
“You’re even fully dressed… Don’t tell me you’re going out? If you need something, I’ll get it for you right away!”
Her worried eyes made me uneasy.
I hated lying to her.
And Bell always saw through my lies anyway.
After a moment of hesitation, I gave up on lying.
“No. I have to do this myself.”
“What could be so important? If you go out like this, the Viscount will—”
She stopped mid-sentence.
She already knew.
I used to ignore her advice constantly.
I sighed.
Bell had always been the one cleaning up after my recklessness.
I didn’t want to burden anyone anymore.
Maybe regaining my memories really was a blessing in disguise.
With a bitter smile, I looked at her.
