The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 47: The future to inhale

Canillas resumed his steps. It did not take more than five seconds since he remained still on his spot with the thoughts that suddenly came across his mind.

Canillas admitted that the sudden appearance of the young Captain had become a disruption in his mind, especially when the young Captain had intently opened up, announcing to him about his not-ordinary relationship with his wife. He also remembered the way the young Captain had scrutinized him at their first meeting, even during the whole military meeting.

Before the appearance of the young Captain, Canillas had only two variables in mind that made his wife not willing to maintain their marriage, eager to end it as soon as possible, which were him and his mother. But now, another young man had added the variable, making the previous two variables in his mind gradually eliminated.

But what to worry about if it was true that there was a special relationship between them? It was only the past.

The matter of fact was that the young lady was now bound in a legal marriage with him. As long as she was his wife, no matter how far and intense the young Captain announced their relationship, it was still the past, an old relationship that could only be exhaled.

Moreover, it was not a bizarre thing for a person to have a past in their lives.

With that in mind, his steps became lighter. He was willing to show his wife what the future to inhale and to live in.

When Canillas was about to step out of the main door of the mansion, he saw his father-in-law had just got off the carriage, to which Canillas slowed his hasty pace before taking a full halt to stand on the porch.

Finding the young General who was supposed to be in Seidel already standing before his eyes, Duke John de Lara looked surprised. "You are already back, Sir Canillas," said the Duke while climbing up the stairs toward the porch.

When the Duke stood in front of him, Canillas gave a polite bow to greet him. "Yes, Your Grace. I just arrived not long ago," Canillas replied, giving a vague answer about the time, as he was not sure anymore how long had passed since he arrived, crossing inside the doorway where he had just passed through to make his leave.

Upon hearing his answer, the Duke raised his brows. "You just arrived here from Seidel and seem to plan on heading out again?" questioned the Duke in a surprised tone. The Duke noticed that by the worn appearance of the young man before him, he was sure that the young man had likely just arrived far less than thirty minutes ago.

Canillas nodded his head. "Yes, I am going to go to West Lane Mountain, Your Grace," Canillas responded.

The Duke’s eyes went wider, showing a more surprised expression at his answer. "At this hour?"

When he received a nod as an answer from his son-in-law, Duke John let out a heavy sigh. "Joanna will be fine, Sir Canillas. It is not the first time for her to go to West Lane Mountain. Before getting married to you and moving to Archess, she went there once every three months. And she hasn’t gone there for almost nine months now," informed the Duke, understanding why his son-in-law had hastily planned to go to West Lane Mountain. He must have received the news of where his wife currently was.

But how could he know that she was on West Lane Mountain? The Duke had witnessed that Joanna had ordered her handmaiden and the butler not to reveal her exact location to the General. As the order was given, it meant that they would ensure the entire house remained silent about her whereabouts.

It was this morning before Duke John de Lara went to the Duchy Council to handle the affairs of the Duchy of Barasca in terms of financial, legal, and political issues that his daughter came to see him, telling him that she was going to the Powel Orphanage.

He had prohibited her from going there as she had not completely recovered yet, although the rashes on her body were healed and the reddened skin had almost disappeared, close to back to normal. But his hard-headed daughter was persistent with her plan to go there, reasoning that it had been a long time since her last visit to the orphanage.

She had also told him that the General refused to agree to annul their marriage despite what she had done to make him agree to that. Thus, she decided to go there, both to avoid further encounters with the General and to carry on regular visitation after her absence for so long.

She said that if she did not go to the orphanage this time, she would not know when she would be able to make a visit again, especially if the General returned from Seidel and forced her to follow him back to Archess.

After some consideration, the Duke finally allowed his daughter to go to the Powel Orphanage as he saw her condition was not as bad as when he found it the first time.

It was still clear in his memory the moment he saw the condition of his daughter when he came to her room after the General left his mansion for Seidel. He was first informed that his daughter was sick, having suffered from an allergy, when the General asked for his permission to pick some herbal plants for her remedies.

Despite his wonderment at hearing news about his healthy daughter suddenly becoming sick, the perplexed Duke thought that the sickness might not be serious, remembering she was totally fine before he was informed about her sickness.

But then, he was beyond surprised to see what kind of sickness she had when he visited her. Her skin was reddened and swollen. And he was certain that he had never seen his daughter in such a painful and severe condition.

Then, the Duke recalled the day when the General suddenly came to his mansion. His daughter seemed to panic and told him to refrain the General from seeing her for two hours.

He finally understood the meaning of refraining for two hours that she asked for.

He knew the skills of both of his children in relation to herbal-related medication. It was the innate talent that was passed on by his beloved late wife, Alenna de Lara, to their children.

Hence, after being informed that Joanna had already awakened from her long sleep, he went to her room again and asked her to tell him the truth about what had happened to her body and why she had her body in such harm.

She was silent as if immersed in deep thoughts, before confessing that it was because she wanted to make the General despise her due to her deteriorated health and physical looks, which she expected to make him agree to nullify their marriage.

It had never crossed his mind until he witnessed with his eyes that time how serious and persistent his daughter was to separate from the General and end their marriage, which made her not hesitate to hurt herself.

She might have hurt her body in order to make him despise her as she expected him to. But it was an action before she met him in person.

However, even after the General saw her condition and did things that became the opposite of her expectations, she was still not willing to accept him, even going to another place in order to avoid further encounters with him.

He thought that his daughter had had her heart and mind softened after knowing the reason why her husband was here, even taking a long, exhausting journey just to see and take her back to where he lived. He also thought that she might have changed her mind, clearing her disappointment or any negative feelings she had towards her husband and mother-in-law after the long conversation they had in her room.

It then brought the Duke to some questions. How severe sin had been done by the General to his daughter that made her give no chance in continuing their marriage? What had been done by the General that made her blind and deaf to everything he might have done and said to change her mind?

And now, looking at the young man who looked so distressed and eager to pursue his wife into the place where she had chosen to avoid him despite the night-time and exhausted body after passing through a long trip, the Duke could not lie that he felt sorry for him.

However, he had decided not to get involved in the marital tension between his daughter and his son-in-law since his daughter told him that she would resolve her marriage problem herself.

He also agreed with that as it was the right decision to make as marriage was a personal matter between a couple and it was better to not involve other parties in their marital life.

Aside from that, the Duke also had no right to meddle in between. He could only wish the best for his daughter and his son-in-law, wishing for her to decide wisely, to not regret it later.