The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 148
- Camellia Imprinted on My Body
Igmeyer woke up today feeling unusually irritable the moment he opened his eyes.
To be fair, in the past few days without seeing Amber, when had he felt even slightly okay? But this time, it felt more serious.
It was as if a bell was ringing somewhere, causing a racket in his ears.
Because of that, he had a headache, and its intensity felt like a tidal wave threatening to wash away his brain.
“Are you alright? If you’re worried about young master Jason… well, it seems he’s recovering now.”
“Tch. Why would I worry about a little brat?”
“Even if you say that, you’ve been worried.”
Gallard replied with a sly grin.
However, even Gallard’s expression wasn’t too bright, as Jason had been teetering on the brink of death.
During the first two days of their monster hunt, everything had gone smoothly. There were no issues, and Jason adapted quite well.
That morning, as they thought they might return to the castle sooner than expected, Jason suddenly twisted his body and began to convulse.
Even the doctor who had accompanied them was baffled by Jason’s condition and couldn’t intervene.
Before long, Jason started screaming, and the knights had to face the incoming monsters with wide, terrified eyes after hearing the sound.
By the time morning came, the monsters had been dealt with, but Jason was still in distress.
They couldn’t move the boy, who was now screaming and even vomiting blood, and the doctor advised against it.
Ultimately, all they could do was protect Jason while fighting off the approaching monsters.
During this chaos, Jason’s temperature fluctuated wildly, his skin turning pale one moment and then breaking out in feverish sweats the next.
Those watching were on the verge of breaking down from worry.
Finally, the boy collapsed from exhaustion, and his screams ceased.
Jason only regained consciousness that morning, his throat too sore to even speak. He would need a full week of rest after returning to the castle.
“Let’s go, Gallard.”
“Yes!”
In any case, they needed to return quickly. Something felt off, and he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.
‘Amber. I need to see Amber. That will calm me down.’
She was his one and only love, his tenderness, his refuge, his breath, and his happiness.
He needed to see her.
As much as he wanted to leave everything behind and just take off, he found himself frowning and turning back.
Inside the cart they had taken to load supplies, Jason and the doctor were present.
Given the diagnosis that even the slightest jolt could be harmful, they were moving at a snail’s pace. If he just abandoned them, he knew Amber would be furious with him.
It wasn’t that he was adjusting his pace out of concern for that insufferable brat.
It was merely because if Jason started convulsing and screaming again, who knew what monsters might come.
“Hmph.”
He scoffed, gripping the reins tightly out of frustration.
For some reason, the clouds hovering in his heart wouldn’t dissipate.
“Oh, I see the castle! Blow the horns!”
As the castle’s top came into view, the knights erupted in cheers.
Seeing the castle look just as it had when they left provided Igmeyer with a small sense of relief.
He had no idea what awaited him when he got there.
* * *
[Please don’t look for me. Not until Nidhogg is dead. I’ll come back afterward. I love you.]
At first, she thought it would be best not to add any desperate phrases, but after a long hesitation, Amber ultimately included those two lines.
No matter what, she knew he would be hurt, but she didn’t want him to think she left because she didn’t love him.
At least that much…
“Hey, Doctor!”
“Mr. Vance.”
“Where are you headed? The Grand Duke is just returning now.”
“What’s the point of greeting him? I’m just going out to do my job.”
Meanwhile, Amber was crammed inside the large cart.
Honestly, she wasn’t sure if she could escape Igmeyer’s notice. That’s why today she hadn’t used the perfume she usually wore. She borrowed women’s clothing from Nicholas to change into.
She felt she had prepared as best she could, but the fear of her scent lingering in the air made her climb into the cart.
Igmeyer’s senses—both sight and smell—were beyond human.
‘Thank goodness. I’ve managed to pass through the castle gates.’
The cart began to rattle and move.
Igmeyer was likely approaching from the other side.
Since they planned to avoid the main path where the knights were coming, there was a chance he might not spot this cart.
Tap, tap.
Nicholas, sitting at the front of the cart, knocked on the wall.
He was checking to see if she was alright and if she was showing any signs of dehydration.
In response, Amber opened the cart’s door and lightly tapped three times on the wall.
That was her way of signaling that she was fine and ready to move.
While it was also to avoid raising suspicion, it was crucial that Amber didn’t exert herself, so Nicholas drove the cart slowly.
As Amber gazed blankly at the dim interior of the cart, the sound of numerous hooves echoed from somewhere, causing her to flinch and retreat deeper into the box.
