I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started

Chapter 74 “…Huh?”I stammered in surprise, my lips moving wordlessly. It was such an unexpected question that I didn’t know how to respond. Hugging my knees, I hesitated before reluctantly nodding.“Sorry. I didn’t mean to listen, but I accidentally overheard.”“There’s no need to apologize.”Colin scratched his cheek awkwardly, avoiding my gaze, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.“It’s a little embarrassing, letting you hear that, Rose.”“Well, these things happen.”It’s not such a big deal to like someone. And the person in question was easy to guess.Wait, in the original story, did Colin like Deborah even before Daniel married her? I can’t remember.I’d forgotten a lot of the details over the years. But following the original story’s logic, who else could Colin possibly like?Then Colin abruptly asked, “So, aren’t you going to ask who it is?”“Huh?”I blinked at him, startled.When I didn’t respond, Colin tilted his head curiously and looked at me as if waiting for an explanation. Meeting his gaze, I could only see an unreadable expression on his face.“Well…” I trailed off, smirking mischievously. I poked Colin’s shoulder with my finger.“Isn’t it obvious? That’s why I’m not asking.”“What?”“I already know without asking.”Colin looked momentarily dumbfounded before bursting into laughter. He caught my finger in his hand.“Really? You seem completely clueless to me.”“Huh? Me?”There was no way I was wrong. Who else could Colin like other than Deborah?But Colin simply shook his head, exasperated, refusing to reveal anything.“You’re just making me more curious…”Colin chuckled, rubbing the crease between my brows with his fingertips until it smoothed out. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.Then his gaze dropped.“Rose, what’s that?”“You’re just changing the subject—”“Oh, it’s a gift box!”I froze, wide-eyed, as Colin noticed the crumpled gift box I’d been holding protectively in my arms.Instinctively, I tried to hide it, but it was too late.“Uh, this is…”“Is it for me?”Colin asked eagerly, his green eyes sparkling with excitement. He looked far happier than he had earlier with the mountain of lavish gifts from the other guests. This only made me feel more flustered.When Colin muttered to himself, “But the box is…” I flinched.The cheerful mood I’d just begun to enjoy darkened again. Memories of the fight with Angela and the damage to the gift replayed in my mind like broken shards.As I tried to tuck the gift box out of sight, Colin’s expression turned puzzled.“Rose, what’s wrong?”“It… it’s for you, but it’s ruined…”Not long ago, Mika and I had been organizing the extravagant gifts from the noble guests: gems, luxurious fabrics, jewelry, fine cigars, and pipes.While sorting those, I told myself my gift would still be presentable.Even while staring at those treasures, I hadn’t felt small because I’d chosen my gift with care and confidence.But now, with its crushed box and the footprint smudging the silk handkerchief inside, it felt like everything was ruined.I turned away from Colin, clutching the box tightly.“It’s mine, isn’t it? Let me see it, Rose. Why are you hiding it?”“No, I won’t. You saw it already—it’s ruined!”I was being stubborn.“The box is crushed because someone stepped on it… And there’s a footprint on the gift! It’s not a proper birthday present anymore. I don’t want to give it to you like this.”I muttered, sulking. Behind me, Colin fell silent.I hung my head low, feeling a twinge of self-pity creeping in again.“The party hall is full of dazzling gifts… and I’m supposed to hand over a crumpled box? I have my pride, you know.”Behind me, Colin quietly listened.Sometimes, life felt unfair. The four of us had grown up as orphans, but the three male leads had climbed to wealth and success, bolstered by the story’s plot.But me?As an unnamed extra not even mentioned in the original, I’d spent my life working at a restaurant. Sure, I was grateful to the Lynne family for taking me in, but I’d had to start working young to repay them.Now, while they were building grand summer villas adorned with tropical trees, I was scraping by, trying to open a modest inn.No luxurious rest, no indulgent breaks. Just fights with fellow maids and humiliating moments witnessed by people I barely knew.If only I hadn’t run away from the orphanage… If I’d shamelessly stayed with them, maybe I could have shared in their success.If I could turn back time, I might have stayed. But more than the power to rewind time, I needed the strength to let go of the inferiority I felt around my friends.Since the moment I realized they were thriving in the story’s plotline without me, I’d started to resent my own life.Then I felt Colin’s large, warm hands gently rest on my shoulders. His voice, low and soft, brushed my ear like a whisper meant only for me.“You know, Rose, no matter what the gift is, the one you give me will always be the most precious.”“……”“I’ve been waiting all day for your gift, Rose.”