Everyone around Leo was aghast as they were sure that he was not going to bear the insult. Giving his short temper and avenging nature, he had not learnt to forgive. He only knew how to take revenge.
His eyes narrowed on his own daughter with such a cold look but instead of cowering into the corner. She stared back at him as if challenging him to raise his head and hit her.
She wanted to see how cowardly he was! The thought amused her. The look in her eyes.. It was unnerving.
It reminds her remind of a woman who used to be afraid of him but at the same time dared to smack him in front of everyone.
His eyes turned colder and his expression turned harder with that thought. He held his emotions and then looked away.
Taking steps back to the palace, he left both of them alone there.
The nobles stared at them and then at the man who was leaving with horror but hurriedly followed him.
The young girl let go of the breath she did not know she was holding all this time. She had thought it would be her last breath when his intense gaze fell on her. Oh lord! Thank you for giving her another chance to live.
She turned to look at the girl who did not even flinch. She was just three then how could she be so strong to endure such a strong aura? Was it because she was his daughter and it was in her blood?
Still..
"My lady, what were you thinking? You should not challenge the words of his majesty like that!" She tried to chide with stern eyes so that the girl should know what was right and what was wrong but she only shrugged her shoulders.
"Tsk! I was just telling the truth. You are so pretty. So, you should get a handsome knight, not a scary monster like my father!" she said as if it was only natural to say so when the girl felt at the loss of words.
She knew that if she continued, it would only be difficult to explain her further.
But when she opened her mouth, a strong growl from her stomach took her attention away.
"Oh, I am sorry. Pardon me for my lack of concern. Shall we go and have a meal first?" Renata nodded as she did not want to waste her time in talking about her father anyway.
She had already achieved her goal and now she was going to load freely on that scumbag for a few years and then poof! She was not going to grow like a breeding lamb whom he could sell later.
She wrapped her small hands around the young girl who had already started walking.
"What is your name?" she asked as she could not call her young girl all this time and You! It only suited her father to call someone by pointing his finger on them.
"My name is Penelope, but you can call me Penny. I am the third wife of marquis Hampshire" Renata raised a brow at the innocent girl. The man had already died and his other wife had already thrown her out yet she was using the same name to introduce her.
"Tsk! Why are you using the name of a bastard whose wife had already thrown you out of the palace? You should start using your maiden name again so that others know that you are single and ready to mingle. You know what I mean…" no! She did not!
Penny was horrified! Her steps halted for a second as she stared at the young girl who was barely three. How could she say such things?
No! The question was how in the world did she know what it meant to be thrown out, single and mingle! Shouldn't she only be knowing about food and basic things. And from where she had learned to hurl profanities.
"Princess, this is not how a little toddler should talk. I am sure that the maids did not leave any good impression on you but your words are shameful. You should not use words like.. Bas.. words like that!
It did not suit good girls like you!" she started walking again but her face was showing that she was angry. The way her cheeks were puffed up and she did not spare another glance at Renata.
Instead of feeling her anger, Renata felt amused. She had never thought that a woman could look this adorable. She was not even able to pronounce Bastard. Just how difficult was that?
She belongs to a completely different breed that Renata had never seen and she felt like she would corrupt Penny if they continued to stay together.
But what could she do? It was her who had nodded her head in front of her father. Now she had to bear with her tantrums and her profanities too.
"Alright, alright now feed me well, Renata is hungry for ages!" finally she was able to soften her face again. She was so easy to handle.
She would be perfect so that she would not be able to notice her future plans.
They reached the place where Renata used to live. Penny placed her on the sofa since the seats in the dining room were too large and heightened for her.
"This place needs some furniture for your size. I will ask the head maid of the central palace for her help later. For now, we will sit and eat on this sofa, okay?" Renata wanted to tell her that she did not care much but she was enjoying the attention and concern she was showing her.
It was warm without any fakery or mockery which she had received for the first time in her life.
"My lady, you should not look at others with those eyes!"