The General's Wife Wants to Leave-Chapter 203: In the blink of an eye

Finding the Duke opposed to his suggestion, Canillas could not express his feelings more but was grateful for the care and understanding that he received from his new family. As he could not argue more due to the determination that was depicted in his father-in-law’s demeanor, Canillas could only nod his head and convey his thanks for his understanding.

Bringing his gaze back to Joanna, he said, "I will try to have the meeting finished quickly." With a smile growing minimally on his lips but determination was clear inside him that he would make sure not to make his family wait for too long, he lingered his eyes on Joanna’s face before uttering, "I will take my leave now."

As Joanna gave a nod along with a smile that warmly bloomed on her face, Canillas tried to stretch his lips more before he turned to offer a slight bow to the Duke. The smile on Canillas’s lips faded away when he faced the royal servant who was standing in one corner and assigned to escort him to the place where the King of Terra was awaiting him for the sudden meeting to be held.

With the assigned servant walking in front of him, Canillas was led to leave the great hall.

As he was stepping on a path stone where his left and right sides had the various beds of flowers and plants lining up, with stars on the dark sky shining brightly together with the moon that graced its light, a thought came across his mind that Joanna might be happy to walk around and explore the castle’s garden.

Subconsciously, a smile appeared on his lips at the thought, knowing how much she loved nature.

Striding through the inner courtyard of the castle that separated the great hall with the King’s own building, Canillas wondered if the location where King Ordoba was waiting for him was the same as when he met him after they gained victory against the Valthian.

Facing straight ahead of him, Canillas saw two lion statues that stood on either side of the stairs that led the way to a lavish building. It was then that Canillas was certain that he was led to the same place where the marriage alliance was offered by the King of Terra in the fall last year.

Recalling that day, Canillas could not agree more to a saying that time flied in the blink of an eye. It felt like a day ago that he was brought into a situation where he was tempted to decline the marriage arrangement that was out of the blue offered to him right away without dawdling to make an excuse to turn down the offer.

That thought made Canillas smile at himself, for life was indeed a mystery. Who ever thought that a year later he was back to the same place as a married man as he married the lady through a marriage arrangement that he opposed before?

And who ever thought that he was now heading to the same place under the pretext of a sudden call for a meeting—the same pretext that transpired to him a year ago when a servant delivered a message that the King requested a meeting after the banquet of the victory was over?

As he had the faint smile on his face at the thought, the smile was gone from Canillas’ face when his eyes captured two servants who came from the opposite direction, seeming to be coming out of the building next to the building where the King was waiting for him.

Canillas kept his gaze on them, ignoring the fact that he made it obvious for others not to notice what he was doing at the moment. He could not see their faces clearly as they kept on lowering their heads, as it was a protocol that had to be obeyed that servants had to lower their heads when they passed any person who bore higher status than them.

Shifting his gaze back ahead after the two servants passed him, Canillas began to climb up the stairs where the two lion statues guarded on either side. The servant that was assigned to escort him opened the mahogany door, which was vibrant red in color, showing how much it had aged.

The servant then stepped aside after he stepped inside the doorway, giving way for General von Rodega to enter the building before they would resume their way toward the room where the meeting would be held. Nonetheless, after waiting for about ten seconds, the King’s favored General had not yet made his way inside the building.

Glancing at the General of Archess, the servant found him standing still before the doorway with his eyes downcast and brows knitted. Not long later, the servant hurriedly lowered his head and brought his gaze toward the floor when he caught the General changing his demeanor, looking so serious, as he suddenly raised his eyes to look ahead of him.

Eventually, the servant lifted his head with mouth agape when he found the General, instead of entering the King’s building, dashing toward the direction that they had passed almost a minute ago.

Canillas made a quick walk, eyes scanning his surroundings. The two servants that passed him before were now far ahead of him, which looked like a smaller figure of silhouette from where he was chasing after them. Although their distance expanded, Canillas did not let his eyes get distracted from their every movement.

He was not sure where they headed, but he was sure that they did not make their way to the great hall as he had guessed they would be. Canillas kept following them, walking across the vast garden until he saw them enter a building that he did not know what it was, but he did not have any interest in getting to know about that.

Instead, he took an abrupt halt. Without wasting any breath away, he turned around and dashed toward one direction that led to a place that would give him an ease to his heart that suddenly got blocked from breathing.

"Joanna..." Canillas muttered under his shallow breath as he ran and ran without stopping, cutting through the chill air of fall that his all emotions did not allow him to feel for. "Please wait for me." Because all his emotions were pooled into one spring, his wife, Joanna.