"..."
"Pepe, come on, try to pull yourself together. You need to drink the potion."
Don’t call me Pepe. Who gave him the right to decide on a nickname just because I’m too out of it to protest? Penelope’s thoughts rebelled, but all that escaped her lips was shallow, wheezing breaths.
Ahwin placed a hand on her forehead, his expression growing graver.
"Your forehead’s burning up. You’ve got a serious fever."
Penelope’s eyelids fluttered open slowly. She saw Ahwin looking down at her, worry evident in his gaze.
"Feeling a bit more awake? I’ll help you sit up—you just need to drink the potion and then rest again."
"Water... I’m thirsty..."
"I’ll get you some water too."
"Mm..."
Ahwin gently propped her up, placing a pillow behind her back for support. Her head swam with dizziness, and before she realized it, she was leaning against his shoulder.
"Do you hate me that much, Pepe?"
What? When did I ever say I hated you? And stop calling me Pepe!
Without the strength to speak, Penelope shook her head weakly. Ahwin’s voice brightened slightly, as though he’d glimpsed a ray of hope in a dark cave.
"So, you don’t hate me, then?"
"Pepe..."
"Hm? What did you say?"
Stop calling me Pepe!
Penelope felt her face flush even hotter, a mixture of fever and exasperation.
"This won’t do. First, let’s get the recovery potion in you. It’s a high-grade one, so once you rest, you’ll feel much better," Ahwin said, pulling out a crystal-clear bottle from the inside of his robe. The liquid inside shimmered with a luminous blue light—it was unmistakably the potion he’d mentioned.
"Open your lips just a little," he instructed.
Too tired to argue, Penelope complied. The potion’s lukewarm liquid trickled into her mouth. Immediately, her face scrunched up in distaste—it was unbearably bitter.
"So bitter..." she mumbled.
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Ahwin pressed a hand lightly over her lips to stop her from spitting it out.
"Don’t you dare spit it out. Swallow it."
"Ugh..."
With considerable effort, Penelope forced herself to swallow the potion. When she coughed and protested, Ahwin finally let go.
"Haah... haah... It’s way too bitter..."
"That’s how you know it’s good for you, Pepe."
"Stop calling me Pepe..." Penelope murmured, opening her eyes just enough to glare at him weakly before her head lolled against his shoulder again. She could swear she heard his heartbeat echoing like a drum, but maybe that was just her fever playing tricks on her.
Ahwin fell silent for a long moment. Penelope was on the verge of drifting back into sleep when he finally spoke again.
"I’ll admit, I was rash. It was because of that damned guy... My feelings slipped out before I could stop myself."
He gently smoothed down her hair and helped her lie back down.
Penelope blinked up at him, her thoughts somewhat clearer after drinking the potion. The cool sensation spreading through her body was soothing, as if calming her from the inside out.
"Get some more rest," Ahwin said softly. "See? This is what happens when you overwork yourself. You’re too diligent for your own good."
You’re the one who’s overly diligent, Penelope thought but didn’t voice it. Instead, she closed her eyes, her body too drained to argue.
Ahwin lightly brushed his hand across her forehead, his touch surprisingly gentle. As the potion worked its magic, a refreshing sensation spread through her stomach, easing her discomfort.
Before long, Penelope sank back into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The next morning, Penelope woke up feeling light and refreshed. She felt healthier than she had before falling ill, or perhaps it was just her imagination.
“Come to think of it, I did drink the potion Ahwin gave me before falling asleep...”
Using such an expensive potion on someone bedridden from sheer exhaustion—it was enough to leave her speechless.
Pressing her fingers to her temple, Penelope tried hard to shake the thought of the potion’s price out of her mind.
“Well, if I take a day off, I lose more money than that potion costs anyway. Time is money, after all.”
As Penelope finished rationalizing the expense and got out of bed, the castle was bustling with unusual activity. The servants were moving busily, as if preparing to greet someone.
With a puzzled expression, Penelope turned to Giselle and asked, “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll go ask the steward.”
Giselle, apparently curious herself, hurried off to find the steward. A short while later, she returned with him in tow.
