The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 169: Avenged

"That woman!" Ethan gritted his teeth. He could see just by Jessamyn’s reaction that there was truth to the rumors he heard. Knowing that he was satisfied with the end that the woman met.

"Jessamyn..." Ethan hugged her, his arms enveloping her in a protective embrace. "You’ve endured so much..."

He always thought that she slipped and fell, which caused her to lose her baby. But it was that woman’s wickedness that cost Jessamyn the baby. That woman even had the nerve to blame Jessamyn for losing her child. Jessamyn kept silent for years, keeping that secret. It must have been tough on her.

Jessamyn leaned on his shoulder, and his embrace calmed her down. Her brother had grown into an adult. He was even consoling her. It brought a smile to her face. Maybe it was not bad everyone was talking about it.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I was invited to the play in The Silver Crescent Royal Opera Hall last night. I heard the ladies talking—well, it was Silvia who heard the ladies talking and... they were interested in talking to her to know the details, but she tactfully refused them."

"Mmm..." Jessamyn looked away, pressing her lips. So, the truth was out.

"Why is your first reaction to cower?" Ethan asked. "She did a cruel thing to you and blamed you. Now the truth is out. Everyone’s saying that she got what she deserved in death. You are gaining support among the aristocrats. Not everything is bad, Jessamyn," Ethan added.

Jessamyn could only sigh.

"Smile a little, Jessamyn. Stop looking for hate everywhere. You’re not that despicable," Ethan playfully hit her back. "You are wonderful."

Jessamyn could only chuckle. Maybe growing up with the adults around her hating her, she did look for hate everywhere.

"The conversation is shifting around The Purple Hood too," Ethan whispered in her ear. "I saw a roadshow in the market with The Purple Hood as the protagonist—the goodhearted vigilante who rescues the helpless..."

"You did?" Jessamyn raised her brows. "So much change in a day?" she questioned. The last time she was out, she only heard murmurs of hatred and misgivings about her.

"In a day," Ethan nodded. "Or maybe it was always there and you never noticed."

"I am not that much of a pessimist, am I?" Jessamyn asked, pinching her brother’s cheek. He couldn’t have grown up that much to advise her.

Ethan let out an exaggerated scream.

"What happened to Joar’s mother?" she asked. He said it was not simple and she was curious.

"She was chased by a bull and she ended up climbing the stairs. The bull got on the stairs and pushed her. When she got up, the bull cornered her to climb up the stairs only to push her down..."

"The bull didn’t gore her and pushed her down?" Jessamyn furrowed her brows. At times, bulls did get out of control and gore people. But this indeed was weird.

"Again, and again. Each time the bull pushed her to climb more stairs. When she couldn’t climb, it helped her up... only to push her down, relentlessly, as if it was tasked to do it." Ethan wetted his lips. "She had so many broken bones in her body and no one could even help her as the bull guarded her."

"No one tried to kill the bull to rescue her?" Jessamyn asked. It was the Temple Mount was in the city center. How could this incident happen there?

Ethan leaned closer. "It was the Temple’s pet bull."

Jessamyn chewed on her lips. No wonder the bull survived and why everyone might think it was a punishment from the goddess herself.

"That woman died in excruciating pain, with no one offering to help her as she died choking on her own blood. Attacked by a bull and died without getting gored... This probably was the first time it happened..." Ethan said.

Jessamyn had nothing to say.

"And there is no one to claim her body because they all think she was cursed."

Jessamyn thought about it for some time. "I’ll pay for her funeral. Will you arrange for it?" she asked. "Nothing fancy but a simple burial place for the commoners would do."

"You’re going to attend her funeral?" Ethan asked.

Even though he said nothing, Jessamyn could see that her brother thought of her actions as peak stupidity.

"I am not. I just... She brought Joar to this world. She cannot be unclaimed."

"I’ll do it," Ethan said, "Publicly, under your name. It’s a great move to exalt your generosity."

Jessamyn’s eyebrows twitched. "I am not running for any position in the court, neither do I desire any awards or titles. Why would I need publicity?"

Ethan only scoffed. "I’m hungry!" He rubbed his belly and got in. Jessamyn followed him.

Ethan was not shy about eating Jessamyn’s cooking. Jessamyn had to remind him to eat slowly as he stuffed everything in his mouth in a hurry.

"It’s not going to run away. Eat slowly..."

"You have no idea how much I missed your cooking," Ethan said, his mouth stuffed.

Jessamyn could only chuckle. As Ethan was eating, he saw Jerrick wandering through the house comfortably. He even walked into the dining room, talked to Ethan for some time, and picked up some snacks before leaving. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He is too comfortable here, Ethan thought. He wanted to stay until dinner to enjoy more of his sister’s cooking, but he decided to leave. He had lived in the house for seven years, and today, he felt like he was in someone else’s home.

Jerrick’s aura was not to be trifled with. He was terrifyingly possessive. He might not have said it out loud, but Ethan could understand loud and clear that Jerrick wanted to be alone with Jessamyn.

Giving some excuses, Ethan left. Jessamyn asked him to host a ball soon, as it was a mandatory thing for nobles to do. But it would be better to have the ball as an engagement ball and formally introduce his fiancée to the aristocrats.

In the evening, she took a stroll around the garden. Her legs unconsciously dragged her to the graves. Oddly, the pull she used to feel to the grave was no longer there.

She stood there, silently for some time. She then made two small bouquets with the flowers in the garden and placed them on the graves of Joar and her son.

Joar himself told her that his death was natural. She didn’t have to worry about that anymore. And her son’s life was avenged.

Relief. That was what she felt as she stood before the graves. Not pain, but relief.

She gently caressed her son’s grave. Her eyes unconsciously ended up at the house.

Why do I have a feeling that Jerrick had a hand in that woman’s death? Why is he doing it for me?