I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started Chapter 88

A few days had passed since our trip to Jensen. Life at the summer villa remained peaceful.

Even after enjoying the festival with Lucas, I had gone back to the seaside with Marie, Angie, and Mika, splashing around until the backs of our hands were sunburnt.

The days followed a relaxed routine: working in the morning, napping in the afternoon, playing with friends before dinner, then returning to work in the evening.

The weather was humid and stifling, but just gazing at the vast ocean made the heat seem insignificant.

“Ah, I’m so glad I came here instead of staying at the count’s estate. Right, Marie?”

“Agreed. Now that the parties are over, there’s less work, more places to explore… it’s really nice,” Marie said.

I nodded in agreement.

Even today, after finishing our morning chores, the four of us had planned to visit the market together.

“While we’re there, I want to buy a new hat and some snacks,” Mika chimed in.

“If we’re lucky, we might even catch a circus performance,” Angie added.

Laughing over lighthearted conversation, we made our way back to the quarters, eager for a quick rest before heading out.

As Marie and I walked toward our shared room, we passed the communal kitchen and entered the corridor lined with maids’ rooms.

That’s when I saw Angela standing at the far end of the hallway.

What is she doing there?

She had been keeping to herself in her room for days now. Not that I cared where she went, but…

With a strange feeling creeping over me, I watched her from the dim hallway.

Angela’s room is on the opposite side of the quarters. Why is she lingering here?

Noticing Marie and me approaching, Angela hesitated before quickly stepping out of the corridor.

“…Move. You’re blocking the way,” she muttered, keeping her gaze lowered.

She squeezed past us, hurrying through the kitchen and back toward her side of the quarters—almost like she was afraid we’d stop her.

I narrowed my eyes, watching her retreating figure.

She seemed to be hiding something, but she left in such a rush that I couldn’t make out what it was.

“What was that about? Why was she hanging around here?”

“Yeah… it’s odd,” Marie agreed, clearly finding the situation strange as well.

“I mean… technically, she can walk around inside the quarters if she wants. But still…”

There was an unsettling feeling about it.

And the fact that she had been lingering right outside our room made me even more uneasy.

Marie and I quickly stepped inside.

The room was exactly the same as when we had left for work. Not that there was anything worth stealing in a simple maid’s room, anyway.

While Marie settled in, I crouched down and pulled a box from under my bed.

Roan’s expensive dress was still inside, untouched. The small wooden table beside my bed still held Lucas’s perfume.

“The scarf is here, the hat is here… there’s nothing else I own that’s valuable,” I muttered.

So why had Angela been standing outside our room?

Was it just a coincidence?

Feeling unsettled, I glanced around the room.

That’s when my eyes landed on the ribbon tied to my bedpost.

After meeting Yvette Büllossen, I had replaced the old, frayed ribbon with a new, sturdier one.

Why am I suddenly noticing this?

Reaching out, I ran my fingers over the ribbon, tracing its length as it dangled toward the floor.

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Phew… That was way too close.”

Back in her room, Angela quickly locked the door and took a deep breath.

Luckily, her timing had been perfect—Rosieta had returned to the quarters, but hadn’t caught her.

Reaching into the folds of her dress, Angela pulled out a slender, sharp awl.

It was thin, almost delicate, leaving behind marks so small they would go unnoticed at first glance.

I’ve already scratched it. It’ll be barely visible at first…

Angela clenched the awl tightly in her fist before shoving it under her bed.

Her heart had been racing just moments ago, terrified that she’d get caught sneaking into Rosieta’s room.

But now?

Now, her chest pounded with anticipation.

“Do they really think I’ll be the only one thrown out? And after everything I’ve been through—because of her?!”

Angela bit her nails, pacing frantically around the room.

She was nervous. Restless.

But once her plan succeeded… it would be satisfying.

Angela had served as a maid at the count’s estate for years.

Back when she worked under Miriam, she had been by her side, helping her torment the new maids.

And when there was a maid that Miriam really disliked?

Angela had witnessed—firsthand—exactly how Miriam dealt with them.

Now, she was going to do the same to Rosieta.

“Do they really think I’ll just obediently leave? Without a recommendation? If I’m being thrown out—then so is she. There’s no way I’m leaving alone. I’m just doing what’s fair. I’m not someone to be pushed around.”

Her eyes burned red as she glared at the door.

