The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 238: Making deals (2)

After sitting down to be fed, Penelope and Tyrion left the estate to return to their home.

It only took one day with her family for Penelope to feel like herself again. Her parents’ home had a way of blocking out the troubles from around the town. It was something Penelope wanted to do for her home.

Penelope enjoyed passing the familiar scenery of her father’s land and then looked at Tyrion, who sat in the opposite seat so he could watch her.

"You look as though there is something you want to tell me," Penelope said.

"There is. I won’t be staying at home with you. Cassius has a business in town, and before he learn that I am searching for him and relocates this business, I want to visit. Today would be best," said Tyrion.

If Cassius moved his business, then Tyrion would have to search for someone else who did business with Cassius after that. Cassius was good at hiding his tracks, which made it harder to get rid of him before he got close to Penelope.

"I see. If you go there and Cassius is present, will you kill him?" Penelope asked, curious about the intentions of the visit.

"I would love to get rid of the bastard, but not when it is day and others can see me do it," Tyrion answered.

"If you show up at Cassius’s doors, then he will surely change where he does business. If I were in his shoes, I would suspect that you are following me and be careful," said Penelope.

"That is what I am hoping for. I will watch him carefully. I want him to grow nervous and lead me to where he resides. It is odd that we cannot find where he resides. If he is hiding something, I want him to scurry back to the hole he hides in or lead me to who he is close to in town," Tyrion explained.

"You are hoping that your arrival in his business makes him slip up. Many tremble at the sight of town guards. Seeing the prince at their doors would make them faint. Are you also searching for if Cassius is involved in the deaths?" Penelope wondered.

Cassius gave Penelope a bad feeling, but what if it was solely because he was a man who didn’t know when to stop courting her?

Cassius wouldn’t be the first man obsessed with Edgar’s daughters, and he wouldn’t be the last.

"I believe he hides something. It turns out that Cassius was also in the palace for the ball. That was an invitation-only ball, so someone in the palace thought to invite him. If he wasn’t invited and came as an escort to a young lady, I am curious who brought him," Tyrion said, finding it all to be suspicious.

It was unfortunate that Tyrion did not stay at the ball long, since he might have crossed paths with Cassius and whoever he attended the ball with.

"Did anyone find out who the lady killed at the ball met with? That is the first clue to finding the person behind the killings. You need a list of everyone invited to the ball," Penelope said, growing excited.

Penelope’s excitement didn’t last long since Tyrion showed his displeasure at her thinking of clues.

Despite being disappointed, Penelope was happy that Tyrion shared his plans and thoughts with her.

"You need to get a list of who was invited to the ball," Penelope advised Tyrion.

"I have already done so. I know the names of everyone at the ball, but I can’t narrow it down to that list. There were plenty of guards, maids, and men from the court within that area. Anyone could have killed her," Tyrion said.

Still, Tyrion was keeping an eye on Cassius since he was one of the few strangers in town around the same time the first kill occurred.

"That is true," Penelope said, thinking they were back to the start. "Perhaps when you speak to Cassius, you will understand the feeling he gives me. Was anything discovered about the man recently found?"

Penelope’s shoulders dropped due to disappointment. "You don’t want to share it, do you?" She asked, noticing his hesitation.

"I fear that I am getting you a little too excited about all of this, and your curiosity will lead you to search for other clues. We shouldn’t speak of this any further now, but I will inform you of what else is found another day," Tyrion promised.

"I promised you that I wouldn’t go searching for clues. I’ve realised the dangers, Tyrion. I know that this is nothing like sneaking out to gamble," Penelope said, hoping he could believe her.

"I do trust that you know the difference in danger, but I am concerned that one innocent question you ask anyone might place you in the path of danger. Matilda asking around is enough," Tyrion said, wanting it to stop there. "I don’t want to hear of you in danger."

"I know. You must know that regardless of what you share with me, I will always be curious. If I don’t hear it from you, I shall hear it from gossip around the town. You can speak with me, and I won’t go searching for clues. I promise," Penelope said, offering her hand for them to shake on it.

Tyrion looked at her hand before his gaze shifted back to her face. "If you do not listen, what will I get?"

"Nothing since I will not fail," Penelope replied.

"Then you won’t mind making a deal with me. If I find out that you have done more than having Matilda speak with the maids or you have spoken to anyone around the town, then you must sit with me for a ride around the town," Tyrion proposed, offering his hand for Penelope to shake.

Penelope laughed at what Tyrion wanted. "A ride around the town? What kind of punishment is that? You must not have noticed how much I enjoy riding around in our carriage. I like seeing the town."

"The carriage is not all you would ride," Tyrion clarified.

Penelope pulled her hand back. "You."

"You are right that it isn’t much of a punishment. Either way, you will win. You were confident that you wouldn’t get involved, so what do you have to lose? You only need to worry if you were plotting to go behind my back," Tyrion said, his hand waiting.

Penelope truly meant that she would stay out of it, but if she made the faintest mistake, would she have to go along with his deal?

Penelope didn’t like how Tyrion smiled like he believed she couldn’t go through with it.

Against her better judgment, Penelope shook his hand.