Reincarnation of The Villainess: She Has The Duke's Baby!-Chapter 11: #-Edmund Gerwyn’s Suspicions

When the carriage had stopped in front of Askary’s mansion, Duke Edmund immediately came out and carried Penelope Askary in his arms.

The woman with blue hair and golden eyes was again confused by Edmund’s gentle attitude toward her. The blue-eyed man treated her as if she were a fragile doll, one that shouldn’t be hurt at all. Penelope felt her face heat up and she tried not to stare at the handsome face of the Duke when she felt Edmund’s body which was so athletic. She cupped her own face, intending to hide any blush that might have appeared so the man who’s known to be cold and cruel wouldn’t notice.

"Penelope, what’s wrong?" asked Edmund suddenly. His firm voice made Penelope flinch. Her golden eyes glanced at Edmund and apparently, the man had already looked at her. Penelope cleared her throat and immediately looked away. "Are you cold?"

"No," Penelope answered in a choked tone. "I’m fine."

"Then, why are you holding your cheeks like that? It’s as if your face is cold and frozen." Edmund frowned and stopped in his tracks. Behind him, Sarah and Philleo followed suit. Philleo looked at Penelope who was in Edmund’s arms with a worried look. He was afraid that Penelope would get sick from this incident.

"Nothing," Penelope said. "Rather than that, how about you put me down now? We’ve arrived at my mansion and I can walk inside myself. You got wet too from saving me at the lake, Duke. You should hurry home and dry your clothes and body. You’ll catch a cold if you stay here too long."

"Lady Penelope is right, Duke," Philleo said. The man took another step and stood beside Edmund looking at Penelope who smiled at him. "You better hurry home and rest, Duke. If Duke Edmund is sick because of today’s incident, I don’t want people to blame Lady Penelope. I can take Lady Penelope inside."

Edmund Gerwyn looked at Philleo Aaron with a cold, sharp gaze. When he spoke, his voice was so terrifying that it made everyone, including Penelope who was in his arms, freeze.

"Did I allow you to speak, Sir Philleo? Did I ask for your opinion? Did I ask you to worry about my well-being? You’ve been rude to me. You dare to send me home when you’re nothing but a knight?"

Philleo Aaron lowered his head. His hands clenched tightly at his sides. He knew Edmund would be mad at him. But, Philleo will not be afraid. He was only worried about Penelope’s condition, who was already trembling with cold but was forced to stay here because of the conversation that was initiated by the duke.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, and how Edmund Gerwyn looked very angry and stared at Philleo with his blue eyes that were sharp and showing hatred, Penelope Askary immediately took action. The golden-eyed woman cleared her throat, caught Edmund’s attention, and smiled faintly.

"Err... Duke Edmund—"

"Ed," said Edmund at once, interrupting Penelope’s sentence. His blue eyes now looked into Penelope’s face. "Call me Edmund or Ed. Didn’t I ask you to call me by that name and talk to me casually?"

Penelope’s body was not only shaking from the cold but also from fear. This man is the man who killed the real Penelope Askary in the original novel. Penelope must not be careless. She must follow everything that Edmund wanted if she wants to stay alive.

Penelope took a deep breath. "Ed, please forgive Sir Philleo. He’s just worried about you. He’s worried about us both. And I agree with Sir Philleo too. You should go home soon so you can warm your body."

Suddenly, Edmund felt even angrier. Although Penelope said that there was no special relationship between her and Philleo Aaron, the current attitude of the two of them was suspicious. Penelope Askary and Philleo Aaron both defended and protected each other. Edmund didn’t like it when Penelope paid so much attention to Philleo Aaron.

"I’ll take you in and take you up to your room," said Edmund Gerwyn in a firm tone. An undeniable tone. Then, the man looked at Philleo who was still looking down with a murderous look. "Are you still forbidding me to accompany Penelope Askary inside?"

Philleo didn’t want to give Penelope any trouble. That fragile woman had tried to defend him and protect him in front of Edmund Gerwyn, so Philleo had to give in for now. The man shook his head firmly.

"No, Duke. Forgive me for being presumptuous toward you."

Edmund Gerwyn immediately proceeded to enter the Askary mansion. He headed to Penelope’s room, letting Sarah go ahead of him to open Penelope’s bedroom and make the woman’s bed neatly. After Sarah had done her work, Edmund immediately sat Penelope gently and carefully on the bed. Edmund’s expression was stiff as if the man was trying to suppress his anger as best he could.

"Um... thanks for saving me and walking me to my room, Duke—I mean, Ed." Penelope smiled faintly and looked at Sarah. "Sarah, please escort Duke Edmund out."

"You don’t have a special relationship with Philleo Aaron, do you?"

The question came out of Edmund’s mouth for the second time. This situation was getting more and more strange in Penelope’s eyes. Hadn’t she already given her answer to Edmund Gerwyn?