The steward, slightly out of breath from rushing over, reported to Penelope, “Baron Halo’s uncle has arrived.”
“...”
Penelope froze for a moment.
“First the aunt, now the uncle. These pesky relatives just keep coming.”
It seemed like every branch of the extended family was lining up to knock on the castle gates.
At least she had met Baron Halo’s uncle once before, at the wedding. Which only made things more awkward.
“I’ll get dressed and meet him in the parlor. Please escort him there.”
“Understood.”
Not long after, the steward brought Daniel Halo into the room. His brown hair and deep chestnut eyes bore a striking resemblance to Fiora, which made Penelope flinch involuntarily.
“Just looking at him is already irritating.”
And Daniel wasn’t alone. Accompanying him was a stern-looking man who seemed excessively meticulous at first glance.
Penelope greeted them politely. “Welcome, Uncle. It’s been a while since the wedding.”
Unfortunately, Daniel responded immediately in a stiff voice, “I heard you expelled Fiora from the castle.”
“...”
“Halo Territory belongs to the Halo family. I’ll give you three days to pack up and return to your maiden home. This land has been ruled by our family for generations.”
How predictable. Not even a speck of originality in his approach.
Penelope pursed her lips slightly and replied, “That sounds like a unilateral declaration.”
“I heard you were bringing up legal matters, so I brought a lawyer with me.”
“Oh, a lawyer.”
Raising an eyebrow, Penelope glanced at the man accompanying Daniel, now clearly identified as his lawyer.
“Does that mean you plan to file a lawsuit?”
“What?”
Daniel’s expression twisted in disbelief. Apparently, he had no idea just what kind of trouble Fiora had caused before her expulsion.
Penelope continued bluntly, “You brought a lawyer with you—what else could you be planning? If you want to contest the inheritance in court, you’ll have to take it to the Imperial Court. Go ahead and file your suit. I’ll hire a representative and send them.”
“You... You’ve lost your mind.”
Daniel looked utterly flabbergasted, clicking his tongue in disbelief. Clearly, he hadn’t expected Penelope to confront him so boldly.
“Did he think he was the only one who could act unreasonably?”
With a sense of amused defiance, Penelope crossed her legs.
It seemed they saw her as nothing more than a naïve young widow barely past twenty, someone who would tremble in fear if they showed up unannounced and raised their voices.
But Penelope had her past life’s experiences to draw on. She had consumed enough dramas and movies to know that you fight fire with fire—and absurdity with even greater absurdity.
“How dare you! Are you so blinded by greed that you’ve completely lost your senses?”
“In my opinion, the ones who seem desperate enough to cling to this estate despite having no rightful claim are the ones truly out of their minds.”
“What did you say?”
“You’ve brought a lawyer with you. Why don’t you have him check whose claim is legally valid?”
“...!”
Daniel gritted his teeth, glaring at Penelope with murderous intent in his eyes.
Now that she looked more closely, there were dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed nervous. She had heard rumors that he had squandered his family’s wealth on drinking and gambling before being disowned. To him, this estate probably looked like nothing more than a fat purse.
“He just wants to suck the life out of it.”
The thought was so obvious it made Penelope chuckle softly.
“You know, the Halo family must all be remarkably dim-witted. How can they all overlook the crucial fact of who saved this estate from the brink of ruin?”
“You dare speak this way? Do you really intend to challenge our family until the bitter end?”
“I’ve been saying that from the start. Go ahead. I won’t back down.”
At Penelope’s resolute response, Daniel ground his teeth audibly.
At that moment, his lawyer stepped forward. “We could appeal directly to His Majesty about the proxy lordship of Halo Territory. If that happens, this matter will become a topic of gossip among the nobles. Is that what you want?”
“Ah, a lawyer really does know how to make a good threat. Shall I try one as well?”
The lawyer’s face hardened, and he fell silent. Penelope smiled and said, “If you don’t leave this estate immediately, I’ll exercise my authority as the acting lord and have you executed on the spot. The charge? Threatening the lord of the territory.”
“W-What!”