The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 174: The fewer the better

’A breather for my distressed wife’

Joanna could not believe that he brought her to a secluded place in an event where they were supposed to blend with others because of his concern for her state, yet she cruelly accused him of doing something inappropriate to her.

Gripping the collar of the tailcoat over her chest as she attempted to calm her emotions, suppressing the guilt in her heart, Joanna asked, "W-what about the acquaintances that you wanted to introduce to me?" But her voice was slightly trembling, and she failed to speak fluently, for her true emotions would not be noticed.

With a small smile on his lips, Canillas replied, "These are the acquaintances I wanted to introduce to my distressed wife." Canillas once again emphasized the word distressed wife, which made Joanna feel more mortified that she had looked so stressful in his eyes, which caused him to have an urgency to save her.

But did others also notice it? Was it readable for others either? Joanna wondered. If so, then her thought that she was successful in covering her stressful countenance was not accurate.

However, it did not take long for Joanna to push the latter thoughts aside, considering that there was nothing she could do for something that had already happened and was hard to control. Besides, she wanted to think of what mattered to her at the moment, which was the man who was really concerned for her wellbeing.

"So it was only an excuse to bring me here," Joanna muttered in a barely audible voice, as if talking to herself, feeling astonished that instead of a human being, he introduced her to nature.

Because he understood her well.

Joanna took a deep breath at the realization, gripping the collar of the tailcoat even more while pulling her gaze away from the man that she had accused, yet the tender gaze was still there with him to be given to her who had accused him.

Joanna was now staring at one bed of various flowers in the garden, feeling her heart palpitating under her hand that gripped the collar of the tailcoat.

Drawing his back away from the railing behind him, Canillas turned his body to lean his side on the railing. Facing Joanna with his arms crossed over his chest, he said,

"I happened to find this place when I was invited to the victory banquet last year. Just the same as you, I am not fond of any social events. Instead of crowds, I prefer quiet environments. So when everyone was drinking, chattering, and looking for entertainment here and there, I slipped away and found this place to rest."

Canillas narrated how he found the place where moonlight streamed brighter when the night went deeper, and Joanna listened to the story he shared with her eyes locked with his as she drifted her gaze back to his face when the words ’just the same as you, I am not fond of any social events’ flowed in her ears.

It was a surprise to Joanna, finding that he shared his personal preference and situation with her, as if he wanted her to know more about him, and that told her that she was not alone in what she had struggled with.

Joanna felt her heart palpitate even harder under her palm, aside from feeling like she was out of breath at the thought.

She had never thought that he had the same situation as her—that both of them were not fond of social gatherings. But it did not need to be doubted that he was in a better state than her—that he could naturally be calm and blend with a large number of people, just as she had witnessed not long ago.

Nevertheless, it was something that she appreciated from him, who was willing to share a bit of himself with her, letting her know a bit about him, her husband.

"Thank you for introducing this place to me, Sir Canillas. It is indeed a beautiful place," Joanna said with a small smile after a few moments of silent staring with Canillas.

She tried to speak more and give more compliments as a sign of her gratitude to him, who was concerned about her.

However, instead of praising him more, she ended up closing her lips before shifting her gaze back towards the same bed of various flowers that she previously saw, as she could not bear to hold on to the piercing gaze any longer, although she had a lot in her mind to say to praise him.

"Does it only happen when you are at a party?" A deep, low voice came to the surface, cutting through the momentary lapse of silence that hovered over them.

Knowing the meaning of his question, Joanna took a while before uttering her answer. "The fewer people, the better."

It was all Joanna could answer in a simple way regarding her state.

It was not about a party. Even though she was at a party but there were not many people there and less noise, she felt more at peace compared to when she was in the middle of the crowd, where many eyes were stuck at her and noise disturbed her senses.

In fact, she felt far better when she was surrounded by fewer people with whom she was familiar.

However, since it was impossible due to the fact that she was not a ruler who could regulate a law about the condition of an event and that she lived in a society where mixing with others in social activities was inevitable, she could only hope that the event that she would attend had a favor for her state.

The fewer the number of people, the less suffocated she felt. What was left then was how she blended with all the people who were present.

"If you are willing, you can tell me anything that you want to share with me, including what has become your problem so far." Canillas began to voice what he had thought after hearing her answer and since he found out the state that became her problem.

"If you are willing to listen to me, I will also tell you what I want to share with you, including the problem I have. Together, we will find a way to solve our problems. What do you think about that, Joanna?" Canillas asked, waiting for her response as he fixed his gaze on her side profile.

And a few seconds later, he got the answer he waited for. "It will only be a burden." But it was a soft decline that was muttered in a soft voice.

Compared to him, Joanna thought that she had more problems than him. Or if he had more problems than her, wouldn’t it be annoying if she added her problems to his?

At the end, it would only be a burden. Besides, the way she had treated him made her feel it was not fair to share any burden with him. Hence, she thought that it was better for each of them to keep what belonged to them.

But, of course, Joanna’s way of thinking was not in line with Canillas’.

"If it is a burden, can you enlighten me why I am happy to be here with you now, Joanna?"

Upon hearing his response, Joanna turned her head, only to find Canillas smiling at her.

"There is no need to feel burdened between husband and wife," came Canillas’ next response to Joanna’s answer. "It is fine if we can’t come up with an idea to solve our problems. At least we are sharing with each other," he shared his view about how married couples were supposed to be in a marriage.

Because of this reason, where husband and wife should share emotions, he was unwilling to marry. But it was already in the past. He was now a husband as he had married the lady that he had chosen to be his wife himself, and he was willing to share any burden, if it was called a burden, with her, his only wife.

"But if it is a burden to you, I won’t share what’s mine with you. But yours will never be a burden to me. So don’t hesitate to let me know what you want to share with me." A reassuring smile was formed on Canillas’ lips.

He had told her about his point of view, and now it was up to her to respond to it, recalling how stubborn and doubtful she was about him.

Upon hearing what Canillas just said, Joanna turned her body to completely face him with her lips open and closed several times, as if attempting to say something in response, but felt difficulty voicing what she had in her mind.

Knowing her well, Canillas did not push her to respond to him. At least she now knew what his stance was regarding the topic they just talked about.

"The banquet will start soon. If you are unwilling to be there, should we just stay here until it is over?" Canillas inquired, shifting the topic so she would stop feeling like she was under pressure, adding stress to her already distressed state.

Besides, he offered that idea because being alone in tranquility with the lady, who looked stunningly beautiful under the moonlight, was far better than gathering with the nuisance.

Nonetheless, the lady, whom he expected to be less distressed after he shifted the topic of their conversation and offered an idea that he thought to be more suitable for her current situation, stared at him in a daze.