The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 113: The Revealed Truth

In the face of her mother-in-law’s fury, Jessamyn stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated.

"I don’t care if no one believes me. I know the truth, and so do you. And that truth will haunt you for the rest of your days."

The Dowager Countess’s composure cracked, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and something else—perhaps guilt. "Get out," she spat. "Get out of my sight!"

She started coughing, and the other women supported her while glaring at Jessamyn. Jessamyn threw a serious accusation, and the burden of proof was on Jessamyn, but knowing their friend, they didn’t know who to believe.

They did not want to believe Jessamyn but the one behind her now was the Archduke—the one who had the power to exterminate their entire families.

On the other side was their friend who might have done what Jessamyn accused her of. After all, she didn’t know Joar would pass away without having another child.

They chose to stay with their friend since Jessamyn was alone. They tried to lead her out of the store.

"Why did you kill your blood and the heir of the Arkhipov family? Why did you kill my Joar’s son?" Jessamyn asked.

Her voice broke, choked by sorrow, yet she needed to know. If she had carried her baby to term, the boy would be healthy and soon celebrating his tenth birthday. In that reality, she wouldn’t be in this despair.

She wouldn’t have lost Joar, and even if she had, she would still have their son to cherish his memory. With him, she might have found the strength to endure, to cling to life with a purpose.

But now...

Jessamyn’s words seemed to strike a nerve, causing the Dowager Countess to halt abruptly. Shaking off the restraining hands of her friends, she turned her gaze towards Jessamyn. Her expression twisted with a mixture of disgust and anger, causing Jessamyn to almost instinctively take a step back.

But instead of retreating, Jessamyn stepped forward. She sought closure, determined to confront the Dowager Countess head-on.

"Joar was disgusted with you for killing his son. He died heartbroken that he couldn’t save his wife and child from the murderous hands of his own moth~"

Before Jessamyn could finish speaking, the Dowager Countess lashed out, delivering a sharp, stinging slap across Jessamyn’s face.

"You have the nerve to claim that was Joar’s son? I know you, Jessamyn. You’re the daughter of the harlot who tried to seduce my husband! You were woven from the same weave as your harlot mother and got pregnant by that bastard gardener before he cast you away! How will I allow my son to bear the shame of your sin? I never wanted that harlot’s daughter in my home. I wish you’d died along with that...abomination." She gritted her teeth.

The slap almost threw Jessamyn off balance and holding her burning cheek, she looked up at the woman wearing black and an expression like that of the grim reaper. She looked like she wanted to tear her apart.

Her words did tear apart Jessamyn; her heart to be precise. My baby was not an abomination. I loved him very much; so did Joar!

"Everyone in the household can attest to the fact that you weren’t a virgin on your wedding night!"

Jessamyn let out a sharp exhale and took a step back. The dowager’s friends, however, left her and dashed out.

Their friend just now admitted that she pushed her daughter-in-law down the stairs with the intent to kill her and she ended up miscarrying. It didn’t matter whose baby it was, it still was murder according to their law.

And in case their friend was right, and if that baby belonged to the "gardener", the "gardener" is the Archduke of Ayberia now. He won’t treat the killer of his offspring kindly.

But their hearts stopped when they saw the imposing figure leaning against the wall, a shadowy presence that seemed to fill the hallway with an imposing sense of dread.

The man’s eyes burned with righteous anger, his aura so intense it felt as if the very air around him had grown heavy and suffocating. Each breath he took was controlled, deliberate, as if he were restraining a storm of fury within.

The deadly aura he exuded sent shivers down their spines, making their blood run cold. His stern, unyielding gaze bore into them, a silent yet potent accusation that shook them to their core, leaving no doubt about the wrath he intended to unleash.

They fell on their knees. "Your Grace..." the three of them said in chorus.

"We have nothing to do with it..." "We didn’t know anything..."

"We weren’t even close with her. She never told us anything..."

Each of them had an excuse to say.

Jerrick didn’t mind them and his eyes ended up on the second floor.

With their backs wet with cold sweat, the women stared at each other, their eyes wide with panic, silently questioning how much of the conversation he had overheard. Fear and uncertainty flickered in their gazes, each hoping the others might have an answer, but finding only the same terror reflected back at them.

---

Jessamyn staggered under the weight of Joar’s mother’s insults. She knew the Dowager Countess believed she had gotten pregnant by Jerrick and that Joar had married her out of pity and a desire to provide her with security. How wrong she was!

Yes, Jessamyn wasn’t a virgin on her wedding night, but that didn’t mean the baby wasn’t Joar’s. Both Joar and Jessamyn knew the truth. The fact that she got pregnant immediately after the wedding likely fueled the Dowager Countess’s skepticism.

Still, it didn’t warrant what she did!

It tore her heart to shreds to think that the woman in front of her had ended a budding life because of a cruel misunderstanding.

When she married Joar, she was expected to produce proof of her virtue, as was customary. She couldn’t. The sheets from their nuptial chamber remained unsoiled, causing an immediate scandal. Joar had spoken to his mother, and he believed she had accepted his words and resolved the issue.

But as it was apparent, in the Dowager Countess’s mind, the issue was never resolved.

That was not the only issue. Jessamyn didn’t fail to notice the deep-rooted hatred Joar’s mother held for her mother.

For what? Because my mother was friends with her husband and this woman couldn’t handle it? What a pathetic woman with a cruel and wicked heart!

Jessamyn fisted her hands. Her eyes burned with rage as she looked at Joar’s mother.

"You killed my son because you made assumptions?" she gritted her teeth.