The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 163: Seeing a different man

Coming of age was actually a dreadful thing for Joanna. She used to wish for the time to freeze, letting her live as a little girl while she was still breathing.

By becoming a little girl, she could play as freely as she could without thinking about socializing, especially with other aristocratic ladies, where some of them hid their hostility behind a friendly façade—talking about others behind their backs and putting on the most beautiful smile when they were in front of them. And Joanna was sure that she was also part of the subject that was interesting enough to be brought up behind her back.

Aside from where she had to force herself to adjust the inconvenience where she had to meet the ladies with their façade, based on the etiquette that she had learned since she was a kid, the coming of age was the age where she would meet suitors to then decide whose marriage proposal to accept. And Bianca was right that, now that she was a married lady, she had an excuse as to how to tackle the latter nuisance.

The problems left that were still hard for her to conquer with regard to social engagement were how she dealt with crowds and noise, which were filled with various and numerous people whose faces were unfamiliar to her.

"Thank you for your help, Bianca. As always, you did a fabulous job in making me look more decently," Joanna replied with a bright smile and a little jest, praising the person who had taken care of her for many years.

"Because this humble old lady’s skill in adorning a beautiful young lady surpasses any golden hands in Terra," Bianca responded, returning the jest, which ended up making both of them giggle.

As the giggle turned into a smile, Bianca said while holding Joanna’s hand, "So, now, you are ready to go, my lady. Master, and your husband must be waiting for you."

At what was said by Bianca, Joanna nodded in response. A warm smile was drawn to her lips.

Giving a soft pat of the back of the young lady’s hand, which was in hers, as if to encourage her to face what she was reluctant to face in the banquet, Bianca then let it go and made her way towards the door first, as she needed to open the door for the young lady.

However, once the door was pulled open, she was taken aback by what she found before the doorway.

Offering a polite bow to the person outside the door not long after she calmed down, Bianca then turned her head to look back at the young lady, only to find her still busy doing something in front of the mirror.

Making her way back to where the young lady was standing without closing the door of the room, Bianca then said, "Is it fine if I leave you here, my lady? I belatedly remember that I need to arrange some tasks with the other maids in this mansion, as I found there were a few things that were not in the right place when we arrived yesterday. It is good to fix it immediately while we are here. What do you think, my lady?" Bianca asked Joanna without mentioning the person who seemed to have been waiting for her outside her room.

Turning her head to see the senior maid, who rarely forgot to do the task that she needed to do all this time, Joanna nodded her head and said, "I am all fine here, Bianca. You may do what you need to do. I just need to fix these earrings. Then all is done, and I will go downstairs."

Bianca wanted to help the young lady, who seemed to change the earrings that she previously wore. But she decided not to do that, as she found that the young lady could do that herself based on the earrings that she managed to wear on her one ear.

"Then, please take care of yourself and enjoy the party, my lady," Bianca uttered before making her way back to the door after receiving a nod and a thank-you with a smile from the young lady.

Seeing that Bianca had already left her room, Joanna resumed putting the drop earrings, which had a smaller size of gemstone attached to them compared to what she previously wore, on her other ear.

After making sure that everything that adorned her was in the right place, Joanna made her way towards the door that was left open by the senior maid. But soon she halted abruptly in her tracks when she saw a man standing with his hands clasped behind his back, across from her, outside the doorway.

For a moment, she felt that she recognized that man, but at the same time, she felt like she saw a figure that she had never seen before.

The man she recognized mostly appeared indifferently as free as a bird flying across the blue sky. He usually adorned himself simply with a white or black shirt and black trousers. Sometimes he would wear a vest, sometimes not. High leather boots had also become part of his daily attire.

His above-shoulder-length, wavy, dark brown hair was carelessly tied behind his neck. Stubble would be found on his face.

But at the moment, the indifferent man looked different. There was no manliness that he showed off through his taut chest when he did not button up his shirt to his neck or through his muscular arms that were seen when he pulled up the hem of his long sleeves to his elbow.

All of that body part was now well covered in his crisp suit, yet it accentuated his rakish frame.

It made Joanna feel amazed at the golden hands of Mr. Simone that were not eaten by time, recalling that Mr. Simone was not young anymore, added to the fact that he had not fully recovered from the accident that fell upon him.

He also looked far more well-groomed than he had all this time. Even though she stood about four steps away from him, she could tell that he had shaved the stubble on his face, making him look far less wild than he usually did.

His hair was also meticulously styled to be neatly tied this time, looking way more sleek than it usually was.

Overall, Joanna felt like she was seeing a different man.

However, the striking green eyes and the smile that spread over his face told her that he was the same man who had made her heart lose so many beats with the intense gaze that was aimed at her and every word that was formed through his smiling lips.

And he was the same man that she recognized, as he still stretched out his hand for her to take, like he was doing at the moment, no matter how cold and cruel she had treated him.

Before her mind wandered to every event they had shared together that had made her barrier almost turn into mist, and as if being pulled by the hand that was reaching out in her direction, Joanna blinked her eyes and took a deep breath to calm the pounding heart in her chest. She then made her way toward the smiling man.

Standing in front of the smiling man before the doorway, Joanna offered him a bow. But before she could say an evening greeting to him, she heard the man say, "May I?"

Without forming clear and long sentences, it was not hard for Joanna to understand the meaning of the brief questioning words, as it was not the first time for her to hear them as a result of the agreement that she had made with him.

Joanna then placed her hand in the white gloves that reached a few inches above her elbow on Canillas’ palm.

To her bewilderment, as she first thought that they would start walking once she placed her hand on his arm, Joanna saw Canillas bend over and press his lips on the back of her hand before she managed to do so.

Stunned as it was the first time her husband gave a kiss on her hand, Joanna was only able to stand still with her breath held.

In silence, she watched him do another affection gesture, which was actually common conduct that was done by a gentleman to a lady. But she could not stop her heart from palpitating in her chest.

About five seconds later, Joanna saw Canillas pull his lips away from her hand, but not letting her hand go as it was still in his.

Meeting his smiling green eyes that sparkled under the warm glow that enveloped their surroundings through the lanterns that were lit along the corridor where her room was situated as he straightened his back to stand towering over her, Joanna felt his thumb gently rub her knuckles.

"Beautiful." Joanna, who managed to regain her breath and composure, heard her husband say that single word in a low voice.

"More than always." She heard him say more words with a smile that was still painted on his lips.

"Thank you." It was all Joanna could say to reply to his praise before drifting her eyes away from the gaze that tried to penetrate her soul.

Smiling at the blushing lady before him, Canillas asked, "Ready to go?"

After responding with a nod, Joanna and Canillas walked side by side down the stairs, with Joanna’s arm looped through Canillas’, ready to make an appearance as wife and husband for the first time in grand public eyes.