Reincarnation of The Villainess: She Has The Duke's Baby!-Chapter 34: #-Wake Up Or I Will Destroy The De Louis Empire!
Penelope peeked down from where she was currently.
The woman gulped. Falling down there and she will die. If it turns out that she can still be saved, at least the bones in her body will definitely be broken. She will be disabled. So, what Penelope is doing right now is thinking about how she can get out of this dangerous situation. Earlier, Penelope had invited Isabella to look for objects that could be used to destroy the wooden door. She was also looking for objects that could be used as weapons. It was then, the kidnapper who had dragged her into this room appeared and dragged her and Isabella to the top floor. Penelope didn’t know what was going on, but it looked like someone was trying to break into the house. Most likely Edmund Gerwyn and the others.
"So, what’s your answer, Duke Edmund? Do you want to bet with me? I will allow you to kill me, but it looks like I will kill Princess Penelope first by pushing her down there," chuckled the kidnapper.
Dammit! Penelope started to panic.
"Wait! Wait!" she shouted. She glanced at the kidnapper. Penelope swallowed hard and forced a smile. "Before I die, I want to know one thing."
"Penelope Askary, shut your mouth," growled Edmund. "Who said that you will die? You don’t believe that I can save you?"
However, Penelope ignored Edmund’s words. Her focus right now was to catch the kidnapper off guard. Moreover, if Edmund continued to allow this kidnapper to provoke him, which would incite anger within the man, Edmund would surely be controlled by that anger and the darkness in his heart. That man would definitely go berserk and kill everyone. And Penelope couldn’t possibly purify the darkness in Edmund’s heart in front of everyone.
"What do you want to know?" asked the kidnapper.
"The mastermind," Penelope replied. "At least, tell me who is the mastermind behind all these incidents. You said that that person wants some justice. You said that person should be the Crown Prince, the future emperor. I have a name in my head, but I’m not sure whether my guess is correct or not."
"Oho?" The kidnapper smirked. "You are a very smart woman because you can guess who is the mastermind behind the Crown Prince’s assassination plan at this time. Who’s he? If your answer is correct, I will let you go. But, if you are wrong, I will throw you down."
"Hey!" Edmund growled, but Penelope shook her head firmly at him. Seeing that, Edmund clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth. He gripped his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"How do I know that you won’t lie?" Penelope asked. The woman stared at the kidnapper with a smile. "I have to have a guarantee that you won’t lie to me, right?"
The kidnapper was silent. "What do you want, Princess?"
When she was Sienna in her previous life, she knew who the people involved in the plot to kill Sebastian De Louis were. Including this person’s identity. His name is Jermel. A bandit hired by the mastermind behind Sebastian’s murder. Jermel was notorious and had a snake mark on his right wrist. And Penelope saw it when she was kidnapped. Jermel is also described as very fond of jumping into trees to prevent himself from being caught by others. The most important information was, Jermel had a very beautiful little sister. Her condition was very weak and her little sister was always sick. Jermel became a bandit to earn money so his little sister could get better treatment.
"If you lie about my answer, then I will order my knight to bring your little sister who is sick at home to the imperial palace. Your little sister will be accused of being a criminal and punished along with you. Your little sister’s name is Camelia, right?"
The kidnapper froze. Penelope immediately smiled with satisfaction. She was certain that the current events matched the storyline in the original novel unlike before when Isabella Lysander was almost being kidnapped.
"Camelia is a very beautiful little girl. Unfortunately, she was weak from birth and was always sick. You take all the dirty work to get money so you can cure your little sister," Penelope said. "So, if you admit honestly that my guess is correct, then I promise you. I swear to you in the name of Goddess Elleia, I will heal your little sister."
Jermel was wide-eyed. "You can do that?"
"Of course," Penelope nodded.
"Okay." Jermel gulped. "Let’s hear what your guess is first."
Penelope took a deep breath and looked at Edmund. The man was really impatient in his place. He really wanted to kill Jermel. Maybe because Edmund saw the wounds on her body, Penelope thought. Or maybe it’s because Jermel managed to kidnap her earlier. Then, Penelope saw Isabella crying in the arms of Sebastian De Louis. The imperial Crown Prince had already come along with Philleo Aaron and the others. Philleo ran toward Edmund, making Edmund hold him back when he realized that the man was intent on saving Penelope.
"My Lady!" Philleo shouted frantically.
"Hi, Sir Philleo," Penelope smiled. "I’m fine." The woman then looked at Jermel. "That is my knight I was talking to you about."
Jermel nodded.
