The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 140
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
Moreover, the path was completely without light, making it appear distinctly dangerous. In the shadows, clumps of snow still clung stubbornly to the tree stumps. She would seriously slip if she stepped wrong.
“It’s strange, Madam.”
“What is?”
“There are broken branches. It looks like someone has recently passed this way. Not just a few days ago, but longer than that…”
Raphael’s handsome brow furrowed.
Judging by his trailing words, he had discerned the stature or gender of the person who had walked through.
“Sir…?”
Amber tilted her head, asking, but Raphael shook his head.
“No.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing. I’ll let you know when I have a clearer idea.”
Since she couldn’t force him to speak, Amber decided to let it go and continued walking ahead.
How far did she need to walk before she could see what Jason had seen?
What did Jason want to tell her?
What exactly was Jason’s ability… what was that strange power?
A flurry of thoughts piled up in her mind.
It was supposed to be a calming walk, but instead, it felt like things were becoming more complicated.
‘There are a lot of mushrooms around.’
She would have to send someone to collect them during the day. While mushrooms naturally grew in the forest, an excess could harm the growth of young trees.
So maybe in a couple of days…!
“Madam!”
It all happened in an instant.
Amber had thought the ground would be solid when she stepped down, but suddenly it gave way beneath her. In the feeling of falling, she reached out to grab something, but it was a sharp branch that tore into her delicate skin.
Almost instantly, Raphael moved like lightning to catch her.
“…!”
They say you can’t help but widen your eyes in shock, and that was exactly what happened.
Amber clung to Raphael without making a sound.
The smell of blood was overwhelming.
First, it was the unsettling scent of the blood flowing down her wrist, and then her gaze followed the drops of red as they fell.
And Amber… froze in place.
She couldn’t inhale, couldn’t exhale—just stood there.
“I’ll pull you up.”
Raphael carefully tugged her up, but as soon as Amber’s feet hit solid ground, she stumbled. The shock was too great for her to regain her balance.
‘What I….just saw…’
There was no doubt about it. Even if she tried to question it, she couldn’t.
A decaying corpse.
Flesh rotting away to reveal bones… that pitiful death.
She knew exactly who it was.
“…Iona. There’s, there’s Iona.”
Amber finally spat the name out, as if she was vomiting it.
She had thought Iona was doing well. She had assumed she was fine, living her own little happiness!
But why was that girl there, in such a state, abandoned and unnoticed… like that?
“I have to go down there. I must…”
“It’s dangerous. We can send people tomorrow to recover the body.”
“No, that won’t do. I can’t leave her like this. Lower me down right now.”
“…Madam.”
“It’s an order.”
Only after hearing the word ‘order’ did Raphael move slowly. He could not dare defy the Grand Duchess.
With Raphael’s help, Amber was safely lowered to the edge of the cliff.
But the unfortunate Iona must have hit her head on the rocks. She would never wake again.
No one would think to come this far.
No one would come here… like this.
They had no idea Iona was dead.
“Ah…”
Her heart felt heavy.
No matter how Iona had deceived her, it was too tragic now.
How could a life be so fleeting?
How could there be such a death?
As Amber looked at Iona, she offered a short prayer to God.
Please save this poor soul. If she is reborn, let her live happily in a normal family.
Meanwhile, it seemed Raphael had focused on something else.
“Madam, there’s an old book here.”
“A book?”
As she asked, Raphael pulled a book from Iona’s arms.
The dry ground without sunlight and water, had left the book completely unharmed.
What was strange, however, was that the cover bore no title.
“We should take it and check if there’s any issue with it.”
“Iona was holding it dearly. She didn’t let go even in her last moments. That must mean it’s an important book.”
Raphael spoke from a very cautious and safety-oriented perspective.
But Amber was more focused on something else.
‘Iona, what were you planning to do with this book?’
She didn’t think Iona would have intended to read it in the woods.
So, she must have been taking it somewhere…
Amber slowly reached out toward the book that Raphael held.
It felt almost like a magnetic pull.
She wanted to know what it contained before bringing it to Jean. No, she felt compelled to read it.
That impulse surged deep within her.
