The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 283: An inexplicable enigma

She did not see the face that stirred indecipherable emotions in her heart. She felt lost as to what to feel at the moment, for something surreal that was hard to define as real.

"How was today at the festival?" Joanna asked when she felt the tranquility that was actually not too long to hover around them become too deafening for her restless mind to bear.

She somehow wanted to divert the lingering discomfort away before the sun welcomed them the next day. She did not want to ruin their jolly atmosphere due to the vague, tiring emotions that consumed one’s peace of mind.

For once, she wanted to feel merry when she was with him, as he had done a lot to accommodate her inner turmoil. For him, who was never tired of consoling her ambiguity without any complaint but with patience and understanding, she wanted to be the one who brightened their current somber mood.

For a moment, she did not want to be inconsiderate, easily conquered by an inexplicable enigma, which would drain his emotions as well. Because he cared for her well-being. He would not let her be entangled in her emotions alone, just like how she somehow perceived from their silence at the moment. His mind was there with her.

"I thought you were not interested in knowing about that." Joanna heard Canillas’ response before his typical chuckle followed suit, his warm breath brushing against her hair.

Joanna knew what was meant by Canillas. She said, "It is not that I wasn’t interested in knowing about everything that happened in the festival. I wanted to ask you about that. But you look weary. So, I decided it would be better to talk about it tomorrow."

The fact was that she could not remain calm the entire day, waiting for Canillas and Phillip to return home. But until the dinner had passed, she had not seen any sign of them. Yet she kept waiting for Canillas, whom she was so sure would come to see her when he was already at home.

And she was right. He was currently here with her, even sleeping by her side, because he did not want to sleep alone in the room that he called empty. Nonetheless, she had no heart to be selfish to satisfy her curiosity, ignoring his obvious fatigue despite his attempt to look fresh and strong.

She did not know what they had gone through at the festival. She wanted to know about that, but she chose to lull her curiosity, as they would still see each other the next day.

Tonight, she wanted him to rest, letting him call it a night after carrying out something that was probably not easy for him to do, yet he was still willing to do it only for her sake. Because he knew she would not settle in peace of mind if he refused to lend her his hand.

Thus, she did not poke about that subject until the moment her mind was poked due to another topic of conversation that flowed without any arrangement but was strong enough to make them disembark in the land of somberness.

"If that’s the case, why are you talking about it now?" Canillas’ inquiry prompted Joanna to pause momentarily. "I can’t sleep," she then reasoned, causing her cheeks to blush when Canillas’ chest reverberated with his chuckle.

She could not say that the main reason she brought up the subject was due to her intention to lift their mood, though it was also true that she could not sleep when her mind was occupied now. But he laughed, insinuating that he once again read her well.

With her blushing cheeks, Joanna heard Canillas’ voice come from the back of her head as he said, "Well, for my caring and understanding wife who can’t sleep, I would like to report that I carried out what was instructed very well. So she may rest assured and go to sleep now." His hand did not stop tracing through the skin of her hand as if caressing to lull her into slumber.

"... That’s all?" Joanna muttered. There was a hint of mixed dissatisfaction and disappointment in her low voice. She wanted to hear more from Canillas, but he just spoke words that gave no room to question more.

Canillas hummed, bending his arm that was used as a pillow by Joanna so that his forearm was brought upward and he could caress her head. "That’s all unless you tell me specifically what you want to know," Canillas remarked, pressing his cheek against the back of Joanna’s head. His gaze settled on one of the bedposts that stood in front of him and his wife.

"Are you sleepy?" Joanna asked. She wondered if Canillas was actually sleepy but forcing himself to stay awake to give her company.

"No," Canillas replied without any delay.

Despite Canillas’ answer that showed no hesitation, telling her that he was not sleepy, Joanna contemplated building a further conversation, considering he was actually tired but hiding it from her. Thus, she made no words afterwards. She was silent.

"I didn’t let your brother be alone with that lady even for a second." But a few moments later, as if knowing what was running in her inner thoughts, Canillas’ voice drawled into her mind.

With her eyes lit up, Joanna swiftly turned her head, but before she could see Canillas’ face, with their now sleeping position, her cheek was the first to meet Canillas’. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

At such an unexpected encounter, Joanna did not make additional movements. What she did next was stay still, not because she froze, but because skin-to-skin contact represented how warm her heart was at the moment.

Canillas’ words, care, understanding, presence, and all of his tender treatment were the sources of the indescribably comforting warmth that flowed incessantly in her heart, and Joanna could not deny that.

"Really?" Joanna muttered, lifting up all the resistance to rest comfortably one side of her face on Canillas’. "Really," was the affirmation she heard not long later.

Finding Joanna not avoiding him and letting them be intimately close instead, with a blissful heart, Canillas pulled Joanna closer to him as his arms encircled her more.