Lady Solea Just Wants to Go Home

Chapter 1

It was two days before I won the lottery.

“Was it a nightmare?”

“No.”

“Was it a sad dream?”

“No. I dreamed that I turned into a steamed bun.”

“Then why are you crying so much?”

As she wiped her tears, Jiyoon replied, “Because I’d rather become a steamed bun than go to work. Damn it.”

As Monday rolled around, and she headed toward her f*cking—no, loveable—company, Jiyoon gritted her teeth while suffocating in the sauna-like subway.

Seriously, in this kind of weather, they should consider killing someone an act of self-defense. Right now, I can’t even tell if I’m the dumpling or if the dumpling is me—I’m practically being steamed alive in here!

Is this country’s weather trying to temper me? Are they trying to turn us all into finely tempered blades by roasting us in summer’s heat before plunging us into winter’s cold? If that’s the case, it’s only right that I become a sword.

The oppressive heat wave had Jiyoon’s mind churning out nonsense like she was speaking in tongues.

At least there should be air conditioning at the company.

As Jiyoon hopped off the train and quickly climbed the subway stairs, she realized she hadn’t checked the numbers on the lottery ticket she bought over the weekend.

“If I hit the jackpot, I’m quitting my job. I’m really going to do it.”

That was what she said, but deep down, Jiyoon knew she wouldn’t win the lottery. Instead, she’d have to drag herself to work again—back to the place where the boss never properly paid overtime, where the assistant manager unknowingly committed sexual harassment every time he spoke, and where the boss’s daughter, the accountant, always sneered. She would always ask, “Why did you eat so much?” whenever Jiyoon submitted food expense receipts.

Right before stepping into her workplace, Jiyoon checked the lottery ticket numbers on her phone.

Whoa, I got a few of them right. Uh, actually quite a lot of them. Hold on, they all match. Huh? Wait a minute.

Jiyoon hurried away from the entrance of her workplace, finding a secluded corner to check her phone again. Within moments, she was drenched in sweat—not the sticky, uncomfortable kind from the heat, but a cold sweat that sent shivers through her body. Her jaw began to tremble, and soon, her whole body followed suit. She clamped her lips shut, taking slow, deep breaths to steady herself.

Once she felt calmer, she double-checked the numbers, but that wasn’t enough. She needed absolute certainty, so she scanned the QR code for confirmation. It was definitely first place. The six numbers gleamed in different colors on her screen.

Panicked, Jiyoon quickly shoved her phone and the lottery ticket into her pants pocket, worried someone might see. Then, just as quickly, she yanked the ticket back out, gripping it tightly in fear of dropping it as she made her way toward her office’s main entrance.

Jiyoon’s mind raced with thoughts of how she’d tell her boss she was quitting. The moment she pushed open the door, her overflowing emotions surged.

She blurted out, “I’m quitting!”

Except she wasn’t at her workplace.

“What do you mean, Solea?”

“What?”

Jiyoon wanted to ask, Solea who? The men in the room were all staring directly at her. At the head of a long table sat a middle-aged man with silver hair, his face smooth and expression solemn. On either side of him, two young men sat with their backs straight, only slightly turning their heads toward the door.

Of the two, the one with the sharper features, maroon hair, and gray eyes was the first to speak.

“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? Did you think you have any say in this matter?”

Across from him, the pink-haired man with a much calmer demeanor frowned.

“Gray, you can’t talk to our younger sibling like that.”

Yeah, asshole.

Never mind the profanity in her mind—Jiyoon had no idea what was going on. She was certain she’d opened the door to her workplace. She had even seen the worn-out company name.

“I, uh… I must have taken a wrong turn. Sorry,” she stammered, trying to make a quick exit, her mind racing with confusion.

As Jiyoon started to backtrack, she suddenly noticed something strange. She was wearing dress shoes instead of sneakers. Glancing down, she also realized she was in a formal dress. As she tilted her head, scarlet hair fell over her shoulders.

What is this? Is this a dream? What did that guy just call me?

Jiyoon—no, Solea—darted her eyes around the dining room, trying to make sense of her surroundings. A fancy chandelier sparkled as it hung from the tall ceiling, casting a soft glow across the room. Bright sunlight streamed through the arched windows, illuminating the space. The long, white marble table in the center stretched so far that it could have accommodated all of her colleagues for a company meal. The floor, though it was unclear who had cleaned it, gleamed with a spotless shine.

The silver-haired man, who watched with a solemn expression as she scanned the room in wide-eyed confusion, spoke in a gentle tone.

“Solea, if you’re still feeling unwell, you may return to your room. Anne, if you’re outside, please escort Lea back.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

A maid with black hair and blue eyes opened the door and entered, then proceeded to carefully grab Solea and support her by the arm.

“Let’s go, my lady.”

“Wait, no, uh…”

Did I open a dimensional door instead of my company’s? A dimensional door when I just won first place in the lottery? I spent my entire teenage years begging to go to another world, but to no avail. Now it happens after I’ve given up?

Dazed, Solea allowed the maid to guide her through a hallway so wide that two people could easily roll around in it.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, Lady Solea? Please feel free to address me casually.”

“Where did you learn Korean?” Solea asked, still staring blankly ahead.

Anne’s eyes widened in surprise, her expression turning sad as she answered, “What are you talking about? My lady, I’m Anne.”

Anne? The only Anne I know has red hair. You have black hair. If you’re Korean, please tell me your last name and family origin. Are you a Gimhae Kim or Miryang Park? Park Anne. Kim Anne. That sounds weird. Anyway, I’d like to ask who Anne is. What are you even saying?

“Did I interrupt a shoot or something?”

“What?” Anne responded, clearly confused.

