The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 212: Guilt and Happiness

"When Brennan Theodulf was wounded beyond healing, when the forgetting spell couldn’t mask the hurt he endured, it was Kaiser who stood by his side, as a good friend. It is not in your blood to betray the Kaiser family. Even if they pierce a sword through your heart, you will accept it. There is no way around it," Jessamyn said, her voice trembling with emotion.

Throughout the years, there were instances where the Kaiser family betrayed the Theodulf family. But they never exterminated them even if they had the power. Similarly, even when the Theodulf family had the perfect opportunity for usurping, even when they had valid reasons to dethrone the Kaiser family, they stuck with them and became a great pillar of support for them.

"Then..." Jerrick looked down in deep thought. The realization hit him hard, and with a gasp, he looked at Jessamyn.

"Yes," Jessamyn said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"How?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Jessamyn shook her head. She was not going to reveal everything to him. In a way, if the prophecy came to pass just the way it was, then it would help her. She needed to ensure the curse was broken, but revealing too much might hinder that goal.

Jerrick was not pleased she was hiding details from him. He sensed that she was hiding a lot from him, and it pained him to see her burdened by secrets. He didn’t have the courage to force her to say anything to him.

"How are you going to break the curse, Jessamyn?" he asked.

Jessamyn looked at him and smiled. "By loving you, Jerrick... The curse will be broken by the child that is born out of love. Love breaks curses. It’s simple and yet hard." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Jerrick looked out of the window at the passing scenery outside. If he married Jessamyn ten years ago, they would have broken the curse by now.

And then... William still would have been happy.

That thought caused a pang of guilt in his heart. She was right not to trust him entirely. He was not trustworthy. And if she was right, he might not even be Lycaon Wulfhednar. It could be their son.

"I’ll protect our family," he said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, his voice resolute.

That was all he wanted. He didn’t care about the past and as long as they, as a family, could stay happily together, he didn’t mind much about the future either. Jessamyn needed to break the curse, however, she was going to do it, just so those with Theodulf blood would have happiness too. That was all he wanted.

The carriage ride continued in silence, the weight of their shared burdens pressing down on them. Jessamyn leaned against Jerrick, feeling the warmth and strength of his presence. She took comfort in the fact that he was with her, no matter what.

The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the landscape as they journeyed onward. Jessamyn’s thoughts drifted to their future, to the son they would soon welcome into the world. She prayed silently that their child would be born into a world of peace and love, free from the curses of the past.

Jerrick’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions. He vowed to protect Jessamyn and their future child, to ensure they had the future they deserved. He knew the road ahead would be challenging, but with Jessamyn by his side, he felt ready to face anything.

He couldn’t shake off this odd feeling, a sense of dread rising from his gut. He had a feeling that what she hid from him was more important than anything. His guilt forced him to keep his silence.

Jerrick looked at Jessamyn. She stared blankly at the floor for some time, overwhelmed by her thoughts, but then she gathered herself. She started to do her embroidery, humming a soft, melancholic tune. The melody seemed to wrap around them like a comforting embrace, soothing some of the tension in the air.

He wanted to ask her what the role of the council was in all this. But seeing the smile on her lips, he didn’t want to ruin her mood. He decided to wait until she opened up herself.

"Why do you like embroidery?" he asked, scooting closer to her. He watched her delicate fingers, almost entranced, as they deftly twisted and turned the silk thread. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how she managed to create such beautiful patterns.

Her hands did have magic!

"It’s just a way to keep my mind occupied with something harmless. When you do it, you don’t have to think about anything else," she said, her voice light and soothing.

"You think a lot? You can stop thinking. You don’t have to do something else," he asked, genuinely curious.

"Stop thinking? Thoughts cannot be shut down. Whether I like it or not, I am always thinking. How can you not think?" she asked, her confusion mirrored in her furrowed brow.

"Always? Surely there must be times when you think about nothing... just stare at something with no thoughts in your head," Jerrick said, still perplexed.

How can someone think all the time without rest? That must be impossible!

"Nothing?" Jessamyn’s lips twitched into a faint smile. Every waking moment, she would be thinking about one thing or another. If anything, she would be thinking about not thinking about anything.

"It’s impossible," she said. "Can you think about nothing?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes," Jerrick replied, as a matter of fact.

"I don’t think so," Jessamyn shook her head. He must be mistaken. It is impossible to have a quiet head.

Jerrick didn’t want to argue with her about such a simple issue. But if what she said was true, it must be tough to have such a head that kept on being noisy. He wouldn’t be able to live that way.

"What’s this?" he pointed at her embroidery, hoping to turn her attention to something lighter.

"It’s lacework. I’m doing it for Isadora," Jessamyn smiled, a hint of pride in her voice.

He admired the intricate pattern she was creating, delicate and beautiful, much like Isadora herself. "She will love it. You have such a talent for this."

"Yes," Jessamyn smiled. She wouldn’t be modest about her embroidery skills. She needed to start making a lot for their son.

"You’re not making me anything anymore," Jerrick complained.

Jessamyn tilted her head and looked at him. He was seriously complaining. "I’ll make something," she said, not wanting to dampen his spirits.

Jerrick watched her for a moment longer, his heart swelling with love for her. Despite everything, she always found a way to bring beauty into the world.

"You’re enough for me, Jessamyn... Having you by my side is enough. I want nothing more..."

Jessamyn’s fingers paused as he said that. It was as if he had caught up with the secrets she was holding in her heart.

"I hope so..." She muttered those words from her heart.