Charles sighed.
Anne pursed her lips and smiled faintly.
Mrs. Aldergund still had a somewhat old-fashioned demeanour, but the authority she had always maintained was now nonexistent.
There was no helping it, Mrs. Aldergund only maintained her authority in the presence of her subordinates, like Charles used to be, but the current Charles Meklen was no longer her subordinate, but rather a person of much higher position.
Charles suddenly felt a sense of wasted effort and shrugged his shoulders, saying, "Anne and I can handle it ourselves; there's no need for Mrs. Aldergund's assistance."
The lady was his "old superior," who had always taken good care of him at work. Later, when he returned to the Central Office, he asked this old superior for help once or twice, and Mrs. Aldergund did not refuse. In both sentiment and reason, it was impossible for him to order his old superior around.