Just beyond it, across the hall, was Rosieta’s room.

The only reason Angela hadn’t been expelled yet was because they were still in Rewybourne—but the moment they returned to the count’s estate, she would be finished.

She was already as good as cornered.

A maid thrown out without a recommendation wouldn’t be welcomed anywhere.

Whispers and rumors would spread.

“I’ll probably end up slaving away for some pathetic noble house—or worse, working at a shady tavern in some tiny village.”

She might not even survive.

She could barely imagine a future where she wasn’t drowning in debt and misery.

Her days of leisure—when she basked in Miriam’s power and trampled over others—felt like nothing but a dream.

“Did they really think I’d go down alone? I have my own plans, too.”

If being expelled was unavoidable, then Angela had to twist the situation into something less unfair.

She reached under her bed and pulled out a small vial of herbs.

A forbidden remedy she had purchased from a back-alley herbalist.

Holding the vial in her trembling hands, her eyes flickered between fear, greed, and desperation.

“There’s a girl with sleepwalking episodes. The symptoms are irregular… but I want to trigger them.”

She had told the herbalist this.

He had given her a questioning look, clearly curious why she would want such a thing—but he hadn’t asked.

Instead, he explained that the herbs would agitate a person’s mental state, drawing out any latent symptoms with force.

Of course, it was illegal—and expensive.

But for Angela, who was already on the verge of being thrown out, money no longer mattered.

“If I’m going down, so are you, Rosieta Jensen.”

Angela’s face flushed with giddy excitement.

And in the silence of her empty room—where no one would hear—

She laughed.

 

 

****

 

 

Meanwhile, Daniel checked his letter.
It was from the Central Temple of the Capital—a message from Saint Deborah.

Before leaving for Rewybourne, she had kept delaying their meetings, saying she was unwell.

So when her letter arrived, Daniel thought it was just an apology for postponing things.

But as he read, his eyebrows furrowed.

“…What is this supposed to mean?”

The handwriting was rushed, almost desperate.

[To Count Drunia,

Greetings, Count. I apologize for writing to you so suddenly.

The reason I am sending this letter is to talk about our marriage—and a secret I have been keeping.

To be direct, I am searching for the truth about my birth.

More specifically, I am trying to find out if I, Deborah Louise, am truly the Saint of this kingdom.]

“…A secret about her birth?”

Daniel rubbed his temple and kept reading.

[When I was three years old, the temple made an important announcement to protect the kingdom.

They declared that a noble girl born on a specific date—a date given to them by divine revelation—would be the kingdom’s Saint.]

Daniel had heard about this before.

But since it had nothing to do with him, he had never paid much attention to it.

[That is how I was chosen.

My birthdate matched the prophecy, and my father, Baron Kazan Louise, testified that I was the one.

But recently, I heard something shocking.

There was another noble girl born on the exact same date as me.

And worse—there are rumors that my father, Kazan Louise, kidnapped that girl…

So that I would be the only candidate for sainthood.

He did it for the money the temple gives in return.]

Daniel’s grip on the letter tightened.

The claims were unbelievable.

But Deborah wasn’t finished.

[I am now trying to find any trace of the noble girl my father kidnapped twenty years ago.

Because if there were truly two candidates for sainthood…

And if she is still alive…

Then I may not be the real Saint.

And if I am not the real Saint, then our marriage could be canceled.

I would be nothing but a fraud.]

At that, Daniel let out a small smirk.

Now he understood why Deborah had sent this letter.

Resting his chin on his hand, he thought for a moment.

Then, he read the final part of her message.

[So when you return to your estate, let’s meet.

And please, help me financially.

I need funds to track down the missing noble girl.]

At its core, the letter was a request for help.

Deborah wanted to prove that she was a fake.

Because if people started doubting that she was the real Saint, the King’s plan to force her and Daniel into marriage would fall apart.

If another noble girl turned out to be the true Saint, then their engagement would be impossible.

It seemed Deborah was already searching everywhere for the missing girl.

But she needed more than effort—she needed money.

And Daniel had plenty.

“Well, of course, I’ll help her.”

With a smirk, he wrote his reply.

Along with it, he sent a generous amount of gold coins for her search.

“I want to break off this marriage just as much as she does.”

For now, their goals were the same.

Checking his schedule, Daniel began planning his return to the capital.