Reincarnation of The Villainess: She Has The Duke's Baby!-Chapter 62: #-The Incident In The Original Novel That Penelope Almost Forgot
"I earnestly ask Duke Edmund to forgive His Highness Helios."
Penelope grimaced and scratched her cheek when she saw Helios Rune Abelavish’s knight named Jeremy bow repeatedly while asking forgiveness from Edmund for Helios’ actions. Helios himself acted like he had done nothing wrong. The man sat quietly while eating the sweets that were on the table. Helios also never stopped smiling broadly at Penelope if the two accidentally stared at each other.
"You are lucky to have a kind knight like Jeremy, Your Highness," grumbled Edmund. "If it wasn’t for that man, maybe I would have sent your corpse to the Abelavish empire because you dared to touch and seduce my woman."
"Seduce her?" Helios laughed and waved a hand. "You are exaggerating, Duke Edmund. Do you want to lock Princess Penelope like a bird in a cage and never allow her to have friends? She needs someone other than you, Duke."
"As long as I’m by her side, my Penny doesn’t need anyone else," said Edmund in a firm tone. The man then put his chin on Penelope’s shoulder, who had been sitting on his lap. Of course, Penelope had to sit on Edmund’s lap because the possessive man had told her to. Penelope complied with Edmund’s wish so that the man would forget about his intention to teach the Crown Prince of the Abelavish empire a lesson. "I’m right, right?"
Penelope just laughed awkwardly and cleared her throat. She looked at Helios. "I am grateful that you want to befriend me, Your Highness. I also thank you for your help in the back alley when we accidentally met in the North." Penelope smiled. "But, I’m sorry. Your actions toward me just now made me a little uncomfortable. I am a woman who already has a man in my life. The man who will be my husband. I’m also pregnant with his child. Even though it is the etiquette for a nobleman to kiss the back of a noblewoman’s hand, I feel something is different from the way you treat me. You seem attracted to me. Because of that, I can’t accept your offer to be your friend. I was afraid you’d use that opportunity to get close to me or something. Forgive me if my assumptions are too presumptuous but that is the impression I get from you. I didn’t want to make Ed jealous. I want to protect his feelings."
Hearing Penelope’s words, Edmund smiled happily and contentedly. He hugged Penelope’s waist even more and kissed her neck in the presence of Helios and Jeremy. When Penelope was shocked and scolded Edmund for being so rude in front of guests, Jeremy looked away and cleared his throat. He felt awkward and didn’t know how to react. Meanwhile, Helios looked sad. He looked down and pouted. The man played with the cookie he was holding and looked like a large dog that was abandoned by its owner.
"I just want to be friends with you," said Helios in a sad tone. Helios did realize that his interest in Penelope Askary was not just because he wanted to be friends with her. As Jeremy said, Helios liked Penelope romantically. He invited Edmund to compete for Penelope’s love because he wanted to get the chance to prove himself. But, if Penelope really couldn’t accept that, would just being friends not be possible? "This is the first time I’ve experienced this. I want someone to be my friend. Ever since I was little, I couldn’t be friends with anyone. I envy people who can have a lot of friends."
Edmund snorted. "That’s none of Penny and I’s business. I told you from the start when we met up in the North that Penny was mine. But, you don’t want to listen to me. So, if you feel that you came here for nothing now, should Penny and I feel guilty and apologize to you?" Edmund snapped his fingers and smiled broadly. A very scary smile made Helios and Jeremy both swallow hard. "Ah! How about we just keep going to war? I’m sure Your Highness will make many friends because of that war!"
"Ed," Penelope grumbled. The woman hit the back of Edmund’s hand which was on her stomach. "Don’t joke around with such terrible things. I don’t like hearing it. Besides, are you going to start a war when you’re about to have a child? Your children want to have a Father and meet their Father when they are born in this world, Ed."
Edmund pouted. "I apologize. Forgive me, my children," said the man while rubbing Penelope’s belly.
"Children?" asked Helios. He looked at Penelope’s stomach which was already starting to look a little big.
"There is a possibility that our children may be twins, Your Highness," Penelope replied in a cheerful tone. "I can’t wait to meet my children soon."
"Me too!" shouted Helios excitedly. "I’m sure your daughter will be as beautiful as you, Princess Penelope. And I hope your children won’t have the annoying traits of Duke Edmund. You must educate your children properly so they don’t become like Duke Edmund."
"Hey!" Edmund pointed at Helios’ face. He no longer cared about their etiquette and noble status. This Crown Prince of the neighboring empire before him had completely pissed him off! "Do you really want to duel me, Your Highness?"
"Forgive him. Please, forgive His Highness Helios," Jeremy said while bowing repeatedly. Penelope felt sorry for the man, who always apologize on behalf of the Abelavish Crown Prince. "Your Highness, please stay quiet if you cannot say polite words. Do you want me to report your behavior to Her Highness the Empress? You know that Her Highness the Empress hates things like this, right?"
Helios snorted. "Are you actually my knight or my mother’s?"
"I’m sorry, Your Highness," said Jeremy in a firm tone. "I am a knight loyal to you but still, Her Highness the Empress orders are higher than yours. And His Highness the Emperor pays my salary. So, I am their spy to keep an eye on you."
"Traitor," Helios grumbled. "Alright, since I’m already here, do you mind if I take you for a walk in the De Louis imperial square? I want to know many things about this empire. I’ve been thinking about asking Crown Prince Sebastian along but that man doesn’t seem to be able to keep me company."
