Reincarnation of The Villainess: She Has The Duke's Baby!-Chapter 99: #-Edmund’s Way To Win Penelope’s Heart Once Again
Not expecting Edmund to kiss her on the lips, Penelope widened her eyes.
The woman immediately struggled, asking Edmund to let go of her and stop the kiss. However, Edmund ignored the signal given by his wife. He had to tell Penelope through his kisses that he was so desperate without Penelope by his side. That he is nothing without her presence in his life.
Penelope knew she would lose if she continued to receive this much attention and affection from Edmund, even though he had hurt her heart. Because of that, Penelope made a decision. She bit Edmund’s lip and stomped his foot hard.
Edmund immediately stopped the kiss and took a step back. He held his injured lips and could see the blood on his finger. Edmund didn’t mind if Penelope bit his lip until it bled. He also didn’t mind if Penelope beat him or hurt him. If that could make Penelope go home with him then Edmund was ready to accept whatever punishment his wife gave him.
"Shameless bastard!" Penelope growled. She pointed at Edmund’s face with her forefinger which was trembling with anger. The tears streamed down her face again, making Edmund freeze and harden his jaw.
"Don’t cry," pleaded Edmund. "I can’t see you cry, Penny."
"Whose fault do you think it is that I’m crying, huh?!" Penelope wiped the tears on her cheeks roughly. "And, you think by kissing me you can get away from your actions that have hurt my heart, huh?! A cruelest Duke like you really doesn’t know what it’s like to be hurt by others because you only know hurting others!"
Edmund clenched his fists at his sides. What Penelope said really hurt him. However, the Duke also realized that he had hurt Penelope’s heart badly so that a gentle and kind woman like her could talk like this to him.
"I’m guilty and I’m sorry. I have hurt you with my words," said Edmund pleadingly. He tried to approach Penelope and touch her but Penelope took a step back and opened her palms.
"Stop right there, Duke Edmund!"
"Ed! Call me by that name as usual," asked Edmund.
Penelope laughed mockingly. "Ha! What am I doing it for? That call is only for a man who love me. That man has now turned cold and disgusted with me."
"Penny—"
"And don’t call me by that name!" Penelope shouted. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Tears continued to stream down her pretty face. "That name should only be said by people who really love me!"
Edmund was silent. He looked down. Then, the man immediately knelt before Penelope. He looked up so he could meet Penelope’s golden eyes. Penelope, who usually gave him a gentle and loving look, now gave him a blank and flat look.
"I admit, I was unknowingly cold to you. But, I did it because I was surprised. I never expected to hear information like this. I... I know my relationship with you—with the real Penelope Askary—was never good. We hated each other and I didn’t even know if it wasn’t from Penelope’s soul I met, who I thought was a ghost, that Penelope and I were friends when we were little. But, even though you are not the real Penelope Askary, I still love you. What attracted me, what made me learn the meaning of love, what made me feel the fear of being abandoned by someone, is you, Sienna. No." Edmund shook his head firmly. The same as the look in his eyes right now. "You are Penelope Askary now. Whether you like it or not, you have lived to be Penelope Askary and I love you very much."
Penelope looked away. She gritted her teeth. Don’t be swayed by his words, Penelope thought. Edmund Gerwyn was just trying to get her back to the mansion. She didn’t want any rumors to circulate among the nobles. The man didn’t want his reputation as a Duke, a noble with the highest status after members of the imperial family, to be ruined and tarnished.
"Go away," Penelope said coldly. "I don’t want to see you."
When he saw Penelope intending to leave him, Edmund immediately moved. The man stood up and grabbed Penelope’s arm. However, his actions only made Penelope scream and jerk Edmund’s hand away. Then, the woman covered her ears.
"I said get out of my sight right now! Do not bother me!" shouted Penelope through tears. She’s stressed. Very stressful. Penelope wanted to leave this world right now.
Penelope’s scream was apparently heard by Isabella Lysander. The woman came to the backyard of her mansion because she got a report from the maid that Penelope was having an argument with Duke Edmund which is not even known where he came from. Isabella widened her eyes and ran to Penelope. She immediately hugged Penelope, who looked shaken. Isabella also could see that Edmund couldn’t do anything. The man looked shocked in his place when he saw Penelope’s condition.
Had he hurt Penelope too much for her to become like this?
"Duke Edmund, I won’t mind you suddenly walking into my mansion without permission like this," Isabella said firmly. "But, please, could you leave for now? I think the Duchess still needs time to calm down."
"I have to be by her side, Isabella Lysander," Edmund growled.
"I know!" Isabella nodded. She stroked Penelope’s hair and gulped. Edmund’s gaze right now was really scary. If it wasn’t for her hugging Penelope, maybe Isabella would have fallen to her knees because her legs were so weak right now. "But, you can’t be by her side for now. She doesn’t want to see you, Duke. Do you want something bad to happen to your baby? You haven’t forgotten that the Duchess is pregnant with your child, have you?"
Edmund clenched his jaw. He also remained silent when he realized Chris had appeared behind him.
"What Lady Isabella said is true, Your Grace," said Chris. "Forgive me for being so presumptuous in expressing my opinion. However, the Duchess’ mental health is necessary for your baby to be okay."
Edmund looked down. He smiled bitterly and looked at Penelope with a sad look.
