The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 152: A Peaceful Night

The night air was filled with the sounds of the forest—the rustling of leaves, the distant calls of nocturnal creatures, the gentle crackling of the fire. But within the hollowed tree, there was a bubble of calm, a sanctuary where Jessamyn could finally rest. Her dreams were not filled with confusion and fear; instead, they offered her calmness as she leaned into his warmth.

In her dreams, the little wolf cub returned, sniffing and licking her face. It was ticklish, but she loved the feeling. She had a peaceful rest, her subconscious soothed by the presence of the playful cub.

Jerrick smoothed her hair as she rolled to face him. She didn’t like the idea of a rolled cloak as a pillow and ended up resting on his arms. As she turned, the fur coat slipped from her shoulders. He tried to cover her, but she leaned into his chest for warmth. Maybe the fur coat wasn’t to her taste. He kissed her bare shoulders as she clung to him.

He didn’t want to stop there as her flowery scent assailed him. He had no idea how she ended up smelling so fragrant after being in that murky water covered with slimy leeches. She naturally had a scent that made his abdomen tighten.

He couldn’t resist her.

The past where he had to will himself to have his lower body react to fulfill his duty with his wife seemed like a distant dream. Even when he loved her dearly, he found it hard to be intimate with his wife once a month as it was his duty as a husband.

With Jessamyn, though... Jerrick’s lips curved as he nudged his nose at the nook of her neck. She was sleeping so peacefully, she wasn’t waking up no matter what he did.

There... A little contact with her beautiful porcelain skin, and a little whiff of her scent... His desire stirred.

He had no idea that he could get turned on this soon after having a satisfying intimacy earlier. It still was not enough. He wanted more; he wished to be joined with her all the time.

But he held himself back, knowing that she needed rest and time to process everything that had happened. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, and let the warmth of their shared embrace lull him into sleep.

He couldn’t wait to get married so he could have her in his arms every night for the rest of their lives.

"Why you?" he murmured.

She asked him that. He had the same question too. He did not love her, and she surely was not in love with him, yet this connection they had, this fulfillment they felt being with each other, was more than divine—as if it was ordained by the heavens.

Jerrick’s mind wandered as he gazed at Jessamyn’s peaceful face. He didn’t understand why they were drawn to each other with such intensity. He remembered the moments they shared, the way her presence had become essential to him.

It was a bond that defied logic, a connection that transcended mere attraction.

He had been a man of duty, bound by responsibilities and expectations, never daring to hope for something so profound and inexplicable after he decided to leave her. Jessamyn’s return had turned everything he thought he knew upside down.

Their relationship was a paradox—neither love nor mere survival, but something altogether different. Something that made him yearn for a future where she would be by his side, not out of necessity, but because it felt like destiny.

Could this pleasant and overwhelming feeling be love?

It was eerily similar to the feelings he had toward Jessamyn back in Ravensworth. The thought made Jerrick panic. He had loved once before, and that love had been promised a terrible death—a prophecy that had come to pass with his beloved wife. It would be fine as long as he didn’t fall in love again.

I do not love her. I do not. We need each other for some reason. That’s it. There is nothing more.

Jerrick repeated it again and again until his heart settled. He’d already seen her fainting often, but he didn’t have the courage to see her dead in his arms. He’d give up anything if it meant seeing her alive.

He hugged her closer to his chest so that there wasn’t any space between them and kissed her forehead.

As he held her, he made a silent vow to protect her, to unravel the mystery of their bond, and to cherish whatever this was that they had found together. The future was uncertain, but in that moment, wrapped in the warmth of their shared embrace, he felt a flicker of hope.

Yes, hope.

He remembered how they were invincible together, even against the old seer. She had something within her that he couldn’t understand. He decided to trust her to keep them both safe.

He had absolute trust that she would protect him if he needed protection. That day in the ballroom, when he had decided to leave, she held onto him and cast away the seer. Today, she held onto him and healed herself.

She, too, didn’t want him to leave. That much was sure.

He closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him, trusting that whatever awaited them, they would face it together.

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Jessamyn stirred in her sleep, feeling a heaviness on her along with the ticklish sensation of something pricking her neck. Her shoulders were cold, and her arms hurt. Furrowing her brows, she tried to turn but couldn’t as she was weighed down by something.

Groggily, she opened her eyes only to see a tuft of brown hair come into view.

Jerrick was hugging her around her waist and resting his face snugly on her chest. She couldn’t see his face as his messy hair obstructed her view, but she felt his warm breath right between her breasts.

She remembered lying down with a fur coat covering her, but it was no longer covering her and was rolled to the side. She didn’t think he had removed it, as it was tangled around her leg.

She tried to let out a deep breath, but his hold tightened, not allowing her to. The fire was no longer burning, yet she was warm. He was holding her so tightly that she could feel the hair on his chest and legs against her skin.

A mix of emotions surged through her—confusion, vulnerability, and a strange comfort she couldn’t quite explain. This is the man she used to hate so much and yet here she was, entwined with him in a way that felt both foreign and oddly right.

She gently brushed his hair aside, revealing his peaceful face. Despite everything, he looked serene, as if he had found some solace in holding her. The sight stirred something deep within her, something she wasn’t ready to confront.