The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 169
“Can you hear me? Are you trying to come back to us? Maybe you’re screaming from within. You appear so calm on the outside, but…”
Would it be better if he could understand her words, or not?
After a brief moment of thought, Amber found herself hoping that he was completely asleep.
If he was conscious but unable to respond, that would be too painful.
“Nicolas finds it fascinating. Normally, when someone lies down for months, their muscles deteriorate, but you look just as you did when you fell asleep. This must be because of your special power protecting you.”
Amber hesitated, swallowing her struggles.
If he was listening to her, she didn’t want to say anything that might upset him.
She didn’t want to mention how much weight she had lost, that her clothes were hanging off her, or that the maids were worried about her, or how her legs were swollen and painful, or that although her appetite had returned, she didn’t want to eat anything…
These were things she should tell her husband, but she buried them deep within her heart along with a faint smile.
“…Just come back to me.”
Holding his rough hand tightly, Amber pressed her forehead against him.
“I love you, Igmeyer.”
With each syllable, she poured her heartfelt emotions into her words.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
No matter how many times she said it, she could never fully explain the depth of her love.
Her longing for him felt as vast as the stars in the galaxy—countless and impossible to measure. Even if she tried to count them, she would quickly forget and have to start all over again.
Amber opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, repeating the motion as unspoken words slipped away into silence.
I shouldn’t cry.
I must endure.
I have to be strong.
I need to hold on.
Soothing herself with those thoughts, Amber tightened her grip on his hand.
But still, there was no response.
“Huh…”
No matter how long she waited, he didn’t grip her hand tightly again.
For some reason, today it felt especially hard to bear.
Biting her lower lip several times to stifle her emotions, she ultimately found herself unable to hold back her tears.
“Igmeyer. Wake up. Please wake up…”
In her faint sobs lay all the days she had endured alone—the fears of her first pregnancy, the changes in her body, and the emotional turmoil.
She had to endure it all as if it was nothing to be afraid of.
This was the only inner thought Amber had shared during that long time.
All she did was pray for him to come back, to wake up.
She was so strong.
“…….”
After crying hard for a while, her sobs gradually subsided.
It wasn’t that she forced her tears back down into her chest.
Rather… something felt different, like…
“Igmeyer?”
He moved.
His fingers, which had been as solid as a rock, definitely twitched.
“!”
In an instant, Amber’s eyes widened.
Tears that hadn’t yet fallen spilled out like beads.
It was only then that she regained her composure and looked again.
His fingers were indeed moving.
Though it was a slight movement, in Amber’s eyes, it was the most significant action in the world.
No, it was like a shock that felt like lightning striking.
“Nick! Nicholas!”
Her heart raced madly. A shriek escaped Amber’s lips.
The knights and maids waiting outside rushed in, followed closely by Nicholas and several doctors.
“Madam, could it be that labor has begun?!”
“Are you alright?!”
While everyone focused on Amber, only one person—Raphael—was able to observe the situation from multiple angles and realized first that there was a different reaction from Igmeyer.
“Everyone, please calm down.”
As Raphael spoke softly, everyone turned to see where his gaze was directed.
The tear-streaked Amber tightly grasped Igmeyer’s hand.
Some of those who saw the hero’s hand widened their eyes in astonishment.
“It’s moving! He’s moving!”
“Wha— the Grand Duke!”
“His, his consciousness is returning?”
Amber wasn’t the only one hoping for Igmeyer to regain consciousness.
The Frost Giant Knights, as well as everyone residing in the castle, shared that same heartfelt wish.
So it was natural for them to react with such excitement.
“I will check on him.”
Nicholas approached calmly to examine Igmeyer.
Amber held her breath, frozen, staring at Nicholas.
She feared he might say something negative, or dismiss it as a mere illusion.
What if he said it was just a hallucination because she missed him so much…?
The moment she held her breath in anguish, Nicholas lifted his head.
“His consciousness is indeed starting to awaken.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. It would be best to summon the servants to help stimulate his body.”
Thank goodness.
The relief washed over Amber so strongly that she nearly collapsed.
All the tension in her body melted away.
