I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started Chapter 77

The baron tapped her shoulder lightly with his fingertips. Deborah planted her feet firmly, bracing herself so she wouldn’t be pushed back.

“So they must have been circling you, waiting for their revenge. And yet, like a fool, you gave them your heart. Completely unaware that they were holding a knife behind their backs.”

“…….”

“They probably already suspect it. That I might have pulled some strings to make you the Saintess. But since they have no proof, they clung to you, hoping to find evidence. Pathetic people.”

“Don’t talk about them like that when you don’t know anything!”

Deborah couldn’t hold back and shouted. Her eyes, which had always looked upon the poor with warmth, now burned with anger and frustration.

‘What do you know? You never even visited the daughter you sold for money. And now you dare to insult Lady Yvette and her family in front of me?’

But at the same time, something dark and despairing stirred in her chest. A suspicion she had never once allowed herself to feel toward Yvette’s family.

‘Could it be true? Were Lady Yvette and the Büllossen family staying close to me just for revenge? Did they believe that their daughter was kidnapped because of me? That my family was responsible for it…?’

They had always been so kind and warm to her, but had they secretly been waiting for the day they could take revenge on her and her father? Just as he said?

If their daughter had been born on the day the temple had foretold, then why had they remained silent all this time?

‘They could have confronted the temple. They could have turned the entire kingdom upside down, demanding justice for their kidnapped daughter. So why didn’t they say anything…?’

Why had they kept their mouths shut?

Even Deborah had only learned today that their daughter shared her birthday.

Why had they all stayed silent? Had someone pressured them into it?

‘Lady Yvette could never hate me. She just couldn’t…’

Everything was suddenly uncertain. It felt like she had opened a forbidden box, unleashing an unbearable flood of tragic emotions.

It hurt far more than when her father had slapped her.

*****

“…Irene? Are you Irene?”

The woman’s voice trembled.

Someone stepped out from behind the dark bushes. It was a woman draped in a shawl over a gray nightgown.

As she emerged from the shadows, her pale lemon-colored hair caught the light of the full moon. And as the darkness fully receded, I realized—the woman before me, her face ghostly pale, was Yvette Büllossen.

She, who always maintained a stiff, businesslike demeanor without the slightest hint of a smile, was now staring at me as if she were terrified.

No, not terrified. That wasn’t it.

She was shocked.

It was the kind of expression people wore when they encountered someone they never expected to see—when their fingers froze, their heart pounded, and their mind went completely blank.

‘But… who is Irene?’

I had just woken up, and my mind was still hazy. I stared at her, my lips slightly parted.

I watched as her expression gradually shifted.

At first, she was overwhelmed with joy, unable to believe what she was seeing. But as she stepped closer, the joy faded from her face.

Because she had seen my face.

“You…”

Yvette gripped her shawl tightly and finally spoke. I snapped out of my daze, quickly grabbing the hem of my skirt and bowing to her.

“Good evening, Lady Yvette…”

“…….”

When I lifted my head, I was met with Yvette’s disappointed face.

She had mistaken me for someone else. It wasn’t my fault, but I still felt strangely guilty.

Yvette quickly masked her emotions, her expression returning to its usual coldness.

“You’re the maid from the Count’s estate. A close acquaintance of Saintess Deborah, correct?”

“Yes. My name is Rosieta.”

“I see.”

Yvette rubbed her arm as if to shake off her lingering emotions. She forced herself to speak in a controlled tone.

“But… why are you here? At this hour?”

“Ah, well…”

I hesitated, flustered. That was a good question. Why was I here?

Then, I noticed the broken string tied around my wrist. It must have snapped from the strain of my movements. That’s how I must have wandered all the way here in my sleep.

Hurriedly, I clasped my hands behind my back, hiding my wrist.

“I couldn’t sleep… so I went for a walk and ended up here. I got lost and couldn’t find my way back.”

“From the Count’s estate, all the way here?”

“Yes, it’s my first time in Rewybourne. I must have wandered too far while exploring.”

For a hastily made-up excuse, it sounded fairly reasonable. I subtly bent my knees, trying to conceal my indoor slippers beneath my skirt.