Instead of pressing further, she clamped her mouth shut and continued walking, guiding Solea with steady hands. She likely assumed that Solea was simply behaving oddly. After walking for a while, they neared the room, where a few more maids hurried over.

“Lady Solea, you gave us a scare just now. You suddenly jumped out of bed and ran straight to the dining room!”

“Are you all right? It’s been a while since you got out of bed.”

“Shall we fetch a doctor for you?”

“Since you’re already awake, shall we prepare a meal for you? We can make some lightly seasoned soup. If you stay up, we can have it ready in about thirty minutes.”

“Have some water for now, my lady.”

Solea awkwardly accepted the glass of water offered to her and gulped it down. Then, she glanced around at the concerned faces surrounding her.

“Where am I? Who’s Solea? If this is some kind of prank, please just tell me. It’s not funny.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid who had handed her the water suddenly collapsed, her eyes rolling back.

Before she lost consciousness, she whispered, “Oh, my lady… You’ve lost your memory.”

“Oh, no! Marcella, get a hold of yourself!”

“Lady Solea, Marcella has fainted!”

“Ma… what was it…? Which Ma family are you talking about? Did the person who named her have a thing for toadyism?”

Solea still didn’t understand what was going on, but she figured that she should focus on helping move the unconscious person. She couldn’t just ignore a sick person. She bent down and lifted the Ma lady off the floor. A gasp erupted from behind her.

“No, Lady Solea!”

“You’re going to hurt yourself!”

Why are they freaking out over me picking up a scrawny person? The task does seem more difficult than it should be, though.

“Quick, show me an empty room where I can lay her down!”

Before she could act, however, strength slipped away from her arms, and the maid started slipping from her grasp. Solea quickly regained her hold on the Ma lady and carried her to the room that Anne pointed out.

“Is this a prank or something? Why is everyone’s hair so colorful? Are those wigs? And what’s with your eyes? Are you wearing colored contacts? Your features look so Western, but you guys speak Korean so fluently. Wait, am I actually speaking in English right now? Do you know me?”

Is this a movie set? Or did Korean become a global language at some point?

The maids’ faces turned pale as they listened to Solea’s confused ramblings.

“My lady, what’s happening? Why are you saying such strange things?”

“This won’t do. Angela, call the doctor immediately.”

Solea watched as a few maids hurried out to fetch the doctor, then grimaced as she grabbed her hair. It was scarlet.

“I don’t know if you’ve hypnotized me, but this isn’t funny anymore— Ow!”

When she reached for the back of her head and tried to tug off what she assumed was a wig, Solea screamed in pain and stumbled.

“What the hell is this?”

The maids, witnessing the youngest and most beloved lady of the duke’s family yanking at her hair, turned deathly pale with fear.

“An evil spirit has possessed Lady Solea’s right hand!”

Huh? Evil spirit? What are they talking about? Somebody, please explain to me what the hell is going on! At this point, I’d prefer you just tell me I’m the evil spirit! Who on earth dyed my hair while I was asleep?

While the doctor examined her, the maids stood beside Solea and whispered among themselves.

“She doesn’t remember anything at all. She doesn’t even know who or where she is.”

“I’m telling you, an evil spirit has taken over her right hand! It just grabbed her hair and pulled it!”

Is that why you tied my hand to the headboard, you kind, evil maids?

With a rather serious expression, the doctor asked a few questions.

“Please state your name.”

“Yoon Jiyoon. Yoon Jiyoon forward, Yoon Jiyoon backward.”

Whenever I introduced myself, people would often ask whether it was Moon Jiyoon or Yoon Jiyoon, so it became a habit of mine to say, “Yoon Jiyoon forward, Yoon Jiyoon backward.” The words slipped out without me even thinking.

The doctor’s expression grew even more concerned after hearing her response.

“Do you know where you are?”

“I was hoping this was some kind of movie set, but judging by the atmosphere, I guess not.”

The doctor shook his head slowly, looking almost defeated.

Excuse me, doctor? Why are you acting like you’ve found out someone is going to die?

Just as she was about to speak, the door burst open. A silver-haired, handsome middle-aged man rushed in.

“Lea!”

What’s with those worried eyes and fancy features? I’ve never charmed such a handsome man before.

The man’s face grew even paler when he saw the panic in Solea’s eyes.

He clenched his jaw, then asked in a trembling voice, “Do you recognize me?”

“No.”

The two men from the dining room followed behind him.

“Father, she probably just fainted like she usually does,” the gray-eyed one grumbled.

Before the silver-haired man could respond, the pink-haired guy interrupted, shooting him a disapproving look.

“Do you have to speak like that to your ill sister?”

“She always faints whenever something big happens. It’s like she wants attention or something!”

At least the pink-haired guy’s attitude matches his appearance, but this gray-eyed one seriously needs a crash course in manners.

The doctor, with a sorrowful expression, informed the supposed duke that Solea was suffering from amnesia. At the same time, the ominous feeling that she had forgotten something truly important hit the back of her mind.

What was it? I think I forgot something really important.

“Ah! The lottery!”

Forgetting that her right hand was tied down, Solea started thrashing about like a freshly caught fish.

“My money! My money! Where did my lottery ticket go? What if someone picks it up? I can’t let that happen, damn it! It’s mine!”

As she flailed wildly, the doctor shouted at her to calm down, while the maids rushed to hold her down, preventing her from leaping off the bed. With tearful voices, they tried to soothe her.

“Lady Solea, please calm down!”

“I have to get my money! Wait, time out! My money! My 1.7 billion won! I’m going home! I have to go home!”

I need to go back home!

Her frantic cries echoed through the duke’s mansion.