"Didn’t I already—"

Penelope Askary could not finish her words. Her golden eyes widened when her body was slammed on the bed by Duke Edmund. On top of her was the athletic body of Edmund Gerwyn. Penelope held her breath and froze. Even though Edmund put some distance between their bodies, Penelope could still feel Edmund’s warm breath on her face. Penelope could even hear Sarah screaming in panic.

"Duke Edmund! What are you doing now?!" shrieked Sarah. She prepared to help Penelope but stopped when she heard Edmund growl.

"Sarah, stay there, and don’t you dare yell at me. Don’t you dare interrupt me and Penelope Askary, or I will kill you. You’re just a maid, Sarah. Don’t be impudent toward me and Penelope," said Edmund in a cold tone without looking at Sarah who was trembling with fear. Edmund’s blue eyes were still staring intently at Penelope’s pretty face.

Penelope’s heart was beating so fast that she was afraid it would explode any minute. What should she do now? What should she do to make Edmund Gerwyn, this cruel Duke, leave her right now?

"Tell me the truth, Penelope Askary," said Edmund in a low, dangerous voice to Penelope’s ears. "Do you have feelings for that knight of yours? Are you guys dating? Is that right?"

"No!" Penelope shook her head firmly. "No, I don’t have any feelings for Sir Philleo. What I’m saying is the truth. How many more times do I have to tell you this, Ed?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Seeing Penelope’s golden eyes shaking with fear and nervousness, Edmund decided to stop his interrogation regarding his suspicions of Penelope and Philleo’s relationship. If Penelope was telling the truth, that the woman didn’t have any special feelings for Philleo, then it was Philleo Aaron who had feelings for Penelope Askary. The thought of that possibility made Edmund’s jaw tighten.

How dare a lowly knight like Philleo Aaron to have feelings for Penelope Askary! Edmund Gerwyn growled inside.

Edmund Gerwyn finally stayed away from Penelope Askary who was still lying down. The woman was still in shock and had to be helped by Sarah to be able to sit up. Sarah hugged Penelope, trying to calm her down, while looking coldly at Edmund who seemed to be thinking. Then, the man looked back at Penelope.

"I believe in you, but I can’t believe in Philleo Aaron. I will keep an eye on him. He has a different look for you and it is not a look befitting of a knight giving to the noble lady he serves." Edmund Gerwyn walked toward the door, preparing to leave Penelope’s room. However, the man stopped and looked back at Penelope who flinched. "You’re not hiding anything from me anymore, are you?"

Penelope Askary shook her head quickly and swallowed hard.

"Are you sure?" Edmund tilted his head and crossed his arms. "Because I feel like you’re hiding something. Something that looks dangerous to me. Are you plotting dangerous things together with Philleo Aaron behind my back and your family’s back?"

Penelope Askary froze. Dammit! How did Edmund Gerwyn be this smart? Had the man suspected her and Philleo when he saw the two of them talking before they left for the park? Did Edmund Gerwyn hear of Philleo and her plans to save Isabella Lysander?

"I don’t—"

"Listen, Penelope Askary," said Edmund coldly. "If I find out you did dangerous things together with Philleo Aaron, I won’t stay still. I will punish Philleo Aaron for daring to drag you into danger instead of stopping you. I will make sure that man gets a severe punishment, even death punishment. So, you better think twice before you plan something."

Penelope Askary nodded. She told Sarah to escort Edmund, but the cruel Duke refused.

"Take a rest, Penelope Askary. I will visit you again later."

When he was outside the mansion and was about to get into the carriage, Edmund saw Philleo’s whereabouts. The man was talking to one of his friends. After he finished speaking and when Philleo was about to enter the mansion, he stopped. The man exchanged glances with Edmund and bowed when Edmund came up to him.

"Greetings to Duke Edmund Gerwyn. May Elleia’s light be with you," said Philleo.

Edmund ignored the greeting given by the man in front of him. He drew closer to Philleo, then gripped his chin and lifted his face. Edmund’s blue eyes glared at Philleo, showing his hatred for Penelope’s personal knight.

"You are a shameless man, Philleo Aaron. Do you think I don’t know you have feelings for Penelope Askary? You’re attracted to Penelope Askary, aren’t you?"

Philleo Aaron froze.

"I’m not letting you near that woman, Philleo. I will be watching over you, remember that!"

Edmund Gerwyn pushed Philleo’s chin roughly and gave him one more glare before the man entered the carriage. As the carriage started to disappear from Philleo’s sight, he clenched his fists at his sides and stared coldly into the distance.

"Do you think I’m going to let you separate me from Penelope Askary? Keep on dreaming, Edmund Gerwyn," Philleo growled. "Nothing can separate me from Penelope Askary."