The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 253: Nothing was free in life

Canillas sensed Joanna’s uneasiness. He said, "Tell me what that is about." He softened his voice, not wanting to make her feel intimidated and more uneasy.

Perceiving such an encouraging gesture, Joanna gulped and then said, "Can you..." But she took a sudden halt as if there was something to be contemplated about despite no intimidating aura emanating from the man who had been looking at her tenderly. Yet about five seconds later, as if she had made up her mind, she completed her request.

"Can you please push back the schedule to leave Terra?" With her fingers fidgeting under the table, Joanna gathered her courage to pose her request, though her voice sounded wary. "My brother is still here. I want to spend some more time with him and also with Father." She added her reason. Hopefully, it was convincing enough for her request to be granted.

Canillas stared at the lady who was sitting across from him, looking at him with a worried and pleading look on her beautiful face that was bathed with the warm glow that was illuminated from the candles that burned brightly between them.

"I am not a heartless husband who will not allow my wife to see her family in the future," Canillas responded to Joanna’s request. "I will never forbid you to visit your family, Joanna. Just tell me anytime you want to see them. We can set a schedule that both of us see fit to spend time with them in the future. You have my word on that."

It was a subtle decline. In other words, her demand was not granted. Joanna became restless.

"But we don’t know what will happen in the future. I can see my whole family now. What if something happens that makes me unable to see them anymore after this moment?" Joanna argued, sounding impatient.

She was aware that the possibility for her request to be disapproved was existent, but she was in a situation where she could not accept a no as an answer. She was faced with an urgency, and she would definitely be losing her peace if she left Terra as per the schedule that had been made.

"Don’t you think it is better to spend some more time here before leaving to never know when coming back here, Sir Canillas?" Joanna lowered her voice and softened her gaze, hoping it would change Canillas’ mind.

"I understood as I always understand you, Joanna. But I ask you to understand me this time. It is not a short time I have left Archess, leaving my duty and responsibility just to be here with you. To be remembered, you have been here longer than me. If I add more time to stay here, the time will surely stretch more. Don’t forget to count our journey back there. Do you think His Majesty the King is a generous ruler to let me get more months off of my duty, as many as I want?" came the objection from Canillas that was stated clearly this time, which made Joanna’s heart shrink upon hearing that.

Subconsciously, her shoulders slouched as if she was defeated even before the war began. Her eyes were downcast.

"How long do you propose for us to stay here?" Canillas asked when he noticed Joanna looking dispirited.

Joanna’s eyes lit up and her shoulders squared when she heard a hope through his inquiry. "Until my brother leaves Barasca." Joanna gave an answer based on what she had planned before she came to look for Canillas in his room.

She wanted to leave Barasca only until she got assurance that her family was fine and her brother returned to Lasse without any mishap happening upon him.

"What if he leaves a month later?" Canillas threw another inquiry, staring into Joanna’s eyes, which were straight on his.

"It won’t be that long. Brother still has to return to Lasse to finish his study," Joanna reasoned in a resolute demeanor.

"Didn’t you hear him say that he will stay in Barasca as long as you are here?" Canillas reminded Joanna about what they conversed about in the drawing room when they gathered before the dinner.

Taking a moment to think, Joanna answered, "I will surely follow you back, leaving my home, but after I finish verifying something. I will do my best to make it quick."

She decided to be open with Canillas, telling him another reason that made her want to prolong their stay in Barasca. By doing that, she hoped he would easily agree to push back their schedule to leave her homeland.

"What is that thing you need to verify?" Canillas inquired, slightly tilting his head in curiosity.

"That... I can’t tell you about that yet... but you are free to observe me." Joanna was unable to explain boldly to Canillas because she actually did not yet know what to do to verify something that made her worry.

She only knew that it could not be done within two days, as one day had gone down. It was too short, as she had to observe the situation herself. There were variables that could not be adjusted. Hence, she asked him to kindly postpone their departure.

Nonetheless, she did not want to hide anything from him. She also felt that it was useless, knowing him to be a sharp-witted person who could read her easily. So he was free to find out himself about what she would be doing.

Nodding his head in understanding, Canillas then said, "Then we will leave on Friday."

If the schedule remained unchanged, they would be leaving on Wednesday. So he gave her two extra days, which was still not enough for her. She should bargain more.

Finding Joanna opening and closing her mouth about to say something, which was an objection as it was clearly written on her restless visage, he stated, "I will make an exception, and we will return to our home after you finish whatever that is that you need to verify. You can take your time and don’t need to rush. But..." Joanna’s heart soared in joy hearing such a relieving remark but soon dropped down when there was a condition for that. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Nothing was free in life. She should remember that, not even from the man that she called her husband. But what to expect if one could breathe air only if one breath was spent out? So it was normal. Joanna cheered herself.

Yet she could not help but become restless, as she did not know what the condition was that he demanded from her in exchange for her request. And she felt her palms sweat once he completed his words. "You have to promise me one thing."

One thing. Only one thing. So it should be fine, right? Joanna tried to ease her mind.

"What is that?" She gingerly asked, rubbing her sweaty palms on her skirt before she clasped them together as if praying that Canillas would not make a demand that would break one’s senses.