The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 147
A face that was neither smiling nor crying. Eyes mixed with shock and joy. The corners of her mouth stained with worry and happiness.
The Amber he knew was not like this. If she was pregnant, she would usually be overjoyed.
So was there some kind of issue with her husband?
Nicholas pondered. He wanted to offer any help he could to his precious friend.
He wouldn’t pry into what was happening since it might hurt her. What mattered most to Nicholas was whether Amber needed him or not.
“How can I help you?”
At his earnest question, Amber buried her face in her hands before slowly lifting her head.
After shedding a few tears, she managed to stop crying.
Now, she had no more time for tears.
‘I have a baby. I need to protect it. To protect it, I must be strong.’
Fortunately, Igmeyer was not in the castle right now. Nicholas was.
He had no idea what she had seen or heard in that book.
So, for now, she still had a way to handle everything.
“I need to leave.”
“Pardon?”
“Get me out of the North, Nick. Please.”
The former Grand Duke, now Nidhogg.
If the evil dragon sensed that she was pregnant, it would surely come back to devour her and the baby to bring spring to this land.
But what if she escaped the North?
‘This is the first loophole.’
She suspected that the dragon might not be able to leave the North.
If that was true, it would likely remain so this time as well.
‘As long as I’m not in the North, the tragedy won’t repeat. I must not be discovered. We have to leave immediately.’
Fortunately, Nicholas didn’t press her for more details. After staring at her for a few seconds, he turned and began to gather his things.
Meanwhile, Amber stood frozen like a half-melted candle, nervously biting her lip.
‘But if I want to protect Igmeyer, I can’t have the baby. They said the moment the child is born, the acceleration of madness will begin.’
In the end, he would become the next Nidhogg.
There was no way she could allow that.
However, if Igmeyer found out she was pregnant, he would likely act the same way again.
He would try to protect her, even at the cost of his own life.
He had done that even during their bad past; how much more would he do so now?
‘To protect the baby, I have to give up Igmeyer, and to protect Igmeyer, I have to give up the baby…’
Amber quietly acknowledged that she was trapped in a dilemma.
The fortunate thing was that with each passing minute and second, she was becoming increasingly clear-headed.
Memories from her distant past to the present flashed through her mind like a slideshow of two lives she had lived.
In the process, she came to realize something important.
‘If I have the baby, the curse becomes irrevocable. But what about during the pregnancy? Doesn’t that mean it can still be broken?’
What if Igmeyer crossed the sea and beheaded Nidhogg before she gave birth?
‘The North wouldn’t suffer any harm. Both I and the baby would be safe. If there’s nothing to protect, Igmeyer could focus entirely on the fight.’
For the first time, a ray of sunlight broke through the stormy clouds in her mind.
The problem was that Igmeyer would never agree to her leaving.
But if she stayed here, Nidhogg would surely come for her, and Igmeyer’s past sacrifice would repeat itself.
The reasoning behind this was simple.
‘How could Nidhogg possibly know? That I’m pregnant?’
If he figured it out the moment she conceived, he should have shown up here months ago.
After contemplating this, one answer emerged.
Dreams.
The very dreams that came to those who received the title of Grand Duke.
‘If Igmeyer knows, then all previous Grand Dukes might find out as well.’
It wasn’t certain, but it was worth considering.
“I’ve gathered everything.”
“Is there any way you could help me escape?”
“A cart carrying medical supplies will arrive soon. You can hide inside it and leave, but since it’s easy to be tracked, we should use it solely to exit the castle.”
“Then I’ll need to move on foot afterward.”
“Yes. But considering your condition… I’m worried.”
There would only be one chance.
When Raphael went to greet Igmeyer at the castle gates.
At that moment, she could say she had a headache and remained in her room.
“I need to write something down.”
“Of course.”
Amber took a deep breath, gripping the quill.
It saddened her to have to convey such words to Igmeyer, but for now, there was nothing else that came to mind.
[Please don’t look for me. Not until Nidhogg is dead.]
Amber hesitated and hesitated again. Should she add a simple ‘I love you’? She let another twenty minutes pass before contemplating whether to include a sentence wishing him good health, which also took another twenty minutes.
But what more could she say when sneaking away? No matter how she phrased it, it was clear he would be hurt.
Thinking from his perspective, she realized he would probably find her presence unbearable.
‘But at the same time, he’d be worried. Wondering if I’m eating well, if I’m unwell, or why I left him.’
As these thoughts consumed her, a deep ache seemed to form inside her chest.
She didn’t want to leave.
In truth, she really…. wanted to confess everything to him and ask for guidance on what to do.
She wanted to say, “I’m struggling so much right now. Isn’t it impressive that I’ve held on this long?”
But all of that was impossible.
“…”
How long had she been dawdling?
Just then, the distant sound of a horn echoed from afar, causing her heart to sink.
It was the sound of Igmeyer coming.
