The General's Wife Wants to Leave
Chapter 120: Fear

Chapter 120: Fear

Joanna stood in her tracks, looking at the man, who also looked back at her.

He stood there, about three meters away from where she was, leisurely leaning against the tree trunk with his arms folded over his chest.

The curtain of rays that stood between them, along with the distance between them, hindered Joanna from seeing what expression he wore on his face this time.

Was he still angry? Joanna wondered.

How long had he been there? Joanna inquired in her mind.

But soon she realized that it was not a question that mattered, as there were questions that should be taken into consideration. Was he here to announce that their marriage was over? Was he here to tell her that he had finally agreed to have their marriage annulled?

Joanna’s heart pounded fast in her chest at the anticipation of what would soon be revealed.

Blinking her eyes, Joanna broke their silent staring contest that she lost track of how long it had lasted. She then offered Canillas a bow before she found him stride toward her.

Looking up at the man who was now standing one step away in front of her, Joanna noticed him move his gaze from her face to the container she was holding.

Without any prior notice, he took the container in Joanna’s hand. "Where are you going to take this?" And Joanna heard his deep voice again after their last conversation near the river.

"To the gazebo," Joanna answered in a low voice.

Without waiting for her, Canillas made his way to the place that was just mentioned by Joanna with the container that he carried in his right hand.

Looking at his back, which once again went further from her sight, Joanna was certain that he appeared to announce the end of their marriage. With that thought in mind, Joanna took her pace towards the gazebo, where she was sure it would be the place they would talk about the issue of their marriage.

"Should I put it here?" Canillas asked about where he should put the wooden stacked container that he held once he saw Joanna arrive at the gazebo a few seconds after him.

Canillas put the container on the table that was positioned in the center of the gazebo after he saw her nod her head. Then, Canillas took a seat on one chair that was available at that table.

Watching him take a leisurely seat, Joanna was somehow feeling nervous. Her heart went rampant again in her chest.

Was he going to talk to her now? Joanna wondered while gingerly stepping inside the gazebo.

As if knowing the turbulent thought in her mind, she heard him say, "Do what you wanted to do with those things. Don’t mind me here." And Joanna was certain now that he could read her mind as he once again could answer her silent question.

Joanna then did what he suggested, doing what she wanted to do with the dried leaves she had just collected from the rack. She took the top layer of the container that contained dried lemon balm leaves and placed it on the center of the table that stood between her and the man sitting before her, setting aside the rest on the side of the table so that it would not hinder the activity she would do to transform it into fine powder.

With the mortar and pestle she took from a storage cabinet rack that was placed on one corner of the gazebo, Joanna took a seat across from the man, who had his eyes watch every movement she made as if curious about what she was going to do with the stuff that he might not be familiar with.

Joanna then gathered the dried lemon balm leaves from the container and put them into the mortar. However, before she moved her hand to grind them into grounded leaves, the mortar and the pestle disappeared from her hands as they were taken by the man before her.

Startled by the sudden action, Joanna lifted her head to see why he took it from her.

"Are you going to bring this to Archess?"

Upon hearing the single question that was asked in a deep voice by the man, who began to be busy moving his hand to grind the dried leaves as if he knew what she was going to do with them without her telling him, Joanna was in a daze.

For a moment, she did not know what was happening. She just sat there watching the man grind the leaves with his head lowered, looking at the things he was working on that were placed on his lap, as if that position would make the dried leaves easily crushed.

A pestle hitting the mortar was the only sound that broke the silence that surrounded the still-married couple, who were sitting across from each other.

Joanna was still quiet even when the green eyes that had been absent for about a day captured her hazel ones. But she was not fully absentminded, as she could still notice a faint smile on his lips.

"The backyard of our house in Orbane is definitely not as huge and well treated as here. I also have no idea what to do to make it flourish like this garden. But if you tell me what to do, I will help you change the small backyard into the garden you want," Canillas stated, staring into her wavering hazel eyes that seemed to scream for help.

It was that look again. Fear.

Every time he spoke about their future in Archess, he would find that fear on her delicate face.

Her pale skin would turn paler. Her eyes would quiver before darting away from him. Her lips would close shut, not wanting to prolong further conversation with him.

Her knuckles would turn white as she would grip anything she had in her hands tightly. Her mind would work harder to create plans for what she would do next to get rid of him.

Those were all the things that were painted on the features of the woman, whom he still called his wife.