Lady Solea Just Wants to Go Home

Chapter 4

Gray watched Solea intently as she finished her unseasoned soup and stood up.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“What is there for me to say?” she replied sharply before turning to leave the dining room.

Gray smiled as he rose from his seat.

“Now you’re starting to act like my sibling.”

* * *

Solea had intended to return to her room, but as soon as she stepped out of the dining room, the head maid, Marcella, intercepted her and led her elsewhere.

“Where are we going?”

“His Grace wishes to see you.”

I don’t understand. If the duke wants to see me, why doesn’t he come to me himself? It’s only logical. Why should I be the one to go to him when he’s the one seeking me? What kind of noble custom is this?

The one who thirsts should be the one who digs up a well. I’m clearly unwell, yet he’s making his daughter endure a long trek just to see him.

Since you’re still healthy, Father, you should be the one to visit me. It’s not like you have bad joints, just a stubborn head. Normally, I’m polite and well-mannered, but this strange place is preventing me from thinking clearly.

“There you are. How are you feeling? I instructed them to wait until you’d finished eating before calling you, but it appears my other child caused quite a commotion.”

Duke Diergo greeted Solea with a warm smile.

“Oh… N-no, it’s fine. I guess.”

She was frustrated and exhausted from having walked across the hall in such a weak body, but when she saw the apologetic look on the duke’s face, her irritation melted away. Solea sat down, feeling awkward, as the middle-aged man remained silent for a while, despite being the one who had summoned her.

If this old man were even a little less kind or handsome, I would have left by now.

Having lived a rather difficult life, Jiyoon was a bit rougher around the edges than most.

“Uh, so why did you call for me…?” she asked, unable to endure the silence any longer.

The duke cleared his throat before pulling out a sheet of paper from his pocket.

“This is a list of individuals within the dukedom. Is the person you’re searching for among them?”

She accepted the paper and glanced at the unfamiliar script. Though she had never seen these letters before, she had no trouble reading and understanding them. The list contained pages of information on various people, all with strange descriptions.

—Surchien Jack / 27 / Lives alone after his wife’s death. Farmer.

Villiwon Embar Jacques / 18 / Supposedly has a girlfriend but is rumored to be a libertine.

Nardon Mijack / 31 / Married with family. One son, one daughter. Neighbors say he’s diligent.

Jack / 20-25 / Slave. Has many scratches on his body, but is impressive.

Nois Jack / 16 / Brothel worker / Extremely handsome. Excellent businessman.

Jack Narjuan / 22 / Bastard child of a fallen noble family. Currently, lives alone in the mansion.

The list went on. The more Solea read, the more confused she became.

What in the world is this?

Suddenly, her mind flashed back to that first day’s conversation, especially Gray’s words.

“First, you claim to be too sick to leave your bed, but the moment we start discussing your marriage, you come out and say what? That you won’t do it? Do you think you have any say in this matter?”

Does the duke want me to go on dates with all these people?

However, it seemed unlikely that he had compiled this list intending to set up dates for her. For starters, there were just too many candidates, and the way this handsome middle-aged man spoke suggested he truly cherished his daughter. He wouldn’t demand that she meet such a random assortment of men.

Mister, if you do this in Korea, your daughter will surely run away.

To top it off, the men on the list were completely different from each other. From a married man, to a libertine, a bastard child, and even a slave?

Why was “extremely handsome” written here? Why’s that important? “Has many scratches on his body, but is impressive?” Impressive how? What’s the point of giving me this?

Solea’s face hardened, causing the duke to panic and ask, “Is the person you’re looking for not on the list? Maybe they’re using an alias that sounds like ‘jackpot.’ I didn’t think that far. Since you kept shouting about someone with a name that sounded like ‘jackpot,’ I figured…”

“Oh…”

That was when it dawned on her—the duke thought his frail daughter had developed amnesia from a secret, love-stricken fever.

I did thrash about, yelling, “My jackpot! My jackpot!” Wait… Jack? Villiwon?

The duke had even found people with names that sounded similar to 1.7 billion won and “jackpot.” Solea glanced at Duke Diergo, who watched her with a mix of concern and seriousness. She had to clench her teeth to keep from laughing. She raised her hand, still clutching the lottery ticket, to cover her mouth and coughed.

When she finally set the list down, the duke’s eyes filled with disappointment, twisting in frustration.

“I suppose just names aren’t enough, are they? Shall I have their faces drawn? Perhaps then you can recognize one of them.”

He sighed softly, his expression tinged with sadness.

“I know you’ve lost your memory… but love has a way of performing miracles. As long as you recover, I don’t care who you bring home.”

“I think you might be a bit too lenient. There’s even a slave here. And what’s this? A brothel worker? What if he’s a married man?”

She spoke with exaggerated flair to tease him, but Diergo’s mood shifted. His gaze dropped, and the tendons in his large fists, resting on the table, became evident—signs of a man who had seen his share of battles.

His voice quivered as he responded, “You’re young, so… Yes, it’s possible. After all, you’ve spent most of your time here at the mansion. You couldn’t have known. You were so innocent… I thought you never left the mansion, so when did— Well, I was just like you when I was younger. But still…”

He struggled to form a coherent sentence, mumbling his thoughts. Then suddenly, the duke’s voice surged with frustration.

“What have I always told you? With a father and brothers as handsome as yours, it wouldn’t be a surprise if your standards were sky-high. That’s why I told you to look at the person’s character instead!”

“Huh? What nonsense are you saying?”

“You’ve been surrounded by us since birth, so I’m sure you have unbelievably high standards! Even so, couldn’t you at least have chosen someone respectable? Why are they all libertines, slaves, or bastards? And why is there a married man on this list?!”

