The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 264: Confronting An Old Enemy

Jostein’s nostrils flared as he flattened his ears, his teeth bared in a warning that sent shivers down Jessamyn’s spine. The powerful horse, usually calm and obedient, was now a storm of fury, his muscles tensing as if ready to launch at the woman standing before him.

Jessamyn could feel the heat radiating from his body, his hooves stamping the ground in impatience, the sound echoing ominously in the still air. It was as though Jostein could sense the malice seething from Imogen, and it made him dangerous, unpredictable. His eyes, usually so gentle, were wild with protective rage, focused solely on Imogen, as if he knew she was a threat.

"Calm down, Jostein..." Jessamyn whispered, her voice steady but laced with urgency. She gently stroked his neck, feeling the tautness of his muscles beneath her fingertips, trying to soothe him with her touch. The horse remained restless, his anger barely contained. He obeyed her command, but Jessamyn could tell he was not satisfied, his gaze still locked on Imogen, ready to charge at slightest provocation.

Imogen’s lips twisted into a sneer, a look of contempt that seemed to challenge the very idea of fear. Jessamyn watched her, puzzled and disgusted by her defiance. Did Imogen truly not realize the danger she was in? Or worse, did she simply not care that Jostein might trample her at any moment? There was no trace of fear in her eyes, only a cold, calculating malice that made Jessamyn’s skin crawl.

"I want what was taken from me," Imogen hissed, her voice sharp and venomous, each word dripping with bitterness.

Jessamyn couldn’t help but laugh, the sound light and mocking as it filled the tense air. "What was taken from you? And who, pray tell, took it?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The mocking edge in her voice cut deep, and she could see the flash of anger in Imogen’s eyes, a spark that revealed the cracks in her icy facade.

"You!" Imogen spat, her voice rising with fury, her eyes blazing with a hatred that no longer hid behind polite pretense. The mask she had worn so carefully was slipping, revealing the ugliness beneath. Jessamyn had broken her, and now the true Imogen was exposed—a woman driven by envy, consumed by her own failures.

"You took everything that belonged to me... my title, my wealth, my castle, my servants, my life!" Imogen’s words came out in a rush, her voice trembling with the intensity of her rage. She looked at Jessamyn as if the very sight of her was a dagger to her heart, each word she spoke laced with the venom of a thousand unspoken curses.

Jessamyn smirked, her expression calm, almost amused as she met Imogen’s glare with unflinching confidence. "You mentioned everything but your husband. Was it because you don’t care about him, or is it because you know deep down that he was never truly yours?" Jessamyn’s voice was soft, but her words cut deep, each syllable a dagger that twisted in Imogen’s already wounded pride.

Imogen’s face contorted with rage, her chest heaving as she struggled to contain the tempest of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. Her eyes turned red with anger, her breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. She lunged at Jessamyn, her hand swinging wildly, aiming to strike her, to hurt her as much as she had been hurt.

But Jessamyn was faster, her reflexes honed by years of training. She caught Imogen’s wrist mid-air, her grip firm as she flung it away with a force that sent Imogen stumbling backward. Imogen almost fell, her body swaying precariously, but she managed to catch herself, her face flushed with a mixture of shock and rage.

"You dare to touch me!" Imogen shrieked, her voice high-pitched and hysterical, her face twisted into an ugly mask of hatred. All the anger she had kept bottled up for so long now poured out of her in an uncontrollable torrent, her body shaking with the intensity of her emotions.

Jessamyn remained calm, watching with a serene expression as Imogen raged before her. "Why shouldn’t I?" she replied, her voice cold and measured. "I have everything you once had. Why shouldn’t I flaunt it? Do you expect me to be the same old Jessamyn you used to bully in the past?"

Imogen’s eyes burned with fury as she listened to Jessamyn’s words, each one a reminder of what she had lost. "You have everything of mine because I left! Everything you have is what I left behind!" Imogen’s voice was thick with bitterness, her hands clenched into fists as she spoke.

Jessamyn remained unruffled, her demeanor calm as she faced Imogen’s wrath. "I do not agree with that. But let’s say I do. So what? I have it all now, and you have nothing. That’s not going to change, is it?" Her voice was gentle, almost pitying, but her words struck like a whip, each one cutting deeper into Imogen’s already wounded pride.

Imogen trembled with rage, her entire body shaking as she struggled to contain the storm of emotions within her. "I am going to get back everything that was mine! I am going to appeal to the King. I am the lawful wife. Since I am not dead, your marriage is not valid," Imogen declared, her voice rising with each word as she tried to regain some semblance of control over the situation.

Jessamyn’s response was a slight, almost dismissive smile as she continued to brush Jostein’s fur, her attention seemingly focused on the horse rather than the woman standing before her. Imogen’s threat didn’t faze her; she had already anticipated this move, already prepared for it.

"I am talking to you!" Imogen shouted, her frustration evident as she stomped her foot, desperate to reclaim some of the power she had lost.

"Ah, right? Are you planning to walk there on foot? You surely can’t send any letters from here. I have to approve any contact you have with others," Jessamyn replied, her tone light and almost playful, as if she were speaking to a child rather than a woman who had just threatened to destroy her life.

Imogen blinked, momentarily thrown off balance by Jessamyn’s casual response. "Then I will walk there and tell everyone how cruel you are! Do you think just because you are spreading false information about yourself..." Imogen’s voice trailed off into a scoff. "As if you know what kindness is! Why do people think you are kind? You are nothing but a shrew!"

Jessamyn didn’t flinch at the insult. She merely continued to brush Jostein’s mane, her movements slow and deliberate. "If you walk, what about the smugglers in the Great Green Forest? You’re already wandering around outside the castle walls due to your...mental illness. Now, if you go missing, won’t everyone be sad?"

Imogen’s eyes widened as the meaning behind Jessamyn’s words sunk in. Jessamyn was threatening her, subtly but unmistakably. If she tried to leave the castle, Jessamyn would ensure she never returned.

The story would be that Imogen, driven mad by her ’illness,’ had wandered off and fallen victim to the dangers lurking in the forest.