Chapter 186: Perhaps, that will keep you alive.

[Bennet Mansion]

Standing in the great hall, Charles and Haines engaged in talk while Allison was seated on the couch.

"Well, let him be." Charles massaged his nape. "It’s a good thing this is the only thing I did after what their family did to my son."

Haines sighed and shrugged. When his eyes fell on Allison, his face twitched. "Allison, don’t tell me you’re not appeased with this yet?"

"How could I feel appeased?" Allison huffed. "Slater suffered for a year and cutting them off feels lacking."

"Well, it can’t be helped." Charles threw himself beside his wife. "Even I don’t feel satisfied, but we have to take it slowly. Otherwise, our company will just look like we’re bullies."

"We still have to think of the company’s reputation," Haines nodded, and the three of them sighed in unison.

Deep in their hearts, they knew they still had to report the bullying incident to the headmaster. Allison even wants to sue the school for it. However, they wanted to respect Slater’s request. No matter how wrong it felt, Slater didn’t want to make it a big deal anymore.

They didn’t want to put Slater in the spotlight again and make him relive the nightmare he endured and survived.

"Anyway, are you leaving with Penny today?" Haines changed the subject.

"Yes. She wants to visit Grace and her mother. I heard Grace’s mother woke up last night." Charles grinned happily. "I’m so glad she’s fine."

"I heard what happened," Haines remarked, giving Charles a knowing look. "That’s dangerous."

Allison then slapped her husband’s shoulder and glared at him.

"Ouch!" Charles quickly rubbed his shoulder and looked at his wife pitifully. "Honey, I thought we’re alright now?"

"And then I remembered," she huffed. "Don’t do that again, okay?! With or without Penny, don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation again!"

"Yes, yes. I know~" he coaxed, but deep in his heart, he didn’t regret it.

It might be dangerous, and he understood his wife’s worries and fears. However, for the first time in a long time, he felt... proud. If Charles hadn’t intervened, that poor woman would’ve been chopped into pieces before the officers came.

If that happened, they would be attending her wake and not visiting her in the hospital.

"Look at you!" Allison slapped his shoulders again upon catching the proud smirk on his face. "You don’t even feel sorry for your wife."

"No, no, I’m sorry," he cajoled, wrapping his arms around his wife. "This husband is really cruel and I’m reflecting. I deserved to be whipped and caned for worrying my wife..."

Haines shook his head and looked away, not very pleased at this scene unfolding before him. As he did so, he caught the children coming in.

Haines smiled. "Penny."

"Uncle Haines~!" Penny jumped with a wide smile.

"Oh, Penny!" Charles perked up. "You’re here?"

"Papa, are we leaving today?!"

"Yes. Get change, then we’ll go."

"Okay~!"

Having said that, Penny happily skipped her steps to the stairs. She had been keeping in touch and was updated with Grace and her mother’s situation. Today would be the third time they’d be visiting them and from what she heard, Grace’s mother regained consciousness last night.

As Penny headed to the stairs, the boys stopped a few steps from where the adults were idling.

"Dad, where are you taking Penny?" asked Atlas out of pure curiosity.

"Ah... we’re visiting someone. Penny’s new friend."

"Since when did she make another friend?" Slater frowned. "Her friends are like mushrooms. They just suddenly appear."

Hugo, on the other hand, just pondered. His random pondering, however, stopped when Charles spoke.

"Hugo, want to come?"

"Dad, how come Second brother is invited but not us?" Slater harrumphed almost immediately. "I want to come too!"

Charles whistled and cast his third son a playful look. "Is Hugo part of the bet?"

"..."

"You and Atlas need to study and get your sister’s money’s worth, alright?" Charles reminded them gently but meaningfully. Although he felt bad for Slater, he wanted to treat Slater the same, so as not to make his third son feel differently.

"Anyway, Hugo, go get changed." He clapped. "I’ll wait for you and Penny. Don’t make her wait, though."

Hugo nonchalantly shrugged and said. "Okay?"

*

*

*

In the hospital...

"That girl..." Hugo furrowed his brows, staring at the girl through the transparent window on the door. "... isn’t that —?"

He stopped and looked at his father, surprised.

Charles smiled and placed a hand on Hugo’s shoulder, facing the window to watch Penny and Grace talk beside the patient.

"Hugo, you said you want to enlist, right?"

Hugo’s brows rose. "Yes, just like you — no, I’d be more than you."

"You..." Charles sighed and gazed at his son. "Hugo, do you know why I enlisted before and why I left?"

"No."

Charles smacked his lips and set his eyes on the window. "Because I want to help, I wanted to serve the country, I want to make a difference."

"And why did you leave?"

"Because... of a lot of things." A bitter smile flashed on Charles’s face. "I want to help, but at the same time, it was dangerous. Your grandfather was very hard on me when I told him Haines could manage the business because I want to be a soldier."

Hugo frowned at this sense of familiarity. His father was also twice as hard and strict with him since he told him he would enlist.

"Dad, I’m not changing my mind. You don’t have to talk me out of it."

"Haha. I’m not trying to change your mind," Charles chuckled, and Hugo was taken aback. Giving his son a look of approval. "When you told me you’d enlist, I finally understood why my father was against it. But... just a few nights ago, I..."

He trailed off and thought of the right words to say. "I realized I’m taking it the wrong way," he admitted helplessly. "Your grandfather and I didn’t have a good relationship, and his disapproval of what I want to do pulled us even more apart."

"I’m doing what he had done to me, and it took me a while to realize that." He squeezed his son’s shoulder. "A few nights ago reminded me why I even enlisted in the first place. And instead of stopping you because I know how dangerous it would be, I thought I should make you aware of what you’re signing up for. Perhaps that will keep you alive."

For a second, Hugo held his breath. He could only stare at his father, not expecting to hear these words from him — ever.

Charles chuckled and nodded at him. "Just don’t lose sight of the reasons you’re going there, and you’ll be fine."

Hugo’s face softened as he smiled. "Thanks... Dad."