I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started

Chapter 59 When I went out to the square from mailing the letter and returned, it was afternoon. Lunchtime had passed vaguely, and the sun was extremely hot. I was hungry but not enough to prepare a full meal.I sighed as I watched the Viscount’s carriage moving away and went into the mansion. I didn’t do anything, but my body felt like it weighed a ton. It was all because of the suffocating silence we had in that carriage earlier.“Nobles are impossible to understand. I thought I was going to suffocate the whole way here.”Surely, it wasn’t out of charity that Yvette gave me a ride. But why did she invite me in if she had nothing to say?When I met her with Deborah before, she didn’t even spare me a glance.“…Could it be she’s interested in someone here at the estate?”For a moment, Lucas and Colin came to mind. Both of them were prime marriage candidates, Lucas having just come of age. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say everyone in the capital wanted them.But I quickly shook my head.If Yvette was interested in someone here, she wouldn’t have just dropped me off and left without even meeting the estate’s owner.What could she be up to?Having no prior experience with nobles, I had no idea what went on in their heads. Grumbling, I slipped into the maid’s quarters to escape the blistering sun. The kitchen was quiet.They must have all eaten lunch and taken a nap or gone out. It was a weekend after all.Marie had said she was going to take a long nap before I went out to the square, so she was probably sleeping in her room.Not wanting to disturb her, I quietly grabbed some apricot jam, multigrain bread, and a box of ointment from the kitchen.With my supplies, I headed out alone toward the small forest behind the mansion.The forest had been part of the estate long before Daniel became Count Drunia. It was said that wild animals occasionally passed through to rest. Situated far from the mansion, it was a peaceful place.It was also where Colin and I had once shared tea and conversation.The dense trees made it perfect for escaping the summer sun and enjoying a cool breeze.“I’ll rest here until evening and head back.”I was too alert to nap, likely because my nerves had been jolted awake after stopping the pickpocket earlier.“Ah, there it is.”I found the familiar flat rock in the forest and perched on it, setting the basket of bread beside me.As I sat catching my breath, a sharp pain flared up my ankle, making me wince.“I shouldn’t have used my foot to block him. I should’ve come up with another way.”Earlier in the square, I had boldly kicked out to stop the pickpocket. He was a big man, though, and instead of falling, he only staggered for a moment.Meanwhile, my ankle took the worst of it.“I had to pretend everything was fine in front of that noblewoman.”I carefully took off my boots and placed them on a rock. When I checked my ankle, it was already swollen and sore.I got in the carriage out of surprise when she said she would give me a ride, but I didn’t show any sign of pain in my ankle because I was too cautious.“Well, it was good that I didn’t have to run around the square trying to catch a carriage.”I touched my numb ankle here and there and took out some ointment. It was the same ointment Deborah had used on my ankle last time. When I saw the little bit of ointment Deborah had left, I naturally thought of Yvette Büllosen.“Maybe Deborah told her to be nice to me? Is that why she gave me a ride?”It seemed plausible. The two of them had appeared close enough to spend time together in the square.I was rolling up my long skirt to check my ankle when I heard a rustling noise from the direction of the mansion.At first, I thought it was the wind or a small animal moving through the forest.But the faint rustle soon turned into the steady sound of footsteps—heavy, deliberate ones belonging to a man.Who’d bother coming into a forest like this, where there’s nothing but rocks and trees?The sound of leather shoes on the ground was unmistakable. Without needing to think further, I knew who it was.Ah, perfect. I’ll ask him to help me apply the ointment—and maybe even bring some medicine from the estate. Judging by this swelling, it’s going to last for weeks.I smiled happily and turned my head toward the sound.“Good timing, Colin. Come and help me apply the ointment!”But when I saw who it was, my face froze.Standing there, with an equally surprised expression, was Daniel.“Uh… oh.”I let out a stunned, awkward noise.Daniel’s brow furrowed deeply, his displeasure palpable.“…Who did you just call Colin?” ***** “…Really? Are you that upset I mistook you for Colin? Aren’t you two sworn brothers? Why are you being so sensitive about it?”Flustered, I muttered loudly, my awkwardness making me defensive.It was a peaceful weekend afternoon, typically a time for naps or tea in the mansion. Colin would usually be reading or taking a stroll, and Lucas would likely be sprawled somewhere, browsing perfume catalogs.And Daniel? He didn’t care whether it was a weekday or a weekend—he was always buried in work like a complete workaholic.But who would have thought that Daniel would come into this forest…No matter how much I spoke, Daniel just frowned and grabbed my ankle and stared at me. He was kneeling under my knees.He spoke with a calm expression, without taking his eyes off my ankle.