Penelope's face stiffened as she replayed her recent words in her head.
In essence, she had just called Rianel an opportunist who keeps people around solely for their usefulness!
‘He’s been observing me much more closely than I realized,’ Rianel thought grimly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
Every word Penelope spoke felt like a sharp blade lodging itself in his chest, but he made an effort to suppress the sensation.
‘Is this karmic retribution for my past behavior?’
At that moment, Rianel realized that continuing this conversation would do him no good whatsoever.
“Come along. I’ll escort you out of the palace,” he said curtly.
“Thank you...” Penelope replied, her relief evident.
Rianel added a word of caution.
“Always be careful in the palace. A moment’s distraction is all it takes to lose your way.”
***
With Rianel’s guidance, Penelope safely returned to her waiting carriage.
As soon as Giselle spotted her, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
“I’ve been looking all over for you! I’m so glad you found your way back!”
“...Yeah,” Penelope muttered dejectedly before turning to Rianel.
“Thank you for bringing me back.”
“Think nothing of it. Take care on your way.”
“You as well. Farewell,” Penelope said as she climbed into the carriage with the help of an attendant.
Rianel watched her hand as it slipped away from his view, then slowly stuffed his own hands into his pockets.
The carriage carrying Penelope quickly disappeared beyond the palace gates.
Just then, a presence stirred behind him. Without turning, Rianel spoke.
“It seems Tevez is enthusiastically plotting something again.”
“Yes, from what I’ve gathered, the Dowager Duchess is actively arranging a political marriage for Your Grace,” answered Kael, Rianel’s steward.
Rianel let out a dry laugh.
“It seems my dear stepmother has found herself with too much free time once again.”
“Your Grace’s marriage is a critical matter in the duchy. It’s no surprise that Tevez and the retainers loyal to the Dowager Duchess are sharpening their knives,” Kael explained.
Rianel’s expression twisted into a bitter smile.
For years, his stepmother had attempted to marry him off to a woman of her choosing—someone pliable, who would allow her to maintain control of the household.
But now that rumors of Rianel and Penelope had made their way into the newspapers, it must have been driving her mad.
If Rianel were to make Penelope his wife, his stepmother would instantly lose all authority over the duchy’s domestic affairs.
‘Judging by how Tevez came here whining, she must be desperate.’
“I suppose I can’t say I’m not using Penelope in some way after all,” Rianel murmured to himself.
“Didn’t Lady Penelope say she completely understands?” Rianel’s knight, Ren, suddenly chimed in.
Kael frowned deeply and shot Ren a sharp glare, silently warning him to stop spouting nonsense. Ren flinched and immediately shut his mouth.
Rianel, however, remained silent, his gaze fixed on the path where Penelope’s carriage had disappeared.
For a moment, his usually composed expression faltered.
When Penelope had told him she understood, Rianel had felt a profound unease—as though his heart had plummeted to the floor.
What kind of woman would claim to understand a man who openly admitted to using her?
‘If only I could turn back time...’
For once, Rianel found himself grappling with a rare and unfamiliar sense of regret.
***
Lucas, who had just heard the full account of what had happened at the imperial palace from Penelope, was left utterly dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open in shock.
Even through the communication crystal, his reaction was clear.
“The- the Emperor is gifting you a townhouse in the capital?”
“And a baronial title too?”
“My g-goodness...! To be granted a baronial title! This is truly an incredible honor!”
“When will the title be officially conferred?”
“Next month, on the first Sunday,” Penelope replied.
At her answer, the sound of a loud commotion came through the crystal.
“Move aside for a moment...!”
“No, you move first!”
“This is no time to stand around here. We need to prepare to head to the capital immediately!”
The administrator’s booming voice rang out. The retainers, glancing at their clothes, suddenly rushed out of the room en masse.
The chief steward, the last to remain, wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief before addressing Penelope.
