The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 164: Tacit understanding

Joanna gazed out the window, which made her notice that the carriage, which had been traveling for about twenty minutes, entered the main road in front of the castle.

As the distance from the de Lara mansion in the capital to the de Montella castle was short, only one lavish carriage of the de Lara was used to escort the Duke together with his daughter and his son-in-law.

An unknown number of lavish carriages could be found lining the front and back of the Duke of Barasca’s carriage, and they were emblazoned with the coats of arms of the various noble families in Terra.

Crowds of people were swarming to get a sight of the annual show-like parade that they found attractive, ignoring the fact that the sky was not bright anymore. To not be devoured by the darkness of the night, they brought lanterns so that their surroundings would be brightened.

As the carriage entered the main gate of the castle, a menacing and dazzling light that came from the many lanterns hanging along the road met many eyes that encountered them. And the intensity of the light increased when the carriage halted in front of the main entrance of the royal great hall.

Before stepping out of the carriage, Joanna took off the shawl that wrapped around her shoulder, which she wore to give warmth to her body as she was adorned in a short puff-sleeved dress that capped the shoulder. She then left the shawl on her seat in the carriage.

However, she did not need to be worried that she would encounter cold air later on, as there would be enough warmth provided inside the great hall. Aside from the large fireplace that was lit in the spacious room, the grand banquet would definitely be filled with hundreds of invitees that came from the entire Terra, which would surely emit more than enough warmth in the grand hall.

Joanna stepped down the carriage after her father and her husband did. And as usual, this time as well, there was always the hand of the smiling man that was extended for her to take.

As she stepped on the ground, Joanna pulled her hand away from Canillas’ palm but not to be brought far away as she moved her arm to loop through his, which caused the smile on his lips to get wider with eyes that glimmered as brightly as the stars that shone brightly on the dark sky above them.

The relief flooded inside Canillas, who first thought that his wife would leave him to walk alone and that she would walk with her father as she did when they arrived in the inn a couple of days ago.

It made him realize that his wife could actually adjust her actions, despite any grounds she had to resist his presence, based on the place and situation they were in.

However, at the moment, Joanna could not notice the thought and every expression that was depicted on Canillas’ face, as all of her senses were focused on the crowd and noise that made her want to step back inside the carriage and ride back to the mansion to dwell in her quiet and comfortable room.

On the other side, the joy that surged in Canillas’ heart did not make him unable to notice the actual emotions that radiated from the lady next to him.

Noticing something was not right as he felt the grip in his arm tighten with time, a crease was formed on Canillas’ forehead, taking over the beaming that was previously painted on his face.

As if understanding what she was going through, Canillas placed the palm of his other hand on top of the back of Joanna’s hand, which tensed and lingered on his arm.

It was not hard for him to notice that something odd was being experienced by Joanna. He had learned that every time she was not in her usual calm self, as certain emotions that only she knew exactly what they were emerged inside her, she would exhibit her habit of putting pressure on anything that she held in her hands, like how she gripped his hand when she found the reality that would be faced by the impudent Viscount’s daughter.

"Are you fine?" Canillas asked in a whisper in Joanna’s ear. His voice was laced with worry.

Startled, Joanna reflexively turned her head to face the person who questioned her.

Staring at the face that was a palm away from hers as if she were in a daze, Joanna shifted her head to look back at the front of her soon after she returned to her senses.

She gave a nod with a humming sound of yes as a response to the question that was given to her afterward, belatedly realizing that she had revealed her habit of calming her nerves every time she had to attend any social event, especially the grand one, where more intense crowds and noise were present.

What made it different from the previous events she had attended was that it was not her father’s and her brother’s arms or the items that she held in her hands that could be used to calm the tension that was built inside her.

Meanwhile, at what he just discovered, Canillas did not remove his hand that covered Joanna’s.

Even after he received the reply from her, saying that she was fine, along with the grip on his arm that loosened, Canillas kept wrapping Joanna’s tense hand in his, as if he had a tacit understanding that she was not as fine as she expressed.

At the very moment, he decided to give no care to the absurd agreement they had made, as he chose to do what more mattered to him. He wanted to help calm his wife.

Besides, Canillas noticed that Joanna seemed not to be concerned about that either, in accordance with how she did not ask him to remove his hand from hers. She also did not make any attempt to get free from his hold, not even showing determination to walk alone.

However, that fact made Canillas more certain that the cold and cruel wife of his was not in a good state. The crease faintly remained on his forehead at the realization.

Hand in hand, Canillas and Joanna walked after the Duke.

Climbing up the many stairs towards the heavy and exquisite door engraved with the emblem of the golden lion, symbolizing the kingdom of Terra, Joanna lifted the front of her full skirt with her other hand so that she would not trip over it.

"The Duke of Barasca, General Canillas von Rodega of Archess, Lady Joanna von Rodega, have arrived!" The royal servant, who guarded the front door of the great hall, announced the arrival of the royal guests in a loud voice once the Duke of Barasca and his family stood before the closed door.

With the announcement howled, the grand door slowly opened. Dazzling lights and noises soon poured out.

As the Duke of Barasca and his family stepped into the splendid and spacious grand hall, nearly all the eyes of the gracefully dressed noblemen and noblewomen who filled the hall shifted and focused on them all in unison.

Soon, the room was sunk into silence, adding chill to Joanna’s entire being, except for the warmth that enveloped her trembling hand.