The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 228: Feathering touch

Joanna was not sure why she had to close her eyes, pretending to sleep once she realized who came closer to approach her room. There was no way for her father or Bianca or Lucy to approach her room at the hour where they knew that she was bedded to sleep, except for Bianca, who might come to check the fireplace to keep it lit up to warm her room.

However, Joanna’s senses told her that it was not Bianca who was now approaching stealthily toward her bed after the door was carefully pushed closed. Even if Bianca had to check the fireplace in her room, this present hour was too early for her to carry out that duty.

Aside from that, the fresh masculine scent that drifted to her nose clearly belonged to none but him, and it was his scent that strongly emanated after he washed up.

As the person came closer and closer, Joanna, who subconsciously held her breath, felt her heart beat fast, pulsating under her palm that she kept on her chest under the warm blanket. But then Joanna remembered that even if she pretended to sleep, she had to steady her breath.

Slowly adjusting her breath and appearing as calm as she could manage, Joanna felt him towering beside her bed before then she felt a feathering brush on her hair. Not long later, that feathering touch moved to her cheek. All was the same as the dream that she had the nights before this night.

Wait. Was it really a dream? Feeling her heart thump more in her chest, Joanna doubted if it was a dream based on the current every movement that was similar to what she felt the previous nights.

Almost feeling certain that it was not a dream, Joanna felt that she was on the verge to cry. If it was not a dream, then it meant that he had actually come to see her every night.

She was glad that her decision not to take the medicine that was prescribed by her uncle tonight was indeed the right choice to take.

The first reason for her not taking the medicine was that she had already felt so much better compared to the previous days. The other reason that was more important than all the reasons she had to skip taking the medicine was that all the words that had been conveyed by Lucy to her had disturbed her.

Joanna felt that she had lost her patience. Her curiosity inside her screamed for revelation. Hence, she had to strengthen her senses, refusing to be lulled by the medicine that induced sleepiness and dulled her senses.

Feeling her cheek being caressed, Joanna opened her eyes in a hurry when the affectionate gesture disappeared along with the feeling of the presence that got further away.

"Sir Canillas," Joanna softly called her husband when she saw him already walked across toward the door, about to leave her room.

If she did not call him tonight, he would leave again tomorrow. As a result, it needed another extra day for her to see him. It was what Joanna thought. Hence, she had to stop pretending to sleep. She had to see him this very moment.

As she did not need to adjust her eyes based on the fact that she was sober, Joanna captured the broad back of the man that she had not seen for five nights, flinched as if he were startled by the sudden call that he did not predict to come.

Slowly, he turned his body around. Slowly, he made himself to face her. Finally, Joanna could see his face.

But why? Joanna’s eyes quivered at what was seen by her eyes. What happened?

The man that she last saw five days ago looked haggard and tired. His cheeks somehow looked sunken, and his body lost weight. There was no frame of a healthy and prime man that she had remembered well in her mind, as it was the frame that she had seen since the first time she met him in person.

And he was still standing near the door with his hand holding the doorknob, staring at her, who was now sitting on the bed.

"What happened?" The question was made by Joanna, not able to hold her worry any longer at what she was seeing at the moment.

Breaking the wall of silence that stood between them as no words had been made but holding each other’s gaze, she asked, "Are you fine?" But the answer she obtained was still silence.

"What happened, Sir Canillas?" Joanna asked again, lifting the blanket as she was about to climb down the bed and approaching the man, who just stared into her eyes in silence. She demanded an answer, not him looking at her without words.

"I’m sorry to wake you up." It was the response that Joanna heard but none to answer her questions, and Joanna halted from getting off the bed as the man who was talking with her gave a gesture to stop her to do so as he raised his arm and showed his palm on her.

Shaking her head, Joanna asked, "Are you fine, Sir Canillas?" Her voice was soft but laced with certain worry.

She did not want to lie that she had slept. She also did not want to tell him the truth that she did not sleep. It was not something to concern Joanna, as she only wanted to know his condition. Hence, she just shook her head at his words.

What happened to him after that incident? Joanna wanted to know that.

Was he fine? She wanted him to tell her the answer.

Joanna’s eyes kept on observing the man who was still standing by the door.

She could tell that he had washed up as the smell of the soap emanated from his body, fulfilling the space of her room. His dampened hair also gave a sign that he had just cleaned up. But he looked exhausted.

There was no sign of him being refreshed. He did not look like the rakish figure that she last saw that night when the incident occurred before she closed her eyes, losing her consciousness.

Fortunately, from his attire, he seemed not to have any intention to flee out of home again. He was going to rest. And Joanna felt glad that he still came to see her despite his exhausted state.

Did he also look like this the nights before when he came to see her but she could not open her eyes to greet him? Joanna felt pang in her heart at the thought. What had this man experienced these five days to make him look like this? Joanna could not help but ask that in her mind.