"My Lady!"
Penelope did not stop running, even though her breath was ragged. She had to leave this place immediately. Go far away from Duke Edmund Gerwyn. Just by meeting that man, her whole body trembled violently. The memories of her previous life, where she read the tragic story of the real Penelope Askary when she was cruelly murdered by Duke Edmund and crown prince Sebastian, took over all of her body functions. Penelope had to make a plan to survive in this second life.
"My Lady!"
That exclamation coincided with the appearance of Philleo Aaron in front of Penelope. The man spread his arms, blocking Penelope from running any further. Startled, Penelope was forced to stop running and almost fell over because she tripped over her own feet, if only Philleo didn't immediately catch the woman's body. After Philleo made sure Penelope was on her feet and all right, the man took a deep breath and bowed before Penelope.
"Pardon my impoliteness, Lady Penelope. I've been presumptuous in capturing your body. However, if I had not caught your body earlier, you would have fallen and been injured."
Penelope did not respond. She just looked down and hugged her body which was still trembling a lot. Seeing Penelope's state, Philleo was worried. If Ethan, Penelope's older brother who is very protective of Penelope, knows about this incident, certainly, Philleo's childhood friend will come to Duke Edmund Gerwyn and challenge him to a duel.
"My Lady, are you all right?" asked Phileo. He straightened his back and tried to look at Penelope's face. However, Penelope didn't want to raise her face at all. It was as if the fear that had gripped her wouldn't let her go. This could even be called a sense of trauma according to Philleo. But, what caused this trauma? What did Duke Edmund ever do to Penelope that no one knows about? "My Lady, could you please look at me?"
Still no response. Philleo grew worried in his place. As it turned out, what he heard at the Askary family's mansion was true. Penelope Askary has completely changed since having a fatal accident at that time. The woman seemed to be possessed by someone else. However, such a thing was impossible.
If this is the case, what should Philleo do? If he brought Penelope back to the mansion and her family saw this woman's condition, there would be a war between the two noble families with high status.
"My Lady," Philleo called again. The man then crouched down and looked up so he could see Penelope's face. "I know my attitude is very impolite. But, I'm really worried about My Lady's condition. Is My Lady all right? Has My Lady… ever been hurt by Duke Edmund, that's why My Lady is running around with your body trembling with fear like this?"
Penelope does not know when her tears have been flowing. Since when had she sobbed like this? Now, her hands were busy wiping away the tears that never stopped flowing down her white face. Seeing Penelope like this, the hatred that had filled Philleo's chest a long time ago now disappeared somewhere. What the man felt right now was sadness, grief, and pain in his heart. It was as if he could feel all the emotions that Penelope was currently feeling.
"My Lady, what should I do to make My Lady stop crying and smile again?" Philleo asked bitterly. His jaw tightened, a sign that he didn't like the sight he was seeing at all. His hands clenched tightly at his sides. He would do anything, as long as Penelope Askary returned to smiling beautifully, like when the woman was showered with fallen leaves in the park earlier.
"I... I..." Penelope was speechless. Her heart was tight with crying. That fear still haunted her. It was as if the memory of Penelope being cruelly killed by Duke Edmund and crown prince Sebastian had happened. Wait. If she could feel the fear of being killed by those two men, did that mean this was also Penelope's second life? Does that mean, time is turning again for Penelope? Only, this time Penelope's soul had disappeared and was replaced by the soul from her first life in her original world back then? If that was the case, it explained why the memory of Penelope's death was so vivid. "I... want to go home, Sir Philleo. I don't want to be here any longer."
"Yes, My Lady." Philleo Aaron stood up and allowed Penelope to go first, while he escorted her behind. His eyes never left Penelope's fragile back. He longed to be able to hug that fragile body, but Philleo realized that he couldn't possibly do it. Their statuses are different. Such impudence would only get him into trouble. "Let's go home."
One thing is for sure.
Philleo Aaron didn't want to see Penelope Askary sad and cry like this again.
###
When they arrived at Askary's mansion, Penelope immediately went to her room.
From his place, Philleo could only stare at Penelope's departure with a dazed look. The man combed his hair using his fingers, then put his hands on his hips and looked down. He clicks his tongue. Maybe Philleo should find out more about the relationship between Penelope and Edmund before this so that Penelope was terrified when she met Edmund earlier.
"Philleo?"
The call made Philleo wake up from his deep thoughts and turn his head. He immediately normalized his posture and bowed for a moment to greet Ethan Askary. Even though their status is childhood friends, Ethan is still above him when viewed from their noble status. Moreover, currently, Philleo was working as the leader of the first division in the knights belonging to the Askary family. So, Philleo couldn't act casually in front of Ethan, even though Ethan always told him to act normal when they were together.
"What are you doing standing here and daydreaming?" he asked. He had just returned from the imperial palace. He had business to attend to there. "I heard that you were ordered to escort my little sister. Is Penny back yet? Where is Penny now?"
Philleo cleared his throat and seemed to think. He knew he shouldn't have reported the incident to Ethan. But, if Philleo wanted to know more about Penelope and Edmund, then there was no other way, other than asking Ethan and being forced to tell the man what happened earlier.
"Young Master Ethan, do you know what relationship Lady Penelope and Duke Edmund have?"
Ethan's brow furrowed when he heard Edmund's name. His eyes flashed disapprovingly.
"Why do you think my little sister is related to that damn Duke? He even came close to killing my little sister over a jewelry problem, Phill. So, don't ever say his name again in front of me." Ethan snorted, then fell silent. Now, his eyes stared intently at Philleo. "Wait. You wouldn't suddenly ask something like this if nothing happened. Tell me. Did something happen to Penny? Did Duke Edmund do something to Penny?!"
Philleo knew it would be like this. The man had no other choice but to tell what had happened to Penelope and Edmund. As Ethan listened, his emotions immediately rose to the surface. The man's hands clenched tightly at his sides until they turned white and his jaw clenched so hard that you could see blue veins in it.
"That damn man is looking for trouble with me! How dare he make Penny cry and tremble with fear?!"
"Young Master Ethan, all Duke Edmund did was give a light greeting. But, Lady Penelope was immediately frightened and burst into tears. Isn't it normal and etiquette for a man to greet a woman and kiss the back of her hand?"
"But Penny must have been traumatized by Duke Edmund's behavior when he tried to slash her neck that time! That's why Penny cried in fear!" Ethan immediately ran to the second floor to meet Penelope. "Don't follow me, Phil! I will calm my little sister."
Philleo could only take a deep breath and nodded. His brain was too busy thinking. What must he do to comfort Penelope Askary?