Just as I was about to let out a quiet sigh of relief—

“The Count’s estate is quite far from Jensen. That was reckless. Even in an affluent town, the forest paths here are secluded. It’s dangerous for a woman to roam alone at night.”

“Wait… Jensen?”

“The name of this village.”

Yvette had now fully regained her usual composure. Tilting her chin slightly, she continued,

“This is my family’s villa. I came out for a nighttime walk because I couldn’t sleep… I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“A nighttime walk? So you weren’t staying at the villa?”

It was her family’s villa—so why wasn’t she staying there?

I turned to look at the red-brick mansion once more.

It was a little old, but not to the point where it was uninhabitable…

However, Yvette drew a clear line.

“I don’t see the need to explain every little thing to a maid. In any case, I brought a carriage and driver, so let’s return together.”

“Huh? Oh, no, that’s not necessary…”

Yvette gestured toward a carriage parked on the road, away from the villa. It seemed she had brought attendants along for her nighttime walk.

‘Is that secretary of hers, Jenny, here too?’

I glanced toward the carriage, then back at Yvette. One lingering question remained.

“Just now… were you calling me?”

At my question, Yvette arched a brow and stared at me. I hesitated, then continued.

“You called me Irene earlier.”

“…….”

“You did, didn’t you?”

“It was a mistake. I confused you with someone else.”

Yvette avoided my gaze. My sudden question seemed to have caught her off guard.

She turned away, about to walk toward the carriage, but I instinctively reached out and grabbed her.

“Excuse me, but—”

“Wait. This Irene… Is she your younger sister? The one who went missing…?”

Yvette inhaled sharply. Her piercing blue eyes trembled slightly.

The woman who had always been so composed, so indifferent, was now visibly shaken before me.

Seeing her reaction, an unexplainable feeling washed over me.

I barely managed to find my voice.

“Is she… your lost sister?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well…”

I quickly let go of her arm and bowed deeply.

‘What am I doing? Grabbing a noblewoman like that…’

But Yvette didn’t seem the least bit concerned about my rudeness. Instead, she studied me intently.

“I asked why you’re curious.”

“That’s…”

Because someone called me that.

More precisely, I heard it in a dream.

Someone called me Irene.

‘…But I can’t say that, can I?’

Telling her I heard it in a dream? That would sound absurd.

Especially in front of someone who had lost a sister—it wasn’t something I could mention so casually.

“It’s nothing. The name just sounded familiar… I must have been mistaken. I apologize, Lady Yvette.”

“…….”

Yvette’s expression turned unreadable. She seemed to be assessing whether I was lying.

I pressed my lips together, awkwardly avoiding her gaze.

But she didn’t leave.

Finally, after a long pause, she spoke.

“This place holds memories of my family and me.”

“Oh… I see.”

“To be exact, memories of all four of us, including her. When my mother gave birth to my sister, our entire family stayed here for a few years while she recovered.”

I blinked in surprise at her sudden confession. Yvette’s gaze lingered on the moonlit villa.

“For a moment, I mistook you for her. I have a terrible habit of stopping strangers who resemble my sister. It’s a disgraceful habit, one that everyone finds distasteful.”

“…….”

“If I had had a tutor at my age, they would have scolded me harshly. Such an undignified habit is unbecoming of a future head of the family.”

Yvette spoke in an almost detached tone.

“I spent three years here with my sister… before she was taken. My father collapsed from the shock and has never left his bed since. So tell me, do you think this villa holds any beauty for me?”

So that’s why she wasn’t staying here. Too many painful memories were buried within these walls.

I let out a quiet sigh.

‘But… if she despises this place so much, why visit it at night?’

Did she hate it for making her remember? Or did she secretly miss it?

I was about to offer my condolences when Yvette’s gaze fell on me again.

Her eyes had turned icy cold. She had already gathered her emotions, masking them flawlessly.

She was remarkably skilled at concealing her feelings.

“But it’s been twenty years now. It’s time to forget. I can’t go around grabbing every woman’s shoulders in search of my sister.”

Her voice was resolute.

“That’s…”

I hesitated, fumbling for words.

But before I could say anything else, Yvette’s sharp gaze locked onto me.

“And yet, you appeared before me.”