"Please tell me you’re joking," Penny blurted out in horror, only to see Zoren shake his head with a wide smile. "!!!"
For a second, her mouth fell open as her pupils dilated. She believed his words more than her own judgment, because Penny didn’t trust drunk people—including herself.
"So?" Zoren teased, pinching the hem of his tie and pulling it slowly and carefully. "Shall I...?"
Penny’s horrified expression quickly shifted into a smile. "Renren, what’s that?" she asked, pointing to something behind him.
Zoren instinctively turned his head in the direction she pointed, only to hear hurried footsteps and slight squeal. Before he could look back, the bathroom door slammed shut.
"..." His gaze lingered on the door as he chuckled. "Well, I was hoping she’d at least remember that part."
Shaking his head, Zoren laughed it off and headed to the walk-in closet. He could have gone there right after his shower, but he had planned to tease her. Compared to how she had blue-balled him, teasing her wasn’t so cruel.
"I said all that?" Penny stood in the middle of the ridiculously huge bathroom, her hands covering her red cheeks. "Oh my God, I’m crazy!"
Sneaking out of the Bennet Mansion just to go to Zoren’s house was already absurd. But to say such ridiculous things — clearly her inner demon talking — was insane.
"I’m really crazy," she gasped, snapping her eyes to the mirror before her. Penny pointed at her reflection, opening and closing her mouth, unsure of how to scold herself.
In the end, Penny sighed heavily and leaned on the edge of the sink. Staring at her reflection in disappointment, her expression soured. Of all the things running through her mind, one concern stood out:
"I didn’t do anything to hurt his pride, did I?" she murmured. Penny didn’t want to come across as the dominant one in the relationship. She wanted Zoren to have his chance to shine, to impress her. Although, just standing there, looking oh so glorious, was enough to impress her. Still, she knew Zoren was working hard to win her over.
She didn’t want to step on that as she also wanted to be the princess in this relationship.
Penny shook her head and slapped her cheeks, her eyes fixed on her reflection. "I just have to believe that sneaking out was the first and last troublesome thing I did last night! If not, I’ll just act like it didn’t happen. I’ll make it right!"
Penny nodded at herself encouragingly, determination sparkling in her eyes.
Meanwhile, at the Bennet Mansion...
"First Master Atlas?" Butler Jen knocked on the door. "Miss Penny?"
The sun was already up, but neither Penny nor Atlas had woken yet. It was unusual for both of them, but considering Penny was drunk last night, Butler Jen didn’t expect much from her. Atlas, however, concerned him a little.
Even on the weekend, Atlas would wake up early for a quick morning jog before spending the day reading or doing some light work. He rarely or rather, he never slept in.
"First Master Atlas?" Butler Jen called again, knocking on the door. "First Master Atlas?"
He knocked a few more times before stepping back, furrowing his brows. He stared at the door for a moment before knocking one last time.
"First Master Atlas, I’m going to open the door," he said, raising his voice in hopes of a reply. When none came, Butler Jen reached for the knob and pushed the door open.
"First Master Atlas? Miss Penny?"
Deep lines formed between his brows as his eyes landed on the empty bed. He opened the door wider, scanning the room curiously. The bed was so empty that even the blanket was missing. When his eyes shifted to the beanbag where Atlas had stayed the previous night, it was also empty—though there were traces of his presence.
Butler Jen approached the beanbag and picked up a book from the floor. The glass of water Atlas had drunk from last night was tipped over on the floor, but it wasn’t broken.
"Where did they go?" he wondered, knitting his brows. "Did they both go out for a morning run? If so, they must have gone very early."
Butler Jen looked around the room once more, noticing the absence of the blanket again. "Where’s the blanket?"
For a moment, he pondered it but quickly dismissed it as none of his concern. Shaking his head, he picked up the glass and began tidying the room. Just as he straightened his back, Butler Jen heard a loud noise.
Butler Jen flinched in surprise, hearing something hit another object—like a person hitting furniture. Before he could wonder what it was, he heard a groan.
His eyes widened in horror, quickly shifting his gaze to where the sound came from.
Butler Jen found himself staring at the bed, where the man’s groan was coming from. Listening closely, he finally snapped out of his trance.
"First Master Atlas?" he guessed, curious. He rushed to the bed and placed the items he had gathered onto it before peeking underneath. Squinting, he saw a man wrapped in the missing blanket.
Butler Jen’s mouth slowly fell open in shock. For a moment, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Atlas, stuck under the bed, groaned from having hit his forehead. A second later, he turned his head, sensing someone’s gaze on him. His eyes met Butler Jen’s, and they stared at each other for a second before Butler Jen found his voice.
"First... First Master Atlas?" Butler Jen stammered, perplexed. "What are you... why are you sleeping under the bed?"
Atlas clenched his teeth, his face turning bright red.
[SKYLINE PLAZA: Zoren’s]
Penny was enjoying a warm bath to ease her sore muscles and rid herself of unnecessary thoughts. As her body and mind began to relax, however, she suddenly felt a chill creeping up her spine, as if someone had just vowed to kill her today.
Penny shuddered, rubbing her shoulders and shaking her head. "Goodness. I think I need more relaxing music to get rid of this lingering anxiety."