I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started Chapter 121

Daniel looked at me with eyes even darker and deeper than before. I could feel a steady, comforting grip on both of my hands. It carried the kind of coolness that feels good, like a sea breeze brushing in at night.

Colin, still holding my hand, nodded.

“I feel the same. I don’t want to send you anywhere alone, especially somewhere even slightly dangerous. By tomorrow, the entire kingdom will be buzzing with news about the kidnapping case, and you could be in danger too, Rose. We need to be there. And…”

“……”

“I was planning to follow you even if you told me not to. We don’t ever want to leave you alone again—or lose you.”

Colin looked at me with a warm smile, then gently placed a hand on my head and stroked it softly. He glanced over at Daniel as if asking for confirmation. Daniel, clearly flustered by the attention, blushed faintly.

“Obviously. We’re in this together.”

He said it as if it were nothing, but his face betrayed his embarrassment. Colin gave Daniel a once-over, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“What’s with that weird look, Colin?”

“Daniel, I meant what I said as Rose’s family.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Daniel blinked, baffled. Colin just grinned, like he knew everything.

“I meant that I’m respecting Rose’s wishes as her family, not because I have feelings for her. So you should say you’re helping as her family too—for now.”

At that, Daniel’s eyes widened.

“You look so guilty right now. You’re too easy to read.”

“Colin, you… what do you even know…”

Daniel’s face turned red, then pale, then red again. Colin was teasing him like he had him in the palm of his hand.

Watching Daniel mumble and sputter, Colin let out a hearty laugh. The heavy tension we had just moments ago was suddenly gone, completely lifted.

“Yeah, okay. Lightening the mood’s not a bad thing. Really.”

I found myself half-smiling, half-laughing.

“But now I can’t stop thinking about that kiss because of Colin!”

I had finally managed to forget about it in the middle of all this seriousness. Now it was right back in my head. As Daniel turned red with rage and looked like he might grab Colin by the collar, I quietly blushed behind him.

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

 

And so, we took the carriage back to Roan’s estate. By the time we arrived, dawn was already breaking.

Daniel’s secretary had returned after successfully handing the article over to the largest newspaper in the capital.

As expected, newsboys ran frantically through the streets selling papers, and the capital was thrown into a frenzy. This all happened before noon.

Of course, before the article spread through the entire capital, we woke up Lucas and Roan early to explain everything that had happened overnight.

Roan, with a baffled expression, kept asking if I was truly the cherished daughter of a noble family. Lucas, on the other hand, stood in a daze before bursting into tears when I told him I had found my parents. It was a reaction I hadn’t expected at all.

“That’s wonderful, Rosie. I’m really happy for you—now you have a family.”

Lucas’s beautiful sapphire-blue eyes sparkled with tears. I was left speechless, just staring at him.

To be honest, I was surprised. Lucas was the kind of person who got jealous whenever I talked about other people’s families—like Rinne’s.

Since he often showed signs of resentment toward families formed outside the orphanage, I never imagined he would give me such a pure, heartfelt congratulations.

I’d worried that he might feel left out or hurt by the appearance of a “real” family—one he didn’t have. But my worry turned out to be pointless.

That’s when I realized—Lucas truly wanted me to be happy. He was my family too.

A strange ache welled up in my chest, and I let out a quiet sigh.

“I really underestimated Lucas…”

Even if he acted like a bratty cat around me, he was still an adult now. An adult who could sincerely celebrate the good fortune of someone he cared about.

Because of Lucas’s heartfelt congratulations, my tear-stained eyes from the long night welled up all over again.

I approached him and wrapped him in a tight hug, whispering,

“You’re my family too, Lucas.”

I had thought I’d lived as an orphan for 23 years in a foreign world, but in truth, I had so many people who were like family. I used to think I lived a life defined by scarcity and chasing every coin—but I had so many people who saw me as precious.

Lucas’s large hand wrapped around my shoulder, and his forehead rested lightly against it. With his eyes still red, he looked up at me and pressed a kiss to my cheek. His warmth lingered on my skin as he chuckled mischievously.

“I kissed you without permission. You’re not mad?”

“Only letting it slide this once. Just because it’s a happy day. Don’t get cocky.”

“That’s why I did it. Because it’s a happy day.”

I playfully pinched Lucas’s tear-damp cheek. He leaned against my shoulder like a child, quietly hugging me.

I gently patted his large back for a long while.

By the time we finished talking, it was nearly noon, and we had finished preparing to leave the capital.

Roan had lent us his biggest carriage, and we’d loaded all our belongings into it. It would take about two days by carriage to reach Holis—maybe less, since the carriage was a high-quality one.

Before we left, we opened up a copy of the newspaper that had spread through the capital.

“Twenty years ago, Deborah Louis was chosen by prophecy to become a saintess. But now, claims have surfaced that she was never the true saintess.”

That was the headline, bold and impossible to miss.