Edmund raised an eyebrow. He and Penelope looked at each other. As Edmund’s embrace around her waist grew stronger, Penelope felt calm and as if protected by the man. Penelope, who was initially afraid because Helios was talking about Sebastian due to remembering Sebastian’s behavior earlier at the boutique, is now fine. She smiled at Edmund as if she wanted to let him know that she was fine.
"Why can’t Sebastian accompany you?" asked Edmund in a firm tone.
Helios shrugged. "I don’t know. According to the Emperor, the Crown Prince was sick and was resting. However, I did hear the imperial maids talk about the Crown Prince. They whispered as they talked about the strange behavior of the Crown Prince. They say that the Crown Prince returned to the palace wearing a black robe as if to hide his identity. Then, the Crown Prince went berserk in his room and threw everything in there. I also heard that several servants were injured. The Crown Prince shouted and said words like... err... like..." Helios seemed to be thinking. He looked at Jeremy, making Jeremy take a deep breath.
"I will have her. I’ll take her away from you," said Jeremy. Helios immediately snapped his fingers and looked again at Edmund and Penelope.
"Yes! He said that!"
Penelope looked down and swallowed hard. She knew that Sebastian would be talking about her. Why? Why did that man start obsessing over her? Why did Sebastian De Louis start to love her and want her? Shouldn’t the man have chosen Isabella Lysander and only want her? Why was everything so different from what she had read while she was still living her life as Sienna?
"I have to talk to him," muttered Edmund, which Penelope could hear. The woman unconsciously grabbed Edmund’s wrist, causing Edmund to clench his jaw and freeze. He knew that Penelope was starting to feel scared because of this story. "Calm down," Edmund whispered in Penelope’s ear so only the woman could hear him. "You’ll be fine. I will make sure he never comes near you or touches you again."
"Hey, why are you two whispering?" Helios pouted. "So, would you two accompany me on a walk in the square? Duke Edmund, I invite you too. You’ll let me play with Princess Penelope if I invite you too, won’t you?"
Edmund took a deep breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. The man felt like he had aged a hundred years just from facing Helios Rune Abelavish.
"All right," replied Edmund. He gave up. "Wait here for a moment, Your Highness. We are going to change our clothes."
###
"Penny, are you all right, Honey?"
Penelope forced a smile and nodded at Edmund. She let Edmund put his arm around her waist and helped her walk through the crowd in the square. Helios, Jeremy, and Edgar looked at Penelope with worried eyes. Likewise Sarah, who walked on the other side of Penelope.
"My Lady, are you feeling sick?" Sarah asked. "Should I buy some refreshments for My Lady?"
"I’m fine, Ed, Sarah," chuckled Penelope. "I just feel a little dizzy."
"Still, I can’t see you suffer like this," said Edmund. He immediately picked up Penelope and she put her arms around Edmund’s neck. The man looked at Helios. "Your Highness, can we rest for a bit? I think Penny is exhausted."
"Of course," nodded Helios.
When they walked into one of the restaurants, Penelope immediately felt better. The woman ate the ice cream that Edmund bought with enthusiasm. The power that was lost is now back.
"Do you like that ice cream?" asked Edmund. Penelope nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! I really like this strawberry ice cream. Can I buy it again, Ed?"
Edmund was about to open his mouth to answer Penelope’s question when Sarah shook her head firmly.
"No, My Lady. You shouldn’t eat too much ice cream. It’s not good for the baby you’re carrying."
Penelope blinked and pouted while Edmund chuckled. He caressed Penelope’s hair and said, "I’ll get some more for you tomorrow. I don’t think there will be a problem if you eat ice cream once a day. We’ll ask the doctor when we see him later."
"All right," Penelope nodded. "I—"
The woman stopped talking. Several images appeared in her head suddenly. Penelope hissed in pain and held her head. It was the image where a woman was being dragged by a man in a small alley. Then, the woman was taken to the woods and she was hurt by him there. Penelope closed her eyes and groaned softly.
"Penny?! What is it?!" asked Edmund in a panicked tone. He knelt before Penelope, who did not respond. "Penelope Askary! What’s wrong with you?!"
Penelope still saw the image in her head. Such a terrible incident. The woman was grabbed by her hair, kicked, slapped, and even stepped on. Penelope could hear the man’s mocking laughter and his satisfied laughter.
’Have you had enough of hurting me, Isaac Abraham? If you are satisfied, be prepared to welcome your death because I will pay back for your actions ten times over.’
Penelope gasped and tried to catch her breath. The woman grabbed Edmund’s arm and widened her eyes. She remembered now. The events that will occur correspond to the original novel that Penelope had read when she was living as Sienna. The incident in the original novel that she had almost forgotten. The man who had appeared in her memory before this, the memory of the real Penelope Askary, who once pushed her from a tree and bullied her when Penelope was a little girl, as well as the man who dragged her into the woods and tortured her there, was Isaac Abraham. The man had hated Penelope since they were kids. In the original novel, Penelope was unconscious for a whole week due to the torture of Isaac Abraham. Then, the man was caught by Ethan Askary and executed by Penelope’s older brother.
"Ed, it looks like I’m about to be kidnapped."
"What?!" shouted Edmund. "Which bastard dared to kidnap you, Penny?!"
Penelope fell silent. She bit her lips and swallowed hard. Indeed, that incident happened in Penelope Askary’s first life and has not happened to her in her current life. But, Penelope must remain vigilant.
"Isaac Abraham," Penelope answered in a trembling tone. "The second son of Marquess Abraham. He was also the one who had pushed me from the top of the tree when I was little and made me have a scar on my body. I will explain to you why I could have thought I would be kidnapped by Isaac Abraham."