“You must’ve been thinking about Colin all day for his name to slip out like that—unconsciously.”“I told you, it wasn’t like that!”I blushed and protested.Daniel had been showing his displeasure at me calling him Colin since earlier.Daniel was making no effort to hide his annoyance at my slip-up.“If it wasn’t, why is your face so red?”His sharp gaze made my cheeks burn even hotter, though his expression only grew more displeased.Despite his irritation, Daniel continued examining my swollen ankle, sighing in exasperation as he turned it gently in his hands.“Weren’t you just mailing a letter at the square? How clumsy do you have to be to end up with a swollen ankle in a place with flat stone pavement? What could you possibly have tripped over?”I opened my mouth, ready to blurt out that I’d hurt myself stopping a pickpocket. But instinctively, I knew that wouldn’t end well.He’ll definitely scold me like Lynne, saying things like, “Why would you put yourself in danger like that? What if he had a weapon?”It’d be endless nagging, guaranteed.Still, I hadn’t acted recklessly—I’d made a calculated decision, knowing the noblewoman and the guards were right behind the pickpocket.Of course, I hadn’t calculated that my ankle would end up like this.But no explanation would satisfy Daniel. In that case, it would be better to just keep my mouth shut. So I lay down on the flat stone floor and pretended to hurt my ankle. That meant I kept quiet.Despite sulking over being mistaken for Colin, Daniel dutifully checked the condition of my injured ankle.Clicking his tongue, he finally said, “Hand me the ointment.”“I can apply it myself—”“Just give it to me.”Then, looking up with a crooked smile, he added, “Or should I go fetch Colin for you?”The sheer pettiness of the man! Grinding my teeth, I glared at him.“You petty little—”“Keep insults like that to yourself. Remember, I’m your employer right now.”Unfazed, Daniel scoffed dismissively, leaving me to seethe alone.Why does he react so strongly every time Colin’s name comes up?Last time when I came back from Colin’s room after drinking milk tea, Daniel would glare at me with a blank expression whenever Colin was mentioned. Daniel had also given me that grumpy, sullen look, as though something deeply bothered him.Shouldn’t he be more attached to Colin, his lifelong companion, than to me, someone who’d only been with him for five years?Great. Another person I can’t figure out.For a moment, I considered flicking his forehead with my knuckles, but I grudgingly handed him the ointment instead.After all, a maid can’t go around hitting her master…Fine. I’ll wait until I pay off my debt. Then I’ll deal with him.Daniel took the ointment without even guessing what I was thinking. He opened the ointment cap and examined the green ointment.“This is the kind of ointment they use at the temple.”“What? You recognize it?” I asked, surprised.Daniel nodded, his expression neutral. “I’ve seen the saint use it at the temple.”“Ah.”It made sense. The king was practically shoving Daniel and Deborah together, so it wasn’t surprising he’d been dragged to the almshouse she frequented.Enough times, apparently, to recognize her favorite ointment at a glance.Daniel put ointment on my ankle. As he applied the salve to my ankle, Daniel shared a story about how he’d begrudgingly followed Deborah to the almshouse and ended up donating a significant sum.I’d always thought of him as a relentless businessman, miserly with his money. His story took me by surprise.“You, donating? I didn’t think you had it in you,” I remarked, half in jest.He merely shrugged. “Sometimes you meet people who make it impossible not to act—parents living in the there with their kids, for example.”“…….”“I don’t know the adults’ circumstances, but seeing kids suffering from illnesses they can’t afford to treat… It does something to you. Sure, half of it was guilt-driven, but the other half was my own decision.”“…….”“I was told my donation would be enough to get the orphans proper medical care. How could I not do it?”When Daniel and I had lived at the orphanage, a few children died of fevers every year because they couldn’t afford to see a doctor.What did I think about during those times?Back then, death hadn’t felt real to me.Living in the orphanage alongside the male leads, I’d realized I was a character in a story. That realization had brought an odd sense of detachment, like I was broken in some way.Death seemed like someone else’s business, and I thought that it was all just a device set up for the three male protagonists. When I thought of it as a world in paper, I wasn’t afraid of death.If there was a problem, it was probably just hunger right now.If I was just a disposable extra, there was no reason to fear death or cry over missing parents. That detachment had been comforting in its own way.It wasn’t until the day the orphanage burned down that I truly began to fear death.