Chapter 162: Strengthened Resolve
The tension in the Duke’s estate had reached an unbearable high. Benedict, once a warm and gentle boy who clung to the dreams of an intact family, now carried an icy demeanour that commanded authority.
Anna, emboldened by her new title of Duchess, was determined to seize control over the household, believing that her newfound power could not be contested. However, she had underestimated the young heir.
Benedict, grieving and determined, was no longer the naïve child she had once dismissed.
It began when Anna attempted to dismiss several loyal servants who had been with the Duchy since before Benedict’s birth.
She claimed they were inefficient and outdated, masking her true intention to replace them with people loyal to her. However, the head butler stood firm, refusing to carry out her orders.
"Mrs. Knott," the butler said, addressing her without the honourifics she craved. "These men and women have served this house faithfully for decades. If you wish them gone, you will need the young master’s approval."
Anna’s face flushed with anger. "I don’t need approval from a child!"
But the butler stood his ground, unyielding in his loyalty to Benedict. "He is the heir, madam. This house is as much his as it is the Duke’s."
Infuriated, Anna marched to confront Benedict, confident that she could manipulate him as she had done with others. She found him in the study, poring over estate documents—a new habit he had taken up since assuming more responsibilities.
He just had to make her life more difficult, didn’t he?
"Benedict, I want to inform you about the staff," She began, her voice sharp. Even after becoming the Duchess, she couldn’t believe that she had to seek this brat’s permission.