The General's Wife Wants to Leave
Chapter 87: Light conversation

Chapter 87: Light conversation

"Until when will you comb your hair, Joanna? Do you feel bored with your hair? That’s why you want to remove it from your head so you will turn bald?" asked Canillas after prolonged silence, which made Joanna react, sending him a flicker of glare through the mirror but not stopping from combing her hair.

As if trying to get more reaction from her, Canillas continued to speak. "If that is one of your abundant plans to achieve your goal that still remains in your mind, I advise you to stop doing that. Because, even if you turn bald, I will still accept you as my wife, and you will still have me as your husband." Canillas grinned, causing Joanna to close her eyes for a fleeting second and take a deep breath as if calming her nerves to not throw the comb at him.

However, rather than being literally rude, which was also not her character to be like that, and she avoided doing physical rudeness only to achieve her goal, Joanna responded in another way, as somehow what he said made her itch to respond to him.

Taking a break from combing her hair, Joanna asked, "It made me wonder then, Sir Canillas. In what condition will you not accept me as your wife?" Joanna then added in a hurry, as she actually still remembered his warning in the forest. "Please don’t get mad. Just consider it a light conversation that has no tendencies toward anything."

Joanna looked at him calmly through the mirror, as if showing that it was really a question with no ulterior motive. She actually tried to test the water to see if it might make him reveal his mind about her or if there was a crack that she could escape through.

"Nothing," Canillas answered nonchalantly with a kind smile, showing her that he was not mad at her inquiry and accepting it as a light conversation, as she proposed. "As you see, I am still here even after so many things you did to me and to yourself."

And Joanna, who was shuddering at his answer, subtly drifted her eyes before directing back to his for the next inquiry, as he had signaled through his response that he was fine with the conversation.

"It has also made me wonder. Why are you still here after so many things I did to you? Have you ever thought that it is better to leave such a rude and disrespectful woman like me, especially after I passed my message to you in such a way?" Joanna asked in pure wonderment.

"Did you read the letter I left for you before I went to Seidel?" Canillas expressed an inquiry instead of answering her.

Joanna was silent at his sudden question. A memory of their first meeting popped up in her mind when he encountered her argumentation with unforeseen counterattacks that made her rack her brain to save herself.

"No, I didn’t read it," she answered, resuming brushing her hair, and her gaze fell on her own reflection in the mirror.

Looking at her reaction that she failed to cover through the mirror, Canillas responded with a low chuckle, a deep rumbling sound that conveyed his amusement without words.

"Well, because you didn’t consider my message, why should I consider yours? Wasn’t it fair for both of us if we ignored each other’s message?" A wide grin spread across his face. "But we really need to learn to listen to each other instead of ignoring each other, Joanna," Canillas added, and Joanna did not rebuke this time.

"Now it is your turn to answer my questions in this light conversation session." Canillas demanded after receiving no response from her to his suggestion. "In what condition will you accept me as your husband?" Capturing the look of surprise in her eyes through the mirror, Canillas said more, "Don’t copy my answer. You have to make it different." A residual grin still played on his lips.

Joanna was actually taken aback to find him throwing a similar question, yet with a different point of view, at her. Even reasoning it as a light conversation had made her end up racking her head for prolonged conversation.

In other words, there was no crack she obtained to escape from him. Instead, she was trapped in the light conversation that she initiated. Joanna sighed inwardly.

But she could not seal her lips, not responding to his inquiry, as it would not be fair for him, who had answered her questions, although the answer was as predicted and not satisfying.

Actually, she indeed wanted to give a simple answer like his, which was "nothing." But this cunning man really deserved to be a great young general, as he was always one step ahead of her, as if he were able to read his opponent’s mind.

However, as Joanna thought about it more, it was actually good for her if she took this chance to speak her mind so that she could know his response to what became her answer.

"If you leave me here in Terra, I may accept Sir Canillas as my husband. I won’t ask for a marriage annulment anymore. But please don’t insist on me following you back to Archess." Joanna gave her answer, voicing out her mind.

She had actually thought about that as her last card to save her from what she saw in the dream. If it was impossible to make him agree to nullify their marriage, then let the marriage be established. It was fine for her to be his wife for the rest of her life, as long as she did not step foot in that miserable place.

If he agreed with the absurd idea that she brought forward because he wanted her to accept him as husband, there was no way he would stay in Terra with her as he was one of the main generals of Archess. What he might do to show his responsibility as a husband was visit her occasionally.

However, she doubted if he could do that on a long-term basis. Instead, he might grow tired of the situation and change his mind about their marriage afterward.

"Let’s consummate our marriage and bear my children. Then I will go with that idea, as your husband. What is your answer, Joanna?" And Joanna knew that it would end up like this, not as naïve as her expectations. But at least she had tried to voice her mind, to get a slight hope of reaching her freedom.

"One year. Let me stay in Terra for one year with no marriage consummation and no children. This is enough time for me to learn to accept you as my husband. What do you think, Sir Canillas?" It was fine if he laughed at her silly proposal. Joanna thought that probability always existed, although it was not big.

"Are you planning to hide somewhere again? Canillas asked, lifting one corner of his lips. He was still sitting in the same position on the bed.

"No, I won’t. It is useless anyway, as you will still find me like it is now," Joanna calmly replied, recalling when he surprisingly appeared in the forest. "If you doubt me, you can leave your people here to guard me." She suggested.

"Then, after one year, are you willing to bear my children? Willing to be the mother of my children?" Canillas asked, raising his brows.

Joanna shook her head immediately at his inquiry. "No children. I have told you before that I don’t want to have children, and I am serious about that," Joanna expressed seriously, furrowing her brows.

"Then, you have to return to Archess with me, and I will find my own way to make you accept me as your husband," Canillas replied in a calm demeanor with a smile, in contrast to the expression displayed on the face of his disheartened wife.

"It’s time to sleep, Joanna. The light conversation ends here," he said.

As usual, no one backed down. Joanna let out a sigh of resignation.

As the so-called light conversation ended, the room once again fell into deep silence.

Joanna placed the comb on the dressing table and stood from the chair. They would have a long trip back home in the morning. Hence, she agreed to call it a night.

However, when she was about to make her way to the bed, she was startled to find the General made a hasty movement, getting out of the bed.