The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 62: First Kiss

"You don’t like it?" Isadora asked, giving Jessamyn a napkin to wipe her mouth.

Jessamyn didn’t answer and stared at the bowl. Isadora pretended she didn’t care and feigned clearing up the table. She noticed Jessamyn’s eyes following the bowl.

How did she recognize the medicine just with a small sip?

Isadora sure was perplexed by their past. Since her lady never talked about it, she never knew the relationship they had. But they must have been pretty close.

"The maids were so excited to talk about this recipe and swore on it saying that there isn’t any other medicine as effective as this one as they taught me. It’s not like we don’t know medicine and I was irritated, but I tried. I’m glad you don’t like it. Why should we follow the Theodulf Castle medicine? I bet it’s not that effective," Isadora kept on talking.

"You prepared it?" Jessamyn asked.

"Yes," Isadora said, observing Jessamyn’s reaction. She couldn’t say whether she was happy or not.

"Bring it," Jessamyn waved her hand.

"Are you sure, Milady?" Isadora asked hiding her relief.

Jessamyn waved her hand. When Isadora brought the bowl to her, Jessamyn finished it.

"He must have made the recipe public for his wife," Jessamyn mumbled.

Isadora heard it. She almost revealed the truth. I don’t think Wulfhart ever made it public for his wife, Milady. He was willing to show it to me just for you.

"Is it an effective medicine, Milady?" Isadora asked. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Nothing beats his medicines... He’s a genius when it comes to medicines," Jessamyn said softly and lay on the bed.

Isadora watched Jessamyn curling up on the bed and covered her. "Shall I bring something for you to eat, Milady? You should eat some meat," she said.

"I’ll have an early dinner," Jessamyn said. "I’m going to sleep now. Look after Lambert for me, please..."

Isadora didn’t want to prod anymore and left when Jessamyn was in a better mood. When Jessamyn’s breathing got regular, Isadora left the room.

Just as she heard Isadora leaving the room, Jessamyn opened her eyes. Curled up comfortably under the warm blanket, her thoughts went back to her warm homeland.

It was Imogen’s sixteenth birthday and as always there was a grand party arranged for Imogen in their manor. Actually, it was not arranged as Imogen’s birthday celebrations but as Jessamyn’s fifteenth birthday party. Jessamyn had just turned fifteen a month ago. Her birthday was not celebrated because Emily had an unexplainable headache for that entire week.

Jessamyn knew that celebration was not for her; it was Imogen’s. At times, she had wondered if Imogen had a birthday closer to her birthday or if Emily turned it so. That was not the first birthday celebration Jessamyn missed.

Something broke her heart that day, and it was not because Imogen was getting celebrated at Jessamyn’s birthday party. She had been used to not having a birthday celebration by then.

Her heart broke because she was teased by Imogen and her friends. After all, she still hadn’t gotten her period while Imogen and her friends had blossomed splendidly.

They called her names and teased her for not being a woman. They implied she was a boy in a dress because she hadn’t developed breasts yet. They even mocked her for turning into a boy because she spent a lot of time with that gardener boy.

Hurt by their words, Jessamyn found refuge in an isolated part of the garden. She didn’t want to be caught by Jerrick again. He always caught her when she cried and teased her about it. Everyone teased her all the time and she wanted to be alone.

Her secret crying was interrupted as she was showered with dry leaves. With broken dry leaves sticking to her wet face, she turned with a pout. As always, Jerrick had caught her while crying.

This time, his nasty snicker didn’t annoy her as she was drowning in her sorrow. He tried to poke his face in front of her, waiting for her to hit him as usual, but she didn’t. Her tears didn’t stop.

The smile on his face disappeared as she was still sobbing.

’What annoyed my little Songbird today?’ He asked.

Jessamyn pouted and buried her face into the bark of a tree and cried some more. She never told him why she cried. She didn’t want to see him as pitiful.

He didn’t leave her be and started tickling her. Usually, she wouldn’t cry after he appeared but that day, she couldn’t stop crying.

’Stop crying!!’

He shouted to scare her to stop crying. But her tears only flowed more. He held her cheeks between his palms and pressed his forehead on hers.

’They said I’m not a girl...’ she said amidst sobs.

’Who did?’ His voice had turned dark.

She didn’t answer him. She didn’t want to talk about Imogen to him. He was hers and he didn’t have to know about anyone else.

’The one who told you is stupid. If you are not a girl, then there is no girl in this world,’ he said.

His answer did comfort her. But she wanted to hear more. That was the first time she heard him say something positive about her. ’What would you know about being a girl? Aren’t you a boy?’ she said.

He scoffed. He was seventeen then and lately, she was feeling odd around him. His scent and his eyes caused a stir inside her and she didn’t understand why. She wanted to run away from him and at the same time, she wanted to stay in his embrace all the time. She didn’t want to lose him. She hated it if she saw him talking to some other woman, even if they were older. She wanted him for herself alone.

Her heart was ramming against her chest cavity when his breath fell on her lips. He was holding her cheeks and her forehead was burning where his forehead was touching. She wanted to push him away but she didn’t. She wanted to stay in his embrace.

’I know you’re a girl because I am a boy,’ he said.

’Liar,’ she pressed her hand on his chest. Something stirred in the bottom of her abdomen feeling his strong muscles underneath that flimsy shirt.