Reincarnation of The Villainess: She Has The Duke's Baby!-Chapter 26: #-Get Ready, Penelope. Because I Will Keep Seducing You
Penelope Askary watched how the imperial palace doctor treated the wound on Edmund Gerwyn’s palm with an expression of anxiety and panic.
When people who were seriously injured like Edmund would wince in pain or scream, maybe even faint because they couldn’t stand the pain, Edmund smiled. His reaction made Penelope and Philleo stare at each other. Likewise, Sebastian De Louis who had gotten this information from Jade who saw Philleo Aaron running while looking for the imperial palace doctor. In contrast to the confusion that Penelope, Philleo, and Sebastian experienced when they saw Edmund’s strange reaction, the imperial palace doctor actually felt very scared and trembled while treating the Duke’s wound. That was because he had heard of the Duke’s reputation for being cruel.
"Why are you smiling?" asked Sebastian in a confused tone. He crossed his arms. "Doesn’t it hurt a lot?"
Edmund turned and raised an eyebrow. "Do I have to scream like a woman?" The blue-eyed man frowned. "Anyway, what are you doing here? I don’t need you."
Sebastian snorted. "I got a report from Jade that you are injured. How can you injure your palm like that? The wound was from the sword, right? Jade said your sword is full of blood. Are you so stressed out that you’re willing to injure your palm? And then, you did that in the presence of a noble lady like Penelope Askary. What if this will traumatize her?"
"I’m not that weak, Your Highness," Penelope grumbled. "This is all my fault."
"Your fault?" asked Sebastian curiously.
"Penelope, you don’t have to say anything. Tian has nothing to do with this," said Edmund in a firm tone. "And you, if you want to know what happened, you can interrogate me, Tian."
Sebastian took a deep breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Fine! I won’t ask anymore. So, how’s his hand?"
The imperial palace doctor cleared his throat and bowed before the Crown Prince. "Duke Edmund’s hand is fine, Your Highness. The wound is not very deep and I have managed to stop the bleeding. I’ve given Duke Edmund some painkillers and some ointment too."
"And I won’t be able to use my right hand for the next few days. Isn’t that right, Doctor?"
The doctor blinked when he heard Edmund’s words just now. His mouth was wide open. "Yes?"
"Is that true, Doctor?" asked Sebastian to make sure. "You said that the wound on Duke Edmund’s hand was not that bad. But, why couldn’t he use his hands for a few days?"
"What?" The doctor looked confused. "That—"
"Isn’t that right, Doc?" Edmund spoke again. This time in a cold and sharp tone. When the imperial palace doctor looked at Edmund and saw how Edmund’s blue eyes were looking cold and sharp at him, the doctor gulped. The old man immediately nodded with an awkward smile.
"Yes! Yes! Duke Edmund must not use his right hand first for a few days because that could make the wound worse." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Edmund smiled smugly and looked into Penelope’s golden eyes. The woman frowned and tilted her head. "That’s why you have to help me, Penelope."
"Huh?" Penelope, Philleo, and Sebastian had the same reaction. Then, Penelope pointed at herself.
"Me? I have to help you? What do you mean?" Penelope asked in a confused tone.
"You have to become my maid," said Edmund in an innocent tone with a shrug. Hearing that, Penelope opened her mouth, while Philleo growled and prepared to protest. However, the man didn’t do so when he felt his arm being grabbed tightly. When Philleo turned his head, Penelope who had overcome her shock shook her head firmly at him. "You have to help me eat, write, and other things I need, as long as I can’t use my right hand."
"You have your own maid in your mansion, Duke Edmund." Because there were many people in this room besides herself and Edmund, Penelope decided to use formal language with the man. She doesn’t want people to talk about her and Edmund behind their backs and guess what special relationship there was between her and the Duke.
"But, I only need you."
"I don’t—"
"I’m wondering who caused my hand to be injured like this," Edmund said, cutting Penelope’s sentence just now. The blue-eyed man then looked down at his bandaged hand and the bloodstains appeared again on the bandages. Edmund smiled sadly. "Oh my God, it hurts so bad. Maybe I won’t eat for a few days until my hand heals."
Penelope sighed heavily and massaged her temples. "Yes, yes, alright. I’ll be your maid for a few days to help you do your daily activities until your hand heals."
"My Lady?!"
"Penelope?!"
Sebastian and Philleo both shouted, causing Penelope to click her tongue and wave a hand. She was really tired and dizzy. The behavior of all the men in the room was utterly childish and Penelope wanted to scream out of frustration. But, if she shouted, it would get her in trouble because of the Crown Prince’s presence in this room. She could be put in the imperial prison for committing a presumptuous act in the presence of the future emperor.
