The General's Wife Wants to Leave
Chapter 75: To smell the color

Chapter 75: To smell the color

"How is Luca?" Canillas asked once he stepped inside Fabio’s assigned room in the knight’s quarter in the Powel Orphanage.

Fabio, who was half lying on the bed with his left hand folded under his head above the stacked pillows, shifted his head to look at the door, which was now open.

Throwing an apple, which was caught without a miss by Canillas, he then answered, "I have sutured his wounds, and the bleeding has stopped. There seems to be no infection as well. Thanks to the Madam for that." Fabio bit one of apples that were served by Mrs. Valore on the lunch menu for the Barasca knights and his colleagues after answering.

With his eyes staring at the ceiling above him, Fabio added, "He is taking a rest now as he has lost a lot of blood. But I am sure he will be fine by tomorrow. It would be shame for a big man like him not to get a speedy recovery." Fabio chuckled, imagining a burly man like his colleague, who was usually active and energetic, jumping here and there, now lying weakly on the bed.

Hearing no reply from the visitor who came to his room without invitation, Fabio lowered his eyes to see what he was doing. When he found the visitor standing and facing in front of the window with a gloomy look on his face while playing with the apple in his hand, he asked,

"What is going on with that face of yours?" It was the tone that Canillas’ men-at-arms were used to using when talking to him when they were alone, as basically they were friends, although in front of the others they were professionally behaving as employer and employee.

"Nothing," answered Canillas bluntly. Taking a deep sigh, he murmured, "It is just that I want to give a big applause as my appraisal to the one who created the quote that women are a complete mystery." Canillas chuckled before taking a relaxed seat on the windowsill in the room, with his left leg folded and pulled up in front of his chest while the other one was dangling below. His hand was still busy playing with the apple given to him by Fabio.

Upon hearing his friend’s words, Fabio laughed. "That’s why I don’t want to establish a serious relationship with any woman. If it is impossible to smell the color, then I won’t sacrifice my peaceful life just to get to know the smell of the color," he commented nonchalantly while continuing to bite and chew the red apple in his hand.

Hearing no response from his friend, Fabio pushed his body to sit on the bed. He then spoke after swallowing the chewed apple in his mouth, "Cheer up, Cane. Where is the man who was full of spirit and forced us to push the limit more than ever just to be here in Terra? You even forced me and Luca to guard her instead of accompanying you to Seidel."

For Fabio, being assigned to guard someone else who was not his friend and his friend’s mother was the first experience to have. He had offered to accompany him to Seidel and suggest his colleague stay in Barasca to become the guardian for the young madam. But Canillas said that Fabio was the most suitable for this assignment as she was sick at the time and Fabio was a doctor who would be able to help with medical needs if she happened to need one.

Finding Canillas to stay in silence, the room was once again filled with laughter. Not long later, the laughing person said, "I think I quite understand your feelings now, Cane. You are indeed blessed with a wife whose color is very hard to smell." Fabio again laughed before continuing to say,

"Even me and Luca patted our chests repeatedly when she strongly prevented us from following her to where we are now and even to the forest. Even her eyes never stopped piercing us as if we were an enemy who had done something wrong to her." Fabio let out a chuckle.

"She may look like a cold person, but she is not heartless, Fabe. Please forgive and understand her," Canillas said, trying to stand up for his wife. He had guessed that her obstinate behavior would offend his friends.

Not only that, one of his friends had also been hurt because of his assignment for them to protect her when he was away. If his wife did not show a rude attitude toward them, they might be fine, even if Luca almost lost his life.

Another chuckle once again resonated in the room before words were heard. "Worry not, Cane. I know she is not a bad person. I can see it in how the kids treat and respond to her. It is just that she is not kind to you and your people."

Upon hearing the comments, followed by the laughter of Fabio, Canillas could only let out a sigh. Even Fabio knew how much she resented him.

But what Fabio said next had taken him into deep thought.

"If you were not the great general Canillas von Rodega, you wouldn’t have had this marriage happen, and you wouldn’t have that kind of look on your face now," Fabio said. "Hang in there, Cane. If you can’t smell her color, then just show her how sweet cane is."

