When Penelope opens her eyes again, it is already past six in the evening. She quickly looks around only to see an unfamiliar room. Penelope's body trembles in fear as she tightens her hold on the blanket around her body.
"Daddy! Nanny Lisa! Daddy!" Penelope shouts with all her might.
She didn't know what happened earlier. She tries to recollect her last memory from earlier. After that prince brought her to the Royal Palace, Penelope saw her father again. Then he rushed toward her and gave her a tight and loving hug. After that, it seems like Penelope fell asleep because of fatigue.
Soon, Penelope hears several footsteps outside of this room. When the door opens, she sees her father who is panting a little. His hair looks a little messy. Even the clothes he's wearing are a bit crooked and crumpled. She cannot see the neat and collected image of her father right now.
"Penelope!" Clementine calls her name.
"Daddy!"
Overwhelmed with her emotions, Penelope stares at Clementine with wet eyes and soon wails sadly all of a sudden. Penelope also raises her arms indicating that she wants to be hugged by him. With her trembling lips, she calls her father in a sad voice.
"Daddy!"
Clementine flinched in surprise but he quickly walked toward his daughter. He sits on the bed and sits his daughter on his lap. He carefully hugs Penelope while his arms are supporting her small body. In just a few seconds, Penelope's tears are starting to soak through his clothes.
"Daddy..."
"It's okay now, Loupie. Daddy's here. You're safe now."
She's finally safe. Penelope prevented her kidnapping from happening again. Amanda did not succeed in getting rid of her. When Penelope lowers her guard, she starts to feel tired and less energetic once again.
But soon, Penelope quickly collected her thoughts. She's happy to be reunited with her father again. This is the reward that she can get after she gives her best to stop those men from doing their evil plans toward her. But Penelope still has things to do before she can finally relax.
"Daddy, where's Nanny Lisa?" Penelope asked in a hoarse voice.
Noticing it, Clementine reach for the pitcher of water that he prepared earlier on the side table and poured it into a crystal glass. After that, he helps Penelope to drink some water by steadily holding the glass and letting her take small sips. After she drinks enough water, Penelope asks for her nanny again.
"She's in the clinic downstairs. The healer is treating her wounds." Clementine replied after putting the glass back on the side table.
Seeing the purplish bruise on Lisa's face, Clementine temporarily sends her to the healer to treat it. He also told Lisa that he will personally tend to Penelope's needs when she wakes up so she can rest in the meantime in the clinic. He knows that Penelope's nanny also experienced a traumatic event today.
"Is nanny Lisa going to be okay?" Penelope asked again. "She has some ouchies on her face and hands."
"I know, Loupie. But the healers will help your nanny Lisa." Clementine said. "What about my little princess? Are you hurt? Do you feel any pain?"
Penelope paused for a moment before shaking her head. When she passed out because of exhaustion, Clementine made a fuss and called for the available healers in the Royal Palace. When they confirmed that his daughter is just sleeping, he also told them to heal all the wounds on her body and make sure that she will not feel any pain after she wakes up.
"It's good that my little princess is alright." Clementine said before secretly letting out a sigh.
He looks down and kisses her cheek. After that, Clementine tighten his hold around her small body and slowly let out a relieved sigh again. His daughter is here and she is now safe from any possible danger. He will surely lose his mind if something bad will happen to Penelope.
"You're here. You're safe, Penelope. "You're safe now."
Penelope is not sure if her father is comforting her or himself. But she didn't put too much thought into it. Instead, she rubs her face on his chest and savors this peaceful time with him.
"Daddy..." Penelope calls him again after some time.
"What is it, Loupie?"
"Daddy, Mama Amanda wants me and nanny Lisa to come with those scary men earlier."
Penelope can feel her father's body tremble but she ignores it. She still acts like a clueless little girl in his arms. Penelope has to do it if she wants to feel safe and comfortable after this day ends.
"...What did she do to you, my princess?" Clementine slowly asked.
Penelope bites her lips and lowers her gaze. She also grips her father's shirt and buries her face on his chest. Clementine becomes worried about her and gently touches her head. Soon, he can feel her tears soaking through his clothes again.
"Loupie, baby. Why are you crying again? Do you feel pain anywhere?!" Clementine asked in a panicked voice.
"Daddy..." Penelope wept softly.
"What is it, princess?" coaxed Clementine. "You can tell everything and daddy will listen to you."
"Daddy, is Penelope a bad girl?"
Before Clementine answers her question, Penelope continues.
"Mama Amanda wants to give Penelope to those scary men. She said bad girls should be punished. Did Penelope make a mistake? Daddy, Penelope can be a good girl."
"...What?"
"Daddy, I'm sorry! Penelope doesn't want to go with those scary men. Penelope can be a good girl! Daddy, please don't give Penelope to anyone!"
The little girl is now sobbing loudly in his arms. The sound of her cries is like a sharp knife cutting his heart into pieces. The tears that fall from her eyes represent the guilt, sadness, and anger that Clementine is feeling right now. The little girl that he treasures the most is now crying in fear because of what happened earlier.
While Penelope was sleeping, Clementine asked the people who saved his daughter as well as her nanny of what really happened. Lisa told him that Amanda paid those ruffians to kidnap and kill his daughter in the forest. The envoys who saved Penelope said the same story and informed him that they temporarily send his wife to the dungeon for interrogation.
Clementine feels like someone pours ice-cold water on his spine. The woman he married wants to murder his beloved child. Amanda should be aware that Penelope is very important to him. If the envoys didn't arrive on time to save Penelope, who knows what kind of situation will happen to her.
Clementine doesn't want to imagine it anymore.
"Shh, it's okay now. Daddy will never give you to anyone. You are my little princess, right? Daddy loves you the most." Clementine soothed his daughter while his thumb gently wiped her tears. "My daughter did nothing wrong. There is no reason for you to say sorry."
"But daddy..."
"You should forget those words, Penelope. You didn't make any mistakes. And I will never give you to anyone because Penelope is my only precious daughter."
Clementine placed a loving kiss on his daughter's forehead before pulling her in a tight hug. He coaxes his daughter for a long time until she finally stops crying. Her whole face is now red and the rim of her eyes is swollen. Clementine calls for a maid to bring him a basin of cold water and a clean towel. He used it to gently wipe Penelope's face and neck.
Clementine didn't leave his daughter's side. He asked if she wants to eat but Penelope shakes her head in refusal. She doesn't feel hungry at all. His heart aches thinking that his daughter is too overwhelmed with all the things she experienced today. Penelope just wants to sleep again because of the tiredness she feels all over her body. Clementine said he will wake her up again later so they can eat their dinner together.
After placing Penelope back on her bed, Clementine fix her blanket and didn't leave her side until she fall asleep again. When her breathing becomes stable, he gently tucks a stray hair behind her ear before leaving a kiss on her forehead. Clementine stares at Penelope's sleeping face for a moment before he stands up.
Before leaving, Clementine placed two Royal Guards outside the room and tell them to guard his daughter well. He also asked the butler to call for Lisa in the clinic and let her stay near his daughter's room. Penelope might cry again if she wakes up and she cannot see any familiar faces. Clementine trusts Lisa enough that she has no bad intentions toward his daughter.
No one dares to talk back or disagree with his words. All of them quietly accepts his orders and promised to do it quickly. When Clementine finally leaves, the butler let out a sigh and wipes the sweat on his forehead. They all know better not to mess up with the Royal Advisor right now.
Not when he is obviously shaking in fury knowing that someone dares to touch and hurt his beloved daughter.