I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started Chapter 101

The golden hair of the viscount, which once shimmered calmly, had turned more than half white. His cheeks had sunken in, and the corners of his eyes were deeply shadowed with grief.

“Father, are you awake?”

Yvette called out to her father in a soft, gentle voice. She placed her hand over his, which was already resting in hers.

“Yvette…”

As if recognizing his daughter, he called her name in a voice that was very small and faint. At the sound, Yvette gripped his hand even tighter.

“Yes, Father. I’ve returned.”

She had told him in advance that she would be taking a short leave. But she hadn’t mentioned that she was going to Riwibon. It was a place that remained as a painful wound for their family. She didn’t want to burden her bedridden father with complicated emotions.

‘…I probably shouldn’t mention that I met someone who resembled my younger sister there, either.’

Yvette had also tried to cast off the shadow of her sister but found it impossible.

How much more, then, must her father long for his lost second daughter? A few years ago, he had even said from his sickbed that his lifelong wish was to see her one last time before he died.

Yvette hesitated, lost in troubled thoughts.

At that moment, she felt the rough fingertips of the viscount move against her palm. When she looked up, she saw him gazing at her with a faint smile.

“So… did you get some rest?”

“Yes, Father.”

Yvette answered reluctantly. The viscount looked at his daughter for a long while. His eyes held both admiration and deep affection—for the child who had grown strong despite everything.

She felt something welling up in her throat, but she forced it down. In his dim, clouded blue eyes, she was reflected completely.

The viscount pulled Yvette’s hand closer and clasped it between both of his own.

“Yvette. My daughter.”

“Yes.”

She listened carefully to her father’s fading voice. Did he need something? Was he uncomfortable in his bed?

As Yvette leaned in, the viscount slowly parted his dry lips.

“You’ve been through so much, my dear.”

For a moment, it felt as though her heart had plummeted to the floor. And it wasn’t just because she knew her father had only months left to live.

Many emotions flickered across his face. Yvette suddenly wanted to protest.

…Why are you saying that?

What have I done for you to say I’ve suffered?

She was bewildered, but all she could do was part her lips without a sound. The viscount seemed to understand her turmoil. He squeezed her hand even tighter.

And then, in a voice that seemed ready to disappear at any moment, he spoke.

“…Now, live your own life, my daughter.”

There was so much meaning contained in his whispered words. At the very least, Yvette could guess the unspoken part of his sentence.

“Now, live your own life. Don’t carry the guilt.”

It was as if the viscount had looked into her very soul. Yvette remained speechless to the end.

Time passed, and Yvette left the room where her father had fallen asleep again. Click. The door closed quietly, and she leaned against it.

Right in front of her was a window.

Outside, the bright summer sun and wild greenery stretched endlessly. Unlike her bedridden father, the world outside was brimming with the vivid light of life.

Looking at the scenery only made her feel more despondent. She could still feel the warmth of her father’s hand lingering on her skin.

Eventually, a bitter smile crept onto her face.

“Forget everything and live my own life?”

The viscount must have known how hard she had struggled alone for decades.

He knew how desperately she had fought, how much effort she had poured in.

‘That’s why he said it… So that I can finally let go and be happy. Even if I’m alone.’

It was clear—he wanted his daughter, who had carried guilt all her life, to finally be free.

But.

“…I can’t do that, Father.”

She could never laugh freely and live boldly as if the past had never existed.

Would she have felt better if her father had asked her to find her sister, instead?

At the unexpected words he had left her, Yvette let out a pained, hollow laugh.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

The awkward life of a guest at the Count Drunia’s estate had begun.

Staying in the guest room, which I used to clean every day, felt burdensome, but I tried my best to adjust.

“Ah, good morning.”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

Mrs. Rosa entered my room and asked, holding a tray with bread and soup. I awkwardly sat up in bed and smiled.

“Yes, thanks to you. Did you sleep well too, Ma’am?”

“Of course.”

She smiled faintly as she spoke, though her voice remained somewhat formal.

It was uncomfortable and strange to be receiving hospitality from her—after all, I had suddenly gone from being one of her workers to being a guest.

‘But I shouldn’t let it show.’

Awkwardly, I accepted the breakfast onto the table.

“Then, call me when you’ve finished eating.”

“Alright, thank you.”

After sending her away, I had my breakfast in the guest room.

Soft, warm white bread and onion soup. Once I had eaten my fill, I left the mansion.

