Chapter 571: I’m not leaving you for this.

"I’m... home?"

Everyone looked at Zoren with gaping mouths. Nathaniel especially tumbled down onto his bottom as he gazed up. He slowly pointed at Zoren, his hands and entire body shaking.

"Boss! I mean, Master! Why are you doing this?! Are you that scared of her?!"

Zoren slowly turned his head and gazed down. "Keep up the good work."

"..."

"Hey." Hugo leaned to Zoren’s side and whispered, "What’s going on?"

Zoren glanced at his brother-in-law and sighed. "She doesn’t know about him."

"Oh..." Hugo nodded, glancing at Penny, who was slowly standing up. He then cast a panicked look at Zoren and smiled. "There’s this chef—his name is Chef Skylar. He’s in the country right now. She likes his pudding."

"Thank you." Zoren nodded discreetly before the two of them snapped their eyes back to Penny. Hugo and Zoren smiled like good boys, hoping they weren’t in too much trouble.

Although Hugo was out of it, he felt sorry for Zoren. After all, he knew that whatever this problem was, Zoren didn’t mean it.

"Welcome back, husband," Penny greeted, all smiles.

Zoren’s back stiffened as he leaned toward Hugo’s side. "She never called me husband. How much trouble am I in?"

"Big," Hugo whispered back, his eyes on his smiling sister. "Very big. Put a priority order for that pudding. You might still be alive once it comes if you do that."

"..." Zoren pressed his lips together and sighed, glancing at the pit and then back at Penny.

Although it was never an issue whether she would call him husband or not, Zoren had wondered what it would be like to be claimed by her. Who would have thought the experience was unlike what he had imagined?

She did claim him now, but it sounded like she was claiming his life as well.

Penny maintained her smile until her eyes looked like crescent moons. She smacked her lips and glanced at the pit.

"Earlier, I was taking a walk and saw that someone seemed to be staying in the guesthouse," she explained, her squinting eyes slowly parting open. "Mark said no one was there, but when I checked, there was actually a guest. Was he a friend of yours, darling?"

’That’s the second endearment,’

Mark pressed his lips into a thin line as he lowered his head.’I’m sorry for failing you, Master. I’ll dig your grave if she asks you to join that guy.’

At least Zoren wouldn’t lie in the grave exhausted, right?

At this point, everyone could only stare at Zoren pitifully. They did so not because they found him very pitiful or because they were scared of Penny—rather, they were scared of her for something else, but not this time. What made them look at their boss sympathetically was that they knew he would do everything Penny asked him to do.

In other words, if she asked him to dig a grave, Zoren would do it. If she asked him to bury himself, he would do it with a smile.

’Oh, love! People really turn foolish when it comes to love!’one of the bodyguards lamented internally.

’I’m so glad my wife isn’t like this... at least, she’s not as intense as Miss Penny. All she does is throw my stuff away.’

’Please, boss! Don’t let her do this to you! Beg her to forgive you! We’ll beg with you!’

But alas, none of them dared to speak their minds aloud. All they could do was dart their eyes between Zoren and Penny, dreading what would come out of her mouth next.

"Is... that so?" Zoren’s voice cracked a little, forcing a subtle smile. "No, he isn’t a friend of mine."

"Oh?" Penny arched a brow, rocking her head. "Alright."

"He can continue... whatever he was doing," Zoren remarked, ignoring Nathaniel’s cries and squeals upon hearing his reply to Penny. "How deep does this pit have to be? Should I ask everyone to help?"

’Boss!!!’

’No! She might decide to take us all with him!’

’My boss has fallen!’

Hugo darted his eyes between Penny and Zoren, opening and closing his mouth. "Uh, Penny..." he trailed off and smiled after earning a look from her. She didn’t even glare at him, but that look on her face was enough for him to know he should stay out of it.

"I’m heading inside!" Hugo announced with a smile before he clapped, turning to the people around. "Friends! How about dinner, huh?!"

The bodyguards looked at each other before their gazes fell on Hugo. They understood he was trying to create some private space for the couple.

"Yes, it’s dinnertime!"

"Let’s go, Second Brother!"

"The food tonight is extra special! I’m hungry."

Having said that, everyone laughed awkwardly, following Hugo’s lead. However, all of them had half their focus on Zoren and Penny. They were hoping to hear more, as they were afraid Penny would ask Zoren to dig with Nathaniel.

They were all ready to take Zoren’s spot.

"You." Penny glanced at Mark. "Stay here and make sure that guy continues digging."

Mark didn’t say a word and simply lowered his head. Penny, on the other hand, snapped her eyes back at Zoren. She walked toward him, stopping in front of him.

"Are we... okay?" was the first thing he asked quietly. "I don’t like the aura you’re giving me."

Penny smacked her lips mildly. "Yes, we are... but I’m not," she answered under her breath. "Let’s have dinner first, then we’ll talk."

Just as Penny was about to walk past him, Zoren reached out for her hand. She stopped and looked back at him, glancing at the hand that was holding hers. His fingertips were cold, revealing his nervousness and fear. Her eyes softened as he looked like a child afraid of being abandoned.

"I’m not angry at you," she reassured him, twisting her hand a bit to hold his. The corner of her mouth hooked up as she squeezed his hand to let him know her heart. "I’m not leaving you for this."

If anything, she was afraid he would leave her for what she was planning to do.