I Don't Know the Original, I'm Too Busy Trying to Make a Living-Chapter 164
At Penelope’s question, the two maids sighed deeply before stepping closer to her. Giselle was the first to deliver a scolding.
“Don’t you think you’re being a bit inconsiderate? Lord Ahwin stayed up until dawn watching over you!”
“That’s what I’m saying!” Laura chimed in. “It’s not like you didn’t have the time to take a break. Why push yourself so hard?”
“It’s not my fault there were so many documents...” Penelope mumbled weakly, her voice trailing off.
“Do you think the retainers expected you to finish all that paperwork in just three days? How can you be so one-track-minded?” Giselle snapped.
“Lady Penelope, you’re too much of a workaholic!” Laura added. “If you keep going like this, you’ll collapse and die young! Next time, if you overwork yourself, we’ll hide all your paperwork!”
Giselle’s stern tone layered on top of Laura’s lecture felt like a bombardment of scolding. Penelope, who had just woken up, found her head spinning from the sheer volume of their words.
Just then—
Grrrrooowl.
The sound of her stomach rumbling cut through the tension. Given that she hadn’t eaten properly in the past three days, and even skipped last night’s dinner, it was no surprise her empty stomach had reached its limit.
Penelope scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Uh... how about we start with breakfast?”
“First, you need to wash up,” Giselle said firmly.
“Freshen yourself up and then eat,” Laura echoed.
“...Fine,” Penelope relented, quietly opening the green potion and gulping it down. Thankfully, it tasted like chocolate.
Luckily, washing up didn’t take long. Thanks to the hairdryer Penelope had invented, drying her hair and finishing her grooming took less than an hour.
As she hummed a cheerful tune, she thought about how the people of the empire must be singing her praises every morning. It had been a while since she felt this pleased with herself.
When she finally entered the drawing room, a sumptuous breakfast spread awaited her. Standing beside the table was Ahwin, dressed just as impeccably as the day before. His golden hair gleamed, perfectly complementing the deep navy suit he wore, which was adorned with a sapphire brooch that looked as though it had been made just for him.
The moment Ahwin saw her, he raised a fist to his lips and cleared his throat.
“You’re awake?”
“Thank you for the potion. It really helped,” Penelope said sincerely.
After drinking Ahwin’s special potion, the exhaustion of the past three days seemed to melt away. It reaffirmed her belief that not just anyone could become the Tower Master.
Ahwin coughed again before gesturing toward the table. “Would you like to sit down?”
“Yes. You should sit too,” Penelope replied.
“Oh, uh, sure,” Ahwin mumbled, avoiding her gaze as he answered. It was unlike him to avoid eye contact, and Penelope tilted her head, puzzled.
What’s with him? Why’s he acting so awkward?
She shrugged it off for the moment and took a seat, noticing that Ahwin moved to sit across from her. His movements seemed stiff, like those of a clunky robot.
He wouldn’t have left a mountain of potions on the shelf if he’d lost affection for me... so why is he acting so weird?
And then it hit her.
Oh no! I kissed him!
Her memories of the incident came flooding back, crystal clear.
After sending off her parents, Penelope had shared a lighthearted conversation with Ahwin and, as a gesture of gratitude, kissed his cheek. It was meant to be innocent, but in an awkward twist, their lips had brushed ever so slightly.
Oh! So that’s why he couldn’t look me in the eye yesterday, Penelope realized.
Ahwin’s sudden distance now made sense—he was overwhelmed by the awkwardness of the moment.
But it was just a thank-you kiss... Does that even count as a real kiss?
Her modern sensibilities clashed with the conservative norms of this world. Penelope had unconsciously assumed it was a fleeting, insignificant incident, a product of her past life’s memories.
But clearly, this isn’t a trivial matter here.
She reminded herself that this world was at least ten times more traditional, especially when it came to matters between men and women. Marriage was still largely a tool for political alliances among nobles, and romantic relationships were viewed with strict formality.
Ahwin cleared his throat again. His stiffness was making Penelope feel equally tense.
“So, uh, about the... kiss... no, I mean, our date,” Ahwin stammered.
Did he just call it a kiss out loud?!
Penelope turned # Nоvеlight # her gaze to the ceiling, trying to collect herself. Her face felt inexplicably warm.
“Pepe, will you go on a date with me today?” Ahwin asked, his voice steadying.
“Uh, today...” Penelope started, intending to say she needed to finish the remaining paperwork, but was interrupted by a sudden fit of coughing from Giselle.
Laura shot her a sharp, pointed look as if signaling, Don’t you dare turn him down.
Penelope bit her lip, catching on to the urgency of their cues. She wasn’t so oblivious that she couldn’t read the room.
Time to take the lead.
Despite her inexperience, Penelope prided herself on having absorbed plenty of romantic tropes from media in her past life. She was confident she could navigate this situation better than Ahwin, who had no such experience.
“Ahwin, where do you want to go?”
“Well, you haven’t really explored the estate much, have you? Wouldn’t you like to take a proper look around?”
“I would!” Penelope replied eagerly, her eyes sparkling. Ahwin’s lips curled into a subtle smile.
“Then, after breakfast, we’ll...”
Just then, a knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Penelope called.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
The door opened to reveal Sain, followed by Rub and Katherine standing behind him.
“Sain!” Penelope exclaimed, rising from her seat. It was the first time she’d seen him since their arrival at the estate. No wonder something had felt off—she had completely forgotten about him amidst all the chaos!
“Lady Penelope!”
Sain ran to her and threw his arms around her, nearly knocking her off balance. He had grown taller and sturdier, likely from proper meals and plenty of activity. Though his physique now matched his peers, to Penelope, he was still a fragile child.
“Sain, how have you been? You weren’t lonely, were you?”
“I was fine,” Sain replied resolutely.
Penelope’s heart clenched. She felt a pang of guilt for neglecting him. First, her parents had suddenly visited, then she had buried herself in estate work. How lonely must Sain have felt, left to fend for himself without any attention from her?
Ahwin, who had been watching quietly, finally spoke. “What do you mean, lonely? He’s been having the time of his life with the castle staff. He only came today because his tutor told him he should at least pay his respects to you.”
Sain’s expression faltered, and Penelope shot Ahwin a sharp glare.
“Ahwin, stop making things up. You’re making him feel bad.”
Sain pressed his lips together and shifted his gaze between Penelope and Ahwin, clearly uncomfortable. Penelope felt an even greater wave of pity for him.
“How about we go explore the estate together today?” she suggested.
“Explore the estate?” Sain’s eyes lit up like a puppy spotting a treat hidden in the sofa. Penelope couldn’t help but laugh.
Ahwin, looking alarmed, interjected. “Pepe, we already agreed to go on a date today.”
“We can go together,” she said casually.
“That’s not a date. I want to spend time with you alone,” Ahwin said firmly, his gaze intense.
Penelope was taken aback by his determination. She hadn’t expected him to take the idea of a date so seriously. It was a bit embarrassing, especially in front of Sain.
Is this really something to make such a fuss over in front of a child?
Of course, Penelope had a plan.
Step one: explore the estate with Sain for a while.
Step two: send Sain back to the castle and spend the rest of the time alone with Ahwin.
Perfect.
But there was no way Ahwin could read her mind, and explaining it to him with a look wasn’t an option.
While Penelope was caught in her dilemma, Sain suddenly raised his hand.