"I’m glad to hear you’re willing to work with me," said Edmund in a satisfied tone. He nodded and stood up. Then, the man winced in pain and held his injured hand. Seeing that, Penelope flinched and hurriedly approached Edmund. The blue-haired woman took Edmund’s hand carefully. The expression on her face as well as the look in her eyes was worried and panicked.
"Duke, does your hand hurt a lot?" Penelope asked in a worried tone. She looked up and her golden eyes looked directly into Edmund’s blue ones. "Are you sure you’re alright?"
Edmund shrugged. "It hurts a lot, but I think I can bear the pain. Then, I will be waiting for you at my mansion in the morning, Penelope Askary. I start my activities at seven in the morning. I will send a letter to the Duke and Duchess Askary to inform them of the situation."
"I’m sorry," Penelope whispered. The woman looked down and clenched her fists at her sides. "Because of me, you got badly injured like this. I should be the one being injured because that voice wants me to die. I—"
"I would kiss you on the lips here in front of everyone if you were still talking nonsense and things I don’t like, Penelope Askary." Edmund leaned in slightly to bring his lips closer to Penelope’s ear.
Hearing that, and the way Edmund’s warm breath touched her ear, Penelope froze. The woman took a step back and held her ear. Her ears were already blushing, just like her pretty face. Edmund straightened his back again and smiled with satisfaction.
"Oh, Penelope, are you alright? Your face looks red. Do you have a fever? It’s really cold tonight." Edmund rubbed his chin with his uninjured left hand. The man shrugged. "Then, I’ll head home first. I’ll be waiting for you in the morning, Penelope." Edmund looked at Sebastian who had been silent. His face looked stiff and his green eyes looked irritated. Edmund grinned faintly. "Tian, thank you for lending me the imperial palace doctor."
Sebastian glanced at Edmund and snorted. He was annoyed with Edmund’s attitude, with the excessive attention Edmund gave to Penelope, and also with the closeness between Edmund and Penelope. Penelope was supposed to be the woman he was close to, not Edmund or any man.
"Be careful when you get home," Sebastian said gruffly. The man exited the room first, then closed the door with a slam. It made Penelope jump and frown.
"What’s wrong with him?" Penelope grumbled in a low voice.
"My Lady, we should go home now," said Philleo in a gentle tone. The man smiled. "The Duke and Duchess will surely be worried if My Lady doesn’t return by now."
"You’re right," Penelope nodded. "Then, I will come to your mansion tomorrow morning, Duke."
When Penelope walked past Edmund, the man deliberately stepped on Penelope’s dress. The woman gasped and her tiny body swayed toward Edmund. If Edmund had not caught Penelope’s petite body with his left hand, Penelope might have fallen to the floor. The woman looked up and met Edmund’s blue eyes.
"Are you alright, Penelope?" asked Edmund in a worried tone. He helped Penelope to her feet and whispered, "You wanted to hug me so much you pretended to fall, huh?"
Penelope’s golden eyes are wide open. "I’ve never done anything so lowly like that, Duke Edmund," the woman grumbled. "Thank you for your help. See you tomorrow, Duke Edmund."
As Philleo passed Edmund, the man glared at Edmund. Then, Philleo grinned mockingly, challenging Edmund who now showed his cold expression.
"I will have her, Edmund Gerwyn. You will see with your own eyes how I will take her from you and own her. I’ll touch her right in front of your eyes."
Edmund watched Philleo leave with a sharp gaze. When everyone in the room had left, Edmund looked out the window.
"Chris," called Edmund. A shadow appeared in front of the window and bowed to Edmund. "Keep an eye on Penelope Askary’s knight named Philleo Aaron. Find out all about him. If that man does anything to scare Penelope or something, kill him right then and there."
"As you wish, Your Grace," Chris replied obediently. Then, that person disappeared. Leaving Edmund who seemed to be thinking while staring flatly and blankly at the window in front of him.
"That man is much more dangerous than me," muttered Edmund.
###
The next day, Penelope Askary was at Edmund Gerwyn’s mansion at seven o’clock.
Just as Edmund had said, the man had already sent a letter to the Duke and Duchess Askary explaining the current situation. Penelope’s parents were very grateful to Edmund for saving their daughter’s life and allowing Penelope to help Edmund. They also hoped that Edmund would recover soon.
"My Lady, are you sure you will do this?" Philleo Aaron asked in a worried tone. "I don’t want My Lady to do duties that should be done by a maid. I’m sure, Duke Edmund has many maids and servants in this mansion. He just needs to tell them to do whatever he wants."
Penelope took a deep breath and smiled faintly at Philleo. She knew that the man beside her was only worried about her. "Sir Philleo, I know you are worried. But, I have to do this. You know that Duke Edmund is the man who saved my life yesterday, right? If it wasn’t for Duke Edmund’s sacrifice, I might have died from stabbing myself in the neck with that sword."
Phileo looked down. "I should have saved your life," Philleo muttered.
