I Ran Away And The Reverse Harem Started

Chapter 67 Blue was said to be a notoriously difficult color to dye beautifully, making such handkerchiefs a luxury item typically reserved for nobles. As a result, it was several times more expensive than the gray handkerchief that had been sitting beside it.“I thought you sent it as a parcel. You’ve had it this whole time?”“Ah, well… I wanted to give it in person, but I was afraid I’d lose it. It’s expensive, you know.”In truth, I had brought it all the way here intending to give it to Colin when his birthday party began at the summer villa.As I hastily explained, Mika nodded casually.“Yeah, it’s crazy expensive. Probably worth several times more than the cufflinks they sell there. If you left it in the lodge and someone stole it, you’d cry your eyes out.”“I’ve seen that kind of handkerchief too,” Marie chimed in from her spot on the bed. “My father used to use those kinds of handkerchiefs when he worked as a lawyer. Though most of his were gifts of appreciation.”“Whoever gets that gift is lucky. A guy getting a handkerchief from a woman? That’s something,” Mika added with a mischievous laugh.“Why not confess while you’re at it?”“I already told you, he’s not my boyfriend.”“Not yet, you mean?”“Mika, stop teasing Rosieta!” Angie said, jabbing Mika in the side. Mika flopped dramatically onto the bed, pretending to roll around.“Ugh, she’s like a middle-aged man with the way she teases girls. Don’t mind her, Rosieta,” Angie said, shaking her head.“It’s fine. I’ve worked at restaurants full of actual old men, so this kind of teasing is nothing,” I replied with a chuckle, carefully putting the gift box back into my suitcase.“Alright, I’m going to take a quick look around the villa before dinner prep.”“Sure, take your time,” Mika said.I left the cozy lodge and headed toward the yellow summer villa.The summer villa used by the three men of the Holden Trading Company basked in the heat of the afternoon sun, its blue-green ivy leaves glimmering faintly.Though not as vast as the garden in the count’s estate, the villa boasted a small indoor garden and a fountain.The courtyard, which felt like it might once have been used as a bathhouse, was surrounded by a rectangular colonnade. At its center sat a lone fountain.Around the fountain were tall tropical plants and plaster statues, seemingly brought in specifically for decoration. Above, the courtyard opened directly to the sky, letting the sunlight pour in.I had heard such places were often used for weddings.“Wow, what a luxurious villa for a resort city.”The opulence of the place hit me anew, making it clear how profitable Daniel’s Holden Trading Company must be. And yet, Daniel claimed he had only ever toured this villa briefly due to his busy schedule.“When is Daniel planning to show up, anyway?”He had coaxed me into traveling together, only to delay his arrival due to work. And with Colin’s birthday party just two days away!“Whoever marries that guy is bound to have a hard time… Oh, right. That’s Deborah,” I muttered, stuffing my hands into my apron pockets as I wandered around the indoor garden.What did it matter to me if Daniel was busy earning money? Yet somehow, I felt unreasonably annoyed.I was crouching by the fountain, peering into the water, when I heard footsteps behind me.“…Angela?”Standing before me was Angela, her face red as a tomato, glaring at me with an expression of frustration.“Do you have something to say?”I instinctively knew that nothing good would come from this conversation. Taking a small step back, I waited.Angela seemed to deliberate for a moment, clenching her apron tightly.“Yeah. I do have something to say to you.”“Oh, I see. You have something to say,” I replied, trying my best not to sound sarcastic.What could Angela possibly have to say to me at this point? I didn’t have high hopes.Then, Angela looked up, meeting my eyes.“Rosieta, I want to get along with you here.”“…What?”Her words were certainly unexpected.‘She wants to get along with me? Out of nowhere?’Angela seemed to notice my surprise, her red face growing more flustered as she stammered.“I admit it. I’ve been… not very nice to you. I get that now. Maybe it’s because I spent so much time with Miriam—I think I picked up some bad habits from her. I didn’t realize how poorly I was treating you until recently.”“Ah… I see.”So this is a self-reflection moment?There was something slightly off about how she seemed to shift the blame onto Miriam, but I nodded, wanting to hear her out.“You know how manipulative Miriam can be,” Angela continued.“I suppose you could say that’s true.”I awkwardly glanced at Angela. When I pretended to agree with her, the tension on her face eased slightly.