"Try to relax, Joanna." A sudden whisper ca in near her ear, which made Joanna once again reflexively turn her head in the direction of the coming whisper.
Looking up at the face of the man that appeared so genuinely calm, not like hers, which she forced to look calm, Joanna heard another whisper from him when he leaned over, making her feel his warm breath brush her ear.
"I am not good at giving solace. But there is no need to be nervous about facing the sa living, breathing human being. If it is hard for you to be calm, try to see them as your plants in your favorite garden."
As those words were done being conveyed, Joanna could see his calm face again as he straightened his upper body. With a smile that she found on his face, she saw him mouthing words. "Breath and relax."
As if the smile was contagious or if the words worked like a redy for an illness, Joanna gradually felt comforted. A smile was ford on her own lips, although she did not know if it would look as natural as his or not.
The man who was standing by her side was actually not the first person to try to calm her nerves with those consoling words. Her father and her brother, who knew about what she had trouble with, had also suggested that she should think that the crowds around her were only statues so that she did not need to feel anxious when she was surrounded by them.
Aside from that, she, who greatly wanted this kind of disturbing and shackling trouble soon to be resolved, had always chanted a spell to ease her mind and nerves—that they were just the sa human being and that there was nothing to be anxious about with their presence around her.
But still, it was not as easy as she had always expected it to be, as she was still struggling with that until now.
However, the current situation made her realize that there was actually a way to make her feel slightly better, and that was none other than a solid presence that was close to her side that ca from a person who seed to understand what she struggled about without her saying anything and without him asking her anything.
There were many tis Joanna had to attend social gathering events that were held by noble ladies in Barasca by herself.
If she happened to attend social events with her father, her father’s attention could not always be pooled on her, as, most of the ti, his attention on her would be distracted by his colleagues, who would sward around him once they saw him.
Most of the ti as well, her father would feel sorry, but he had no choice but to reluctantly leave her alone when his colleagues approached him for a serious topic to discuss related to the dukedom or other matters that needed his role and responsibility as a duke privately.
However, compared to her father, Joanna preferred to be accompanied by her brother, as he would give no excuse to leave her if he happened to be her companion at an event.
It did not an that he had no acquaintance whom he could talk to. It was just that her brother would find an excuse to politely decline every request that made him leave her alone.
Nonetheless, she could not rely on her brother anymore since he left for Lasse to study. Aside from that, there were events, like a tea party, that could not be attended by her brother as the invitation was solely aid at ladies.
Hence, it made Joanna remind herself that she could not rely on anyone and that she should solve what seed to be her problem herself.
It was, however, absolutely not easy, and she was struggling. But she had no choice, as she had to force herself to cope with any social engagent that was mostly impossible to avoid, although she was sure that the way she interacted with others was awkward and not as flexible and relaxed as normal people would be.
Hence, at the mont, Joanna could not hide the relief that she felt due to the presence of a person who unexpectedly knew about her struggle without bothering her to explain anything to him.
It made her feel as if she could breathe and rest at the present event.
And it made her rember and prove to be true that she was indeed transparent in his eyes—even the fear that she felt was noticed by him.
Turning her head to look ahead, with a smile that now looked more apparent on her face, Joanna carried on stepping across the front part of the great hall, where nurous pairs of eyes were still nailed on her and her family.
As she kept making her way deeper into the hall, murmuring sounds gradually drifted through the night air, shifting the silence that had previously filled the room. But Joanna gave no bother to perceive the content of those murmuring sounds.
Sensing that Joanna was now slightly calm, Canillas also beca slightly calm.
All the ti he interacted with the woman beside him, Canillas could not help but feel amazed when he discovered new yet surprising things from her, as if Chapter after Chapter of a story were revealed.
Who ever thought that the cruel and cold lady had problems dealing with social engagent?
Nevertheless, that fact alone had made him realize that they were actually not much different in terms of viewing social affairs—that they both were not fond of any of it. However, compared to her, adjusting to any situation with a calm deanor was not difficult for him.
Even when he was surrounded by a deafening crowd, Canillas could be calm, as if he were surrounded by a deep abyss where no sound could be heard in one’s ears.
Being placed in a new environnt was also not a hard thing for him to adapt to. Otherwise, there would not have been rumors spreading out about him being a ruthless, cruel, and bloodthirsty General.
Not being able to adjust to any drastic change of situation, including the harsh one, would not make him able to achieve what he had achieved all this ti so far.
He might even have lost his life a long ti ago if he could not conquer any unpredictable encounters that suddenly ca without prior notice, especially when he was on the border of death and life on the battlefield.
However, it seed to be a big hurdle for the cold and cruel lady clinging by his side, who saw everything around her like a nightmare at the mont.
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