The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 142: Questioning

As they emerged from the dense trees, the cool night air greeted them. Jessamyn felt a strange mix of exhilaration and calm. The girls were safe, and they had struck a blow against the Altanians’ nefarious plans.

Beside her, Jerrick rode with steady confidence, his presence a constant source of strength. The rhythmic clatter of their horses’ hooves against the forest floor provided a soothing backdrop.

Jessamyn glanced at him, her heart swelling with admiration and gratitude. They had faced danger together and come out victorious. Maybe she was not really in danger as long as he was by her side.

She let out a deep breath, her hands gripping the reins. She was thankful he gave her the crossbow. "Thank you," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, carried away by the night breeze.

Jerrick turned to her, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Be prepared. There are going to be a lot of such nights."

Jessamyn nodded. Whatever it was, she was up for it. She had a peace in her heart that even if he asked her to join the front lines with him, she would do it knowing that she would be safe beside him.

She didn’t want to be on the front lines, though. She was not built to handle that amount of bloodshed.

"There is an easy way to behead someone," he said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Shall I teach you?"

"Uh?" Jessamyn looked at him, perplexed. Weren’t they having a nice time? Why did he ruin it with such a question?

"You’ll need a sharp blade, nothing more. All you have to do is—"

"No!" Jessamyn interjected, covering her ears. "I do not want to know. Why would I ever behead someone?"

Jerrick chuckled at her reaction. "You’ve killed. What’s with the reaction?" he asked.

For some reason, he found amusement in her refusal to learn mutilation. It was a basic skill for a great warrior. The thrill one gets when holding the head of an important enemy in the heat of battle is unexplainable.

"Yes, I’ve killed. But mutilation is unnecessary," she said, her voice blending with the soft snorts of their horses. "I don’t have the guts for it."

He might have his reasons as he mentioned. His reasoning might be right. She didn’t think he was being cruel or barbaric or anything. If his enemies spoke in that language, he should reply in kind. It was only fair. But it was not for her. It was too much.

Jerrick chuckled again. "Is this the female emotions acting up? At times like this, you remind me that you are a female..."

He regretted saying that almost immediately. He still remembered the day she cried, saying that she was not a woman. He had seen her as nothing but a woman for a very long time. They had a pretty good time until then, and he regretted ruining it with his words.

"Ha ha... Thanks for remembering," Jessamyn said sardonically.

But she had to agree with him. Maybe it was because she was not a man that she found certain things a bit too much.

"Hmm..." Jerrick observed her closely. He relaxed, seeing that she took it as a jest. Her mood was not spoiled.

It caused an itch in his heart to tease her.

"It’s not like I need a reminder that you’re a woman, though," he said, his eyes unconsciously ending on her chest. "Don’t misunderstand."

"Misunderstand?"

Jessamyn felt his heated glance and her first instinct was to cover herself with the cloak while glaring at him. The rhythmic gait of their horses kept a steady pace, grounding her amidst the flurry of emotions.

His eyes darted between her chest and her lips and then to her eyes, shamelessly, even as she glared at him.

"You used to cry in the past... Guess all your tears have paid off," he said, his eyes still on her chest.

Jessamyn’s face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Jerrick, you...!" She struggled to find the right words, her emotions a whirlwind inside her.

Yes, she was flat-chested for a long time. But after she got her periods, she had a growth spurt and she became more...fuller. It made her feel aware, now that he mentioned it.

Jerrick laughed softly, the sound carrying a mix of genuine amusement and fondness, blending with the soft rustling of leaves in the night breeze. "Don’t worry, Jessamyn. I’m only teasing. You’ve grown... stronger, and I respect that."

His words, though slightly provocative, carried an underlying truth. Jessamyn had grown stronger, not just physically but emotionally as well.

Despite the teasing, she felt a strange comfort in knowing that Jerrick saw her strength and valued her presence. "Just try not to make a habit of staring," she retorted, a small smile playing on her lips despite her initial irritation.

Jerrick grinned, the tension between them easing as their horses trotted side by side. "I’ll do my best," he said, his tone light. "It’s hard not to when it is so... there... right in front."

"Jerrick...!" Jessamyn looked at him with a pout.

He chuckled and turned to the front.

Jessamyn didn’t know what else to say to him. He probably would have seen everything on her body that night. She still had doubts about what happened to her clothes that night. If he got her in the forest and took her on the horse, he should have carried her into his room. He had the physical capability to do that, but along the way, where exactly did she lose her clothes? She needed to know.

"What happened to my clothes that night?" she asked.

He turned to look at her with a smug smirk, his brows raised, and his lips parted.

"You know what night I am asking about," Jessamyn interjected before he said something that would make her heart race more.

Jerrick pressed his lips together and looked forward. His eyes glimmered in the moonlight, and she observed him closely.

"I tore them off," he said, without looking at her. "I was searching for you for ages, and you came into my arms yourself. You didn’t need those clothes anymore."

Jessamyn’s breath caught in her throat at the possessiveness in his voice. The way he said it, as if her presence was all that mattered to him, sent a shiver down her spine.

The moonlight cast a silvery glow on his face, highlighting the fierce determination in his eyes.

"You tore them off..." she repeated, trying to process the revelation. "Why?"

Jerrick’s grip on the reins tightened slightly, his knuckles whitening. "Because I couldn’t stand the thought of anything separating us anymore. Certainly not that black fabric. I needed to feel you close, to know you were really there with me."

The raw intensity in his voice left her speechless. He talked as if...

"Are you in love with me?"