The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 59: Gathering Courage

Jessamyn’s smile and excitement got wiped out of her face seeing Jerrick getting up the stairs. Dread and disgust sank her heart. She quickly dashed in and locked the door hoping he would leave.

Patting her pounding heart, she waited leaning on the door, hoping he didn’t knock on the door. Her knees trembled when she heard a set of footsteps approaching.

Jerrick clutched the jewel box he had in his hand. She went pale the moment she saw him. He stood by the door fisting his hand to knock on the door. He saw the shadow under the door and sighed leaning on the door.

He took in a deep breath closing his eyes. His hand trailed gently on the door as if he was caressing her. She was just a few inches away from him but the distance between them had widened more than ever.

Clenching his teeth, he walked away.

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Bernard reached Isadora before she reached him. Even with the courage her lady gave her, Isadora couldn’t face Bernard.

"I..." she held out her hand with the folded kerchief. "I...wanted to give it to you yesterday... And I..." she gulped gathering her courage to look up. But her eyes ended up on his knees.

She closed her eyes when his rough hand grazed on hers. Shutting her eyes close, she waited for him to say anything.

"It’s for me?" Bernard asked.

"Yes," Isadora gathered her courage to look up. She wanted to see his reaction even if she dreaded it. She tried to remember the exact words her lady wanted her to say, but she forgot. "I... I did all the embroidery myself... I...I did it for you..."

"You did it?" Bernard asked, his eyes wide. His face was softened as it always was when in her presence, but she couldn’t guess what he was thinking.

He opened the kerchief and observed every inch of it. "There’s a bear in here... and flowers... A honey bee..." he observed and reported.

Isadora’s heart pounded as she saw his face blooming slowly as he found it one by one. She embroidered a honey bee not because bears like honey but because she saw him carefully holding a hurt honeybee and shifting it to a safe place. She had never seen a man who cared for honeybees.

She wanted to tell him that but her throat closed. His eyes were wide with a childish curiosity as he observed it.

"This is the first embroidery I did," she said.

"First?" Bernard looked at her, his smile had turned to a grin by now.

This was not the first time she had made someone happy, but seeing Bernard’s smile affected her differently. She was glad she got to see his happy face. To think she was the reason for his happiness caused an unstoppable joy in her heart.

The palpitations of her heart reduced and she could look at him normally. "Do you give pendants to many women?" she asked.

She didn’t think he was the type to seduce many women. But she asked mainly to hear him say it.

"No," Bernard refuted immediately. "You are the only one."

Isadora bowed her head unable to meet his eyes anymore. She was delighted to hear what he said. She wanted to hear those words, after all.

"Why?" she asked, slowly raising her head. "Why me?"

Bernard folded the kerchief back and kept it safely in his pocket. "Because I want to spend the rest of my days with you," he said casually as if it was not a big deal and he didn’t cause a big volcanic eruption of emotions in Isadora’s maiden heart.

"Wulfhart said giving you the pendant was the surefire way to keep other flies away from you... He was doing the same for Jess-uh-Lady Jessamyn."

Isadora’s face blushed red. "To keep other flies away...?"

"I don’t want to lose you," Bernard said.

Isadora’s heart pounded and she clutched her chest.

"Are you ill? Why do you go red all the time?" Bernard asked and stepped closer. He stretched out his hand to touch her. He wanted to touch her a lot lately.

"No, I am fine," Isadora took a step back. "You don’t want to lose me?" she asked meeting his eyes.

"No," Bernard replied immediately.

Isadora bowed her head and covering her face with her hands, ended up laughing out of happiness.

Bernard’s smile fell seeing Isadora taking a step back. "Do you not like it?" Bernard asked.

"The pendant?" Isadora asked meeting his eyes. Seeing the slight confusion in his eyes, she was worried. "I love it. I too don’t~" want to lose you.

"Me," Bernard interjected. "Do you not like it when I get close to you? You get sick when I~"

"That’s not the case!" Isadora answered. How could he think that way?

Bernard took a step forward and Isadora took a step back. He took another step forward and Isadora retreated.

Bernard stopped raising his brows, and Isadora realized what confused him.

"It’s not what you think," she said. She tried to take a step forward but she couldn’t get over her inhibition.

But seeing Bernard’s face getting long out of sadness, she pushed forward.

"See," she stood toe to toe with him and looked up. "I don’t mind..." she gulped the moment his sapphire orbs ended on her.

"You don’t?" Bernard asked.

Isadora noticed the difference in their heights only then. Standing in front of him, her head only reached his chest and she looked half his size.

Isadora didn’t know what happened but her legs didn’t cooperate. As if she tripped on air, she fell back. She clutched his shirt out of instinct.

Bernard wrapped his strong arms around her waist breaking her fall.

Meeting his eyes, Isadora’s racing heart pounded hard. She could feel her face burning up and knew she had blushed once more.

"There you go again," Bernard said pointing at her face.

Isadora covered her face with her hands.

"Show me," Bernard said. "Let me see..."

"See what?" she asked, still covering her face.

"See you," Bernard’s thunderous voice echoed in her ear.

"You’re..." Isadora’s ears and neck went red next. Is it him or me? Why does he sound so vulgar? Does he want to see me as in seeing me naked...?

"Touch me," Bernard said.

Isadora’s heart almost stopped.

Whaaaat?