I still lived in the Count’s estate, but I no longer had to clean it. Without work to do, my free time felt overwhelmingly empty.

“Oh my, look who it is.”

I had been strolling along the forest path behind the mansion, trying to pass the time, when I ran into Mika, who was just coming out of the building.

“Why is the princess out here instead of in the guest room?”

“Mika, you’re teasing me, aren’t you? Princess, really?”

I pouted, and Mika, holding a bucket in her hand, giggled. She clearly enjoyed teasing me.

Still, I liked that about her. Even though I had gone from a maid to a guest overnight, Mika continued to joke around with me as if nothing had changed.

“But you do look like a princess in that pretty outfit.”

“Oh, this? Lucas—um, I mean, the young master—bought it for me…”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

It was the blouse and calf-length blue skirt that Lucas had given me a few days ago.

The hem had small frills. It couldn’t compare to the clothes Roan made for me, but it was still the work of a renowned designer from the capital.

Since he had spent so much money on it, Lucas had sternly insisted that I wear different outfits every day. He even made a habit of checking in on me regularly.

“How does it look? Does it suit me?”

“It’s so dazzling I might go blind. You really do look like a princess.”

“Ugh, that’s so cheesy. It doesn’t sound sincere at all.”

“Does sincerity matter? What matters is flattering the princess now so I can get a reward later.”

“Oh, please… Even if you do, you won’t get anything. I’m just an innkeeper, you know!”

Mika and I locked eyes and burst into laughter. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she rummaged through her pocket.

“Oh, right! I meant to give you this.”

“Huh? To me?”

Mika told me that after I moved from the servants’ quarters to the guest room, she and Marie had cleaned out my old room.

By the way, Marie had claimed my old room for herself as a single-occupancy space. She was apparently so satisfied with it that she was desperately hoping no new maid would be assigned to share it with her.

‘Tsk. I thought she’d at least feel a little sad about me leaving.’

For a moment, she reminded me of that annoying Lynne. As I pouted and puffed out my cheeks, Mika pulled a small card from her pocket and handed it to me.

“I found this while cleaning your old room. It looks like a business card?”

“Oh, I must have dropped it. No wonder I couldn’t find it.”

I sighed and took the card. It belonged to Yvette.

“How did you end up with the business card of a noble lady from the Büllosen family? Are you friends with her now too?”

“Friends might be a bit of a stretch. It’s a long and complicated story.”

I chuckled, and Mika shrugged as if to say “Figures.”

“She helped me out when Angela almost had me cornered. And she knows I’m close to Saint Deborah, so she said I could visit with her sometime and gave me her card.”

“Oh? That’s quite the good connection you’ve made.”

“I suppose. Though, I’m not sure I’ll actually go.”

At that, Mika’s eyes widened.

“Well, she is a noble, after all. I’m not a maid here anymore, but I’m not a noble either. I’m in a strange, in-between position… so I doubt I’ll ever see her again.”

Yvette Büllosen had given me her card out of kindness, but I wasn’t sure if I was really welcome to reach out.

‘Besides, she’s incredibly busy. Wouldn’t it be a bother? Even if I contacted her, what would we even do?’

It wasn’t as if I could just sit down for a leisurely tea time with the busy head of the Büllosen Trading Company.

Without the topic of her missing sister, there probably wouldn’t be much for us to talk about.

But Yvette had decided to bury the memory of her sister in her heart.

‘She probably just gave it to me out of courtesy. If I do meet her again, it’ll only be with Deborah.’

Come to think of it, Jenny had said something to me at the train platform a week ago before I left Riwibon.

That Yvette’s father, Viscount Büllosen, was critically ill. She had rushed back to the capital because of it.

‘I don’t know the details… but I hope everything turned out okay.’

After parting ways with Mika, I wandered through the mansion’s front garden.

As I walked along the cypress-lined path, a familiar figure approached from the left.

“What are you doing here?”

It was Daniel, dressed in an outdoor jacket.

After working as a maid and observing people closely, I had developed a knack for reading situations. I could tell immediately whether Daniel was just coming back from an outing or about to leave.

“Me? I’m just taking a walk… You’re heading out somewhere, aren’t you?”

I struck up a conversation, but Daniel looked at me with a somewhat reluctant expression.

Then I noticed the letters in his hand.

“Why? Who are you going to see that makes you look like that?”

He hesitated for a moment, as if gauging my reaction, then spoke in a low voice.

“I’m going to see Saint Deborah.”