I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started Chapter 87

Lucas asked.

“Yeah. His skills are incredible—good enough for you to recognize his work at a glance, huh?”

“Well, he’s been at the top of the capital’s fashion scene for decades.”

Lucas didn’t particularly like Roan, but he still admitted that the dress looked beautiful on me.

“The dress you wore to the party last time was amazing too. You looked just like a fairy.”

“Right? That pink dress was something else.”

It had been the most beautiful dress I had ever worn—no need to even say it out loud.

As we slipped into a quieter alley, the streets ahead looked like a dining district.

Puddles had gathered on the uneven cobblestone ground, and Lucas suddenly pulled me toward one.

“Look at this, Rose.”

In the puddle, illuminated by the lanterns, our reflections stared back at us.

Wearing ridiculous round glasses, both of us looked far different from our usual selves.

“Don’t we kind of look like rich kids?”

“You are a rich kid now, though.”

“That’s not what I meant… Look closely.”

I blinked and studied the puddle.

“You’re wearing a bright, elegant dress with a new hat. The dress is from Roan, so it’s top-quality—so fine it shines even from a distance.”

I nodded in agreement.

“And me? Don’t I look like the son of some nouveau riche family? I don’t have great fashion sense, but at least my clothes are high quality.”

Lucas chuckled.

His beige shirt, with its sleeves casually rolled up, was undeniably well-made, just as he said. But the hem was sticking out messily from his pants.

It was all just a disguise to hide his identity as Holden’s youngest heir, but still, he did look different.

“We look like a couple of clueless rich kids.”

“You mean the type who never worry about money and just play all day? Like we’re doing now at the festival?”

“Yeah. Just people with no burdens, no obligations—completely free from the worries of the world.”

Lucas let out a small laugh and nodded.

“Man, wouldn’t it have been nice if we weren’t orphans? If you lived next door to me as another rich kid, and that’s how we became friends?”

“That would’ve been nice.”

Lucas, clearly pleased with the thought, rested his cheek against my shoulder. His hair tickled my skin.

“Then again, if we had just been neighbors, we might not have been this close.”

“True. We went through all kinds of hell together.”

Out of habit, I raised my hand and gently touched his cheek.

Even as we stood in this quiet, cozy alleyway, the festival buzzed on outside. It had been a while since I’d simply stood back and watched people pass by.

That’s when I noticed Lucas fidgeting with something behind his back.

Huh? What’s he hiding?

Feigning innocence, Lucas suddenly spoke.

“You once told me that truly becoming an adult means making your own money.”

“I did? A long time ago. Back at the orphanage.”

Had he really remembered something I had said in passing all those years ago?

I responded casually, kicking at the cobblestones with my shoe. Lucas glanced at me sideways, then tapped the puddle with the tip of his boot.

“Look again.”

I lowered my gaze to the puddle.

A white scarf was now wrapped neatly under my sailor collar, as if it had been part of the outfit all along. Delicate floral embroidery adorned the soft fabric.

It was like magic.

Startled, I reached up and touched my neck. The fabric was smooth beneath my fingers.

“When did you—?!”

“Just now, when I leaned on your shoulder.”

“When did you buy this?”

“That time we went to Crown Square together.”

Lucas mumbled, barely audible, as if embarrassed.

I reached behind him and grabbed what he had been hiding—an empty coral-colored gift box.

So he took it from here.

My mouth fell open.

“When did you even get this? Were you lying about needing the bathroom that time?”

“Yeah. The store manager recognized me, so I had to talk to them for a bit. And I looked around for a gift.”

I blinked in shock.

“Young Master Lucas, what are you doing here? And who is this lady?”

“Edwina, please, just pretend you didn’t see me today! And don’t tell Daniel! Also… could you show me some scarves?”

While I had been busy fending off those snobby gentlemen eyeing the perfume section, Lucas had apparently been sneaking off on his own.

I had no idea that had been happening…

As I stood there, too stunned to speak, Lucas fidgeted and continued.

“The perfume business finally turned a profit. For the first time.”

