The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 85: Facing Vitriol

Jessamyn observed Jerrick as she felt a pang of pain in her chest. She wasn’t certain if she had grown accustomed to the pain or if its intensity had diminished, but she could scarcely endure it.

Jerrick, however, looked like he had forgotten the place he was standing at. He talked loudly garnering the attention of the others around them. Some prying people observed them to see what made Jerrick mad.

Following the extravagant display of affection he had shown earlier by draping her in a vibrant cloak, some took pleasure in witnessing the tension between them.

"Did you think I was useless?" he asked. "Is that why you didn’t tell me?"

Jessamyn was uncomfortable talking about this in a public place when all eyes were on them. If it was a private place, she would have loved to continue the talk, although she had no idea why he was that affected by the truth about her mother.

He talked about the ten years he had known her. She did want his help to leave her abusive household then. She had a hard time asking for help back then and that was the reason she waited for his return. She wanted him to be her knight in shining armor and rescue her.

But he didn’t. He was in love with Imogen. Even if she told him the truth, it wouldn’t have meant anything; it wouldn’t have changed anything.

If he had started to care about her now, the truth is, she had dealt with her mother’s death. He could be of no help to her now. He need not get that shocked about it.

Jessamyn noticed some of the lady friends of Joar’s mother gathering closely. They talked in hushed whispers and shook their heads in mock sympathy as they looked at her.

Jessamyn didn’t want to give them fodder for gossip. "Would it have made a difference, Jerrick?" she asked, looking into his eyes. "Had you known...Would you...Would you’ve rescued me?" she held her breath. Her eyes reddened.

If Joar were not there for her, she wouldn’t have escaped those abuses.

Jerrick’s eyes widened with shock and his hold on her shoulder loosened. That gave Jessamyn the answer she needed. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

With a wry smile, she walked away. Ethan got to her and offered to take her to the balcony to have some air but he was stopped for a chat.

Those old women were still gathered and Jessamyn caught a snippet of their conversation.

"Keeping in touch with her past lover even after marrying Joar. She has no shame."

"She’s been carrying on with the archduke, even after her dear Joar passed away."

With practiced expressions of false sympathy, the ladies exchanged knowing glances as they discussed Jessamyn’s supposed transgressions.

"Poor Joar... To think he trusted her with his heart, only to have it trampled upon."

"Yes, such a tragedy. He deserved far better than to be betrayed by his own wife."

"It’s a shame, truly. To have one’s loyalty repaid with deceit and dishonor."

Jessamyn’s heart sank as she realized the true nature of their gossip. She had never betrayed Joar, never entertained the thought of being unfaithful. Yet here she stood, the subject of their malicious whispers, her reputation tarnished by their cruel words.

Her heart ached at the injustice of their accusations. Jessamyn felt the weight of their judgment bearing down upon her like a leaden cloak, suffocating her beneath its oppressive weight.

While she was standing there shrunken with shame, a broad hand pressed on her shoulder, sinking her further.

Jerrick was standing by her side, his eyes still laden with sorrow. Jessamyn tried to walk to the balcony to have privacy but he held her wrist.

"Why? I thought we were very close... We knew everything about each other. We shared countless moments together... I thought I was your confidante..."

Jessamyn wanted to cry but she could only laugh. What did I know about him? I thought he was in love with me! I knew nothing about him!

The other ladies glanced stealthily in Jessamyn’s direction, their eyes alight with speculation and judgment.

Jerrick’s ambiguous words had given them an opportunity to delve deeper into their conspiracies. They continued with their venomous chatter looking at her with disdain.

Jessamyn dared not confront them, knowing it would only fuel the fire of their gossip.

"Jessamyn, look at me!" Jerrick held her shoulders.

Jessamyn’s heart simmered with anger, fueled by the shame, helplessness, and despair of being misunderstood. Jerrick’s nagging oblivious to the surroundings only added to her frustration.

She looked at him with a scowl. "What do you~"

The rage bubbling in her heart disappeared, looking at his face filled with concern. He looked helpless as he bowed to her level, his eyes red and lips trembling. He looked like he was in distress.

For some reason, the truth she revealed had affected him greatly. She still couldn’t understand why, but as always, she couldn’t see him in distress.

"Not here, please..." she begged, holding his hand.

Jerrick tilted his head, scanning their surroundings, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. As recognition dawned, his expression softened. With a disdainful glare of the Wolf, the nosy spectators of their drama quickly dispersed.

Mumbling a cuss under her breath, Jessamyn walked away picking up a goblet of wine. She couldn’t get angry at the fool in front of her. She hated herself for it, but she couldn’t.

The ladies followed her with their eyes and whispering something among themselves, walked to Jerrick. His awareness of the surroundings must have granted them the courage to approach the unapproachable god of war and death.

As she descended the stairs of the balcony, she heard the ladies behind her. On the balcony were a few men, most of them, she didn’t know. They looked at her with a disdainful smirk as if she was a harlot.

Not wanting to face them, she turned, when she was privy to those ladies’ conversation with Jerrick.

"Congratulations on your wedding, Your Grace," they said and curtsied in unison.

Holding his hands behind his back, Jerrick looked at them with an aristocratic conceit. They weren’t his equals, after all.

The women looked at one another and Ethel, the courageous shit-stirrer among them, spoke with a veiled sincerity: "You should follow her, Your Grace..." she giggled, covering her mouth with her fan. "Lady Jessamyn’s grace on the stairs is a spectacle to behold, though one might find it prudent to keep a watchful eye."

Lady Ethel’s words were followed by the hushed chuckle of the ladies. Others might have thought of it as a casual teasing of old ladies, but Jessamyn fisted her hands knowing the underlying poison behind those words.

After all, it was after her unfortunate tumble down the stairs that she lost her precious child.

Jessamyn’s lips twitched in anger and she furrowed her brows.

She wanted to keep her head down and pass her days in peace, but these vultures wouldn’t allow her.

She would have been happy far away from these pigs, but since she was here, she decided to put up a fight.