“Life as a maid has been so exhausting. Without realizing it, I started relying too much on Miriam. Trying to please her all the time, I began acting like her.”“I see.”“Before I knew it, I was gossiping about others and envying them. I swear, I wasn’t like this before I came here.”Angela’s eyebrows drooped pitifully as she spoke.“And because of that, I think I’ve done some bad things to you and Marie. I’ve been curt and rude to you, haven’t I? I want to apologize, Rosieta.”“…….”“Will you forgive me? Can we get along like we used to?”I listened to Angela’s words with a sideways glance, quietly observing her. My mind was in a whirl of confusion.Is she coming to me because she’s fought with Miriam and feels isolated? Or is this a genuine apology?But now, after all this time?I wasn’t a mind reader, so I couldn’t decipher Angela’s true intentions. Still, mocking or ignoring her apology outright didn’t seem like a wise option either.After all, we’d be living and working together back at the estate, not to mention this villa where the three young masters resided, along with Marie, Angie, and Mika.Reluctantly, I nodded.“Alright. Thanks for apologizing, Angela.”Angela’s face brightened immediately.“Does that mean we can get along like before?”“I’m not sure about ‘like before,’ but let’s at least say hello when we see each other. It’s not good to keep bad blood between us.”In truth, we were never that close; I had merely been a one-sided emotional dumping ground for her frustrations. As I subtly set boundaries, a flicker of disappointment crossed Angela’s face.Did she really expect me to accept her apology and act like best friends?“Well, just saying hello is something, I guess.”“Yes. Still, I feel better now that I’ve heard your apology, Angela.”It would be better to clear the air somewhat than to continue awkwardly and irritably bumping into each other, especially since we were stuck together at the summer villa.I hoped my choice was the right one. But that hope lasted only a few minutes.As I turned to leave the garden, Angela grabbed my wrist.“What is it?”Startled, I looked back at her. Angela, seemingly prepared for this moment, began speaking quickly.“Rosieta, I’ve been having a hard time with some people lately—Mika and Angie, for example.”“Okay… and?”“Could you tell them that you and I made up and are on good terms again?”…What was she even saying now?I stared at her, dumbfounded, as she held onto my wrist, looking sheepish.“They’ve been spreading rumors that I badmouthed you. I didn’t make anything up, I swear, but they’re accusing me of lying. It’s so unfair.”“…….”“I need to get back on good terms with them… I mean, I want to. Could you tell them I’m not a bad person? Just let them know I’m nice.”“What are you even talking about?”I furrowed my brow as Angela sighed heavily, as if deeply troubled.“I told them you had a boyfriend. But they’re acting like I made it up, accusing me of spreading false rumors. You do have a boyfriend, don’t you? Help me out here.”…What on earth was she saying?I stared at Angela in disbelief for a long moment before twisting my wrist free from her grip. My expression hardened, and Angela looked at me with a flustered, uncertain face.“So… your apology was just a ploy to get me on your side? You wanted to use me to fix your relationship with the other maids while Miriam’s out of the picture? I was just an excuse.”At my words, Angela’s face flushed red like a tomato again, her eyes trembling with embarrassment.“What are you saying? I just… I thought I should apologize because I was in the wrong. You’re making it sound like I had some ulterior motive!”“If you did something wrong, then you did it. Saying ‘I think I was wrong’—what does that even mean?”I roughly smoothed out the creases in my sleeve.“And let’s be honest, this was intentional on your part.”“Wh-what? How can you say that?”Angela’s mouth opened and closed before she scowled, her fists clenching tightly. She dropped the apologetic act and snapped at me.“You do have a boyfriend, don’t you? Did you think I wouldn’t notice you sneaking off for hours at a time? What, are you meeting him secretly here at the estate? If I tell the masters about it, you’re finished!”“You’re making baseless accusations. I don’t have a boyfriend.”“Still playing innocent, huh? Who do you take me for?”Angela was fuming, her shoulders rigid as she glared at me, the complete opposite of her earlier timid demeanor.I shook my head, exasperated.“I don’t have a boyfriend, and I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve never brought anyone here to meet in secret.”“Ha! Still denying it. What’s next? Did you fall for the stable hand or something?”