I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started Chapter 57

Chapter 57

 

Jenny thought of the villa named after the Viscount Büllosen family, and soon chased after Yvette, who had grown distant.

Though the kingdom had lost the war, paradoxically, money circulated more abundantly throughout the nation. The Holden trading company, which supported the kingdom’s economy, and the king himself, who had spared no expense to cover the wounds of defeat, along with the help of various banks, were the reasons.

The construction of new branches for the Yuritol Bank, which shared the burden of the kingdom’s debt, across multiple cities was evidence of this.

Merchants and nobles, lured by the scent of money, all rushed into business ventures. Even Yvette had spent a full week working tirelessly to secure a contract for one of the new bank constructions.

“Have I been pushing myself too hard lately?”

Yvette touched the dark circles under her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Being at the construction site, where dust billowed constantly due to the ongoing foundation work, even made her cough lightly.

“Lady Yvette, shall we go now?”

Jenny asked worriedly. Yvette nodded and left the alley where the construction site was. She was thinking about going to a nearby cafe to have coffee or taking a nap in the carriage.

Yvette and Jenny exited the alley and entered the square. In the center of the square where there was a huge fountain, children were playing. It was a very peaceful sight, unlike her who was completely exhausted.

The fountain sparkled as if sunlight had shattered into tiny pieces, and the sound of children’s laughter echoed. The midday sun cast its light over the children’s heads.

And in front of the fountain, something caught Yvette’s attention.

‘Red hair…’

Three boys, who appeared too young to have started school, and a girl were playing in front of the fountain.

The girl’s curly red hair fluttered in the breeze. Yvette stared at the scene in silence until Jenny, puzzled, asked, “Do you know that child?”

For a moment, a deep loss flashed across Yvette’s face. Realizing the girl had red hair, Jenny immediately regretted speaking.

When Jenny became Yvette’s new assistant, the elderly former secretary had told her about the Viscount painful history.

The Viscount’s lost second daughter.

Since the second daughter with red hair disappeared, the entire Viscount family has been left with an indelible scar on their hearts. So Yvette and the Viscount couple quietly searched for their daughter for several years.

Jenny had also heard that Yvette occasionally turned strangers with red hair around to see their faces. It was likely to check if they were her sister.

However, the elderly secretary had confided that such behavior had faded over the past year or two. She had taken it as a sign that Yvette had given up, possibly assuming her younger sister was dead.

‘That little girl by the fountain must remind her of her sister.’

Jenny stood silently in the background, waiting for Yvette to move. That was when another woman appeared.

“Well then, I’ll leave it to you. It’s a letter to my family!”

“Miss, my ears are worn out hearing this every week. I got it, okay?”

With a lively voice, the post office door swung open.

A woman with disheveled red hair tied back in a loose ponytail appeared. She was wearing a long black skirt, like a maid’s, and brown boots.

The woman walked across the square without glancing back. Jenny noticed Yvette’s gaze fixate on the woman’s retreating figure.

She had red hair again. She was about the same age as Yvette.

Jenny felt nervous without realizing it.

‘Will she go after her? Will she grab her shoulder and turn her around?’

The former secretary had assured her that the current head of the Büllosen no longer did anything so undignified.

Perhaps Yvette no longer confronted red-haired women due to the perception of others, or perhaps she had resigned herself to the idea that her sister was gone. Either way, it seemed she had stopped.

Jenny stole a glance at Yvette with a tense expression.

Yvette’s piercing blue eyes stubbornly followed the woman but didn’t pursue her.

To Jenny, it felt like Yvette was restraining herself, holding her body back from springing forward.

When she imagined Yvette catching each woman who resembled her lost sister, her heart felt strange. Jenny kept silent.

It was when Yvette’s face distorted as if she was scolding herself for trying to keep hope.

The red-haired woman was moving further away when suddenly, a man burst out of an alley on the opposite side.

A woman, chasing after the man, shouted loudly, “Thief! Somebody stop him!”

It was a pickpocket. The man clutched what appeared to be the woman’s handbag.

The red-haired woman hesitated in alarm as the man ran straight toward her.

“Get out of the way!”

The man yelled viciously. The red-haired woman flinched but didn’t step aside.

‘What are you doing? Just move!’

Jenny was horrified. Then she realized—was the woman trying to stop him?

The woman pretended to step aside. At that moment, a brown boot popped out from under her long black skirt and caught the man’s ankle.

