Edmund Gerwyn couldn't explain what he was feeling right now.
What was clear, the man was not happy with the fact that Penelope Askary saw him as if he was a scary monster. And then, Penelope's tears bothered Edmund. It wasn't fake tears, like his suspicion that Penelope was just acting in front of people to gain their sympathy for the sake of carrying out her sinister plans. These are real tears. The woman who was rumored to be the evil woman in the De Louis empire cried in fear because of his presence.
And Edmund had to admit that he was hurt by it. He was not willing and did not want his presence to become a trauma and great fear that Penelope Askary felt.