The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 66: Faded Echoes of Memories

Jessamyn pondered about it for a while.

Her mother died when she was five. She still remembered her mother’s smile and her gentle caresses. She had soft hands and she’d tell her stories as she brushed her hair before bed.

She never intended to keep it a secret. It happened.

Her father didn’t object when Emily started to tell everyone she was Jessamyn’s mother. He was proud of Emily.

But Jessamyn didn’t like that.

How could she call another woman "mother"? She didn’t give birth to her and raised her! She caused a big fuzz.

From then on, started her punishments. Her father too got displeased with her and called her childish for not wanting to forget her mother. He threw all the pictures of her mother away and replaced them with Emily’s as she was the new lady of the castle.

Some maids told her that Emily might feel more secure and treat her better if she was treated as the Baroness and the only wife of her father.

Although Jessamyn didn’t like to be called Emily’s daughter, she believed it would work. She got broken bit by bit with the abuses.

But it had the opposite effect and her punishments never stopped.

Emily never felt secure in her status and took out her insecurity on her. The maids who served Jessamyn’s mother were replaced and slowly almost all of the high society had forgotten the Baroness who gave birth to the daughter of the Baron and only remembered the one who gave him a son.

From then on, Jessamyn safely saved all the memories of her mother in her heart and talked about her to no one. Her mother was hers alone.

After her marriage, she had the chance to reveal the truth. But she didn’t. She had encountered a few who still remembered her mother. Joar was one too.

To the wolf... Jessamyn decided to tell the truth. She found no harm in bringing that fact out to the high society once again. Emily never gave any reason for Jessamyn to be kind to her. Why should she protect Emily’s status still?

Ethan wouldn’t mind. She didn’t want to protect Imogen’s secret anymore.

Also, Jessamyn had another reason. She might find the wolf’s identity through this.

"My mother died when I was five..." Jessamyn told the wolf. "My father remarried and she gave birth to a son... You know how it goes afterward..." she smiled wryly.

"The high society has a short attention span and they forgot your mother after attending Emily’s parties..." the wolf said.

"Emily can be pretty persuasive when needed... One rumor gets replaced with the other and the cycle goes on..." Jessamyn added.

The wolf nodded.

Jessamyn controlled her smile as he left her a clue. She had a gut feeling that the wolf might be someone from the high society. He had first-hand knowledge of the high society.

"Do you want to hear something straight from the horse’s mouth?" Jessamyn leaned closer to the wolf.

He looked at her, curious.

"Imogen was Emily’s daughter with another man. She had Imogen when she was very young and left her in an orphanage in her hometown. After Emily married my father, she brought her to my home, using me as an excuse."

Jessamyn leaned closer and the wolf tilted his head.

"Everyone believes I brought Imogen home. But I didn’t. I never asked Emily to bring Imogen home. Never. I wanted to throw Imogen out. She made my life hell. Emily abused me for Imogen. Imogen was no pure flower. She was a bastard child."

The wolf let out a deep breath and with his head tilted looked at her face.

"You do not need to spread such a rumor through me. You have plenty of chances ahead and there are plenty of people who will be interested in such scandalous rumors..." he said.

"Yes. So, why am I telling you this?" Jessamyn asked. He was smart, she would give him that.

"I can only assume that it is the truth... Or..." his voice trailed.

"Or?" Jessamyn asked.

"Or you are trying to find my identity..."

"That. And...?" Jessamyn smirked.

"Ah..." the wolf stood up. Shaking his head, he chuckled. "You’re one tricky lady..."

"What is it?" Jessamyn asked with a smile.

"I am not telling Jerrick anything," the wolf said.

Jessamyn scoffed. "So, you lied to me the other day. You are close with him."

And you’re not Jerrick! Jessamyn could safely strike off one name from her list of suspects.

"He would have found out if that were the case."

"Would he though? Isn’t he in love with her?" Jessamyn asked.

The wolf lay back on the ground and stared at the sky. Jessamyn hugged her knees and rocked herself.

"How hard will it be for you to talk to him about it?" the wolf asked. "You live under one roof."

"With her picture adorning every wall," Jessamyn said.

The wolf chuckled. "You women make everything complicated..."

"If only you men are the least bit truthful," Jessamyn quipped.

The wolf went silent.

Jessamyn chewed the insides of her cheeks as she thought about it. She didn’t regret revealing the truth about her mother, but she regretted it a little revealing the truth about Imogen’s birth when she was not 100% sure.

She was ashamed of being the one who harbored jealousy and took revenge on a dead woman.

"Maybe... Jerrick need not know..." Jessamyn said. "She can remain as the pure flower who bloomed in a swamp and the one with no blemishes, in his memory."

The wolf stared at her silently for some time. "You are one weird woman, Crossbow Lady... I shall remind myself once again to be careful around you..."

Jessamyn sighed. "I know I’m not the perfect woman, Great One...I don’t want to be one either and I don’t care what others think of me, mostly..."

The wolf sighed. "This is why you’re better than most..."

They sat in silence for some time. The air was alive with the faint rustle of leaves and the distant murmur of nocturnal creatures, creating a serene backdrop for their shared solitude. Amidst the stillness, a sense of peace pervaded, binding them to the natural rhythm of the wilderness that surrounded them.

"Joar knew..." Jessamyn said, breaking the silence.

She didn’t like talking about Joar with others but she wanted to know if the wolf knew him. She wanted to hear more about Joar.

Will Joar fade from their memory like my mother did?

"Hector?" The wolf perked up his ears and leaned closer. "About what?"

Jessamyn could see that Joar’s name had piqued his interest. Also, only those who were acquainted with him through the military called him by the name ’Hector’.

Interesting...

"About my real mother..." Jessamyn’s lips curved. "Did you know? His father wanted to marry my mother but my mother chose my father. They stayed as friends. Joar’s father bought a land close to my mother’s marital home..."

But it did cause trouble...