“I’d dearly love to attend your title conferment ceremony myself, but... it seems I’ll have to stay behind to guard the estate.”
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for your hard work.”
“No, no, it’s only natural. This is my duty. Congratulations once again, my lady. Or rather, I suppose I should now call you Baroness.”
“Thank you. Call me whatever you like.” Penelope smiled softly.
The chief steward returned her smile warmly.
This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.
“Since you’ve taken charge of Halo, good fortune seems to follow us. We owe you a great debt of gratitude. On a more cautious note, I do hope you’ll take care of yourself.”
“Yes, I will,” Penelope responded meekly, fully aware he was referencing the recent poisoning attempt.
The chief steward hesitated briefly before speaking again.
“And... no matter who you choose, we will support you wholeheartedly.”
“...Excuse me?”
Choose someone? Was there someone she needed to choose? Penelope blinked in confusion, then gasped as the realization hit her.
‘The chief steward must have seen the scandal articles too.’
His words, upon closer interpretation, suggested that the retainers were aware of her alleged entanglement with Rianel and Ahwin and that they would support her no matter who she chose.
“Haha. Thank you for your support...” she replied awkwardly.
“It’s only right. You’re still young and exceptionally capable, my lady. I believe you should freely explore love with whomever you choose.”
“...”
For some reason, Penelope couldn’t shake a sense of déjà vu. The treasurer had said something similar on the day she left Ahwin’s townhouse.
“Whatever choice you make, my lady, I will support it wholeheartedly.”
So that’s what he meant.
In a voice barely above a whisper, Penelope offered her thanks.
“Thank you...”
That night.
Penelope lay motionless in the middle of her bed before suddenly opening her eyes wide.
“...I can’t sleep.”
She groaned as she tossed and turned, her frustration growing by the minute. The urge to kick her blankets wildly was almost overwhelming.
The thought of her retainers fussing over her love life was deeply embarrassing.
But what was even more humiliating was the knowledge that they had read everything about her in the newspapers.
Finally, she sat up in bed.
‘This won’t do. I need some green herb tea.’
There was no better remedy for a restless mind than green herb tea.
Throwing a robe over her nightgown, Penelope opened her bedroom door. The dim hallway was silent, the household staff clearly fast asleep.
She tiptoed carefully out of her room, grateful for the faint light from the magical lamps that prevented any unfortunate stumbles.
Eventually, she arrived safely at the kitchen. Turning on the magical lamp by the entrance, she flooded the room with light.
‘First, I need to boil some water.’
The process was simple enough, as the kitchen fire was still burning, thanks to the cook.
‘Maybe I should grab a snack too. I feel a bit peckish.’
Rummaging through the shelves, she found some scones. She also placed green herb leaves into a teacup and poured the hot water over them. A pleasant aroma quickly filled the air.
Penelope inhaled deeply, the soothing scent of the tea calming her nerves.
“Ah, this is life... ack!”
Her moment of peace was shattered when she locked eyes with a man whose dark circles stood out starkly under his eyes.
The man, who had been reaching for a scone, awkwardly lowered his hand. Penelope, startled, blurted out,
“A thief?! Who are you, trying to steal my scones...?”
The man clasped his hands together politely, listening intently to her accusations. His overly respectful demeanor was far too refined for a thief.
It was then Penelope realized his face was oddly familiar.
“Oh, wait, are you... a mage from the Magic Tower?”
“You mimic a crow’s call quite well,” the mage replied, his tone devoid of social warmth. Penelope’s lips twitched involuntarily.
“So, what brings you here?” she asked.
“As you can see, I was hungry. Unlike you, I couldn’t find anything in the kitchen. But you’ve managed to gather quite a feast. Impressive,” he replied with a flat tone.
“Ha ha, is that so?” Penelope forced a smile before speaking again.
“But... you know my name?”
“I read it in the newspapers,” he answered matter-of-factly.
Penelope’s eye twitched again.
‘Could he have learned social interaction from books?’