The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 91: Forgetfulness

Jessamyn couldn’t pretend to be unconscious anymore. Her eyelids were flickering and slowly, she opened her eyes.

She was bombarded with a thousand questions by Jerrick and she answered them. She was fine. She had no explanation for her fainting spell.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Jerrick inquired, his gaze piercing, as he sought answers.

"I was dancing and then..." Jessamyn trailed off, unable to meet his gaze as embarrassment washed over her.

"And then?" Jerrick’s intense green eyes remained fixed on her, his fingers tensing against the cushion.

"And then..." Jessamyn hesitated before meeting his gaze. "I fainted."

"Is that all you remember, nothing else?" Jerrick pressed for further details.

"What’s there to remember?" Jessamyn’s eyes widened with alarm. "Did I act uncouth? Did I humiliate myself? I didn’t even drink much! Or was it the corset? Did I suffer any~"

"Calm down!" Jerrick interjected, attempting to put an end to her frantic questions.

Jessamyn was only agitated more by his dismissal. "No, tell me. Did something embarrassing happen? Did I make any weird noises... Or did I..." She paused, bowing her head to check herself. "I didn’t soil myself. So, what did I do?"

She resisted the urge to grasp his shirt to study his expression. His usual playful smirk was notably absent, replaced by a somber countenance that only increased her worries.

Jerrick was in deep contemplation. She appeared to have forgotten her face-to-face confrontation with the veiled woman. She acted differently then and if she forgot about it, what possessed her to act that way earlier?

What the mistress told him came to his memory. What does "tethered to the dead" mean? Is she possessed, or is there something more?

He decided to read books related to that issue when he returned.

Jessamyn leaned against the cushioned wall of the carriage, gazing out through the window. Despite her concerns, Jerrick’s demeanor didn’t betray any anger, easing her worry that she had embarrassed herself. However, she couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling of her declining health, especially since meeting Jerrick seemed to exacerbate it.

"That’s..." she began, straightening herself. "We missed the tavern."

Jerrick turned his attention to her. "How long were you awake?" he inquired.

"I..." Jessamyn’s gaze shifted away. "I woke up after we got into the carriage."

Jerrick studied her intently. "I know when you lie," he stated firmly.

Unable to face his intense green eyes, Jessamyn averted her eyes. "I... I didn’t know what Lady Cordelia wanted with me..." she said.

Jerrick let out a deep breath. He was relieved for some reason that she didn’t hear what the King’s mistress said.

"She wants you to attend her tea party," Jerrick remarked, his tone laced with mockery. "Given her capabilities, I wouldn’t place any trust in her. She might as well boil sand and serve it as tea..."

Jessamyn shook her head in disappointment. She might not have been able to see Lady Cordelia’s expression but she was sure that Lady Cordelia had a brilliant mind. The one fumbling in front of Jerrick might not be...

Wait!

Her eyes ended on Jerrick. Was it shyness that made her act like a fool in front of Jerrick?

"Don’t be too harsh on her," Jessamyn said and scooted to the side.

"Why not? Why shouldn’t I refer to a retard as a retard?"

Jessamyn was unimpressed by his mockery. Regardless of whether he reciprocated that lady’s feelings or not, there was no need to belittle her for them.

"Haven’t you been in love before?" she challenged gently. "Haven’t you acted foolishly at least once in front of your beloved? Show some grace..."

"You would know," Jerrick replied, leaving it to her to judge whether he had ever acted foolishly in her presence.

"I do," Jessamyn said, thinking he was asking about her. She had indeed acted as a fool in love. She had done foolish things out of love and embarrassed herself. At times, she had hurt the one she loved too.

Bowing her head, she fiddled with her skirt. What she heard the friends of her mother-in-law say came back to her memory. She could only sigh.

As she was fiddling, she realized something. "Why did you change what I chose? I thought you didn’t like black," she said.

Jerrick sat by the carriage window, bathed in the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the glass. His features were chiseled, conveying an air of rugged masculinity, while lines of experience etched across his brow hinted at maturity and wisdom. With his strong jawline set in determination, he gazed out the window with a look of deep contemplation,

What is he thinking about?

"You didn’t even fight," he said, his eyes heavy with sorrow. "You agreed to be seated with the widows..."

"I couldn’t argue with the Kingsguards," Jessamyn mumbled softly, feeling the weight of his sadness as her own.

"Don’t lie. You were relieved, weren’t you?" he pressed, his gaze searching hers for the truth. "And you never considered me as an important person in your life..."

Jessamyn was offended by his assertion. Well, she agreed with the first one. Yes, she was glad when she thought the wedding was off. But was that wrong?

About the latter accusation, only she held the knowledge of the place he occupied in her heart. He could easily brush it aside, a fact that pained her deeply. "And that is why I waited in vain for two years for your return," she retorted, her voice tinged with anger.

"And now I am a laughing stock..." she mumbled under her breath.

Turning her face, she looked at the passing scenery. The roads were broader in the city and the population was denser. He didn’t talk to her after that, and she silently enjoyed the ride.

"Are you acquainted with Celena?" Jerrick asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"No," Jessamyn answered without looking at his face.

"She tried to talk to you. You didn’t notice?" he asked.

Jessamyn shook her head. She did find something odd about that woman. But what would she talk about with her?

"Doesn’t she work for the same people you’re working for?" he asked.

Jessamyn got defensive at the accusatory tone in his voice, laden with conceit. He seemed to look down on those who worked for the council, considering them beneath him. She wasn’t certain if the woman in question worked for the council, and she didn’t want to make assumptions without knowing the truth.

"Just leave me be if you find my way of life scandalous," she said, her voice tinged with defiance.

Why would he bother with a lowly woman who worked for the council, anyway?