It’s not something that can be fixed with a few words.
Selene walked past him as if she hadn’t seen anything, calmly picking out clean clothes for herself.
Water dripped as she dressed, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders, too lazy even to dry it.
Caleb Shaw held a soft towel.
Selene sat quietly, neither avoiding him nor speaking.
Feeling her tacit approval, he dared to quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
As her hair was almost dry, Caleb suddenly knelt, his knees hitting the floor heavily.
He lowered his head, his forehead gently touching her knee.
"Female Master, I was wrong... Please punish me."
Selene was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"I haven’t blamed you, the matter is long over, why bring it up?"
She paused, her voice softening a bit.
"You weren’t willing, I understand."
For soldiers, following orders is a duty, an instinct carved in stone.
Anyone who goes against orders should have been kicked out long ago.
For Caleb to get this far, who knows how many days and nights he endured, how many times he faced life and death tests.
Loyalty and obedience have long been part of his blood, a part of his life.
And what about her?
Ultimately, she is just an outsider, what right does she have to criticize?
She herself has never truly treated anyone sincerely, never wholeheartedly entrusted trust and emotion, so how could she expect anyone to go through fire and water for her without reservation?
"Alright, get up."
She said softly, extending a hand to help him up.
But Caleb remained unmoved.
The next second, he suddenly drew the gun from his waist.
The muzzle aimed at his chest.
"Bang!"
A loud bang exploded in the room, shaking the air.
"Female Master, my crime must be repaid with my life."
Selene’s pupils suddenly contracted, her heart clenched sharply.
"Are you crazy?!"
She almost lunged forward, trying to press down on his chest wound.
But he sidestepped, deftly avoiding her hand.
Then came another "bang", the muzzle turned to his left arm, and blood gushed out.
He gasped in pain, his face pale as paper, lips trembling, yet suddenly he laughed, with tears welling in his eyes: "So... back then, it hurt you this much too..."
Tears slid down his cheeks, he continued sobbing: "I can’t even protect my own Female Master, what right do I have to talk about being a Commander? Every scar on your body is because of me. I’m unworthy to be yours, let alone stand by your side."
"Stop saying that!"
Selene shouted, her eyes already red.
She directly straddled his leg, pressing hard on the wound on his arm with both hands.
Blood oozed continuously through her fingers, staining her palms red.
Her other hand quickly opened the communicator, voice trembling urgently.
"Heath Langdon! Call a doctor! Get here now! Immediately!"
The first to rush in was Evan Sinclair.
He pushed open the door, seeing the scene in the room, he froze in place, his face turning scarlet to his ears in an instant.
He quickly turned his back to the outside, stuttering: "You... in broad daylight... how..."
The little guy’s tail was originally wagging excitedly.
But the next second, a strong metallic scent filled his nostrils.
He quickly turned back, seeing Caleb covered in blood and kneeling, almost scared to the point of collapsing.
"Female Master! You... you shot Shaw?!"
"What nonsense are you spewing!"
Selene gritted her teeth, shouting furiously.
"Hurry and call the doctor! Why are you dawdling!"
This kid’s mouth just doesn’t have a filter; can’t he see her heart’s about to crumble to pieces?
The doctor quickly arrived, silently proceeding to treat the wound without a word.
Yet the look clearly said, you did this, right?
Even though he saw Caleb pull the trigger himself.
But everyone in the room, including the doctor, defaulted that it was Selene’s doing.
This was her reputation.
Cold-blooded, ruthless, unfeeling.
Even though she had never taken the initiative to harm anyone.
In the eyes of others, she was still that female who could pull the trigger without hesitation.
Caleb gripped her wrist tightly.
His breath weak, voice intermittent: "Female Master... don’t leave... I beg you... don’t abandon me..."
Selene watched the monitors displaying stabilized heartbeats and breaths, and finally, the tension in her heart gradually eased.
His physical resilience was truly remarkable, two shots couldn’t take his life.
She bent down, planting a gentle kiss on his pale, cold cheek.
"I have some matters to handle, I’ll come back to see you later. Be good, focus on healing."
As she spoke, she stood up, her gaze already back to normal.
Caleb’s Adam’s apple bobbed intensely, his lips moved but he ultimately said nothing.
Moments later, he slowly released the grip on her wrist.
"The child... was terrified..."
He kept his eyes closed, voice weak.
"Can you... stay with her?"
Following his gaze, Selene looked over to see the swaddled infant crying her heart out.
Her chest was still sore with a lingering ache.
Yet new responsibilities weighed heavily on her shoulders.
"There are servants watching, nothing will happen."
The light in Caleb’s eyes extinguished completely upon hearing her response.
He gave it his all to atone, to win back a bit of her affection.
But in the end, he couldn’t even deserve another glance from her?
This matter ultimately involved an innocent little life.
The child was deprived of even the most basic maternal tenderness.
All of this, it’s his fault.
Evan followed behind Selene out of the hospital room, heart still pounding heavily, his mind a mess.
After hesitating for a long time, he couldn’t hold back: "Was it really not you who fired?"
Selene stopped, turned to look at him, and raised her hand to throw a punch.
"What’s in your head all day? Always thinking about things that have no basis."
"Would I fire a gun?"
Evan rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.
"Right... neither of us would."
With that, he also deflated, dropping his head, tail no longer wagging.
At this moment, Ethan also came over, standing side by side with him, looking like two frostbitten saplings, faces full of unspoken words, sneaking glances at Selene’s expression.
"Female Master..."
Evan began hesitantly, his voice diminishing.
"Mom called last night, asking us to stay home for a while. But we think... it needs your approval. After all... we are married males, we can’t just leave like that."
He spoke awkwardly, completely unlike his usual flamboyant demeanor.
Rather, like a wife who made a mistake, his face was full of anxiety and unease.
The two looked at her pitifully, eyes full of expectation.
If she nodded, they might actually circle her, wagging their tails to show loyalty.
Selene knew very well.