His voice wavered, thick with emotion. It was rare to see Lucas—who was usually so proud and aloof—show this side of himself.

“I made this money myself. With the perfume I created. I didn’t get an allowance from Daniel or Colin, and I didn’t use any money from the bank.”

Lucas took a breath.

“And with my first earnings, I wanted to buy something for you. No one else—just you.”

I touched the scarf tied under my collar.

I understood how he felt.

Not long ago, I had finally mustered the courage to buy a silk handkerchief for Colin.

I knew firsthand how overwhelming it felt to give an expensive gift to a friend for the first time.

I glanced down at my reflection in the puddle.

A dress from the kingdom’s best designer.
A straw hat thoughtfully sent by Lynne.
A scarf—Lucas’s first gift, bought with his own hard-earned money.

The three items fit together as if they had always belonged as a set.

Like a silver slipper, capable of whisking me away into another world.

Like Lucas said, I truly looked like a noble lady.

And more than that… the three gifts made me feel cherished.

I stood silently, staring at the puddle. Lucas, growing anxious, furrowed his brows.

“Is it too much? Even though it’s my first purchase? Geez, I swear it’s not that expensive—”

Did he think I was going to reject it?

Well… I did tend to avoid extravagant gifts from the mansion’s three heirs.

I took his hand.

“No, I’ll accept it.”

“Really? You will?”

“Yeah. Because you gave it to me.”

A look of pure emotion crossed Lucas’s face.

The lantern behind him flickered, its glow reflecting in his eyes.

I watched him for a moment before shrugging.

“Besides, I think I deserve gifts like this now.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

I shrugged again.

For so long, I had felt self-conscious about my position.

I had shrunk under the weight of wealth.

I hit rock bottom when I faced Yvette Bülossen in her family’s villa.

Standing before a noblewoman I once admired, I had been crushed by the realization that I didn’t belong in that world.

But I didn’t want to feel that way anymore.

I didn’t want to keep rejecting things out of a misplaced sense of inferiority.

Now I understand—why people give gifts to those they cherish. And how painful it is when that kindness is rejected.

I thought of Hans, whose perfume I had returned.
Of Colin, who had been thrilled to receive my handkerchief.
Of Lucas, who had used his first earnings to buy me this scarf.

Refusing such heartfelt gifts only made me feel smaller.

“I just… I don’t want to make myself feel small anymore. These are gifts from people who care about me. Why should I refuse them?”

Lucas grumbled, “That sounds too complicated, Rosie.”

I laughed.

“Let’s just call it my personal declaration.”

With an exaggerated tilt of my chin, I struck a theatrical pose, just like an actress from the play.

Lucas tilted his head in confusion—then burst into laughter.

 

 

*****

 

 

 

It was a shadowy night.

Not only had Rosieta fallen asleep, but even the maids who had spent the day playing by the sea had returned to the quarters and drifted off.

Angela, however, waited until the deep hours of dawn, when everyone was fast asleep, before throwing on a thin robe and sneaking out through the window.

To avoid being seen, she slipped out through the mansion’s back gate and made her way toward a dimly lit alleyway—one that reeked of stale tobacco.

At the entrance of the alley stood a small herbal shop, shrouded in darkness.

Angela pulled her hood low over her face and stepped up to the shady-looking man standing outside.

“What brings you here?”

“Well, um…”

His rough tone made her shrink back slightly.

Truthfully, the moment she had entered the murky, musty-smelling alley, she had begun to regret coming here at all.

But the man, with his harsh features and a tattoo across his forehead, was staring her down. Under his piercing gaze, Angela hesitated before stumbling over her words.

“I’m… looking for a certain herb. I haven’t seen or heard of it firsthand, but I thought maybe I could find it here.”

“Speak clearly.”

The dim orange lantern inside the shop flickered, casting a glow over Angela’s face. She swallowed hard, her expression full of fear.

Then, hurriedly, she blurted out her request.

“Do you… happen to have any herbs that worsen mental illnesses?”