Chapter 458: Lost Dog

Electra's POV

I watched Penelope continue to follow directly behind me, and after several more seconds of hearing her footsteps behind mine, I finally let out a frustrated groan. It was starting to feel like she had glued herself to me, and no matter how many hints I gave her, she simply refused to leave me alone. I halted in my steps in the middle of the staircase and turned around to face her. Penelope almost walked straight into me before stopping herself at the last second, and instead of looking embarrassed, she only stared back at me with complete calmness.

"Why are you following me around?" I asked flatly, narrowing my eyes at her. "I already said that I don't need you coming with me."

Penelope crossed her arms loosely over her chest before shrugging like my annoyance meant absolutely nothing to her. "I'm not interested in going back to class," she responded casually. "So you should just let me come with you to the palace."

I stared at her in disbelief for a moment before scoffing softly. "Absolutely not."

Penelope rolled her eyes immediately, clearly unimpressed by my response. "Oh please. Stop acting like I'm asking for something outrageous." She continued walking until she was standing right in front of me before adding, "Besides, I also don't like the idea of you going to the palace by yourself." She paused briefly as though thinking about something before speaking again. "Actually, now that we're all on good terms again, wouldn't it be better if we called Irina and Roxana to come with us too?"

I immediately threw her a glare so sharp that most people would have backed away instantly. "You can't be serious," I said slowly. "I already told you that I don't even want you coming with me, and now you're thinking of inviting the others too?"

Penelope blinked at me innocently, which somehow only irritated me more.

I let out another frustrated sigh before continuing down the stairs again. "I just want to see Jella," I muttered. "And what I intend to do to her is not something I think you want to witness with your own eyes."

That finally made Penelope frown properly. She quickened her pace slightly until she was walking beside me instead of behind me. "Haven't I already told you not to look down on me just because I look calm?" she asked with visible annoyance in her voice. "You keep acting like I'm fragile."

I glanced sideways at her briefly before looking ahead again. "I definitely know now that you're not fragile."

Penelope narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I sighed softly, already regretting opening my mouth. "Nothing."

"No," she said immediately. "Say it."

I looked at her blankly for a moment before finally speaking. "I finally understand why Irina said that both of you are mentally unstable."

Penelope stopped walking completely. For a second there was complete silence between us before she stared at me with absolute disbelief written all over her face.

"Excuse me?" she asked slowly.

I kept walking down the stairs while shrugging lightly. "I'm just saying that after everything that happened yesterday and earlier at the rooftop, I finally see Irina's point."

I snorted softly under my breath, and Penelope immediately pointed at me accusingly. "Are you trying to call me insane?"

"I'm really not, but if you think so then…" I responded, and her frown only deepened.

"If you weren't so much stronger, I would slap you, but I already cried enough for one day," she said, and I almost laughed but stopped myself, still annoyed by the fact that she was following me.

I sighed again before finally shaking my head. "Just don't cause trouble for me, and if you can promise that, then fine. You can come with me."

Penelope still looked offended, but she crossed her arms again before muttering, "Whether you agreed or not, I was still going to come with you anyway, so stop being so dramatic like I needed your permission, because believe me, I didn't."

That finally made a small smirk appear on my face. "You shouldn't forget that I can fly," I reminded her calmly. "Getting away from you would be too easy."

Penelope's eyes narrowed immediately after hearing that, but instead of responding right away, she only continued walking beside me quietly. Every now and then, I could feel her glaring at the side of my face, clearly still annoyed by the mentally unstable comment. Honestly, I did not even fully understand why she was so offended when she had literally broken a mirror in my room and acted like a mad woman.

Humans were strange, very strange.

We finally stepped out of the dormitory building and into the open school grounds. The weather was cooler than usual, with dark clouds hanging above the school like rain was threatening to fall at any moment. Students walked through the pathways in groups, but almost every single person who noticed me immediately stiffened or moved out of the way. Some lowered their heads quickly while others whispered nervously to each other.

After several more seconds of silence, Penelope suddenly glanced toward me again. "So what exactly are you planning to do when we get to the palace?"

I looked at her flatly. "Why would I tell you that?"

"Because I'm coming with you."

"You invited yourself."

Penelope rolled her eyes dramatically. "It doesn't matter; it's the same thing."

I ignored her completely, but unfortunately, Penelope clearly had no intention of staying quiet anymore.

"You're not going to kill Jella, right?" she asked carefully.

I looked at her without answering immediately.

Penelope's expression slowly changed. "Electra."

"I didn't say anything."

She scoffed. "That's exactly why I'm worried."

I scoffed softly before looking ahead again. "Relax, I'm simply going to see her and tie up a few loose ends."

"That does not sound reassuring coming from you," she responded, and I smirked faintly at that but said nothing else.

As we continued walking toward the front gates, Penelope stayed unusually quiet beside me now, though every now and then, I could still feel her staring at me suspiciously like she was trying to predict what kind of disaster I was about to cause. Honestly, even I was not fully sure what I planned to do once I saw Jella again. All I knew was that every time I remembered my father dead in that coffin, anger started building in my chest all over again, and unfortunately for Jella, today was the last time I wanted to see her alive and well.