Chapter 213: Chapter 213: Sending the Child as Reinforcements

Caleb Shaw’s hand holding the towel paused, his movements frozen mid-air.

He recalled the butler’s meaningful warning before he left the house.

"Lord Shaw, you better perform well tonight, the Female Master prefers gentle ones."

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, not quite smiling, yet not rejecting the notion either.

So he casually draped the towel, letting it hang loosely around his waist.

Just thinking about what he had to do later made the tips of his ears turn red.

Having a little one, adding a brother or sister... wouldn’t be too bad.

The door opened, and a chubby little kid leaped directly at his face, making him stagger.

All the suave entrance plans went down the drain, slipping on the floor, he almost fell flat on his face.

The child bawled loudly, crying shrilly as they swung their little head, looking at dad with teary eyes, sniffling, then turning to look at mom with a pout, wanting to hold onto both sides.

Selene Kane widened her eyes, almost glued to Caleb Shaw’s body with her gaze.

This man, usually dressed like a tin can, how come he’s so relaxed today?

Ah, what a physique, truly impressive.

His shoulders were broad, legs long, with firm, crisp lines all over.

Her eyes roamed over Caleb Shaw, scanning him up and down repeatedly.

"Female Master, is the child awake?"

His voice was low and hoarse, his arms tight with veins vaguely visible, restraining from stepping back.

He used to dislike her sticky gaze like hooks clinging to him.

But now...

For some reason, his heart felt somewhat warm.

The child gradually stopped crying, sniffling and mumbling with damp eyelids, suddenly raising a chubby hand and grabbing Caleb Shaw’s...

Finger, not satisfied, gripping then shaking it.

He stiffened, his Adam’s apple bobbing once, silent.

"Female Master, the child... might be hungry."

He lowered his head, speaking cautiously.

Only then did Selene Kane retract her gaze, clapping, placing a hand on her cheek, tilting her head, naturally saying, "Then why are you not feeding her?"

Her eyes didn’t blink as she watched him, her eyelashes didn’t tremble, firmly staring at him as he dug his toes into the floor.

"...Me?"

Are you kidding me?

"If not you, who? Is it going to be me?"

She rolled her eyes, decisively pushing him out the door.

"Once the child wakes, you have to feed her, or else the whole building won’t sleep with her crying."

Caleb Shaw was forced out, hair still dripping, wet against his forehead.

The kid in his arms clung tightly, rubbing a chubby cheek against his collarbone, giggling to reveal two tiny baby teeth.

The towel on his waist, caught by the wind, flapped up dangerously close to an expose.

"..."

He pressed his lips tight, holding the child, gaze fixed straight ahead.

Servants lowered their gaze to the ground, suppressing their breaths, shoulders subtly shaking.

Alza lay in the distance, licking his fur, ears twitching, lips curling, tail lazily swishing.

Commander?

What good is he? Can’t even keep his Female Master, showing such a sorry state.

The kid was sent out as backup, what a wasted effort.

Caleb Shaw sighed deeply, standing in the corridor with the child.

The wind seeped through window gaps, chilling him into a shiver.

The Female Master’s heart, truly harder to predict than a starship’s navigation.

Complex code might take three nights to locate the target.

But one word from her, and he goes from war hero to awkward fool.

A man’s body being looked at shouldn’t matter.

But it’s different when it’s her.

"Female Master, you’re not coming down?"

Selene Kane glanced at the light brain, an unread message flickering on the screen.

Her fingertip tapped, frowning slightly, shaking her head.

"No, Zane’s coming back soon, I need to tidy up. He can sleep in water, I can’t, I care about appearances."

After a pause, she added, a significant smile curling up her lips.

"Tonight you stay with Heath and them for the night. There’s important work to be done."

Caleb Shaw couldn’t do anything about her.

Inside, a million "don’t want to"s, a million struggles, yet in the end, he resignedly accepted his fate.

He held the child, walking heavily to the next door, raising his hand to knock three times.

"Heath, it’s me."

Though a male, he had always been frail and sickly since childhood.

His body was always thin, unlike the Osborne Brothers, lively and bouncing every day.

Whenever he got hurt, he could only silently cover his wounds, curling up in a dark corner.

As Caleb Shaw entered, Heath Langdon was leaning against the wall, massaging an old injury on his shoulder, suddenly hearing the door being opened.

"Shaw, you... what happened to you?"

He never imagined that the always steady as a rock Caleb Shaw would be in this state one day.

In the eyes of their companions, Caleb Shaw had always been an unshakeable pillar.

Even if the whole team were banished or betrayed, no one believed he could fall so low.

He was supposed to be the least likely to crumble.

"Driven out."

Caleb Shaw stood at the door, tone calm to the point of cold.

Chloe Shaw suddenly started crying aloud.

Heath Langdon’s heart tightened, ignoring his aching shoulder wound, instinctively reaching out to take the child, wanting to soothe her into calm.

But Caleb Shaw abruptly sidestepped, avoiding his move, stepping back half a step.

Heath Langdon was stunned.

His heart thudded heavily as if something was weighing down hard.

Shaw... doesn’t want him to touch the child?

Why?

Could it be even he’s starting to be wary of me?

It’s not just that.

Recently, Caleb Shaw seemed increasingly unlike his former calm, restrained self.

Heath Langdon only feels a tightness in his chest, unable to breathe.

Has even Shaw forgotten the promise of the past?

That vow, "No matter what happens, we won’t leave each other."

Why is it only when he finally musters the courage to turn back, wanting to get close again, 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Do those around him depart one by one?

Caleb Shaw realized his earlier reaction was too intense, his eyes flickering, pressing his dry lips.

Raising young ones is the duty of males.

Especially after losing the Female Master, this responsibility became the last obsession.

This child was the only blood tie between him and the departed Female Master.

He cannot let go, dares not to let go.

Once he let go, he feared he might completely collapse.

The room was frighteningly quiet, even the air stood still.

Outside the window, the wind lightly tapped on the glass, making subtle sounds.

Heath Langdon took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, stepping back a pace, softly saying, "Shaw, come inside, it’s cold outside."

Caleb Shaw did not hurry to sit down, nor did he answer, heading straight to the bathroom.

The sound of water ran for a moment before he emerged, wearing a bathrobe of Heath Langdon’s.

The clothes were clearly a size too small, tight around the shoulders.

But he didn’t seem to care, casually adjusting the collar, walking barefoot on the floor.

"Let me help you with the medicine."

The tone remained calm as before.

Chloe Shaw wriggled restlessly in her father’s arms, chubby little legs kicking, her tender little feet rubbing around.

One was her loving father, the other was the uncle who’s held her from her childhood, lulled her to sleep, played with her.

Both were the most familiar people to her.