The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 246: Preach of judgment

"Well, it seems that this naughty Phillip’s priority is still for his little sister," Phillip replied in a nonchalant tone, knowing that the person did not seriously complain to him. "I believe we have the same priority, right, Father?" Phillip grinned at the seemingly confused Duke, who was in the middle of grasping the sudden infiltration. And before he could give his response, the person moved toward Joanna, who sat still on the chair in a daze.

"How I miss you so much, dear. How much I have wanted to see you." The person landed the same light kiss on the dazed Joanna’s cheek before she hugged and squeezed Joanna in her arms, implying the words she uttered were not empty. As she parted from Joanna a few seconds later to then look at her face, a frown that deepened the lines on her forehead was formed. "It seems that married life doesn’t suit you well," she commented while her eyes roamed Joanna’s pale complexion and less fat on her cheeks. The person then stood straight and shifted her eyes to see Canillas, who watched the scene before him indifferently.

"Don’t be too hard on her. Different customs and... social classes can sometimes be so... frustrating." The person spoke nonchalantly in a placid voice, deliberately sizing Canillas from top to bottom with no smile on her face. She added, "But everything can be talked about well without hurting her feelings. My dear niece Joanna is too delicate to be hurt. Rough life is indeed not suitable for her."

Not even bothering to show a proper manner of respect toward him or even the master of the house. It seemed that the person, who seemed to be attentive to his wife, preferred to speak her mind and lacked a sense of propriety, thought Canillas to himself while looking at the older lady, who stared at him, without any expression on his face.

"I hope you agree with that. Just remember where you came from..."

"Camille!" The Duke’s stern voice stopped the woman named Camille from talking more, apprehending to which point the conversation would be navigated.

"I just talked about a matter of fact for the sake of Joanna, John," Camille responded to the warning of the Duke calmly, returning Canillas’ undeterred gaze with the same intensity as hers before turning to see the Duke, only to find herself lost for words due to the sharp, unwavering gaze that was cast from a pair of unblinking hazel eyes belonging to him.

A chuckle lowly echoed in the previously peaceful room. "There... there... Aunt Camille. Don’t tell me if Lady Leticia held you back there from leaving her mansion because of her interest in your preach of judgment," Phillip commented, beginning to fill his plate with roasted beef and sautéed vegetables before stretching his hand across the table to fill Joanna’s plate with the same dishes as his. He knew that those he picked were also his sister’s favorite meals.

When Joanna noticed that, it was then she retreated from her stupor. She shifted her gaze from the older lady, who all of a sudden stepped inside her family’s dining room, behaving as if it was also hers, to her brother. She forced a smile to form on her lips when she found her brother mouthing "eat" with a warm smile offered to her.

Just a split second after Phillip mouthed that word to Joanna, the older lady took the chance to avoid the Duke’s reprimanding gaze by walking toward Phillip and planted a fleeting peck on his cheek before lightly poking the tip of his nose, which made Phillip shift his head to avoid the touch with his brows knitted. She then uttered as she leveled her face to Phillip, "That’s not preach, my dear naughty Phillip." Straightening her back, she made a short walk to take the vacant seat next to Phillip. As she sat, she continued to say,

"This is called honesty. Don’t you see it yourself, how your sister looks now? Your sister Joanna is indeed a beautiful young lady, just like your mother, my lovely sister Alenna. She has her tenderness and beauty. I wouldn’t have said anything if I hadn’t seen how different she looks now, making me wonder what kind of life she has gone through after she is no longer bearing the name of de Lara," Aunt Camille remarked further while deliberately fixing her eyes on Canillas, who sat leisurely across from her, swirling the glass of wine before taking a sip from there.

"Please stop, Mother." A firm yet soft voice resonated in the room when Phillip was about to refute.

Joanna’s heart skipped a beat when the voice was perceived by her sense of hearing. Without drifting her eyes toward the direction of the source, she knew undoubtedly whose voice that was. She remained sitting there, on her seat, while calming her uneasiness by taking a deep breath before releasing it. Her eyes were settled on her brother, who calmly enjoyed the food, seeming unaffected by all the scene made by the guests.

"It’s been a while, Uncle." The person, who called Aunt Camille Mother, walked across the dining room, stood beside the chair of the Duke, and offered a polite bow before greeting him. Finding the Duke just looked at her without saying anything, she stated, "My apology for the inconvenience we just made. Mother just tried to speak her mind because she cares for Joanna a lot. She has always been worried about her. So I beg your understanding, Uncle. Please don’t take it to heart." Her soft voice was laced with remorse. Her demeanor expected a positive response from the Duke. And she smiled in relief and uttered a thank you when the Duke gave a slight nod as a response.

Afterward, she turned toward Joanna and bent down to hug her, as she remained sitting on the high-back dining chair, having no intention to warmly welcome the guests that looked like an intruder for her at the moment.