I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started

Chapter 58 The three of them were riding together in the carriage.Jenny didn’t know, but Rosieta and Yvette were already acquainted. To be precise, they had met once before, when Yvette had been with Deborah.At that time, when Yvette encountered Rosieta with Deborah in an alleyway, she had gone out of her way to avoid looking at her.Yvette had an old habit: whenever she saw a young woman with red hair, she couldn’t help but wonder if it might be her long-lost sister.She had stopped countless women on the street, grabbing their shoulders to check. This was despite the fact that so much time had passed, she could barely recall her sister’s face from their childhood.Even if her sister had had red hair when she went missing, there was a chance that she would not have kept that color.She had red hair when she was young, but it was possible that her hair color would change as she grew up.What if her sister had dyed her hair black?If her sister had dyed her hair dark, it was possible Yvette had unknowingly let her slip by among the countless brunettes and black-haired women she’d encountered.But such thoughts did Yvette no good. Even if her sister had survived and dyed her hair, it wasn’t possible to check every woman in the world.Whenever such thoughts overwhelmed her, Yvette feared she might lose her mind entirely.That’s why, two years ago, when she turned 26, Yvette decided she had to let go of her search for her sister.She had a seriously ill father, a mother who was old, as well as the responsibility of managing the family’s trading company.“It wasn’t your fault that we lost her, Yvette.”Ah, such a kind father.Her father said that while comforting his eldest daughter. He had been sick in bed for a long time, grieving the loss of his second daughter.Hearing that, Yvette had wished she could trade the trading company and all its burdens for her sister’s safe return. She would have given anything to find her sister and restore her family’s happiness.If only she could.In the end, Yvette convinced herself to stop searching for her sister. Her parents must have been worried about how obsessed she had become with both the company and her lost sibling.That was why she had avoided and ignored the red-haired woman she had seen with Deborah. She didn’t want to hold onto false hope, only to fall into despair again.…But now I’m meeting her here again.After the noblewoman who had caught the pickpocket left, Yvette had impulsively spoken to Rosieta.“You said you were the Count’s maid, right?”“Yes? Yes…”“It’s on my way. Let me give you a ride in my carriage. Please, get in.”It wasn’t only Jenny who was shocked by her words. The red-haired maid seemed ready to refuse Yvette’s offer, but when Yvette stared at her with a stern expression, she hesitated and accepted.Yvette hadn’t even said anything, just looked at her.Regardless, Rosieta awkwardly smiled and broke the silence after entering the carriage.“Um… thank you for giving me a ride, Lady Yvette.”Rosieta herself was confused. The last time she had met Yvette with Deborah, Yvette had seemed to ignore her deliberately, avoiding eye contact and speaking coldly.Why the sudden kindness today?Someone once said there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The noblewoman who had barely looked at her before was now offering a ride? It was suspicious.Does she have some ulterior motive?Rosieta unconsciously stared at Yvette’s profile.Her high nose and fair skin stood out, but Yvette’s face was shadowed as if she was tired.At that moment, someone lightly touched Rosieta’s shoe tip. Jenny, sitting next to Yvette, glared quietly.“Maid, it’s rude to stare like that!”“Sorry! But isn’t this strange?”They exchanged glances in quick succession.Yvette, when viewed up close, was strikingly beautiful yet deeply weary.Her complexion was as pale as any noblewoman’s, but unlike their porcelain-like skin, hers was rough. Dark circles hung heavy under her eyes, too deep to be covered by powder. Her fingers, accustomed to holding a pen for long hours, bore calluses.Ah, right, she’s the head of a trading company.The last time I met Deborah, she was holding a bunch of business books.Light blond hair that had been soaked with sunlight,and her upright posture complemented her striking blue eyes, which reminded Rosieta of Lucas.However, unlike Lucas who was as bright as a flower, the woman looked like a winter sea where everything had withered.Despite the rattling of the carriage, Yvette maintained a straight posture, her exhaustion evident only in her face.Why would a noblewoman like her bother with me?Rosieta stole glances at Yvette whenever Jenny, the secretary, wasn’t looking. The noblewoman, who had abruptly invited her into the carriage, now paid her no attention, eyes closed as if she were too tired to engage.If she was going to ignore me, why bother giving me a