Fixing his gaze outside the window, which showed the view of some children playing in the backyard of the orphanage building, Canillas, who ignored the laughing Fabio, pondered what he just heard from him instead.

’If he wasn’t General Canillas von Rodega, he wouldn’t have married her’.

If he was not General Canillas von Rodega, would she have married the man she adored in her heart? Would she be happy then, smiling and caring for the husband that she loved?

Canillas pondered for a moment, staring into space.

She would have been happy, as she would not have to think hard to create scheme after scheme just to get rid of her husband.

But why should he bother to ponder over the things that were if only? It was her fate to be his wife, and it was her fate to be chosen by him, as he was fated to be General Canillas von Rodega. Hence, Canillas did not want to ponder this meaningless conditional clause.

What they needed to do was accept the facts wholeheartedly and inhale the future together, although he knew that it was a hard thing to do, remembering what kind of woman his wife was, who had stated not to have children with him.

In this case, even showing her how sweet cane was, like Fabio suggested in his joke, seemed impossible. Canillas sighed inwardly at his inner thoughts.

"Thank you for protecting her in the forest, Fabe. I owe you that," Canillas said, shifting from the topic that made him exhausted.

He had not conveyed his gratitude to his friends, who had protected his wife, even after receiving unpleasant treatment from her. If it were not based on their long-term friendship, he could not imagine what would have happened to her when his friends were not willing to protect her, even though she happened to be his wife.

Therefore, Canillas was thankful to his friends, as because of them, he still had the chance to see his cold-hearted wife.

At his words, Fabio, who had enough of his laughter, shook his head. "It is my duty as the von Rodega man-at-arm in this case, Cane. There is nothing to be owed. And it is also a relief to have your wife safe," replied Fabio, which was replied with a nod by Canillas. He then added,

"It was just a shock to find wolves in the forest. I have heard from one of the Barasca knights that there are supposed to be no wild creatures living in the West Lane Mountain, especially around the orphanage, as the former Duke had secured the area for the safety of the people who live here. So, now, it is your turn to tell me about that. Who is the owner of the wolves?" Fabio demanded. He also reminded Canillas to tell him about the wolves, as he proposed when they were in the forest.

"The Tres," answered Canillas curtly. Shifting his gaze from outside the window toward curious Fabio, he informed him, "And they are targeting my wife."

Upon hearing the answer, Fabio had his lips open and his brows knitted. "But why?" He managed to ask in response to a surprising revelation.

"I am not sure what they want by doing that. But they have ambushed Terra and have kidnapped six Terran noble ladies." Canillas paused before adding the next shocking piece of information. "And one of them was found dead in an unspeakable condition." He recalled the information that was revealed by the Terran soldiers to him in Seidel.

"Oh my...," Fabio mumbled.

"That’s why I can’t let her be alone since I heard that news, especially when she is still here in Terra. And to have her encounter with those tribes here is also a surprising coincidence. They have seen her, and they may not change their target in the meantime." Canillas let out a heavy sigh, brushing his tousled hair that was untied backward with his fingers.

"And from what I learned, they chose not to show themselves in a crowd. I thought they would attack us in the forest before in order to get her. But they didn’t make a move until we were under the shade of this building, not in the open area anymore. I am not sure why they did that. It seems that they would show themselves to their target only," Canillas pointed out in his analysis.

He had indeed prepared for their attack when they were in the meadow or on their way to the orphanage, but the attack did not happen. With that analysis, Canillas was sure that he could not let his wife be alone.

Climbing down the bed, Fabio, who had finished the apple, threw the core in the trash bin and approached Canillas, who was sitting on the windowsill.

"Don’t worry, Cane. Even though she shows her rude side to us, we will try to keep her safe as she is your wife," Fabio assured, placing his hand on Canillas’ taut shoulder.

Canillas nodded his head. "We will. And thanks for that, Fabe," Canillas uttered, shifting his eyes to look back beyond the window.

He stared at the lush forest, where the tribal groups might also fix their eyes on where their target was now dwelling.