The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 12
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
So, based on the prophecy, the Emperor stated that only one ‘noble lady from the land of plenty’ should go to Niflheim. While it might have been far-fetched, and her maid and lady-in-waiting wouldn’t be able to do anything, Shadroch, her homeland, had no power to resist.
“Princess…?”
If only a close lady-in-waiting had come with her. Would she not have fallen into such deep depression?
Thinking back, it was already in the past.
Amber responded to the maid, who looked at her with sparkling eyes.
“Oh, prepare some water and comb my hair.”
“The water is already prepared!”
“Is that so?”
This girl is more meticulous in taking care of her than she expected.
The maids who first served her here in the past life were elderly northerners. It seemed like they were trying to speak to her, but Amber couldn’t understand a single word because they used the northern dialect.
Later, she learned that it was a deliberate act to alienate her.
Although it was a childish territoriality, it was a shock to her when she was young.
No matter how proficient Amber was in the Asgarden Imperial language, she couldn’t possibly know all the dialects.
But this girl seemed to be making a considerable effort to use standard language, which earned her extra points in Amber’s eyes.
Shortly after, the maid rushed to the dressing table and brought a comb. It was an item she had brought from her hometown, and when the maid saw it, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed.
“A comb made of silver! And there are rubies embedded in it! I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s so beautiful!”
“That’s right.”
“Yes…! This is the first time I’ve been in the service of a noble, so I might be a bit inexperienced, but I’ll do my best…! Oh, by the way, my name is Nora.”
Nora.
It’s a common name among the commoners in the north. If you shout ‘Nora’ on the street, at least ten people will turn around.
Before her regression, one of the maids who bathed her was also named Nora.
“Same Nora, but… has she changed over time?”
Eventually, Amber immersed herself in the warm bath that Nora had prepared, lost in thought.
The past and the present were different from the beginning. That much was certain.
‘Even a very small change can lead to a significantly different outcome.’
Back then, she was just feeling depressed, but now, thanks to that child, she feels somewhat happy.
So, maybe changing the future is not such a difficult thing.
Amber gained a bit of confidence.
Compared to the past when she did nothing, just being confined to the room, it was a significant improvement.
‘The most important thing is to prepare for what will happen in three months from now.’
Amber hadn’t developed any affection for this place for various reasons, but the decisive one was a terrible incident.
Exactly three months after the marriage, the unprecedented ‘Roar of Nidhogg’ occurred.
The ‘Roar of Nidhogg’ refers to the opening of the so-called ‘gates’ in the air, from which monsters pour out. For a fortnight, about a hundred monsters would fall from each gate.
The location of the gate opening was unpredictable, and the number of gates and their opening time varied each time.
Therefore, the military of Niflheim created bases here and there, dividing the territory to handle gates opened in their respective areas. This strategy was effective.
‘But not three months from now.’
An overwhelming number of monsters that would be impossible to handle would appear.
Estimated thousand monsters per gate.
On top of that, the appearance of a new monster, the ‘Illusion Breed’, which had never been seen before.
They barely prevented the destruction of their territory, but the Frost Giant Knights lost half of their knights that day.
Especially, Igmeyer’s childhood friend and a knight known as his left arm also died.
It wasn’t Amber’s fault, but those who needed someone to blame easily turned their arrows towards her.
Amber, who hadn’t made a single ally until then, was left defenseless in the face of accusations.
At that point, Amber, with courage she had summoned just once, stood up. Seeing everyone struggling so much, she wanted to help in some way.
However, no one listened to her.
They only showed reactions like,
‘Just stay quiet. No, if possible, don’t come out of your bedroom. Isn’t everyone uncomfortable because of Madam? Your presence is only slowing down my work as we have to be cautious about Madam.’
Deeply hurt by those cold words, Amber admitted that she was nothing but a hindrance in Niflheim. She then gave up on helping and completely closed the door of her heart.
It seemed like these people would be happier without her.
At that time, Igmeyer was too busy trying to calm the aggravated public sentiment and recruit new knights. So there was no time to spare for her.
They weren’t close enough for him to offer her any time.
‘Yes. I need to prepare for that first.’
Amber, who had been contemplating, slowly blinked her eyes.
It seemed like she knew what she had to do.
