Chapter 11: A task to be given
After Estefan left, the Duke sat in silence, pondering how to resolve the growing predicament. At first, he was certain the young man he had spoken to was an imposter. But what if he was wrong? He had no backup plan just in case the person was truly his son.
A knock came. "Enter." The Duke commanded while grabbing another vase because he had a hunch that the next person to come would be Benjamin.
The Duke was correct as it was Benjamin who stepped in, only to duck instinctively as the Duke hurled a vase at him. It shattered against the wall.
"You imbecile!" the Duke bellowed. "You had one job, one simple job and you failed at that."
The old man straightened after dodging that attack by the Duke, he kept his head lowered. "My lord, I don’t understand." He asked the Duke.
"Hah!" the Duke scoffed. "You don’t understand? I should have you executed for such incompetence. I told you to keep an eye on that brat, and now, out of nowhere, he’s stronger than a knight even though he’s spent his whole life rotting in that manor!"
Benjamin remained calm. "My lord, I received consistent reports of him keeping the same routine. There was no sign of change. We sent different servants each week to clean the manor, to ensure Estefan’s routine didn’t change and to prevent the Lady from doing any harm to your son."
The Duke paced back and forth. "So you’re telling me he gained this strength while doing nothing? Could the man who defeated a Knight of Merca really be Estefan?"
Benjamin nodded slightly. "It is him. I’ve seen him. His appearance, demeanor all match to your eldest son. The only discrepancy is his strength... Perhaps, being her son, it’s not entirely surprising."