ride? I could’ve just taken a hired carriage. This silence is unbearable.Living with Lynne had taught Rosieta how to deal with cold, aloof personalities, but Lynne wasn’t a noblewoman in an exquisite dress like Yvette.Better to keep quiet until I reach the estate.Meanwhile, Jenny’s mind was also complicated. When she was putting the maid in the carriage, Jenny expected Yvette to ask her questions about the woman’s personal life.Whether her parents were there, whether her hair was originally red, whether she dyed it, or whether she had lost a family member. Things like that.But Yvette said nothing, only occasionally opening her eyes to glance out the window.Maybe it’s because of me?Jenny wondered if Yvette was holding back out of decorum since she was present. Of course, it wasn’t as though she could jump out of the carriage to give them privacy.Determined to break the awkward silence, Jenny tried to encourage conversation.“Lady Yvette, don’t you have something to ask the maid?”…Though her effort was far from natural.Yvette opened her previously closed eyes and gave her secretary a questioning look. Jenny blinked nervously, glanced at Rosieta, and stammered out an explanation.“Well, the maid seemed curious about why you offered her a ride! Don’t you have something you wanted to say?”“What? Me?!”At those words, Rosieta looked at Jenny with a bewildered expression. Rosieta’s face seemed to say, ‘Why me!’ Jenny desperately ignored her gaze.Rosieta tried to protest to Jenny somehow. If Yvette hadn’t been watching, she would have kicked Jenny’s shoe tips!But what surprised them both was Yvette’s response.“I don’t have anything to say. I just gave her a ride.”Both women turned to Yvette, looking at her as if she had become their mutual nemesis.What did you just say, boss?No reason at all? You gave her a ride for nothing?Their thoughts aligned, but neither dared to voice them.The suffocating silence continued until the carriage finally stopped at the gates of the count’s estate.Jenny awkwardly opened the door and said, “Please, take care on your way in, maid.”For a moment, she felt guilty for glaring at the bold maid earlier, now feeling responsible for subjecting her to this strange encounter with her enigmatic employer.“Thank you, Secretary. And Lady Yvette,” Rosieta replied weakly, stepping out of the carriage. Even as she left, Yvette barely acknowledged her presence.Watching her, Jenny couldn’t help but mentally criticize her boss.Honestly, I have no idea what you’re thinking.The carriage pulled away, leaving the estate behind. Yvette didn’t speak until the baron’s carriage had left the estate grounds entirely.“Look into that maid’s background and report it to me.”“Huh? You mean that maid?” Jenny turned to Yvette, startled.Yvette nodded, her face impassive, but her arms were crossed tightly, and her clenched fists were pale.Seeing this, Jenny hesitated, her voice faltering. “You… really didn’t have anything to ask her earlier?”The moment the question left her mouth, Jenny realized how personal and inappropriate it was. She cursed herself internally—it was practically an admission that she thought Yvette’s actions were tied to her missing sister.But instead of reprimanding her, Yvette frowned slightly, her expression contemplative.“I can guess what you’re thinking, but our family spent over ten years doing nothing but searching for my sister.”“…….”“The entire household and trading company put everything aside search through every red-haired girl in the region. Do you know how many times we failed?”When their second daughter went missing, the Büllosen family was thrown into chaos. They searched relentlessly, believing a three-year-old child couldn’t have wandered far.But it wasn’t a disappearance—it was a kidnapping.Over the years, strangers brought countless red-haired girls, claiming one might be the missing child. Desperate for money, some even abducted random girls who vaguely fit the description.Every time, the family dared to hope, only for that hope to betray them.Every day was like swallowing a burning coal.Thinking back on the old days, I felt queasy. Now Yvette Büllosen had learned the hard way how deadly false hope could be.Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her pale, weary face. She winced as though the light was an annoyance rather than a comfort.At last, she spoke firmly, as if denying herself any sliver of optimism.“Just gather her information. She’s not my sister anyway.”Still… just in case…The words she couldn’t bring herself to say lingered bitterly in her mouth.Jenny thought that even those words contained a desperate hope, but this time she kept her mouth shut.Anyway, it seems like my boss wants to distance herself from that red-haired maid.She’s afraid she will be disappointed again.She’s afraid that if she expect too much and fall this time, she won’t be able to get up again.Jenny nodded, deciding to respect her boss.