Reincarnation of The Villainess: She Has The Duke's Baby!-Chapter 44: #-The Mysterious Man And The Arrival of Philleo Aaron
Edmund Gerwyn was still screaming for Penelope Askary.
He didn’t care if he was the center of attention for the people around him. To hell with them. Why did that woman leave? Did she not believe what he just said? He really loved that woman. He didn’t love Isabella Lysander like Penelope had accused him of. Edmund’s jaw tightened and he turned his head.
Seeing Edmund stare at them, Rosaline and Sarah gasped and froze. Rosaline immediately stood in front of Sarah to protect her while Edmund walked briskly toward the two of them. Edgar immediately ran toward Rosaline and Sarah, then stood in front of the two women to protect them from the Duke who seemed to be losing his mind.
"Your Grace! Please, control yourself! Control your emotions, Your Grace!" shouted Edgar. The man gritted his teeth as he stood facing the growling Edmund. His eyes flashed with a murderous look, making Edgar and the two women behind him swallow hard.
"Where’s Penelope Askary?" asked Edmund in a sharp tone. "Tell me right now where my little bunny is or I’ll kill you all! She took my baby away. Did she think I would let that happen?! If she won’t accept me, if she doesn’t love me, and she doesn’t want to come back to me, then I’ll take the baby from her! I will take my child!"
"Your Grace!" Sarah shouted. The woman dared to go forward and face Edmund, even though her body was shaking violently because of the fear that took over her body. Seeing that, Edgar immediately clicked his tongue and grabbed her arm, but Sarah didn’t want to move as Edgar wanted. "Please don’t take My Lady’s baby! I know you are the biological father of the baby My Lady is carrying! But, that baby is everything to My Lady!" Sarah looked into Edmund’s eyes. The woman’s eyes were glassy as if she wanted to cry. If Edgar hadn’t grabbed her arm at this moment, she would have fallen to her knees from the fear that had built up inside of her. "I... I will tell you where My Lady is!"
"Sarah!" Rosaline widened her eyes when she heard Sarah’s words just now. "What did you just say?! You have the heart to tell My Lady’s location to that bastard who dared to ruin My Lady’s youth and life?!"
Edgar blinked and glanced at Edmund. Luckily, the man just kept quiet and stared flatly at Rosaline. If Edmund was in his right mind, Rosaline’s head would have rolled on the ground for daring to call him a bastard.
"Dame Rosaline, you also know that My Lady always mentions Duke Edmund’s name every night in her sleep," said Sarah. The words shocked Edmund and that warm feeling immediately appeared in his heart. "Without My Lady knowing it, My Lady misses Duke Edmund, Dame Rosaline. The baby inside My Lady’s womb must also miss its father and want the parents to live together to take care of it and protect it in the future."
Rosaline looked down and clenched her jaw. She couldn’t deny Sarah’s words because everything she said was true. Seeing Rosaline’s hesitation, Sarah smiled. She was just as unwilling as Rosaline if Penelope had to live with Edmund. But, hearing Edmund’s confession that he loved Penelope, and how the man looked so devastated when Penelope left him, Sarah was sure that Edmund was serious about what he said and sincerely loved Penelope. And for Sarah, having someone who could protect her Lady was the most important thing for her.
"Dame Rosaline, I know what you’re afraid of," Sarah said in a gentle tone. "I’m also afraid that My Lady will suffer living with Duke Edmund. But, looking at the current Duke Edmund, I’m sure that Duke Edmund will never hurt My Lady. So, let’s give Duke Edmund a chance. If, in the end, My Lady feels pressured and suffers living with Duke Edmund, we can take My Lady off again."
Sarah’s innocent words made Edgar smile amused and shake his head. He admired the woman because, at such a young age, Sarah could think like an adult.
Rosaline Amber groaned and scratched her head which didn’t itch. She took a deep breath and looked firmly at Sarah. "Are you sure?"
Sarah nodded. "I believe My Lady is hiding her true feelings. My Lady is only afraid that herself, especially her heart, will be hurt." Sarah worked up the courage again to look at Edmund. "Your Grace, you really love My Lady, don’t you?"
Edmund nodded firmly. "Do I have to prove anything to you and Dame Rosaline so you can believe me?"
Sarah smiled. "If you can convince My Lady that you do love her and not Lady Isabella, Dame Rosaline and I will allow you to take My Lady home with you."
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Penelope Askary suddenly appeared in a small alley that was quite far from where she had been.
The woman blinked and looked around. There’s nobody here. There is only her. Penelope did not understand why the pink circle and light could appear under her feet. Perhaps, she had unknowingly activated her power. But, isn’t her power simply the power of healing and purification? But, thanks to that, she was able to escape from Edmund Gerwyn. Recalling Edmund’s words, as well as how the man had looked all messed up and broken because of her, Penelope smiled sadly and clenched her fists. Tears dripped from her eyes and she hastily wiped them away. She also rubbed her stomach affectionately.
"Do not be sad, Honey. Your father may not love your Mother, but I’m sure he will love you. I hope you won’t hate him in the future because he loves another woman and not your Mother." Penelope took a deep breath.
It was then, something touched her shoulder from behind. Penelope turned her head quickly. Her heart was pounding. Her eyes widened and she reflexively covered her stomach. Before her, a man in black robes like her raised his hands in the air as a sign that he would not do anything bad to Penelope.
