Chapter 5
“I’m thinking of going down to look for work. If Dad is working that hard, I can’t just stay home doing nothing.”
“What? You, working? The baron would never allow that!”
“I know. But, Belle—you know too, don’t you? How our family ended up buried in debt in the first place.”
Belle’s green eyes wavered violently. Her shock was understandable.
After being bedridden with a fever for days, the troublemaker of the Adrian family suddenly saying something like this—of course she’d be startled.
But I was serious. I couldn’t just sit back and watch things fall apart.
“This is something I have to do.”
At my final words, Belle flinched, her shoulders trembling as her eyes widened.
She looked as though she never imagined such words would come out of my mouth.
After a moment, Belle stepped closer and gently took both my hands.
“Then I’ll go with you. No matter how much you hate the idea, this isn’t something I can compromise on.”
“Thank you.”
“Hearing you say that… it feels like I’m seeing the young miss from when you were little.”
After saying that, Belle suddenly stiffened and closed her mouth, as if she’d let slip something she shouldn’t have.
I could guess why.
My personality had changed after Baroness Adrian—my mother—passed away.
My mother, who always said one must live by yielding to others, died suddenly while out on her weekly volunteer work.
She was devoted to others, yet lacking in affection toward me.
Feeling that absence, I made a vow to myself—to never let anyone take away what I wanted.
That was probably when it started.
When I began living with this personality.
I shook my head quickly, brushing away my mother’s fleeting image.
That was all in the past.
And now was definitely not the time to dwell on memories.
“Let’s go, Belle.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Just as we were about to move, I sensed someone in the opposite corridor.
When I turned my head, I met the butler’s gaze.
Seeing me dressed to go out, the butler—perhaps knowing my fiery temperament, or assuming I was just going shopping again—didn’t try to stop me.
He simply rushed off somewhere.
It was obvious he was heading to report the situation to my father, Baron Adrian.
Well, it was bound to come out sooner or later anyway.
With that thought, I quickly headed outside—
With Belle at my side, constantly glancing at me with worry.
“There’s no work suitable for a young lady here. All maid positions are already filled. Come back another time.”
“Wait, please. Is there any other kind of work—”
Bang!
The door slammed shut loudly.
I really thought I’d find something here, but it turned out to be a complete waste.
“Miss, let’s go back now. This was the last guild, wasn’t it?”
We’d searched every place that might offer work, but there was nothing I could do.
In short, today was a total failure.
“Ha…”
I’d struggled with job hunting in my past life too—but I never imagined I’d face the same thing here.
Letting out a hollow laugh, I plopped down on the edge of a nearby fountain.
Belle’s eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop as she grabbed my hand and pulled me up.
“Oh my goodness, Miss! You can’t just sit anywhere—you’ll dirty your clothes!”
“It’s fine. I wore old clothes today, just in case.”
…What was I supposed to do?
A sigh escaped me at the grim reality.
I even considered making use of my past-life experience as a corporate psychological counselor, but—
This world doesn’t even have a concept of mental illness or emotional trauma.
What good was supply without demand?
It wouldn’t make money.
All that effort—earning a doctorate, raising my value through lectures—had been for nothing.
I was already looking for other work, and even that wasn’t working out.
As I sighed deeply, Belle’s scolding voice rang out again.
“Even so, you shouldn’t sit on cold stone. You’re still not fully well—it could make things worse. Let’s at least go somewhere warm.”
Since when had Belle been this assertive?
Pulled up by an unexpected amount of force, I lost my balance and stumbled.
“Miss!”
“Huh?”
Just as I was about to fall forward, I collided with someone standing in front of me.
“Ah.”
I barely managed to steady myself and slowly raised my head.
Jet-black hair.
Crimson eyes beneath it.
A sharp jawline, a high bridge nose, red lips—and broad shoulders.
A tall, strikingly handsome man stood there, tall enough that I had to crane my neck to look up at him, his brows furrowed.
“Ah—I’m really sorry.”
I apologized and stepped aside.
But despite the cleared path, the man didn’t move. He just stood there, staring.
‘What is it?’
It was clearly my fault, but was it really enough to warrant such a piercing glare?
As I tilted my head in confusion, the man’s red lips slowly parted.
“I feel like we’ve met somewhere before.”
“…What?”
I studied his face carefully, but no matter how I looked at him, he was a stranger.
As I stood there flustered, a knight standing behind him leaned forward to look at me.
“Hm.”
He was quite handsome as well.
At that point, I became certain—if I’d ever seen men this good-looking before, there was no way I’d forget.
After a moment of thought, I shook my head.
“No. I don’t remember you.”
“Ah!”
Belle’s face turned pale with shock as she hurried to my side and bowed deeply to the red-eyed man.
“Greetings. I sincerely apologize for failing to recognize you sooner, Duke Boventin. Thank you very much for helping my lady the other day!”
…What?
Boventin?
The moment I heard that surname, my vision spun.
That name belonged to the man who supposedly brought me home on the day of my greatest humiliation.
As I froze, Belle leaned in and whispered urgently into my ear.
“Miss, he’s the one who escorted you home after the banquet. Red eyes, black hair—it’s him for sure! That’s Duke Lucas Boventin!”
I’d just decided to start living anew, and now—without warning—I ran straight into the blackest stain on my history.
I looked up at Lucas, the man who undoubtedly knew all about my disgrace, and forced my trembling lips into a smile.
Well… everything was the result of my own karma.
If I didn’t rationalize it like that, I felt like I’d bolt right then and there.
“It seems the young lady remembers who I am.”
Lucas spoke calmly.
Embarrassment washed over me, but it was true—I owed him for getting me home safely.
That much, I had to acknowledge.
I slowly offered him a proper greeting.
“Please forgive my delayed greeting, Duke Boventin. My name is Elisha Adrian. Thanks to your consideration that day, I was able to return home safely.”
“Seeing you walking around like this, I take it you’ve fully recovered? You seemed to have a rather severe cold.”
“Yes, I’ve recovered completely. Thank you again for that day—I caused you great trouble.”
At my response, Lucas tilted his head slightly.
Then he seemed to murmur something under his breath.
“Pardon?”
“No—nothing. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll be going.”
He brushed past me briskly—
And then—
Clink.
Something slipped from his pocket and fell to the ground.
I quickly picked up a necklace with a small locket attached.
“Huh?”
But when I looked ahead, Lucas and his knight had already disappeared into the crowd.
Confused, I pressed the locket open.
Inside was a photograph.
“Miss, what is that?”
“Something I just picked up…”
The photo showed a family smiling warmly together.
The boy standing on the far left looked unmistakably like Lucas.
“I think I picked up something very precious.”
“It looks like a family photo.”
“We should return it.”
If he realized he’d lost something like this, he’d surely be distressed.
And more than that—I couldn’t ignore returning the belongings of someone who had helped me.
I immediately pushed into the crowd.
Belle hurried after me, asking anxiously,
“Miss, you don’t even know where he went. How are you going to find him?”
“Let’s head to the main road first. He couldn’t have gone far.”
“Alright. But after that, we’re going straight back to the estate.”
Only after making me promise several times did Belle finally move forward with me.