"Hmm? What did you say just now, Sir Philleo?" Penelope asked in a confused tone. She smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn’t really hear that."
Philleo raised his head and looked into Penelope’s golden eyes with a firm look. "Forgive my impudence, My Lady, but... why do you want to stab yourself in the neck with Duke Edmund’s sword?"
Penelope blinked and took a deep breath. "I don’t quite understand. All I know was I heard a voice telling me to kill myself. The first time I heard that voice was when Duke Edmund and I went to the park by the lake that time. You remember when I almost drowned that time, right?"
Phileo nodded. He walked slightly behind Penelope. The two of them were walking toward Duke Edmund’s study. In front of them, Evan, the butler, walked ahead to show the direction.
"Does My Lady have any magical powers?" asked Phileo. Penelope laughed softly and looked back.
"How could it be? My family is not a family of sorcerers, Sir Philleo."
When they reached the door of Duke Edmund’s study, Evan looked at Penelope and Philleo with a smile. "Princess Penelope, you can come right in. Meanwhile, Sir Philleo can wait in another room."
"What?!" shouted Phileo. He shook his head firmly. "No! I’ll come inside with Lady Penelope! I have to protect her."
"There’s nothing to worry about in this mansion though, Sir Philleo," Evan said reassuringly. "The security in this mansion is very good and Princess Penelope will be protected by Duke Edmund who is a Swordmaster inside."
Philleo clenched his jaw and clenched his fists. That bastard must have planned this to separate him from Penelope, Philleo thought. Seeing Philleo’s reaction, Penelope smiled and patted him on the shoulder a few times.
"It’s alright, Sir Philleo. I will be fine." Penelope looked at Evan and smiled. "Butler—"
"Evan, Princess," Evan said. "Just call me Evan."
"Evan," Penelope nodded. "Please show Sir Philleo to the waiting room."
"Of course, Princess."
"My Lady, if anything happens, you must immediately scream and call for me. Do you understand?"
Penelope laughed and nodded. Then, Evan opened the door for Penelope and the woman came inside. In the study, Edmund was checking the reports that were on the table. The man looked up and smiled at Penelope. Then, as Edmund stood up, Penelope stopped walking. The woman froze and her golden eyes widened, then looked away. Her heart was beating so fast Penelope was afraid that Edmund could hear her.
"Why did you turn your face?" asked Edmund in an amused tone.
"Yo—You... Why are you still wearing your pajamas?" Penelope asked in a choked tone instead of answering. The woman glanced at Edmund who seemed to be standing in front of her right now. She could see Edmund’s very athletic chest. A very good chest that will surely make women give their adoring glances. "He—hey! Replace your clothes with more polite clothes! Aren’t you ashamed to wear such clothes, which reveal your chest, in front of an unmarried noble lady?!"
Edmund shrugged and leaned in toward her. He brought his face closer to Penelope’s, causing her to flinch and intend to back away. However, Edmund’s left hand immediately caught Penelope’s waist and prevented her from escaping. The man brought Penelope’s body closer to him until Penelope was forced to hold Edmund’s bare chest with both trembling hands.
"Ed..." Penelope called out awkwardly. The woman was reminded again of Edmund’s previous two kisses. "Let me go."
"You look so pretty and adorable when you’re embarrassed and blushing like this, my little bunny," whispered Edmund. The man then bit Penelope’s ear softly, making Penelope flinch and freeze. "Get ready, Penelope. Because I will keep seducing you until you can’t stop thinking about me."
Hearing the whisper, Penelope panicked even more. The woman dared to push Edmund’s chest and immediately ran toward the door. But, Penelope did not come out. She simply created as much distance as possible from that impudent perverted Duke.
"I didn’t know you were such a shameless and perverted man, Ed," Penelope grumbled. Her face was very blushing. When her golden eyes stared at Edmund’s chest, the woman immediately looked away again.
"I didn’t know that I could become this kind of man either. I guess, this hidden side of me came out because of you, Penelope." Edmund approached Penelope again, but the woman immediately gave him a sharp look while pointing at his face. Seeing that, Edmund grinned in satisfaction and raised his hands in the air.
"If you dare to approach me again, I will scream and tell everyone in your mansion that you are a pervert who wants to touch a weak woman like me!" Penelope threatened.
"You don’t look like a weak woman in my eyes, Penelope. You look like a fierce woman." Edmund shrugged. "And I like it. Ah! I know! How about you become Duchess Gerwyn?"
Penelope blinked and her mouth opened.
"If you were Duchess Gerwyn, you wouldn’t be embarrassed to see my chest anymore, would you? So, shall we talk about our marriage now, Penelope Askary?"
Penelope growled and glared at the grinning Edmund.
This man, aside from being known as the cruel man and a monster belonging to the De Louis empire, also seemed to have the potential to become the most perverted man in this empire!
Duke Edmund Gerwyn has completely lost his mind!
