The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 234: Warmth in one fallen night

Recalling the method he implemented to make that tribal group spill that information to him, he somehow believed that if he relied on Terran security officers to interrogate them, he was sure that the result would be zero.

He was also sure if he did not torture them until his knuckles were bleeding and the sound of broken bones erupted in the torturing chamber, they would not have told him that, although they were still deadly stubborn to have their mouth sealed to reveal where their bases were and the wellbeing of the abducted victims.

Meanwhile, upon hearing that information, Joanna opened her eyes wide. "Really? You knew their motive, Sir Canillas?" Pulling her head from the pillow and propping her body with her elbow, she asked Canillas.

Nodding his head while capturing her wondering yet excited gaze, Canillas uttered, "Because your ancestor was one of the founders of Terra." With Joanna freezing in her position, he added. "And they targeted on their lineages." Thus, they were so persistent in capturing those whom they had set as their targets, including her, whom they had coincidentally encountered in the West Lane Mountain.

Canillas did not say about their persistence out loud, keeping that to himself, as a mean to make her less worried, although she might already notice that.

Letting the silence engulf both of them, Canillas saw Joanna still maintain her freezing position, propping her body with her elbows while looking down at his eyes. A lock of her dark hair slid to rest on one side of her shoulder, giving contrast to her white nightgown and fair skin.

As if knowing the meaning of her gaze, Canillas said, "His Majesty has committed to prioritize this matter. He had promised me that. And he has no choice but to do so, as after this news spread out, the lineages of the founders of Terra will for sure not sit still. They will make a move to insist the security toward their families be enhanced and urge to increase the forces to capture them all."

Canillas highly hoped that aside from the unavoidable urge that would come from others later, what the King of Terra promised him after he witnessed him go rampant and would not tolerate any ignorance was not only in the mouth.

"And you will be fine," he remarked.

As if the words of assurance he just stated was not enough, by capturing Joanna’s eyes in his, he said more, "I will never let them touch you again." Canillas emphasized the words. Determination was radiant in his voice and facial expression, yet Joanna somehow felt that there was a subtle crack in that radiant determination.

Staring at his green eyes, a smile gradually spread across Joanna’s face. She then nodded her head. Putting her head back to rest on the pillow, she said, "I will be fine because Sir Canillas is with me." Joanna kept the smile on her lips, changing her demeanor into a bright one as she hid the worry of what she sensed deep inside her whole being. But what she accepted in response was a stiff expression on the man who was lying not far from her side.

As if not noticing that, Joanna kept voicing what she wanted to voice at the moment. "Thank you for coming for me and bringing me home." Joanna smiled after delivering those soft spoken words. But still, an unusual response came from the man before her, who had his eyes wavered, and his hand that was holding hers trembled.

"But I was late," was the reply coming in a low, slightly trembling voice.

Upon hearing that, Joanna could grasp the reason behind the crack in his determination that she sensed. He was guilty and blame himself, just like her presumption why he avoided her, thinking that he was late to rescue her, which caused her to get the wound on her neck, aside from bruises on some parts of her body that she hoped not to be noticed by him as they were hidden from his eyes.

"No, you weren’t late, Sir Canillas. If you were late, I would have been di..."

"No. Don’t say that."

Joanna was frozen. The sudden interruption made her unable to finish her words.

The room fell into silence before the same voice that prevented Joanna from finishing her words was heard again, breaking the weight of silence that hovered over them.

"Don’t say that, Joanna. Don’t say that."

And Joanna did not say anything. She also could not do anything in response but stay still in the arms of the man, who suddenly moved forward to embrace her.

What she heard above her head were the same words that were mumbled by her husband, whose frantic heartbeat resonated in her ear that was pressed against his taut chest. Before long, other words were said by him.

"I wasn’t angry at you. I was angry at myself for not coming faster to you. I am sorry, Joanna. I am sorry."

At the moment, Joanna felt the emotions that emerged from the man who was embracing her were the same as those that she sensed when she saw him that night.

The tone of his voice when he warned that burly man sounded not far different from the way he spoke to her at the moment. If he happened to face her, letting her see his face, Joanna was somehow sure the way he looked at her face with that wavering gaze would not be far from what she saw in him in that terrifying night.

Slowly, while pushing aside all the hesitation, Joanna slid her now-free hand on Canillas’ waist. Allowing it to rest on his back, Joanna gently patted the broad back of the man who buried his face on the top of her head with his arms tightened around her body.

And for a moment, Joanna felt him stiffen. The muscle on his back tightened. But Joanna kept on patting his back, as it was the thing that she wanted to do to comfort him when she saw him in those vulnerable emotions that night.

"My husband chose to come to find me instead of having a meeting with His Majesty once he found there was something amiss. I wanted my husband to know how glad and thankful I am for that." Feeling Canillas loosen his embrace on her, Joanna looked up to meet his glistening eyes as he looked down at her eyes.

Smiling, Joanna said further, "I was afraid that night. So many things happened that made me try to think if it was only a nightmare, but I knew it was not. I was faced with a reality that might make me not be able to see my father, brother, and you... my husband... ever again." Her voice was as soft as the breeze on one fine sunny day to Canillas’ ears.

Seeing her husband lock his wavering eyes with hers, Joanna kept the smile on her face. "But then I saw you. I saw my husband coming toward me. That moment I knew that I would be saved. My husband came to rescue me. And it happened. I am here with him now." Joanna spoke slowly, as if wanting to emphasize every word for Canillas to know, to remove any guilt and anger inside him, for no one was expecting that nightmare to happen.

"So please stop blaming yourself. Don’t be angry anymore, even to yourself. You were not late. We are all safe. I also learned how to be more careful in the future, pondering over my fault, not to act carelessly ever again." Joanna kept her gaze on Canillas as she uttered, "Because no one knows what will happen in the future. Not me or even you." She added,

"My husband went mad toward His Majesty because of me. My husband looked distressed because of me. My husband skipped having the meeting with His Majesty that night because of me. How can I be not thankful for that?" A momentary pause was taken by Joanna before continuing. "What is more important to me is your presence. You knew I was in danger, and you did not close your eyes for that. Thank you for all that you have done for me, Sir Canillas," she uttered with a warm smile. Her hand still rested on Canillas’ stiff back, still attempting to comfort him, loosening his tenseness.

Fixing his gaze on the heartwarming, beautiful lady before his eyes, Canillas asked, "You were not angry at me?" Moving his one hand that circled around Joanna’s waist to bring it to touch the scar on Joanna’s neck, he asked more, "Does it still hurt?" His voice was barely audible, so light to Joanna’s ears. Even his touch on her neck was light, as if not wanting to give too much pressure, afraid of her being hurt.

Shaking her head, Joanna responded, "No, it doesn’t hurt anymore." She smiled reassuringly before giving the answer to his other question. "And... why should I be angry at my husband, who was there for me?" The smile on Joanna’s lips played more broadly, showing her deep dimples.

"And I..."

That word was hanging in the tip of Joanna’s tongue, not able to be slipped out to finish, due to the soft, warm pressure that blocked her from uttering any words.

The first feeling in one’s life, for word after word to be swallowed, until no word could be formed to express the warmth in one fallen night.