The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 199: A rare gem

He could touch and see the beauty that was now in his arms more than he had done so far, as there was no gap that separated them at the moment. He could feel the breath that brushed his face when the movement made their proximity closer and closer.

He could hold her hand without gloves covering her hand, telling others that the lady in his arms was his wife and with whom his dance would only be.

There was no defense to maintain their distance, like before this night came, as if all that had been done in the past was only a dream. Or perhaps what was happening this night was the actual dream? But no. Canillas hoped none of that was a dream. He preferred to keep all that had happened as a beautiful memory instead of it being a mere dream that he had never experienced in real life.

With what he had in his mind, as if to confirm that he was not dreaming at the moment, Canillas brought his gaze trailing over every detail of the face of the lady before him. Gladfully, although she looked so nervous, afraid of taking the wrong step, she did not bring her gaze toward anywhere but on to his face.

Although she occasionally avoided meeting his eyes, he was glad just by the fact he could linger his eyes on every detail and contour of her face that he had already imprinted in his mind.

The lights that grew more radiant as the night deepened made her dress glimmer in the light, sending a warm harmony to the fair skin that belonged to her. With her black hair set into an elegant bun, the view of her long and slender neck and the straight collarbone shown above the neckline of her dress came into his sight, awakening the memory that made him lose his senses a couple of hours ago.

"Beautiful," Canillas murmured despite the warning the beauty in his arms sent to him—for him not to ruin her concentration a few seconds ago.

His lips curled into a smile as the beauty at which he marveled drifted her mesmerizing big hazel eyes, which were framed by long, thick eyelashes, to now meet his eyes.

Joanna knew that the man whose arms she was in had nailed his gaze on her since they started the dance. But she had reminded herself that she could not bring her gaze anywhere but his face due to the strong reason she had why she was willing to have a dance with him despite all the problems she struggled with.

Because it was her chance to show all the eyes who were now present in the grand room that the man who was now dancing with her was not like they thought and judged. She wanted to send them a message that he was not like they insulted.

Most importantly, she wanted Clara de Lorn and others to see that she was fine with her husband and that she was not afraid of him. He was not a rude man, as they accused, and there was no fear in her to be in close proximity with him.

He was not stinky and dirty as they mocked. Hence, she was fine to be close to him. He was also not a cut sleeve, as the rumor she surprisingly heard tonight. Hence, he embraced her, staring at her with a lot of affection, and she had no problem to stare back at him. frёeωebɳovel.com

However, the man that she had tried to defend did not let her focus on doing the main purposes she had for the dance even after she told him not to ruin her concentration and that she did not reply to his previous comment. Instead, he kept on saying something that made her almost take the wrong steps.

As for that matter, what else could she do, as she knew that he would keep on doing something that he felt would amuse him?

Nonetheless, Joanna could not help but feel a flush rise to her cheeks at the compliment he out of nowhere conveyed to her, although it was not the first time she heard from him, and her heart beat even harder at the intense and unyielding gaze that stubbornly searched for her eyes.

"Please don’t ruin my concentration, Sir Canillas," Joanna demanded the same thing, attempting to calm the flutter of nerves in her chest while showing a complaining look.

"My beautiful wife," Canillas murmured again, ignoring her demand, and a low chuckle slipped out of his lips when the lady that he praised sent him a sharp glare as if it were meant to make him stop uttering any single word.

Keeping the smile on his face as the chuckle subsided, Canillas said, "You dance well." To which Joanna shook her head in disagreement.

"No, I am not. I will stumble if I lose focus. That’s why please stop distracting me," Joanna argued.

Once again, he heard her say that she was not good at dancing. He did not know about her dancing skill, as what he had in his mind before was that she was the same as how the upper class would dance.

But when she told him that she was not good at dancing, he came to the realization that his wife was really a rare gem among the class where there were so many gems shining splendidly. Yet he liked this rare gem a lot, who was oblivious about the skill that she actually had. This rare gem was actually good at dancing, but her negative thoughts made her not notice that.

She had a balanced posture. She was also light on her feet and moved quiet fluidly, but she was too much tensed to the point he felt her back, where his right palm rested, was so stiff, and the skin around her shoulder blade that was not covered with the fabric of her dress was cold.

"I am just happy I can dance with you, Joanna," Canillas muttered. "Too happy to have my first dance with you, wife," he added, touching the rare gem that he marveled with his eyes.