The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 167
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
Despite calling out to Igmeyer repeatedly as she approached, he did not wake up. He gave no response at all.
Amber felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, frustration, and despair.
Could he really be dead? Had he left her behind like this?
No, it couldn’t be true.
She knelt beside him trembling in uncertainty.
It felt as though Nidhogg’s unseeing eyes were watching them intently.
Fear gripped her, but knowing Nidhogg was already dead, Amber forced herself to look away and focus on Igmeyer.
There was no need to fear what no longer existed.
Besides, her current fear of being devoured by Nidhogg paled in comparison to the thought of losing Igmeyer.
“You have to live. You promised me, Igmeyer. My love. Please….”
Her calls turned into sobs.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, like the ichor flowing from his wounds.
It hurts. Even to cry.
What if he was truly dead? What if she couldn’t save him after all?
His victory didn’t necessarily mean he was alive.
“He’s alive. We need to move him immediately, Madam.”
Raphael checked Igmeyer’s condition for her, who was trembling. Then, without hesitation, he lifted Igmeyer.
“I’m sorry. I’ll take him away now.”
“…Nick. Show him to Nick. Tell him it’s my request….”
Though Igmeyer nearly stepped on Nicholas’s hand, he felt no resentment.
With his natural goodness and pride as a doctor, he would surely save Igmeyer, who was on the brink of death.
Cradling her slightly rounded belly, Amber prayed fervently.
Please, please let Igmeyer live.
Approximately 31 days had passed since the final battle erupted.
Igmeyer had finally achieved victory.
It was a significant step for the entire North, but he would need a long time to wake up and return to his family.
* * *
“Madam, the Shadroch ski players have arrived!”
“The messenger just informed us that the Kumarin team will be here soon!”
“The kitchen is ready, Madam!”
Some time had passed since the evil dragon Nidhogg was slain.
Having held several strategy meetings about the final battle and its aftermath, Amber managed to govern the territory without major issues.
Plans regarding the ski matters were smoothly underway, and she established compensation measures to minimize dissatisfaction among the residents who had suffered.
Since the land had already been torn apart and ruined, they undertook new road construction, encouraging some of the monster butchers to transition to new jobs with support.
They built schools, brought in teachers from Shadroch, and implemented policies for them.
As she transitions from the second to the third trimester, Amber finds the weight of everything overwhelming. Yet Igmeyer’s absence has somehow fostered a strong bond within the castle, allowing her to endure.
“Darling, today our baby moved its feet for the first time in a while. Want to feel it?”
In the bustling castle, there was one spot that remained peaceful.
The sunlit bedroom, once shared by the couple, was now occupied solely by Igmeyer.
Amber sat beside her unmoving husband and gently rubbed her heavy belly and whispered,
“The baby must miss you too. Aren’t you curious about what we should name them? Could it be Camelot or Camillus?”
Despite her affectionate murmurs, there was no response.
Nicholas had told her that Igmeyer was in a critically weakened state. The fact that he was alive was a miracle in itself.
His unique power, a life force incomprehensible to ordinary humans, was the only thing keeping him alive.
So, it was only natural for him to be in a deep sleep.
For a long time, perhaps very long.
Though she didn’t know when he would wake up, Amber nodded through her tears at the thought that he needed to rest deeply to recover.
He wasn’t dead, after all. He hadn’t left this world, leaving her and their child behind.
With that in mind, Amber felt she could wait as long as necessary.
Even if she had to give birth and raise their child alone… she could manage.
Although her husband wasn’t there, the entire castle, no, everyone in the North would love, respect, and protect their heir.
“…But still, I wish you were here. You’d be a wonderful father to our child. As a respected Grand Duke and the lord of the North… you’d be a role model for them.”
After all, he was the hero who defeated the dragon.
“Haah.”
As she caressed Igmeyer’s cheek, Amber let out a soft sigh.
In truth, there were other concerns weighing on her mind.
The biggest of which was related to the imperial family.
While she took every possible measure to ensure news of Igmeyer’s condition and the dragon’s defeat didn’t leak out of the North, she knew there was a limit to how long they could keep it hidden.
According to Jean’s calculations, the imperial family would soon make their move.
Though Raphael was leading the entire army to guard the borders between the capital and the North, it might not be enough.
From the imperial family’s perspective, they wouldn’t miss the opportunity while Igmeyer remained unconscious.
They would likely come at them with everything they had.
To place the North beneath their feet.