“A new theory suggests that two noble girls were born on the day of the prophecy. A key witness testified that Baron Louis had arranged for the kidnapping of a child from House B, to make his own daughter, Deborah Louis, into the saintess.”

It was Rumiz’s story. I heard she was currently being kept safe by a guild Daniel had hired. She had agreed to testify in court just as she had confessed to us.

It was hard to fully trust her sudden willingness to confess, but the way she had looked—almost like she had no lingering attachment to this world—made me want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Daniel skimmed the article and folded the newspaper in half, setting it lightly on the table.

“My secretary will file an official case with the Bullosen family against Baron Louis. The charges will be for the abduction of their daughter. The temple won’t be free from blame either—they’ll have to be held accountable.”

“What do you think will happen? If Baron Louis is found guilty?”

“Deborah will step down from her role as saintess. Rumiz, the maid, and Baron Louis will both be sentenced. The fact that there were two girls tied to the prophecy in the first place will make people doubt the temple’s claim of divine guidance. Public trust will take a hit.”

A day had passed by now—surely Viscount Bullosen had been informed of the full situation. Yvette must have told him. I pictured the face I had only seen in portraits. That man was my father… yet like Madam Bullosen, it still felt strangely unreal.

Then Daniel turned to me and said,

“You don’t have to worry too much. Deborah actually wants to step down more than anyone.”

He thought I was concerned about her. He wasn’t wrong. I did know how desperately Deborah longed for freedom.

“Yeah. I’m sure it’ll all be okay.”

I gave him a faint smile.

“The trial will likely begin in about a week, if all goes well. We made sure the temple or Baron Louis wouldn’t be able to stall it by breaking the story first. Now the entire kingdom is watching. Let’s make it to Holis before then.”

Everything we needed was already packed.

Just then, the sitting room door opened, and Lucas entered, dressed for travel, hat and all. Colin was with him.

“Rosie, Rosie! I asked a servant to check—the entire capital’s already buzzing about the article. There were crowds gathering in front of the temple!”

“Already?”

“People believed a true saintess was guiding them, but now it turns out it was all a lie. Of course the faithful are upset. And with Deborah vanishing overnight, the temple’s in full panic mode.”

Colin added.

Even just opening a window upstairs, you could probably glimpse what was going on at the temple.

Pilgrims and believers were likely protesting in the streets. The high priest and clerics must feel like the sky had fallen on them.

“Good thing we moved Deborah to the Bullosen estate in advance.”

“Should we get going too? Before the reporters find out we’re here.”

Daniel checked his watch and stood.

The three of them exited the room, and I followed suit, smoothing out the creases of my skirt. Just as I turned to leave, Roan—who had been sipping tea leisurely—murmured something to himself.

“Surprising. I thought Miss Jensen had a more… self-centered personality.”

“Me?”

I looked at him, puzzled. Even after hearing we were about to turn the whole Bullosen–Louis–Temple mess into a public scandal, Roan hadn’t batted an eye.

Maybe he was skeptical about our efforts. After all, this was a full-blown strike against the temple.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way. More like… I thought you were someone who didn’t like bothering others.”

Roan casually swung one leg over the other, a picture-perfect smile blooming on his face.

“To be honest, doesn’t it feel overwhelming? Suddenly you’re the daughter of a noble house. If people find out you’re the real saintess, all eyes will be on you.”

“And?”

“I just thought… maybe you’d want to run away.”

“……”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not mocking you. If I were in your shoes, I’d feel suffocated. That’s all.”

“What are you even trying to say?”

I blinked at him. He set down his teacup without a sound and, almost gliding, stepped up beside me.

“I was just curious. I don’t know why you left the orphanage the first time, but I thought you’d run again this time too.”

His tone was hard to read—half compliment, half jab. But I didn’t flinch. I met his eyes and smiled, tracing a crescent with my lips.

“What, surprised I turned out stronger than you expected? Stronger than you gave me credit for, Lord Roan?”

At my borderline-provocative reply, Roan chuckled, eyes crinkling.

“Maybe. But I’ve seen a lot of people, running this trade guild. And I know humans aren’t that strong. I know what it looks like when someone is standing on shaky legs, pretending they’re fine. And yet here you are—ready to go back to your hometown and face your past.”

“……”

“It’s impressive. Unexpected.”

He looked at me like someone might admire a tiny, scrappy hamster pulling off a big feat. I couldn’t help but let out a snort. I’d long since gotten used to his sharp, annoying way of speaking—there was no offense taken.

“Roan, can’t you just cheer me on without all the poking? You’re exhausting sometimes.”

“I am cheering you on. I think you’re admirable.”

“Doesn’t sound like it! Let go, I’m leaving.”

“If you leave now, I won’t see your face for five days. Isn’t that sad?”

What was wrong with this man?

As I grumbled and bickered with Roan in the sitting room, the butler suddenly banged on the door—urgently, repeatedly.

“Come in,” Roan called out.

The door burst open, and the butler, pale as a sheet, shouted before we could even ask:

“His Majesty the King has arrived!”