The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 128
Tomorrow, with Nicholas arriving, it seemed Amber would be busy talking with new guests for a while.
“Excuse me, madam… and, um…”
After the chaotic situation had settled down, Nora approached Amber quietly and whispered,
“I also brought the person you mentioned from Shadroch. However, she’s quite elderly and seems to prefer not to be seen by anyone else, so I asked her to stay in the carriage….What should I do?”
“I’ll go see her now. Thank you for your hard work. I won’t forget what you’ve done.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing. It was my first trip, so I enjoyed it too. My father was scared at first, but he’s now gotten along with those people and even had some drinks.”
Nora smiled brightly.
And in the distance was a young man, nervously watching Nora with an anxious look.
Lord Heraldry.
He was the very person who had been kidnapped along with Nora.
‘So, they must have taken Nora to their country since he liked Nora, even though they couldn’t communicate?’
He was well-groomed, tall, and had a kind expression. He even seemed a bit playful.
But Nora had no interest in him at all.
‘Oh my.’
It was clear it was one-sided, not mutual.
Since she herself was in love, she noticed such things very clearly.
“By the way, what happened to that annoying woman? You kicked her out, didn’t you?!”
The young man, who had been persistently staring at Nora, was finally led away by his father. Despite this, he kept glancing back at Nora. It was rather cute.
Amber smiled slightly and replied to Nora,
“I don’t know where Iona went. She disappeared suddenly… I’m afraid she might have fled.”
“Whhaaat? We should have caught her! If I had been there, I would have watched her without sleeping for 48 hours…!”
“It’s okay. It’s all over now.”
Looking back, so much had happened while Nora was away.
It was painful and frustrating at the time, but now it seemed like just passing events.
Any future problems would eventually pass as well.
If she didn’t forget that, she felt she could endure anything.
“This is the carriage.”
“Alright. I’ll speak with her separately, so please go in and get some rest.”
“Yes!”
Nora seemed beaming happily to be home.
Her fellow maids who were waiting for her, were gathered a little distance away.
Amber watched Nora run to her friends and took a deep breath.
It was now time to look into the blessings descending from Shadroch.
* * *
Creeeak.
At the sound of the carriage door opening, the elderly woman inside slowly turned her head.
Despite her age, she still had a beautiful face. Her lips, though lined with wrinkles, were gently closed. Her back was bent, but there was a subtle, dignified grace in the way she rested her hands on her thighs.
Amber introduced herself to the old woman, who couldn’t see.
“It’s been a long time, grandmother. It’s Amber… do you remember me?”
“How could I forget our little princess? I’m truly delighted to see you before I die, old as I am.”
The old woman, commonly known as Grandmother Linda.
She had been the nanny to Amber’s mother, the late queen, and had been at the palace until Amber was ten years old.
Although Amber had a separate nanny, Linda was known as the chief nanny, taking care of things that the younger nannies could not handle.
For example, when Amber threw tantrums or wouldn’t stop crying…. Grandmother Linda, the chief nanny, could handle the situation effortlessly.
That’s how Grandmother Linda was adept at understanding Amber’s feelings.
Clunk.
Before the door closed and Amber could take her seat, Grandmother Linda spoke warmly.
“I was very worried when I heard you were getting married. But seeing you now, it seems my worries were unfounded. You look happy, Princess.”
“Ah, can you really tell I’m happy?”
“Absolutely. Even your steps are different. When the little princess was angry, how determinedly you used to stomp about…”
“That’s right, I did.”
Amber briefly recalled her childhood days when she would hold onto her skirt and march vigorously when upset, and she laughed softly.
Although it had been a long time, and she wondered if it would be awkward, sitting here with Grandmother Linda felt like a return to a cherished past.
“But… judging by the urgency with which you came looking for this old woman, it seems you’ve already turned back time once.”
“!”
“There’s no need to be so surprised. The blessing of regret isn’t something that should be kept secret from anyone.”
The old woman began with a genuinely happy expression.
Amber had been concerned that this might be something that should remain undisclosed. Now, she felt a great sense of relief.
“There are stories about the blessing of regret, you know. It seems this old woman has managed to stay alive all this time to convey it to you.”
“Is there something different from what I’ve heard?”
“There might be differences, or there might not be. So, Princess, which part would you most like to know about?”
Yes, Grandmother Linda had always been straightforward like this.
She didn’t beat around the bush but rather asked directly, something Amber had always appreciated.