"Who are you?" Penelope asked coldly. Her gaze was sharp.
"Wait, don’t scream. I’m not a bad person," said the person. From the voice, Penelope could tell that it was a man. And, the woman’s guess was indeed correct. As the person took off the hood, Penelope was confronted by a handsome man with white skin. His hair is blonde and his eyes are green. He smiled kindly at Penelope. "I saw you by accident and I thought you needed help. It’s quite dangerous here because the monsters are rampaging. Are you alone?"
Penelope tried to hide her face even more. She didn’t want anyone to see her and then suddenly recognize her as the daughter of a Duke in the De Louis empire. It was enough that Duke Edmund had found her here. Or... does Penelope have to go to another region?
"I’m not alone," Penelope replied. "I’m with my friends. I’m looking for them right now since we got separated while trying to escape from the monsters."
The man rubbed his chin and snapped his fingers. "Then, how about I help you find your friends? I can protect you from those monsters because I have magic power. Do you remember the last place you were with your friends? If you remember, I will use teleportation magic to get you there."
Penelope narrowed her eyes. The man was getting suspicious. Behind that friendly smile, he must be hiding a dark side, Penelope thought. "You’re a stranger. I can’t come with you. I can find them myself. Thank you for your offer. Then, I’ll go first."
Penelope hurriedly ran away from the stranger. She had learned from experience that all good-looking people must have some bad intentions in them. However, that certainly didn’t apply to her family and the people in her mansion.
When Penelope walked away from him, the man chuckled and shook his head. He turned his head when he felt someone’s presence behind him.
"Hi, Jeremy. Have you eradicated all those monsters?"
"Duke Edmund Gerwyn of the De Louis empire has eradicated all monsters, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Duke Edmund Gerwyn is here? Why didn’t I know that the important people of the De Louis empire were in the North? The Emperor didn’t say anything to me."
Jeremy scratched his cheek that didn’t itch. "According to the information, the Emperor of the De Louis empire did order Duke Edmund to exterminate all the monsters since this is still the De Louis empire’s territory. And, I heard that Duke Edmund is also looking for a woman here."
"A woman?" Jeremy followed the man in front of him who he had called the Crown Prince. "The famously cruel Duke is looking for a woman? Is he married?"
"Not yet, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Duke Edmund seeks out the woman he has been obsessed with. The woman used to love Crown Prince Sebastian De Louis. She was the woman who was known as the cruelest woman in the De Louis empire. Her name is Penelope Askary, daughter of Duke Askary."
"Hmm." The man snapped his fingers and a golden circle appeared under his feet. Then, suddenly he was in the air, forcing Jeremy to look up at him. "Jeremy, you love to gossip. But, I love the gossip you bring me. Find out more about Duke Edmund and Penelope Askary."
"Where are you going, Your Highness?" asked Jeremy, raising one eyebrow.
"I want to find a rabbit that just ran away from me. The little bunny who was so wary of me and scared of me."
"A little bunny?" Jeremy blinked. "Wait a minute, Your Highness! The Empress is looking for you! The Empress is very upset right now because you often go out like this without an escort!"
"I’m an adult, Jeremy. I don’t need an escort," chuckled the man while waving his hand. "Tell the Empress I will be back in a bit."
"Huh? Your Highness?! Your Highness Helios Rune Abelavish?! The Empress can scold me if I don’t come home with you! Your Highness!"
Helios Rune Abelavish just laughed and waved again at Jeremy. He had to find the woman earlier because, for some reason, she had attracted him. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
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"My Lady, where have you been?! We were very worried about you and have been looking for you!"
Sarah’s scolding was responded to with a chuckle by Penelope. The woman had indeed decided to take a walk before returning home. She was afraid that Edmund Gerwyn would come to her family’s summer house after interrogating Sarah and Rosaline. Once home, however, Penelope was grateful because she didn’t find Edmund and his men.
"I’m sorry Sarah. I... teleported quite far from where we were. I don’t know where it is and luckily, there is a kind family who wants to take me home." Penelope opened her black robe and sat down on the sofa. "You don’t need to worry, both me and my baby are fine."
Rosaline checked Penelope’s condition and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then, I shall make some chamomile tea for you, My Lady." Sarah turned and intended to go to the kitchen. "I—"
"My Lady!"
The exclamation made Sarah unable to finish her words. She blinked when she felt someone run past her. When Sarah turned around, the woman could see a man kneeling in front of Penelope and immediately hugged Penelope’s waist who was sitting on the sofa. Not only was Sarah surprised, but Penelope and Rosaline were also frozen in their places.
"You..." Penelope gulped and gasped as the man looked up at her. The woman could see the adoring look as well as the longing look in Philleo Aaron’s eyes. "Why are you here, Sir Philleo?"
"As soon as I overheard Young Master Ethan and Sir Thompson’s conversation, I immediately came here to take you home, My Lady." Philleo hugged Penelope’s waist again. Like a child hugging its mother. He closed his eyes and rested his face on Penelope’s stomach. "My Lady, please don’t ever leave me again in the future. I don’t want to be away from you. I am your sword, your shield. I live for you, My Lady. And I won’t let you be alone from now on." Philleo opened his eyes. She smirked. A cold and dangerous smirk that neither Penelope nor Rosaline nor Sarah had noticed. "I am yours, My Lady."
And you are mine. Only mine! Philleo added in his heart.
