The General's Wife Wants to Leave
Chapter 73: A good mother

Chapter 73: A good mother

Standing stiffly in the doorway, Canillas took a halt from entering the room when he saw his wife holding a child, whose look and attire obviously showed that he was not from high society.

Standing in stillness, he became more surprised to find his wife transfer whatever liquid in the glass that was brought by her maid through her mouth, lips to lips, with that little boy.

Canillas could not believe what he witnessed. Was that the same woman who was cold to him, turning her head away when he was about to kiss her, and pointing a sharp dagger at his neck when he wanted to be more intimate with her? But how could she be so warm toward that little boy?

On the other side, Joanna seemed not to be aware of the facial expression that was clearly depicted by the people around her, as her focus was only on Liam, who finally swallowed what came in his mouth.

Finding that her effort was not in vain anymore, she took the same action a few times until the glass turned empty.

"Good boy. Good boy," Joanna praised the sleeping boy, who was still on her lap. After wiping his lips with a napkin, Joanna brushed Liam’s hair and caressed his cheek before putting him back to lie on the bed.

Covering his little body with a blanket, Joanna took a sigh of relief. Her eyes did not leave him while her hand gently patted his heaving chest as if trying to send him a silent lullaby.

"My lady."

Joanna turned to look at Lucy when she heard her call in a whisper, finding Lucy glance at one point, which was on the right side of her. Joanna followed the direction of Lucy’s eyes, which made her shudder to find who was standing in the doorway with the eyes that stared at her.

But it was not for long before her startled expression disappeared, turning into a complete cold expression. It was like the expression she had mostly shown to the man so far, but somehow it felt colder this time.

It made the man who received such an expression agree with the saying that nothing burned like the cold. Resentment could also be sensed in her cold hazel eyes.

Throwing her head to the side to look back at the little boy, she ignored the man who stared at her from the doorway.

Canillas frowned at her behavior. Although it was not the first time he received such a cold treatment from her, he could not help but question himself.

What did he do wrong this time? However, subsequent questions soon appeared in his mind. Why did he have to think that he did something wrong to her when, based on his conscience, he felt that he had never done something wrong to her?

So far in their interaction with each other, regardless of whether he did something wrong or not, she tended to act the same toward him, making him feel like a sinner.

However, if he looked back, he had sensed her concern once, and it was when he took the herbs in the forest for her.

He was actually surprised when his palm was pricked with the spines on the stalks of the herbs that he pulled out. At that moment, he thanked his calloused palm and the intensity with which he had been hurt by any kind of harsh training or fight on his body, which somehow made him immune to the pain.

He had waited for her to voice her concern, but he knew that she would not easily show that to him, remembering how hard-headed and cold-hearted she was to him.

But, from that experience, he found out that she might be a cold-hearted woman, regardless of whether it was only a role that she played or real personality, but she was not a heartless woman, as eyes could not hide what the heart felt, and it was enough for him.

When Canillas felt sure that he was not in the wrong, something suddenly popped up in his head. Was she upset because of the topic of the sharing room?

Nevertheless, instead of feeling wrong and choosing to step back, even if she was really angry because of that issue, Canillas had no choice but to keep going, as he refused to bury a rare chance to make their relationship flourish. If he did not take this chance, it would only make their distance stretch even more.

Glancing at the sleeping little boy, it made him wonder. When would he receive such a warm gaze from her, like how she looked at that little boy?

Canillas somehow felt disappointed, feeling defeated by a little boy who had won the affection of his wife that had never been shared with him, not even the slightest.

But who was that little boy? Why did she look so worried and concerned about him?

Ignoring the way she acted, as if immune to that, Canillas walked across the room, taking one wooden chair and placing it on the side of the bed where his wife was sitting.

Taking a seat opposite her, Canillas shifted his eyes from the sleeping little boy to the woman, who still landed her gaze on the boy, although she was not oblivious enough to not notice him, her husband, who was close to her.

"You seem to like children a lot," Canillas said, initiating the conversation. Silence was the only response he received, but Canillas did not stop there.

"If you like children that much, we can have one as our own blood and flesh, Joanna," said Canillas in a tone that was not laced with playfulness.

He had considered it when he decided to marry to build a family with the woman who had become his wife. And now, finding his wife to adore children, Canillas, who did not know about that before, became more certain to have children with the woman before him.

And he finally met the woman’s eyes, which were filled with a strong hint of disapproval. But Canillas did not step back. He held the fierce, mesmerizing eyes in his, placing his head to lean against one bedpost beside him with his hands folded in front of his chest and his one leg crossed over the other.

"Our children will be happy to have a good mother like you. A mother who loves and cares for them just like you treat this little boy," Canillas spoke more in a gentle, calm voice. A sincere, warm smile, not a mischievous one, came along with the talk.

Upon hearing his words, Joanna turned to look at Lucy and asked her to leave the room, to which Lucy obeyed, leaving her alone with the General.

Finding Lucy had left the room with the door closed shut, Joanna turned to face the General and shook her head as the first response to his words.

She then stated, "I don’t want to have children. I don’t want to be a mother."