Chapter 451 Crying
Charles wasn't sure how much Benjamin could grasp, so he kept it simple.
Honestly, he didn't have much right to keep Benjamin with him now. After all, Elise was his grandmother.
Benjamin had been worried about Diana and had thrown a fit to get her back. Now, not only had he been spanked, but Diana was also in big trouble.
"Did you hear what I said?"
The boy's crying had quieted down to sniffles. Charles frowned and patted his back.
Jacob felt a wave of helplessness. Why bring this up now? Charles clearly had no clue how to handle kids.
With a sigh, he stepped forward and gently reminded, "Mr. Percy, Benjamin needs some time to process this. Let him rest for a bit."
Charles looked up at him, not agreeing with his soft approach.
He gripped Benjamin's shoulders and pulled him out of his embrace.
Only then did he notice that Benjamin was biting his lip, still sulking.
But his eyes and nose were red from crying, and his body was trembling slightly. Charles decided to give up on trying to reason with him.
He must be crazy, trying to explain things to a child.
"I want Ms. Wipere back."
Benjamin clenched his fists, trying hard to suppress his sobs.
If his mommy couldn't come back, then the spanking he got would be for nothing.
"No."
Charles refused without a second thought.
If Diana and Benjamin were together, they'd turn the Percy Mansion upside down.
As soon as he said that, Benjamin, who had just managed to control his emotions, burst into loud sobs again.
Jacob quickly picked Benjamin up, distancing himself from Charles as he said, "Mr. Percy, let me talk to Benjamin. You go ahead and take care of your business."
With that, he carried Benjamin out of Charles' sight, clearly protective of the boy.
For a moment, Charles seemed like the villain.
He sat alone on the couch, a tear-stained face print on his chest contrasting comically with his cold expression.
The servants nearby stifled their laughter, afraid he'd hear them.
Charles yanked off his tie. He had planned to spend the evening with Diana, but now it was clear Benjamin needed some "tough love."
He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Benjamin's mom, wondering how she managed to raise such a mischievous and stubborn child on her own.
"Mr. Percy, your clothes are dirty. Would you like to change?"
He sat there for a while without moving, until a servant couldn't help but remind him.
Charles looked down at the tear stains and immediately stood up, heading upstairs with an imposing air.
Upstairs, Jacob had just calmed Benjamin down.
Though he didn't know exactly what had happened, he promised Benjamin he'd try to talk to Charles about bringing Diana back.
Jacob had worked for the Percy family for many years, and he'd never seen Charles as relaxed and happy as he had been recently.
Maybe "Ms. Wipere", who looked so much like Diana, was God's way of compensating Charles.
Thinking of this, Jacob grew anxious, praying that her mistakes were minor and that Charles would forgive her soon.
"Mr. Hearst, I want to be alone for a while."
Benjamin sniffled, speaking softly.
Jacob quickly stood up, concerned. "Alright, I'll go talk to Mr. Percy. You rest in your room. No more tantrums, okay? Mr. Percy doesn't like naughty children."
Benjamin nodded slowly, though it was unclear how much he understood.
Jacob left the room under Benjamin's watchful eyes, only to run into Charles coming upstairs.
He hurried over, "Mr. Percy, Benjamin's asleep. Let's give him some time to think. After all, he's just a kid."
"Jacob, do I look like someone who bullies children?"
Charles frowned slightly. He had come up to check on Benjamin, but Jacob was acting like he was a thief.
Jacob quickly shook his head, "Of course not, Mr. Percy. I know you're doing this for Benjamin's own good. But emotions are running high after the punishment. It's best to avoid further conflict."
Taking a deep breath, Jacob seemed to make a decision and continued, "Mr. Percy, what I'm about to say might upset you, but I've been with the Percy family for many years. Please forgive me."
"Maybe it's because Benjamin looks so much like you did as a child. You're both smart and brave. But Benjamin is more lively; he loves to laugh. He and Ms. Wipere were very happy together. Now that smile is gone... I don't know what Ms. Wipere did, but I hope you can forgive her for Benjamin's sake. He's too young to be separated from his mother."
Jacob spoke earnestly, appealing to Charles' emotions. He hadn't meddled in family affairs for years, but this was the most he could do.
Charles had been frowning, but when Jacob mentioned that Benjamin reminded him of his younger self, he couldn't help but press his lips together.
One of the reasons he had accepted Benjamin so quickly was because he saw his younger self in him.
They both had been separated from their mothers, with fathers who didn't care.
But the difference was, Charles had lost his mother forever, while Benjamin was only temporarily apart from his. Benjamin was much luckier.
"I understand, Jacob. Take good care of him. As for Diana, she'll be back."
The first part of his response seemed normal, but the latter part left Jacob stunned.
He didn't rush to speak, unsure if Charles had let Diana's name slip out because he missed her.
"Alright, Mr. Percy. I'll have the servants clean Ms. Wipere's room."
Jacob emphasized "Ms. Wipere," afraid Charles hadn't heard him clearly.
This time, Charles didn't give a vague answer. Instead, he calmly dropped a bombshell.
"No need. We're married, so one room is enough. But have the servants clean her old room."
Now Jacob couldn't pretend he hadn't heard.
Diana, marriage, husband and wife...
These words swirled in Jacob's mind, leaving the usually meticulous butler looking bewildered.
He pinched the soft flesh on the inside of his arm, the pain reminding him this wasn't a dream.
"Mr. Percy? What do you mean? What happened?"
Jacob was so shocked that he stammered, but he managed to get the question out.
Charles, hands in his pockets, lifted his chin slightly and calmly said, "Exactly what it sounds like. Ms. Wipere is Diana Spencer. She's back. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Jacob nodded, but his mind was in a fog.
He didn't understand at all. When "Ms. Wipere" had returned, he had suspected she might be Diana.
But Charles' attitude had been so indifferent that he had dismissed the idea.
After all, if the person involved didn't recognize her, what could anyone else say?
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