The General's Wife Wants to Leave

Chapter 290: Pressing probe

"What condition did you mean? What’s wrong with the tea?" And then she heard Valerie ask consecutively without missing a beat in a slightly shaky voice."This tea is too heavy to be taken by a woman who is... expecting..." Her eyes did not leave Valerie’s countenance as she spoke. Lowering her eyes to capture Valerie’s trembling hands that were holding the cup of tea that she had perceived to be acceptable, she added, "That’s why I didn’t make one for myself." And Joanna’s gaze settled there for a couple of seconds before she fixed it on Valerie’s pale demeanor.

"Oh my... Are you expecting, Ann?"

Taking a deep breath to regain her composure, Joanna shifted her gaze towards Aunt Camille, who pulled her attention from the frozen Valerie with her voice that was laced with a hint of bewilderment.

"I am not sure yet, aunty. I haven’t had myself examined," Joanna answered in a low voice, her own trembling hands clasped tightly on her lap, which was concealed under the table, as was how she concealed the mixture of her emotions behind her calm demeanor.

"Why did you not get yourself examined?" Aunt Camille inquired further, seizing Joanna’s attention on her. The crease on the old lady’s forehead deepened.

Joanna shook her head and said, "I am waiting a little bit more until I am certain of my condition." Her low voice carried a hint of hesitancy.

"Don’t you think it is better to get yourself examined as soon as possible so that you can get confirmation, Ann? Why do you have to prolong the uncertainty?" Joanna took a few moments of silence under Aunt Camille’s pressing probe, deliberately drifting her gaze towards Valerie, who had her eyes fixed on the cup of tea that was not held by her hands anymore as it lay on the table.

Turning her head toward her right side, Joanna let out a heavy sigh. "I just feel that waiting a little bit more is better," she uttered, giving the same reason for the insane idea she had fabricated.

With the lie delivered, Joanna grabbed the teapot that contained the tea. She then stood and reached out to fill the cup of Aunt Camille. Afterwards, she moved to fill the cup of Valerie.

"No!" Valerie’s hand swatted the mouth of the teapot that was directed at the brim of the cup before the tea was poured, causing a certain amount of tea to spill on the table.

Realizing her hasty action had startled Joanna, who stared at her with wide eyes, Valerie’s lips opened and closed several times before she managed to say, "I-I forgot that I have something to do. I have to go now, Ann. I-I am sorry..."

"What’s wrong, Val?" Joanna’s worried voice stopped Valerie from rising from her seat. "Did I do something wrong?" She tried her best to make Valerie stay. But then she noticed that Valerie stayed, maybe not because of her inquiries. It was probably caused by her mother’s hand that grabbed hers.

"Valerie is just sad, dear," came the heavy voice that belonged to Aunt Camille.

Shifting her eyes to see the oldest lady among them, Joanna watched her every action and heard her continue her speech but towards Valerie, not her.

"I know what you feel." Joanna saw Aunt Camille wrap Valerie’s hands in hers, bringing them onto her lap. "You were always mad at me when I asked you to accept one of the abundant marriage proposals that were sent to you. But you ignored me, getting annoyed at me. You asked me not to force you to marry someone that has no place in your heart. But now hearing Joanna will become a mother, you are disheartened."

As she still stood and noticed that there was no sign of Valerie escaping, Joanna sat back on her chair after placing the teapot in its previous position on the table that separated her from the mother sharing affection with her daughter, who had her eyes lowered.

"You see that Joanna is married to someone that she didn’t even know. She didn’t even have him in her heart. How could she have affection for him when she had never met him before? But she is married to him, becoming his wife, even though he is... not a noble."

Joanna noticed Aunt Camille being careful in selecting the term she used to describe Canillas. And she, as a spectator, seemed to have to hear what would come next, as the lady she called aunty had not finished chiming yet.

"And you see, Joanna accepted that. She is even bearing... that man’s child in her womb now..." Aunt Camille paused, and Joanna, who sensed the older lady’s voice and gaze filled with contempt and disgust, found herself shifting her gaze at her stomach before adding, "Though we are not sure yet, as she seemed to hesitate to be examined."

And the focus was back to her now. Her role as a spectator seemed to be over. Joanna calmly held Aunt Camille’s scrutinizing, unfriendly gaze.

"Did your husband know?" A probe was given, and Joanna shook her head while lowering her eyes to look at the cup of honey water she had made, where the steam that emitted from the hot water still rose.

How could Canillas know about something that was completely absurd? If he knew, he might think that she really turned insane. Or he might doubt her fidelity. Joanna thought about the ridiculous probability in her mind.

"And what about your father and brother?" Another probe came further, to which Joanna again shook her head. Lifting her head to again calmly hold the blue eyes that stared sharply at her, she said, "No one knew about this yet." That way, she expected the probe would be ceased. Yet the response that came next bewildered her.

A sigh that came from none other than Aunt Camille was heard afterwards. "Listen to me, dear. I know you are a tender-hearted lady just like your mother. But deep down in your heart you find it actually hard to accept the fact that you have to marry the man that is not... suitable for you," Aunt Camille chimed. "Forgive this old lady if she is offending you, but you don’t need to hide your true feelings now. Aunty is here to support you."

"It is understandable that you feel... mortified knowing that you are pregnant with that man’s child. Forgive Aunty for saying this. But you don’t need to feel ashamed and... dirty if others know you are conceiving. The child that grows inside you may be seen as a taint for the glory of de Lara. But dear..."

"You are mistaken, Aunt Camille." Joanna’s voice rang sharply in the gazebo, cutting off the old lady from chiming longer.