Chapter 292 Are You Sure He's Not Faking It?
Charles's situation needed sorting out.
If Hayden wanted to take him back, she had to get him to the airport. If she wanted to leave him in Gedser, she had to go to Charles's house to pack some of his stuff.
In the study, after Daphne called Hayden, she felt a bit nervous.
She wasn't sure if Hayden could handle Charles's current state.
The call connected. Hayden's voice came through.
Daphne didn't waste time. "Uncle Hayden, are you free now? I need to talk to you about Charles."
"I'm free, go ahead," Hayden's voice was deep and calm.
"Last night, I brought Charles from Brian's place to mine," Daphne said, trying to keep it brief. "He's fine in terms of daily life, but..."
The rest was hard to say. Amnesia and mental regression were no small issues.
Hearing that Charles was fine in terms of daily life, Hayden's long-held worry eased; his tone became noticeably more relaxed. "It's okay; just say it. As long as he's alive, I can accept it."
"He has amnesia," Daphne said, pursing her lips.
Hayden was sitting in the CEO's office of the Lancelot Group at that moment.
Hearing this, his eyebrows raised slightly; he couldn't believe Charles's words. "Are you sure it's real amnesia and not faked?"
Given Charles's personality, such a tactic wasn't impossible.
"I'm sure," Daphne glanced outside the study and saw Charles sitting on the sofa reading a storybook, then continued, "Besides that, Brian said his mental state has regressed to that of a five-year-old."
"Anything else?" Hayden remained extremely calm.
Daphne said, "No, just those two things."
Hayden called her, "Daphne."
Daphne asked, "Yes?"
"Don't be so nervous. As long as he hasn't turned into an idiot, it's a minor issue." Hayden was genuinely relieved.
In his view, since Brian had let Daphne take Charles away, the rest of his recovery was up to Charles himself. So, it was just a matter of memory and mental state.
As long as he wasn't an idiot, Hayden could easily keep it from Laura and Marcus and wouldn't have to worry too much.
"Until Charles recovers, you might need to take care of him," Hayden said, "Mr. Lancelot is old; we don't want him to worry."
Daphne pursed her lips but agreed. "Okay."
"If you're busy, just leave him with Mark." Hayden had thought of everything. "No need to spoil him."
"His mental state is only five years old," Daphne emphasized.
"Not a big deal," Hayden didn't mind. "A five-year-old should be sensible."
Daphne glanced at Charles, who was quietly reading outside and said nothing. He seemed quite sensible.
Hayden reminded her of one more thing. "There's one more thing you might need to pay attention to."
Daphne said, "Go ahead."
Hayden said, "He might be pretending."
Daphne paused.
"Given his current condition, recovery is just a matter of time," Hayden was genuinely optimistic. "He might continue to pretend to be a child to gain your sympathy and attention as he recovers his memory and mental state."
"He probably won't," Daphne thought for a moment and shared her opinion.
Hayden didn't say much more; some things were better left unsaid.
Under normal circumstances, Charles wouldn't fake amnesia or pretend to be a child, but now that he truly had amnesia and mental regression, he might pretend as he gradually recovered.
Hayden believed he knew Charles well.
After their conversation, Hayden grabbed his suit jacket and left the Lancelot Group to go home and report the situation. Of course, it's not the real problem, but one with a bit of a lie mixed in.
After hanging up, Daphne called Mark and told him she was bringing Charles over, then ended the call.
Once everything was ready, she took Charles out.
Sitting in the car, Charles felt uneasy. He didn't know where Daphne was taking him or if she was abandoning him.
"Charles," Daphne called him.
Charles turned to look at her, his tone very obedient. "What's up, Daphne?"
"I'm taking you to meet someone," Daphne decided to tell him in advance and see his reaction. "Let's see if you get along with him. If you do..."
At this point, Daphne paused, thinking about how to phrase it so a five-year-old-minded Charles could accept it.
Before she could think of anything, Charles's forlorn voice sounded. "Are you abandoning me?"
"No," Daphne denied.
Charles's thin lips pressed into a straight line, his eyes filled with unease and gloom.
So, Daphne still couldn't accept him?
Noticing his change in mood, Daphne, considering his mental state, tried to comfort him. "I just want to see who you prefer to be with. If you like him after meeting him, I can also..."
"I only like being with you," Charles interrupted. "I don't like anyone else."
When he was with Brian before, he wasn't happy at all and didn't want to see him.
Daphne didn't respond, thinking Charles's reaction was due to knowing too few people.
Before meeting her, Charles had only had long-term contact with Brian, a doctor who treated and examined him. A child might instinctively resist a doctor who treated them for a long time, so she guessed Charles felt the same.
The car arrived at the neighborhood where Charles used to live.
Mark had been waiting at the door since he got Daphne's call and hadn't gone to work.
Seeing Daphne get out of the car, he was about to greet her when he saw Charles get out of the passenger seat and stand beside Daphne.
"Mr. Lancelot, you..." Mark began.
Charles looked at Mark warily and moved to stand behind Daphne, looking guarded.
Mark wondered what was going on. "Ms. Murphy, what's wrong with Mr. Lancelot?"
"He has amnesia, and his mental state is now that of a five-year-old," Daphne explained, as Mark was someone Charles trusted. "He's a bit afraid of strangers now."
Mark looked at Charles a few more times. Was this really happening? Amnesia?
Mark didn't ask more outside. Knowing Charles's door code, he led Daphne and Charles upstairs and into the apartment. After pouring them each a glass of water, he began to discuss the matter seriously.
"Ms. Murphy," Mark spoke very softly, almost whispering to Daphne, "Are you sure Mr. Lancelot really has amnesia and isn't faking it?"
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