“But still…”“Even if you picked up a pebble from the side of the road and gave it to me, I’d be happy. Though, having you show up in front of us again is already the best birthday present.”At those words, I glanced back at Colin. He smiled warmly, bathed in the glow of the chandelier light that kissed his left cheek, his eyes gently curved in the soft ambiance of the summer evening.I lowered my gaze, mumbling hesitantly.“It’s really in terrible shape… It even has a footprint on it.”“It’s just a handkerchief, right? A little washing will take care of the footprint. That’s no problem at all.”“…Honestly, I really wanted to give it to you in perfect condition.”Even as I grumbled petulantly, Colin nodded as if he understood completely. He waited patiently until I was ready to hand it over.With a reluctant sigh, I passed the crumpled box to him.“Thank you, Rose.”“Don’t get disappointed when you see it.”“I won’t.”Colin confidently opened the half-crushed gift box, revealing the handkerchief with a smudged footprint.Just as I was about to pout, Colin smiled brightly.“It’s a beautiful blue.”“I heard it’s trendy among nobles.”I trailed off, my eyes falling to the ground. That’s when I noticed the yellow rose pinned to Colin’s chest, its lively hue matching the brightness of his smile.“Thank you. I’m really happy to get a gift from you, Rose.”“Pfft… You probably have tons of these in your closet.”“But the one you gave me is the only one.”At that, I couldn’t keep up my sulky expression and let out a small chuckle.“You’ve been saying too many nice things since earlier. You’re just trying to cheer me up. You’ll spoil me at this rate.”“No matter how spoiled you get, you’ll never be as bad as Lucas. It’s okay for you to be a little more spoiled, Rose.”Colin laughed gently, teasing me as he ruffled my hair, just like when we were kids. It was as if he could sense my earlier gloom.For a brief moment, it felt like we had returned to those childhood days at the orphanage.“It’s your birthday, but I’m the one being comforted…”“Don’t worry about that. What does it matter?”I reached up to catch Colin’s hand as he ruffled my hair, gently pulling it down and meeting his gaze.I couldn’t keep pouting at someone so focused on cheering me up. Smiling softly, I said, “Happy birthday, Colin.”Even though he was an adult now, it didn’t feel right to just hand over a gift without saying the words.When I grabbed his hand and spoke, Colin’s green eyes widened. For a moment, he was silent, as if he didn’t know what to say.Then, after hesitating for a long while, he shrugged and laughed softly, unable to resist.Somehow, his cheeks seemed to blush faintly, like the petals of a pink rose.“You know… I feel like marrying you would be the best choice after all…”“There you go again, saying weird things.”I pretended not to hear him, folding the handkerchief neatly and placing it back into the crumpled box. I tied the ribbon tightly around it.Colin leaned over and plucked the yellow rose from his chest, slipping the stem through the ribbon on the box. It fit so perfectly, it looked like the rose had always been part of the gift.“Did you know the yellow rose means friendship?” Colin asked casually.He seemed ready to ask if I knew its other meanings, but I simply shrugged my shoulders, clueless as ever.  ***** “Rose!”The party was over, and all the guests had left. It was very late, and even the maids had retreated to their quarters. From a distance, Lucas came rushing over, making a commotion as usual.“Rosie! I heard from the owner of the Büllosen Trading Company. They said that maid tried to hit you!”“Can you keep your voice down? It’s the middle of the night, and I’m not deaf.”“Why didn’t you come straight to me? Did you not trust me? Or did I seem too busy? You don’t know how shocked I was when I heard about this from the Büllosen!”Lucas looked ready to lift me off the ground by my shoulders. I flicked his forehead lightly.“Ow! What was that for?”“Do I look like a child to you? Why are you making such a fuss? Besides, it seems like Lady Yvette already explained things on my behalf. Keep your voice down! What if someone overhears?”“I was just worried you might try to hide it from me…”Lucas’s face crumpled as he spoke, looking on the verge of tears.“I wasn’t hiding anything. I was with Colin for a bit, giving him his present.”Colin, the birthday boy, was outside seeing off the guests leaving the mansion.Lucas gave me a dissatisfied look.“That Lady Yvette saved me. I wasn’t actually hit. She stopped things before they got out of hand.”“Really?”Even as I explained, Lucas scrutinized me carefully, as if checking for any hidden injuries.Does he think I’d get hit and just pretend to be fine? Do I look like someone who gets pushed around by girls my age?I chuckled to myself and patted Lucas on the shoulder.“Anyway, I need to inform Mrs. Rosa about this. This is the second time something’s happened where others have gotten involved.”“Hmm… What are you going to do?”