The General's Wife Wants to Leave
Chapter 112: A bolt from the blue

Chapter 112: A bolt from the blue

"A sad ending book?"

Joanna gasped in surprise at the sudden whisper brushing her ear.

Fortunately, she placed the book on her lap as she read it with her head lowered. Otherwise, the book would fall with a thud on the floor as she might throw it away.

Patting her chest where her heart thumped crazily due to a bolt from the blue, Joanna turned her head to the side to send a sharp glare at the mischievous man after she slightly lean back as her sense was still working that he should have positioned his face close to her ear. Then, Joanna found a man with a satisfied grin spread across his face, leaning forward on the back of the couch where she sat.

Joanna had no idea when he moved from his seat and walked behind the couch where she was sitting, while she was not really immersed in reading.

Was it how he made a shadow move when he tried to ambush the enemy territory? Joanna wondered in her mind. If so, then there was no doubt how he could achieve victory after victory in the battlefield.

Finding that the smiling man seemed to be unfazed by the glare she sent to him, Joanna opened her eyes wide when she saw him stride around the couch and take a seat very close to her side, full of confidence.

Placing one arm at the back of the couch behind her and one of his legs crossed over the other, Joanna saw him offer her a beaming smile before taking the book on her lap.

"Land in the City." Canillas read the title of the book which was not too thick. "What is this book about, wife? Would you be willing to share it with your husband?" Canillas asked the glaring, puffy-eyed lady, still holding the book in his hand with a smile.

Gently taking the book from the mischievous man’s hand, Joanna said, "I don’t know what this book tells about. I haven’t read it." She lied, as she remembered well what the book was about, although she had read it a few years ago. But for sure, it was not a book with a sad ending.

Canillas smiled as a response to the lady’s cold answer before reaching out his hand to meet her sight.

Finding what was offered by the man beside her, Joanna threw him another flicker of glare. "If you happen to cry again." She heard him speak to her with a mischievous smile on his lips.

Letting out a sigh while thinking that he was finally back with his mischievous side, Joanna replied, "I have my own handkerchief. Thank you for your kind attention, Sir Canillas." She then saw the mischievous man nod his head and put his white handkerchief back into his trouser pocket.

After that, Joanna was back to acting as if she were continuing reading with her head lowered while secretly glancing at the man sitting next to her, who was not showing any sign of moving away, as if he were glued to her side.

Joanna sighed inwardly at how confident the man next to her was, invading their boundaries as if they were a normal married couple.

"What an honor to have a newlywed, beautiful couple at this old man’s humble house."

A voice that suddenly came from the open doorway made Joanna call off her intention of shifting her seat in the opposite direction of the confident man so there would be distance between them. Instead, Joanna hurriedly pushed her body up from the couch and walked in the direction of where the voice came from.

"Good morning, Mr. Simone. How have you been doing?" Joanna greeted, offering a slight bow to the middle-aged man with glasses sitting on his nose who seemed to rely on a wheelchair to move around.

Finding out the current condition of Mr. Simone, Joanna somehow felt sad as the previously strong-looking man was now looking weak. However, despite her sympathy over Mr. Simone’s condition, Joanna did not forget to add more distance while standing before the older man, just as she did not forget the condition of her eyes, impeding them from being noticed.

Returning the polite bow, Mr. Simone said, "Good morning, my lady. As you see, this old man has to sit in this special chair now." Mr. Simone chuckled after replying to the young lady. "But I am fine and am gratefully still able to sew," Mr. Simone added.

Smiling with the corner of his eyes wrinkled as he looked up at the daughter of the Duke of Barasca, he uttered, "It’s been a long time since I saw you, my lady. I am surprised yet very pleased to have you here."

Slightly shifting his head to get a glimpse of the young lady’s companion, a tall, well-built young man simply adorned in a white dress shirt with a black waistcoat and black frock coat on top of black trousers who stood a few steps away at the back, he continued saying,

"And I am pleased to finally meet the great General Canillas von Rodega." Mr. Simone smiled kindly.

At the attention directed to him, Canillas strode forward and stood in front of Mr. Simone. He then stretched out his hand, which the elderly took for a handshake.

"It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Simone." Canillas greeted Mr. Simone.

Mr. Simone nodded his head along with the warm smile on his face. "Is General von Rodega coming to this humble house for the birthday banquet of the Crown Prince?" Mr. Simone asked after each man retracted his hand from the handshake.

Even though Mr. Simone was not invited to the banquet, which was only aimed at the Terran aristocrat, the news about the sudden change of the date of the birthday banquet of the Crown Prince had reached Mr. Simone’s ears as it had been spread all over Terra, including Barasca.

At first, he had no idea what made the King change the banquet date in haste, which had never happened before. Even after he was informed about the coming of the young lady de Lara by his assistant, Gretta, he was still not able to grasp the reason behind the King’s haste movement.

What took him when he received the information was a surprise feeling to know the young lady who had left for Archess for her marriage to the General, who had played an important role in saving Terra from the invasion of the Valthian Empire, had suddenly appeared in his shop.

But now, after he saw the daughter of the Duke of Barasca appear before his eyes with her husband, he was finally able to grasp the reason His Majesty the King pushed forward the banquet schedule, which made him have to decline a few requests for making suits that asked for a rapid finish.

"Yes, we are, Mr. Simone," Canillas answered before turning his head to look at Joanna, who stood half a step away behind his side as if gesturing for her to take the rein, as he did not know what to do in this matter.

Or perhaps he wanted to see Joanna play her role as his wife, as he somehow felt warmth swarmed in his heart when she did so, like at the previous night’s dinner when he heard her show her concern over his attire for the banquet.

"Is it possible for one suit to be ready on Thursday morning at the latest, Mr. Simone?" Joanna asked, understanding the meaning of the look that was directed at her by her so-called husband, who showed a stark contrast in demeanor from a couple of minutes ago. There was no slight residue of mischief on his face.

"It will be impossible if you order more than one suit, my lady," Mr. Simone replied with a smile. The corners of his eyes crinkled more.

"One suit is possible. Fortunately, I finished the order for one suit yesterday. Otherwise, with my current condition, it will be impossible to accept your order, my lady," Mr. Simone added, trying to make it clear that he could make one suit for the prominent General of Archess, the son-in-law of the Duke of Barasca.

Truthfully, even though his hands were full of order, Mr. Simone would accept the order from the Duke of Barasca.

Apart from being an old customer whose suit had been made by his ancestor for generations, as a businessman, Mr. Simone wanted his work to be noticed widely, particularly when it could be worn by an influential person like the Duke and his son-in-law.

Aside from that, it was also because of the continuity of Simone’s tailorship, which would be passed on to his son.

"It is a relief to hear that, Mr. Simone. Thank you for making it possible," Joanna responded, offering the older man, who would make a suit for the General ready on Thursday, a kind smile.

"You are very welcome, my lady. It is also an honor for me to make a suit to be worn by the hero of our homeland," Mr. Simone replied before asking, "Then, may we proceed with the measurement, General von Rodega?"

With that, the suit that was going to be worn by the honor guest of the royal banquet began to proceed.