Chapter 4
“Absolutely not. That man is rumored to be a cold-blooded monster with neither blood nor tears!”
“What?”
“I’m grateful that he brought you home safely, but….”
Hearing that, I realized something important—I still had no idea how I’d made it home at all.
I turned toward Baron Adrian, who was still hesitating, and asked,
“Come to think of it, Father… who brought me home?”
“It was Duke Boventin. You really don’t remember? Then how on earth did you get involved with him? Hm?”
The moment I heard that name, my head began to throb.
Lucas Boventin.
Ian’s childhood friend, and a hero who stood on the front lines protecting the Empire from monsters.
And along with his fame, there was something else he was widely known for—his nickname.
The iron-blooded duke—cold, ruthless, and concerned only with the Empire’s survival.
I had heard that the troops who were dispatched to suppress the monsters infesting the northern territories had recently completed their mission and returned to the capital.
Duke Boventin must have returned with them.
The reason he would visit the imperial palace was obvious.
‘To report on the monster subjugation.’
For a man who valued the Empire’s safety above all else, enduring the heated gazes of noblewomen was only tolerable for that reason.
And yet—that man had saved me?
I finally understood why Baron Adrian was so worried.
But his imagination was completely off the mark.
No one knew that better than I did.
Because my memories of that moment were coming back to me, one by one.
“Ah!”
“Wh–What is it?!”
Baron Adrian shouted in alarm, but his worried gaze didn’t register at all.
Right before I collapsed, I had mistaken Duke Boventin for Ian—and acted accordingly.
“You came to see me… I’m so happy, Your Highness.”
The moment I recalled those words, everything rushed back at once.
Touching his cheek.
Pouring out my grievances to him.
And then—
“Perhaps the most laughable thing is that after wandering battlefields for so long, I’ve grown weak.”
That bitter mutter.
Why had he said that?
No—that wasn’t the important part right now.
I clutched my head and screamed internally.
At least I couldn’t clearly remember his face.
That, at least, was a mercy.
“This is why you need more rest. I thought something was strange the moment you started speaking politely to me.”
Baron Adrian, his eyes welling up with tears, firmly laid me back down on the bed.
He must have noticed that I’d unconsciously put distance between us ever since regaining my memories.
“Father… no. Dad.”
“Yes, my daughter?”
The moment I changed how I addressed him, his expression shifted.
His eyes softened—becoming the same eyes that always gave me whatever I wanted.
This was my chance.
There was something I absolutely had to say to him.
I sat up on the old bed and grasped his hand.
“I’m fine. And what I said earlier—I meant it.”
“…What?”
“I really don’t love His Highness anymore. I’ve already sorted out my feelings. I realized there’s something more important than love.”
“What do you mean, Elisha?”
I smiled faintly as I met Baron Adrian’s anxious gaze.
I felt his hand stiffen.
Considering all the trouble I’d caused as Elisha, his reaction was understandable.
He was probably afraid I was about to create another disaster.
Poor Baron Adrian.
But now that I remembered my past life, I had no intention of clinging to something impossible.
Especially now that I understood reality.
“Dad, I want to earn money.”
“What? That’s absurd! Absolutely not! I can’t let you work—your father will handle everything, so don’t worry—”
“Dad. I know. I know it’s hard for you to deal with the debt.”
Baron Adrian’s face drained of color.
Of course.
A baron from a minor house couldn’t possibly have much money.
I’d suspected debt—but knowing for sure still made my chest ache.
Still… what can I do?
This was all caused by me.
So it was only right that I cleaned it up.
After firming my resolve once more, I spoke to the speechless Baron Adrian.
“I won’t spend recklessly anymore. I’ll look for work to repay the debt. So please—don’t try to shoulder everything alone.”
I should have done this from the beginning.
As I gently soothed Baron Adrian’s trembling hands, unable to stop his tears, I let out a long sigh.
In the end, my words didn’t change his mind.
“Just hearing you say that is more than enough. Don’t worry—do what you want to do.”
Baron Adrian’s love for his daughter was far greater than I’d imagined.
“Damn it.”
Three days passed in the blink of an eye while I was forcibly confined at home until my cold improved.
The Elisha from before I regained my memories would’ve found this level of idleness laughable.
But remembering my past life—where I’d been known as someone too diligent to ever fall into corporate sloth—made staying still unbearable.
Interest was piling up even now.
Without paying off the debt, accumulating wealth would be impossible.
I bit my lip in mounting anxiety.
『The Lovely Saintess』.
Remembering the novel made one thing clear—I needed money, fast.
The reason lay in the latter half of the story.
More specifically, in preparation for when monsters invaded the capital.
By the end of the novel, monsters overran every imperial territory except the capital.
When even the capital was on the verge of falling, the nobles fled across the sea to the Bolt Duchy.
And getting there required an astronomical sum of money.
The voyage alone took a full month, making the fare exorbitant.
And since the final war with the monsters dragged on for nearly half a year, survival expenses were necessary until they could return.
Even wealthy nobles struggled to make that journey.
For our impoverished house, it was unthinkable.
The only silver lining was this—
Ian hadn’t met Christine, the Saintess, yet.
The story hadn’t begun.
Which meant now was the perfect time to earn money.
This is no time to chase pointless dreams.
Knowing that better than anyone, I had to repay the debt—and save enough to emigrate.
Earning money as a maid would never be enough.
As soon as I gathered seed money, I planned to invest—or start a business unlike anything in this world.
Remembering my past life had to be divine guidance.
At least, that’s what I chose to believe.
Otherwise, all that awaited me was another meaningless death.
I sprang to my feet.
Baron Adrian had gone out to work.
This was my chance.
I quickly changed clothes and left the room.
“Elisha!”
A startled voice rang out the moment I stepped into the hallway.
I let out a deep sigh as I recognized the owner.
“…Belle.”
“Miss, where are you going? You haven’t fully recovered yet!”
Belle—my maid since childhood, and now one of the few servants left in the estate—set down the plate she was holding and questioned me anxiously.
“You’re fully dressed… You’re not planning to go out, are you? If you need something, let me do it. I’ll go buy it right away.”
Her worried gaze always made my chest tighten.
Lying to Belle had never sat right with me—past or present.
Perhaps because she always seemed to see through my lies with uncanny precision.
After some hesitation, I discarded the option of lying and answered honestly.
“No. This is something I need to do myself.”
“What could be so important? If you go out like this, the baron will definitely—”
Belle stopped mid-sentence and closed her mouth.
I knew why.
Before I regained my memories, I’d always snapped at her advice.
Watching Belle carefully measure her words made me sigh.
She’d always been the one cleaning up after my reckless behavior.
I felt ashamed.
I didn’t want to lie anymore.
I didn’t want to push my burdens onto others.
Maybe regaining my memories really was a godsend.
With a bitter smile in my heart, I looked at Bell.