"So, for the answer..." Penelope cleared her throat and looked at Sebastian who looked worried. "Christopher De Louis. The younger brother of the current Emperor. The Crown Prince’s only uncle. He was the one who wanted to kill the Crown Prince so that he could become the emperor in the future."
Hearing that, everyone froze. Especially Sebastian. He left Isabella with Tristan, then stepped forward and stood beside Edmund.
"What are you talking about, Penelope? My uncle... he did all this? Impossible!" Sebastian shook his head firmly. "My uncle is a very good person. He is like my second father! He was also granted territory in the North and became a Duke there. He said he was satisfied with just being a Duke, that’s why he bestowed the title of Crown Prince on me since I was a child."
Penelope is just silent. She knew this would shake Sebastian up because Sebastian was close to Christopher De Louis. But, that’s the truth. The woman glanced at Jermel and the man who covered his face with the cloth sighed.
"She’s right," Jermel said flatly. "Christopher De Louis is our client. He was the one who gave the order to kidnap the Crown Prince and kill him. He was also the one who ordered us to use Penelope Askary and Isabella Lysander as hostages and baits to lure the Crown Prince out of the palace." Jermel looked at Penelope. "I don’t know where you know this from, Princess. But, as you promised, please heal my little sister. I—"
Jermel couldn’t finish his words. The man widened his eyes and lowered his head to stare at something embedded in his left chest. Likewise with Penelope. The woman froze when she saw a knife stab Jermel’s left chest. Jermel’s body balance began to lose and the man took a few steps back, then fell down.
The problem was, Jermel was still holding Penelope. Automatically, the woman was pulled backward and also fell. She shouted frantically.
"PENELOPE!" shouted Edmund Gerwyn. The man ran to where Penelope had been standing and fell, then just jumped without a care for his safety.
"MY LADY!"
"ED! PENELOPE!"
Philleo and Sebastian both shouted for the two. They ran to where Penelope had been held hostage by Jermel and looked down.
Meanwhile, Edmund immediately reached out and pulled Penelope’s outstretched hand up. The man pulled Penelope’s hand, bringing Penelope’s body into his arms. Then, Edmund reversed their positions. Now, Edmund was below and ready to hit his back against the hard ground, while Penelope was on top of Edmund’s body, in the man’s tight embrace.
Goddess Elleia! Please save us! Penelope prayed silently in her heart. She closed her eyes, pleading earnestly to Goddess Elleia. Then, before Edmund and Penelope landed hard on the ground, a circle of stars and a moon appeared. The circle is pink like it was in the dining room at Gerwyn’s mansion when Penelope disappeared. Edmund and Penelope’s falling speed began to decrease and when they managed to land on the ground, Edmund’s back hit the ground slowly.
Edmund, who felt no pain, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He panted and tried to catch his breath. Edmund stroked Penelope’s hair that was on top of him, then frowned when he didn’t feel any movement from her tiny body.
"Penelope?" called Edmund in a shaken tone. Such a panicked and worry voice. "Penelope! This isn’t funny at all, Penelope Askary! Are you okay?"
However, Penelope remained still and did not move. Realizing this, Edmund immediately rose from his lying position. He held Penelope’s body carefully, then placed her petite body on his lap. Penelope’s face looked pale. The fear began to overtake Edmund.
"Penelope? Hey, open your eyes!" Edmund shook his head frantically and his body began to tremble. He had never felt such intense fear before. "Penelope Askary! Wake up right now or I will destroy the De Louis empire! I will kill everyone here, everyone in the De Louis empire, for they dared to involve you in this!"
"Ugh! You’re so noisy, Edmund Gerwyn," Penelope grumbled weakly. The woman opened her eyes and held her head which felt a little ache. Before her, Edmund’s face was pale. His eyes were full of fear and panic. "You... Why is the expression on your face so strange?"
"And whose fault do you think this is? Hmm?" Edmund stroked Penelope’s face gently and immediately hugged the body of the woman who was in his lap. "I will report this to your family so you are banned from ever leaving the mansion again, Penelope."
Penelope snorted, then blinked. She broke away from Edmund and looked for Jermel. Then, the woman widened her eyes and hurriedly approached Jermel. She checked Jermel’s condition and could still feel Jermel’s pulse even though it was very weak.
"He must be saved immediately or he will die." Penelope looked at Edmund. "Ed, help me. Take out the knife from his chest right now."
"If I pull out the knife, the man will die immediately." Edmund approached Penelope and knelt beside her. "We can’t save him like that, Penelope."
"Trust me, Ed," Penelope gave Edmund a firm look. "And I’m asking you to keep what you’re about to see a secret from everyone."