"I’ll be back, Penny," said Edmund in a firm tone, even though Penelope had forbidden him to call her by that nickname. "Take a good rest."
Penelope, who was in Isabella’s arms and still sobbing violently, looked at Edmund’s back, which was starting to move away. His back looked lonely. The woman hugged Isabella back and whispered, "I love him. I love him so much. But, he has hurt my heart, Isabel."
Isabella took a deep breath and rubbed Penelope’s back.
’Should I tell Ethan Askary?’ the woman muttered in her heart.
###
Isn’t watching Edmund Gerwyn and Penelope Askary fighting is a lot of fun?
Philleo Aaron ate the bread in his hand with a grin. The purple-eyed man was sitting in one of the trees in the backyard of Lysander’s mansion. He wears a black robe to hide his identity.
Right now, Philleo used magic on himself so that he could not be tracked or seen by Edmund Gerwyn and those around him. He was walking in the Capital’s square and accidentally saw Penelope Askary, who was about to be attacked by the ugly, big, red monster. Luckily, he managed to save Penelope in time. Doesn’t this prove that only he can protect Penelope rather than that bastard Duke Edmund?
"I almost got caught by that bastard Duke’s shadow knight," Philleo muttered. He wiped his mouth and stood atop a tree. His purple eyes followed Penelope’s every move. The beautiful woman was walking with Isabella into the Lysander mansion. "Duke Edmund really is not to be underestimated. He can feel my presence even though he can’t see me." Philleo clenched his fists when he saw the tears on Penelope’s face. "What should I do with that man? He dared to make my Penelope cry like this."
When he saw Penelope with Isabella, and how she didn’t want Edmund to touch her, Philleo knew he could use this opportunity to further distance Penelope from Edmund’s arms. Philleo jumped from one tree to another and stopped at the top of the tree directly opposite Penelope’s guest room window. The man grinned and licked his lips when he saw Penelope change her clothes.
"You will soon be mine, my dear Penelope," muttered Philleo as he closed his eyes and inhaled Penelope’s scent on the woman’s ribbon he had taken with him that day. "I will make you hate Duke Edmund even more than this."
###
Penelope Askary couldn’t sleep.
The woman held her aching head and took a deep breath. She came out of the guest room she was using and followed one of the maids to the dining room. When Penelope was about to greet Isabella and her Father, the woman stopped and froze. She could see Isabella looking uncomfortable while Marquess Lysander kept a deadpan expression on his face. However, Penelope knew the reason why Isabella was uncomfortable. It was because of the presence of someone at the dining table.
"Good morning, Penny."
Edmund Gerwyn smiled gently at Penelope and stood up from the chair. He approached Penelope while carrying a bouquet of roses that were so beautiful, then knelt in front of Penelope and gave the bouquet of roses to her. Penelope clenched her jaw. She wanted to refuse the flowers from Edmund but Marquess Lysander was watching them. There was no way that Penelope would openly show Marquess Lysander that she and Edmund were having a fight.
"Did you sleep well, Honey?" asked Edmund. He stood up as Penelope took the bouquet of roses from his hand. Then, Edmund hugged Penelope’s waist and kissed her on the forehead as well as on the cheek. "Did you miss me? I miss you and our child very much," said Edmund in a slightly raised voice so that Marquess Lysander could hear him. The Duke also stroked Penelope’s stomach gently. Then, Edmund looked at Marquess Lysander. "Marquess, forgive my wife for she wants to stay the night here. My wife is very close to your daughter. It seems like the Duchess’s pregnancy is making her lonely because I’m always busy."
Marquess Lysander smiled faintly. A smile that seemed forced by the man and Edmund knew about it. But, he didn’t care. However, if Marquess Lysander dared to do bad things to Penelope, Edmund would not hesitate to destroy the man.
"It’s okay, Your Grace. I am happy that Isabel can be a good friend for the Duchess." Marquess Lysander looked at Isabella. "I hope the Duchess can help Isabel when Isabel becomes the Empress of this empire in the future."
Isabella bit her lip. She didn’t want to follow her Father’s orders anymore to become the Empress of this empire. But, that man definitely wouldn’t allow her to have a relationship with Ethan Askary even though he was the son of a Duke. Thinking of that made Isabella smile bitterly. Why was she thinking about something that wouldn’t happen? Ethan Askary will never be hers.
"Hmm? Isn’t it Isabella—arrgh!" Edmund didn’t finish his words when he felt his feet being stepped on really hard. The man turned his head and Penelope gave him a glare. "Duchess? What is it? Are you mad at me because I was late to pick you up?"
Penelope smiled sweetly. Of course the smile was forced by the woman.
"My dear Duke, I still want to be here. I want to stay longer with Isabel. My baby wants me to live with Isabel." Penelope looked at the Marquess. "It’s fine if I stay here for a few days, right?"
"Yes, of course," nodded the Marquess. The man stood up and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "Then, please enjoy your breakfast, Duke, Duchess. I have to finish some of my work."
Marquess Lysander came out of the dining room and shot Penelope a sharp glance. Then, when he was outside, the man called out to one of his trusted knights.
"Keep an eye on Duchess Penelope. If she does anything suspicious, you can hurt her right away. You can make it look like an accident. Besides, I don’t care if that woman dies. I really hate her. She has the potential to usurp the Empress position from Isabel since the Crown Prince has taken an interest in her."
