I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started Chapter 130

Running into Lynne’s family on the way to the capital had been pure coincidence—
but I couldn’t help thinking it was a blessing.

Between the trial and the flood of resurfacing memories, I hadn’t even been able to check in for weeks. If not for today, I probably wouldn’t have been able to explain everything until after the trial was over.

As the sun dipped low and we finished dinner, the four of us prepared to leave once again for the capital. Uncle Hans, Aunt Marilyn, and Lynne all came outside the restaurant to see us off.

“Rosieta, are you sure it’s alright if we don’t come? A trial is no small matter… I can’t help but worry.”

Uncle Hans’s face was heavy with concern. I was about to reply, but Aunt Marilyn gave him a firm nudge in the side.

“Oh, honestly. What good would it do if we went? How would it look for the child? She’s only just found her real parents, and besides—aren’t they nobles?”

“B-but still…”

Uncle Hans’s lips trembled as he tried to protest. Seeing his expression made my own heart sink.

I stopped halfway into the carriage, turned back, and walked toward them.

“Uncle, Aunt. You don’t need to come to the capital. You have the restaurant to run. Please, don’t push yourselves for my sake.”

“…”

“But please believe me when I say—it’s not because I’m ashamed of you, or because I’m ashamed of being raised as your foster daughter.”

“…”

“You’re my parents.”

Their eyes widened. I reached out and clasped both their hands.

“Thank you for raising me for ten whole years, even though we had no ties by blood.”

“Rosie…”

“As soon as the trial is over, I’ll come straight back to Danten. Because this is where my family is.”

“…”

“I realized something… I may fall short in other ways, but when it comes to family, I’ve been truly blessed. The children I grew up with at the orphanage are my family. My blood relatives are also family. And above all—you, Uncle and Aunt, who raised me for ten years—you are my family too.”

“…”

“If I ever complained while growing up here… I’m sorry. But now I understand. I never lacked for anything.”

I held my head high as I spoke, and at last, tears welled in Uncle Hans’s eyes. Aunt Marilyn hesitated only a moment before pulling me into her arms, holding me close.

“Rosieta, you foolish girl…”

Even Lynne, usually so prickly, sniffled and tried to hide her tears.

But really, she was the foolish one. Thanks to this little display, I now had material to tease her about for the next ten years…

“I’ve always thought of you as my own child,” Uncle Hans said.

“To a parent, a child is a treasure beyond all else. Rosieta, you are our jewel.”

“I know that, Uncle.”

“You’ll be alright. You’ll see it through.”

I stayed in their embrace for a long time before finally pulling away. It was truly time to return to the capital.

 

 

****

 

 

 

The situation in the capital was very different from what I had imagined.

Since I had been out and about outside the capital, I hadn’t realized how behind I was on the news. But when I returned after five days, knights were stationed outside Roan’s townhouse.

“My gosh, is it even okay for there to be this many?”

I gasped.

Dozens of reporters were packed together. The moment they spotted the carriage coming from afar, they jumped up and rushed over in a swarm.

In the end, the townhouse servants had to run out and push the reporters aside before the carriage could squeeze through. If I were to get out here, I’d be trapped in the middle of them with no way forward or back.

“Please move aside, everyone!”

“Is it true that Count Drunia was harboring the kidnapped real saintess?”

“May we ask where the Count went for those five days? Please give us an interview! We’ll put you on the front page!”

Reporters outside the carriage clamored with pens in hand. Only after forcing our way through the narrowest gap did the carriage manage to enter the townhouse. Up to that point, I had stayed hidden behind the curtains, but now I lifted one slightly and peeked at the shrinking crowd of reporters.

Daniel sighed beside me.

“So in less than five days, word’s spread everywhere—that I’ve been keeping you with me. I wonder who let it slip.”

“It was bound to spread eventually. Whether people know we’re harboring Rose or not doesn’t change anything.”

Colin spoke calmly. Though it seemed directed at Daniel, I knew it was meant to reassure me as well.

The moment we got out of the carriage and stepped inside, Roan greeted the four of us with his usual stiff face.

“Had fun on your little trip?”

“Fun? We were busy the whole time.”

“Is that so? So, did you bring back results?”

He looked at us as if to say, I left you to deal with this mess, so of course you’d better have results. Judging from his expression, the reporters outside must’ve been giving him no end of stress while we were gone.

“Of course! Naturally, we did!”

“Well, that’s just wonderful.”

Even so, his expression refused to soften, so I quietly slipped away. Soon after, Daniel’s secretary came to report.

“The trial preparations are proceeding smoothly.”

“And the interfering parties?”

“The temple did protest against the trial itself. However, His Majesty King Leonid III insisted the fake saintess case must go to trial—for the people’s right to know…”

“The people’s right to know, my foot. More like the king’s own curiosity.”

Roan criticized sharply, suggesting the king just wanted answers for himself.