“Why are you raising your voice?! Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“Well, then who is it?! If it’s a slave… If it’s a slave, I’ll meet him and then sell him off again!”

“What if it’s the married man?”

“If it’s the married man, then obviously you should give up! What could you possibly do if he already has a wife?”

Seeing the duke rise from his seat in disgust made Solea feel like she was part of a sitcom. The sheer absurdity of the situation struck her, and she couldn’t stop herself from bursting into laughter. Her mysterious purple eyes sparkled with amusement, and she laughed so hard that her scarlet hair became delightfully tousled. At that moment, she felt an unfamiliar joy.

The duke, momentarily stunned by the sight of his daughter—so much like his late wife—stared blankly before snapping back to reality.

What had made her laugh like that? Could it be…?

“I-is it really the married man?”

“No,” Solea replied immediately, and Duke Diergo exhaled in relief.

As he watched her wipe away tears of laughter and shake her head, his thoughts began to churn once more. He picked up the list from the table, carefully reading through each name before setting it down again, his expression now serious.

“I won’t allow you to see a brothel worker.”

“His name is on the list.”

“If I meet him, who knows how he might try to deceive you? That’s what he does for a living. The world outside this mansion is far more dangerous than you think.”

“Probably.”

“I’m sure he’s only after your jackpot.”

“I’m looking for my jackpot too.”

The duke’s face clouded with despair as he glanced back down at the list. He had always ensured she had more than enough, so it never crossed his mind that she was speaking about an actual jackpot. He assumed that her cries for “Jack,” despite her memory loss, were tied to lingering feelings for the man she had loved. It seemed that his assumption that tracking down every man with a name sounding like “Jack” would help her recover her memories had instead ignited the spark of love.

He remembered how, in his younger days, the thought of life without his wife was unimaginable. Being his daughter, Solea must feel the same. Understanding her feelings, he resolved that, even if the man was unsuitable, he would at least meet him once. Still, he hoped that it was a decent man.

His purple eyes softened as he gazed downward, deep in thought. After a long, slow sigh, the duke straightened, his resolve firm.

“I’m ready. Tell me now. Who is the one who caused you such sorrow?”

Solea’s smile faded as she replied plainly, “No one.”

“What?”

“No one. I don’t have any memory, so how would I know who I had feelings for?”

Maybe Solea did like someone, but from the way the maids acted and from what Gray mentioned her acting as if burdened by guilt, it was clear she had a timid nature. There was no way she would have snuck out of the mansion for a passionate affair.

Duke Diergo let out a deep sigh of relief, a bright smile spreading across his face at his daughter’s firm response.

“I’m glad. I was really worried—none of the men on that list seemed decent. They all had serious flaws.”

“I have flaws too.”

“What do you mean? If you’re referring to your weak constitution, you’ll get better eventually. No matter what, you are my daughter. Don’t ever say that in front of your father again. You’re breaking my heart.”

Solea smiled brightly.

So this is what a real father says. A true father is pained just by hearing his daughter doubt her worth.

“You must really love Solea.”

Those words escaped her mouth, unbeknownst to her. The duke’s eyes widened in surprise, baffled by how she addressed herself like she was someone else. When the duke thought about it, her grin was a stark contrast to the gentle smile she always wore on her deathly pale face. Her expression seemed more like that of a stranger than someone suffering from amnesia.

The way Solea looked as she spoke was also particularly solemn—like she was an abandoned child. Despite sitting right in front of her, Duke Diergo could feel a distance between them. He studied her for a moment before softly smiling.

“I have always loved you, and I always will.”

Solea’s eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly blinked and lowered her head.

“I shall take my leave now. I still don’t feel well.”

“Of course.” As she stood up and headed for the door, Diergo added playfully, “So, it’s not that he isn’t on this list, but there isn’t anyone at all, right? Lea, don’t scare your father like that again.”

Solea paused in front of the door, glancing back slightly before responding, “The list only had men.”

Then she opened the door and walked out. The duke, who was merely teasing her, turned pale.

“Wait, what? Solea! Lea, come back here! Lea, what do you mean by that? If it’s not a man, then what?”

Solea left with his frantic voice echoing behind her, and she quickly walked down the hallway. She didn’t fully know the layout of the mansion yet, but she felt that if she stayed and talked to the duke any longer, she might reveal the truth.

Your Solea is not here, and I don’t know you. I don’t have a father like you.

According to Anne, Solea had been slipping in and out of consciousness for the past few days due to a high fever. She was often ill to begin with, but the only other time her condition had been that bad was when she was young, prompting the mansion to go into lockdown.

Suddenly, her breathing had slowed, almost as if she had fallen asleep. When a finger was placed under her nose, her breaths were so faint that it was nearly impossible to tell if she was breathing at all.

“Was she breathing?”

“I honestly couldn’t tell. That’s why I was on my way to fetch the doctor. But then…”

“Then what?”

“Lady Solea suddenly opened her eyes and ran toward the dining room.”

“Oh.”

By then, Jiyoon had already taken over her body.

What happened to the original Solea?

Jiyoon’s expression grew solemn as she made her way back from the duke’s room. Poor guy.

“Solea, why are you already running around? You’ve just woken up, and you’re still not well!”

Hearing Gray’s voice from a distance, she furrowed her brow and quickly opened the nearest door. She found herself in a study, the air thick with the scent of old books. The sheer volume of books made it seem more like a library.

As if in a trance, Solea wandered among the stacks until she absentmindedly pulled out a dark red book and opened it. Inside, the pages bore fresh writing, clearly inscribed just moments ago.

—Did I open a dimensional door instead of my company’s? Why did I end up in this fantasy world? What about my 1.7 billion won?

Immediately, her eyes filled with horror.

What the hell is this…?