“What the hell!”

The man stumbled and staggered, but immediately regained his balance.

“Ugh!”

The man glared at the woman as if he was going to tear her apart for a moment, but then ran away again at the sound of the security guards running behind him. It was not the time to be leisurely getting angry at the woman.

And then,

Bam!

As he turned to glance behind him while running, another boot hit him square in the shin. This time, it was Yvette’s pointed leather boot.

“Argh! My leg!”

Yvette had kicked him with all her might, and the man fell to the cobblestones, screaming in pain.

Next to her, Jenny turned pale.

“Oh my goodness, Lady Yvette!”

The man fell down in front of the two women. Jenny was terrified and kept her distance from the fallen man.

‘Are you out of your mind, Lady? And why in front of me?!’

Unlike Jenny, who was so shocked that she looked like she would collapse at any moment, Yvette still had no expression. The noblewoman and the guards who had been chasing the man rushed in.

“We got him!”

“Damn it, get off me! Get off!”

“You scoundrel! Give me my bag back!”

The guards tackled the man, binding his hands behind his back, while the noblewoman retrieved her bag and began beating him over the head with it.

The guards escorted the restrained thief away. The noblewoman ran to the red-haired woman.

“Thank you so much! I don’t know how to repay you!”

“Oh, it was nothing. I just did what anyone would do.”

The red-haired woman laughed cheerfully.

Despite having been threatened by a man nearly twice her size, she seemed completely unshaken. If anything, she looked as if street thugs like him didn’t faze her at all.

The older noblewoman looked moved and, as a gesture of gratitude, handed the woman a few gold coins from her purse. Surprisingly, the red-haired woman didn’t refuse.

Normally, one might decline at least once out of courtesy!

“My goodness, what a bold woman,” Jenny muttered under her breath as she observed the scene.

The red-haired woman certainly had a plucky demeanor.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it Yvette’s decisive kick that brought the thief down?

After exchanging a few more words with the noblewoman, the red-haired woman carefully pocketed the gold coins.

‘She’s quite practical, isn’t she?’

Still, Jenny couldn’t deny that the woman’s actions had been brave. The thief had been fast on his feet. Had they lost him in the alleys, the noblewoman might have lost all her belongings.

But then Jenny shook her head vigorously.

‘No, brave? More like reckless.’

What if the thief had a weapon?

Jenny, who was thinking cynically, glanced at her boss next to her. Yvette was also watching the woman with her arms crossed.

Finally, the lady, who had thanked her three times, left. The red-haired woman was now standing with her back to them, examining her newly acquired coins.

She laughed as they glittered in the sunlight.

“Wow, gold coins! I’ll use these to pay off my debt to Daniel!”

Clearly thrilled at her good fortune, she hopped up and down.

Jenny frowned at the mention of “Daniel.” The name stirred a vague familiarity, but it wasn’t uncommon enough to draw any conclusions. It was probably just a coincidence.

“Excuse me.”

Finally, just as the red-haired woman was about to leave, Jenny called out to her. After all, hadn’t Yvette effectively stopped the thief? Yet the woman seemed unaware of her benefactor’s role.

“Yes? Me?”

The red-haired woman turned around.

Jenny saw her for the first time. Her messy red hair and round eyes. And her deep purple eyes. Her features were slightly endearing, but not particularly extraordinary.

‘So, it’s not her.’

To be precise, the red-haired woman had a guileless face that bore no resemblance to Yvette’s sharp features. Jenny felt her excitement deflate.

‘I guess red-haired women are more common than I thought.’

The eyes were a bit unusual, but that woman was probably a commoner with no connection to the Viscount Büllosen.

Jenny, who was thinking that, turned her head and looked at Yvette.

“…….”

Yvette didn’t say anything. She had seen that woman once.

 

* * *

 

Inside the rattling carriage.

Jenny awkwardly looked at the Count’s maid, Rosieta, sitting across from her.

Sunlight streamed through the carriage window, casting a warm glow on Rosieta’s slightly flushed cheeks and rounded forehead. Despite her youthful appearance, her sharp awareness suggested she was an experienced maid.

Her keen observation skills were evident in how she remained silent, keeping her gaze averted from the noblewoman seated across from her.

‘I feel so awkward I could die.’

Jenny sighed secretly. How did I end up in the same carriage as that woman?