During the five days we’d been gone, the king had clashed head-on with the temple, bulldozing the trial into place. And with Deborah having already fled the temple, they were caught in a true deadlock.

Follow-up articles had also been published in our absence. Even the fact that I had been targeted for kidnapping because of the oracle, only to be abandoned coldly after a year or two, had been exposed.

The four of us sat down and pored over all the newspapers we had missed. Public opinion had clearly turned its back on the temple.

“The mood is ugly for them. Complaints won’t stop, so the trial will proceed. How are Baron Louis and Deborah?”

“Yes, reporters are also camped outside the Baron’s estate, but he hasn’t left the house. I heard he’s been drinking heavily even in his own rooms…”

“That man was always like that. An alcoholic through and through.”

Daniel spoke coldly. The secretary continued,

“For that reason, they haven’t formally arrested him. They seem to be aiming for a more dignified approach—only a summons was issued.”

Since we already had overwhelming evidence, there was no need to rush. Handling things with restraint, while pulling public sentiment to our side, would be ideal.

“Lady Deborah is also safe. I’ve been visiting the Bullosen household every morning and evening, and she is well. The kidnapper is staying in the underground chamber. And also…”

“And also?”

“Lady Deborah said she had something urgent to tell you. She asked for a telegram to be sent the moment you returned to the capital. She said she would come right away.”

“With the reporters gathered like that…”

Daniel muttered under his breath, but then nodded as if there was no helping it.

“Shall I go fetch her?”

“That seems best. Tell her to come in with as little attention as possible. No good will come from reporters catching wind of this. Use the back gate and disguise her as needed.”

“Understood.”

The secretary left through the back gate to send word to Deborah. For the next two days until the trial, as long as nothing drastic happened, we would be free.

It was nearly afternoon now, and with the blazing sun, some of the reporters would likely head back to their newspapers soon enough.

Once even Roan had gone back to his room, I too rose from my seat after finishing the papers. I decided to rest in my room until Deborah arrived.

“When Deborah comes, please come fetch me. I’ll lie down for a while. Lucas, you should rest in your room too—you were seasick earlier.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll come along too.”

Daniel stood immediately, almost as if he’d been waiting for the chance. At the time, I thought nothing of it, and we headed upstairs together.

As we walked side by side down the hall, my thoughts drifted back to Lynne’s family left behind in Danten, and to Deborah. What could she want to say? Perhaps she had gathered crucial information for the trial during those five days.

Lost in thought, I barely realized we had reached the room at the end of the second floor—my room.

“Alright, I’ll head in here. You should rest too, after everything.”

I waved him off and turned the doorknob—only to freeze. Daniel was standing still, staring at me intently.

I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, but before I could, his hand pressed firmly over mine on the doorknob, pushing it down.

Then—

“Ah!”

In the blink of an eye, Daniel shoved the door open and pushed me inside, following right after.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He closed the door silently behind him. Staring at him in shock, I saw his gaze shift slowly toward me.

Now it was just the two of us in the room. And then—

“What did you do with Colin?”

“What?”

“Otherwise, why would that Lynne girl mistake Colin for your boyfriend? She seemed pretty sharp.”

Of course—it was about what had happened at Lynne’s house the day before. I’d wondered why he hadn’t asked right away, but clearly he had been waiting until we were alone.

“So? What exactly did you get caught doing with Colin?”

“Doing what, exactly…? And why should I explain myself to you? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t care what I did with other men?”

I shot him a glare, half embarrassed, half wanting to be defiant.

When he kissed me, he had sworn it meant nothing—that he wouldn’t whine about it later. Yet here he was, demanding to know what had happened with Colin.

No matter how I tried to ignore it, the memory of kissing Daniel replayed vividly in my mind. As my face heated at the thought, Daniel only sighed heavily.

“Fine. Who cares? Do whatever you want with Colin. I won’t interfere.”

“Then why are you asking? Clearly you do care. You know you’re contradicting yourself, right?”

Sure, kissing Daniel had been impulsive, but that didn’t mean I was going around kissing every man I met.

I just needed time to think—between the trial and everything else, I was overwhelmed. Love and relationships weren’t things I could rush. So being tied down or forced into a decision right now was the last thing I wanted.

I lifted my chin stubbornly. Daniel, undeterred, slowly reached out. His hand brushed against my forehead, then slid down to my cheek.

I flinched at the touch.

“I promised not to care what you do with other men. Even if Colin kissed you, I wouldn’t whine about it. But…”

His lips curled into a cocky smile, as though his competitive spirit had been stirred. Even with just one corner of his mouth tilted, he was stunning—typical of a male lead.

But when he smiled like that, my heart always dropped. And not in a good way.

As I grew uneasy under that twisted smile, he murmured softly, eyes burning with defiance,

“But if Colin kissed you… I could always cover it up again, couldn’t I?”

…Wow. That was some seriously warped possessiveness.