Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Not a Single Message

This girl has already become the most important person in their lives.

Yet, she almost single-handedly destroyed it all.

Duke Osborne reached out to turn off the video and gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"It’s the path they chose, it’s the fate of the males."

But destiny is sometimes cruel like that.

No matter how you weigh the pros and cons, someone will always get hurt.

The fate of the male master is never in his own hands.

"Meeting you is my fortune from three lifetimes."

Lady Lynn leaned against his chest and softly spoke.

In this moment, she was no longer the iron-willed matriarch of the family.

Just a tired wife, a regretful mother.

She knew the road ahead was still tough, but she was no longer alone.

As long as he was by her side, even amid public criticism, she had the courage to go on.

He lowered his head to kiss the back of her hand.

Lady Lynn’s mind was elsewhere, her gaze falling distractedly on the darkening sky outside the window.

The couple had long harbored their own thoughts.

Their silence was no longer the occasional quiet.

It had become the accumulated alienation, where even pretending to be affectionate seemed like too much of an effort.

Duke Osborne stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, back turned to her, his profile cold and stern.

He felt he had already tolerated her indecisiveness to his limit, and it could even be considered an act of kindness.

Yet she seemed to have no gratitude at all.

Lady Lynn, meanwhile, thought that females should climb higher.

She was once the youngest deputy of the Intelligence Directorate in the alliance, once led a team deep into the wilderness on a top-secret mission.

Now she was trapped between gowns and tea parties.

He was born into the highest of status, from the most illustrious of the three great families of The Empire, the Osborne Family.

His life had been smooth, never truly struggling.

So he didn’t understand why she felt insecure despite being the matriarch of the Osborne Family, managing a vast estate and extensive family business.

And her?

On one side was an unfinished career, on the other, children.

She couldn’t let go of either, nor dared to.

Especially with newcomers constantly appearing.

Those young and beautiful females were continuously pushed in front of Duke Osborne.

There had long been no conversation between them, even the usual pleasantries seemed false and redundant.

Evan Sinclair and Ethan Sinclair were children born when they loved each other the most.

Lady Lynn covered her face, tears suppressed for too long seeped through her fingers, her voice trembling.

"We shouldn’t have let them get married back then... Brothers matched to the same female master, the odds are so small it’s almost a rare accident of the century. I thought it was the Beast God’s blessing, a little mercy from fate to us."

A soft knocking came from outside.

The butler pushed open the door with a tray.

On the silver platter were a cup of warm calming tea and a sealed confidential letter with purple wax.

His steps were steady, his expression respectful.

Yet when his gaze skimmed past Lady Lynn, a subtle, almost imperceptible pity flashed across.

As soon as Lady Lynn saw him, she slumped.

She sniffed and spoke weakly.

"Have I... Have I broken my sons’ hearts? Will they think their mother is cowardly, a failure who can’t even control her own destiny?"

The butler quickly set down the tray and stepped forward, hesitating not even a moment to hug her.

He comforted her softly, "The young masters will understand; you’ve sacrificed so much for them. You’re too tired, really too tired; don’t bear it alone anymore."

The once upright Lady Lynn, now seemed like a lost little girl, tears silently falling.

She leaned against him, paying no mind to composure.

Completely unaware of Duke Osborne standing nearby.

His gaze fixed on the embracing scene.

"Female Master..."

The butler called out quietly, his voice barely audible.

Duke Osborne stared at the scene before him, a discomfort stirring inside.

His brows furrowed unwittingly, a hint of irritation in his eyes.

The image lingered before him, stubbornly staying.

He lowered his gaze, focusing on his interlaced fingers.

A moment later, he spoke quietly, "I sent so many rare treasures over, things barely seen on the market, some even exotic items only found at the Empire’s border..."

He paused.

"Perhaps Selene would, for the sake of these gifts, turn a blind eye, and spare those two kids."

In truth, he had no absolute confidence, only a flicker of hope.

Hoping those gifts might slightly move the typically indifferent Female Master.

Lady Lynn nodded lightly, not making a sound.

Her fingers slowly rubbed along the edge of her sleeve.

The air between them froze for a few seconds.

Only the weak noise from afar broke this silence.

Elsewhere, Selene had squatted in the corner of the corridor, her knees slightly bent, her palms rested on them.

Her hair casually tied into a low ponytail.

"Waah waah."

"Don’t go! Mom, don’t go."

The sounds came wave after wave, making her head hurt.

She furrowed her brows, her fingertips pressing hard against her temples.

She couldn’t stand it anymore, simply put away her phone, stood up, and patted the dust off her pants.

She shifted her position, taking a few steps toward the staircase, looking for a quieter place.

With that move, her foot suddenly missed the ground.

Before she could cry out, her body was suddenly airborne.

The whole person was swiftly lifted.

Selene: "???"

She opened her eyes wide, her head quickly turning.

She saw Caleb Shaw standing behind her, one hand firmly supporting her lower back, the other slightly holding her arm.

Her heart skipped a beat, her cheeks instantly tense.

"You... don’t you have any manners?"

Caleb held her steadily, his movements gentle.

He shifted softly to the side.

The vacuum cleaner robot that had long been awaiting an empty battery alert, spinning in place, finally slid past.

It made a low "beep beep" sound, its wheels spinning quickly.

The robot finally navigated through the narrow passage Selene had blocked moments ago.

He placed her back on the ground, the motion almost silent.

Once she steadied herself, he withdrew his hand slowly.

Then he sighed softly, his voice deep.

"Female Master, you... do you have something on your mind?"

His gaze fell on her face, his eyes deep.

Selene nodded.

Indeed, she did.

She bit her lower lip, her gaze drifting toward the dim far end of the corridor.

"Why isn’t Zane back yet?"

Caleb’s face froze, his gaze evasive.

"You can’t leave your post unauthorized."

"But there’s family leave!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"He can’t just go away for half a year without any news, can he?"

Her words grew more agitated, her fingers unknowingly clenching the hem of her garment.

"I already asked Zane, but the other side hasn’t responded."

Her voice lowered, tinged with a hint of grievance.

"Not even a single unread message, not a single punctuation mark..."

He used to be so lively, daily marking training, posting field landscapes, bragging about the strange fish he caught.

Even at three a.m., he would post a "night patrol smooth."

But now, his icon was gray, his social media frozen at a note from two months ago.

"Today’s catch: one iron-backed bass, weighing three pounds seven ounces."

No updates since.

Her usual cheerful demeanor faltered.

She lowered her head, speaking softly, "I... miss him a bit."

As those words left her lips, she herself was taken aback.

She clasped her hands behind her back, her toes unconsciously rubbing against the floor.

The sight was one Caleb had never seen.

Soft, vulnerable, carrying a hint of childish grievance.

It took a long while before he managed to squeeze out, his voice trembling terribly.

"Female Master... do you... like him a lot?"