The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 114: A Scandal

Jessamyn’s face throbbed from the slap, but her heart ached even more from the deep sting of betrayal.

She realized now that her greatest mistake had been ever loving Jerrick. If she had not loved him, if her heart had not been so open and trusting, her life would have been free of such heavy regrets.

She could have fallen for Joar easily, and he would have been her only love, just as she had always wanted.

She had been foolish to trust Jerrick, to believe he wouldn’t abandon her. Declaring her love for a gardener boy to the world had seemed so brave, but now she saw it as reckless.

If only she had kept it a secret, like the other noble ladies would keep their romantic affairs a secret, she might have avoided this unbearable situation.

Jerrick’s betrayal would have remained hidden, a secret pain she could endure alone, and her life with Joar—the man who loved her most—would have been sweet and pleasant.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision.

Yet, deep down, she knew it wouldn’t have changed anything with the woman standing before her. That woman’s hatred was a poison rooted not in Jessamyn’s actions but in her very existence. She loathed Jessamyn for who her mother was, and for who she herself was.

Jessamyn came to a painful realization: There is nothing I could have done that would have made this woman like me!

Steeling herself, Jessamyn wiped her face. Why should she show her vulnerable state to this woman? The only respect she had left for the Dowager Countess was that she had brought Joar into the world. But knowing her heart now, Jessamyn found she had not a drop of respect left for her.

"Everything you did to me... The abuses, your attempt to kill me and my son... was it because you thought I was not loyal to Joar?" Jessamyn asked, her voice trembling but determined.

The Dowager Countess, regaining her composure, realized that many eyes were upon her and kept her mouth shut.

"You killed Joar’s son," Jessamyn said, each word sharp and clear. She saw the woman’s eyes widen in shock.

For the first time, that woman started to wonder if what her son said and what Jessamyn said might be the truth and she judged them wrongly.

Jessamyn pressed on. "You killed your husband’s grandson, the heir of the Arkhipov family. Joar confronted you about it before he fell sick, didn’t he?"

Joar had indeed been hurt by her secret, refusing to speak to her. He had felt betrayed by her silence, believing she didn’t trust him. That hidden truth had caused a rift between them, though it was short-lived. Knowing Joar’s heart, she understood that his reaction to his mother’s cruelty would have been far more severe.

"Did you poison him, Mother?" Jessamyn furrowed her brows. "He wanted to leave the Arkhipov Castle with me to protect me from your abuses. Did you kill him to stop him?"

She truly doubted, knowing the woman’s heart. The Dowager Countess was capable of anything, having already killed her grandson.

"Why would I kill my son?" the Dowager Countess scoffed, her voice dripping with arrogance.

"You would have tried to kill me, though..." Jessamyn said softly.

The Dowager Countess remained silent.

"Do not forget what you did. You tried to kill me and ended up killing your own blood. You could have lived in the Arkhipov Castle had my son lived. I too could have had a different..." Jessamyn choked, her voice breaking. "Here we are..." She spread her arms wide and scoffed wryly, looking deeply into the Dowager Countess’s eyes.

She had the truth on her side and no longer cared about the consequences. Speaking the truth was her only solace.

She watched as the woman’s face turned pale, her eyes dilating with the dawning realization of her actions.

"Live knowing what you’ve done..." Jessamyn whispered, her voice heavy with the weight of her pain and truth.

Saying this, Jessamyn walked out of the store. Her palms had gone cold in the confrontation. When she came out of the adrenalin rush that pushed her to confront that woman, she realized she was in a public place and even though only the store staff were there, the news would spread.

It will turn into a scandal, and people will gossip, adding all sorts of embellishments to the story!

She got down the stairs when a warm hand enveloped hers to stop her. She held her breath recognizing the familiarity in that touch.

"How much did you hear?" she asked looking at Jerrick.

"Enough..." Jerrick gulped; his lips were red. His eyes were rimmed red as he looked at her with a cocktail of emotions. He looked like he was feeling guilty for her and was pitying her.

She wanted to cry and scream at him. It all started with him, and what use was his pity now? But she refused to shed tears in front of him. Instead of unleashing her anger, she chose to leverage his power, just as he had promised.

"I do not want a scandal. I want this conversation to remain secret," she said.

Jerrick was shocked. "Why? She tried to kill you and your baby~"

"I do not want others to freely discuss whether I married Joar to hide my shameful pregnancy," she said, gritting her teeth.

Till now, the noble ladies had enough fodder to talk about her and yet they never doubted her child’s paternity. She didn’t want it to be a topic of discussion.

"But that’s preposterous. Hector knew the truth. You and I know the truth. Will it matter what others say?"

"It does, Jerrick. It does to me," Jessamyn said, unwilling to continue the conversation. "Will you help me or not?"

Jerrick looked at her to gauge her. "...As you wish," he said after a short silence as he could see that Jessamyn was resolute.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

She was faced with a cruel woman and a disturbing truth got revealed. She acted too calm and it scared him.

She acted calm after that night too but then collapsed in pain for a week. She couldn’t handle suppressing her emotions. His heart ached for her. He wanted to know how he could help her.

As for that woman... His eyes ended menacingly on the second floor. He would treat her appropriately.