The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 203: Unbroken Bond

When they reached the mansion, it was early morning. Jessamyn managed to compose herself on the way. She now knew exactly when she was going to die. She could cry about it or consider it a blessing in disguise.

She decided to choose the latter.

How many people know when they’ll die? She decided to make use of every moment alive to fulfill her mission.

"Do we need this many servants here?" she asked, seeing the teeming servants in the house. She really loved it when it was just the two of them and the magically refilling bathtub.

Jerrick gently rubbed her ear. "You truly desired the life in a cottage, didn’t you?" he said, his eyes clouding.

He had seen how she maintained the Jasmine Villa. It was not the villa she envisioned, although she tried to fit the cottage she envisioned there. It was enough to make her happy.

That was who she was. She didn’t need much. All she needed was that one person who would love her. He knew what he wanted and yet he ignored everything. He complicated everything, and both of them ended up in an unhappy state. Only he was to be blamed.

But he still had a chance.

"You can change everything however you want to. I shall oblige to every wish of yours," he said.

"That’s not needed. We are not going to be here for long," she replied.

"You want to leave? We can stay here for the winter if you want," he said, holding her hands.

He knew she dreaded the winter in Roche. Elodia’s winter was tame compared to Roche’s. If she wanted to, he was willing to stay here until spring.

"But we need to be in Roche," Jessamyn said. He was the lord of Roche. He couldn’t abandon his people and stay elsewhere. He needed to be accessible to his people.

Jerrick stood flabbergasted for a second. Without knowing, his heart skipped a beat. "Spoken like the mistress of Roche," he said, his voice filled with awe and admiration.

She understood his duty, and it made him delighted. It was his stupidity that broke her heart in the past. He betrayed her, and he betrayed his heart. Both of them could have thrived had he chosen differently. They were merely surviving till then.

"Jessamyn, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you," he said, holding her hands. His voice hitched as he uttered those words bubbling out from his heart.

Her eyes softened, and she gave him a small, hopeful smile. The warmth in her gaze mirrored the rekindling of their bond, a bond that had been tested but not broken.

"Want to take a bath?" he asked, leaning to her ear.

Jessamyn nodded. After the tiring night, she needed a refreshing bath.

"With me," Jerrick added.

Jessamyn glared at him and then ran to her room to get her clothes. Her heart raced, wondering if Jerrick meant what he said or was just teasing. Picking up her essentials, she walked out of her room. She was surprised no maids came there to bother her. When she got to the bathroom, there was no one.

No one but Jerrick.

He was already submerged in the water, his muscular form half-hidden beneath the surface. The steam rose in soft tendrils, curling around his bare shoulders and creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.

When he saw her, his eyes lit up with a warmth that made her heart flutter. A slow, inviting smile spread across his face, softening his usually stern features. He lifted a hand from the water, droplets cascading down his fingers, and waved her over with a graceful, almost playful gesture.

His eyes never left hers, filled with a blend of tenderness and anticipation, silently urging her to join him. Jessamyn closed the door and walked in hesitantly. She could feel his eyes on her, and it made her entire body warm.

"Undress," his low voice rumbled in the room, causing her heart to pound against her chest cavity. She was not against it. She wanted to get into the water and trace her fingers over the little droplets of water sticking on his impeccable skin.

She turned to face the wall with her back to him. Taking a deep breath, she began to undress, her fingers trembling slightly as she got out of the layers of clothing. She could hear the gentle sloshing of the water as Jerrick shifted, waiting patiently.

As she removed the last piece of clothing, a shiver ran down her spine. She felt vulnerable and exposed, yet there was an underlying excitement she couldn’t deny. The cool air of the room contrasted sharply with the heat emanating from her skin.

"Come here," Jerrick’s voice was a soft command, a mixture of anticipation and tenderness.

Slowly, she turned around, her arms instinctively wrapping around her body. She met his gaze, and in his eyes, she saw a reflection of her own desire and uncertainty. He extended a hand to her, his expression reassuring.

Taking a step forward gingerly, Jessamyn placed her hand in his, allowing him to guide her into the warm water. As she sank into the bath, the heat enveloped her, soothing her tense muscles and calming her racing heart.

Jerrick’s hand lingered on her back, gentle and comforting.

She settled beside him, the water rippling around them in gentle waves. Jessamyn could feel the tension slowly melting away, replaced by a sense of peace and closeness she had longed for.

His hand on her back moved in slow, languid circles, each touch igniting a warmth that spread through her body. The desires she had kept hidden now simmered just beneath the surface, eager to be acknowledged. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He leaned in, his breath hot against her skin as he began to pepper kisses along her smooth shoulder. The room, already thick with rising steam, became an intimate cocoon filled with the soft sounds of water sloshing and the tender, rhythmic smack of his kisses. Each kiss echoed in the stillness, a sweet symphony of their shared longing.

His lips trailed from her shoulder along her collarbone, his hair brushing lightly against her neck and sending shivers down her spine.

Jessamyn leaned back on the edge of the tub, her body arching slightly to grant him better access. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the sensation of his lips as they journeyed across her skin, leaving a path of tingling warmth in their wake.

His touch, both tender and possessive, drew her closer, and she could feel the deep, unspoken connection between them rekindling with every caress.

The water lapped gently around them, a warm, sensuous cocoon that heightened their awareness of each other. Jessamyn’s breath hitched as his lips, warm and insistent, began to trail slowly south, leaving a path of molten desire in their wake.

His kisses moved down her sternum with deliberate slowness, each press of his lips a tantalizing promise. She arched her back slightly, her skin tingling where his mouth had been. The anticipation built with every inch he traveled, her heartbeat quickening in response.