The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 18
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
Amber blamed her porous memory and reconsidered her thoughts.
‘In any case, it’s awkward.’
Observing Mariam being led away by the servants as per the butler’s instructions, Amber pondered the complexity of the situation.
Igmeyer subtly moved aside, preventing Amber from looking at Mariam further. It irked him to see others getting attention when he rarely received it himself.
‘I don’t know why I feel this way about the woman I met a few days ago.’
It’s bothering him.
He wished she would pay more attention to him, just him.
Igmeyer attempted to find a reason for this abnormal emotion or obsession but eventually gave up, thinking, ‘Maybe I’m just insane.’ That thought brought him comfort, as there seemed to be no other explanation.
“Is my face not worth looking at?”
“….What?”
“Usually, people get lost in my face.”
“Well, you are handso… “
For a moment, Amber fell silent, feeling somewhat caught off guard. Igmeyer seized that moment and flashed a cunning look.
“So, you admit I’m handsome.”
“….Didn’t you come back too quickly after being urgently called by the aide?”
“I hurried back to put out an urgent complaint. I felt uneasy leaving you alone.”
Was he always capable of making such comments?
Amber looked at Igmeyer with unfamiliar eyes.
‘Was the man I knew like this…?’
She was already like burnt ashes, yet he seemed like a fire spirit dancing above the ruins. The vitality in his embrace felt too scorching to bear, so Amber eventually averted her eyes.
“Breakfast?”
“No, not yet.”
“Good. Let’s eat together.”
Igmeyer decisively made the decision.
* * *
In Shadroch, breakfast was usually a simple affair dealt with in one’s own chambers. Given the numerous tea parties and banquets starting from lunch onwards, such a culture had naturally developed.
However, here it was customary for the lord and his wife and the knights to have their meals together in the dining hall.
At the head of the table, only two chairs were placed for her and Igmeyer. Below were two rows of tables where aides and formal knights sat in the upper row, and apprentice knights occupied the lower row.
‘In my past life, how many times have I sat in this place?’
Two times? No, maybe three.
While she couldn’t remember the exact number, there was one thing she remembered vividly. The day she first sat in this place, looking down on the knights.
‘I hated it so much. It was dreadful.’
Mercenaries-turned-knights, not beautiful, not fragrant, not lovely. In her young eyes, they seemed nothing more than barbarians.
But that perception changed just before she died.
Amber couldn’t forget the Frost Giant Knights fighting to the death.
Even if their comrades’ heads were shattered, their arms were torn off, and legs were twisted, they didn’t stop fighting. They fought to the end to protect this castle.
Now, Amber respects them.
Even if the same tragedy were to happen again, she wanted to show courtesy to those who would willingly sacrifice themselves.
‘Of course, to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, I must kill Nidhogg this time…’
But that wasn’t something she could do.
Amber stared silently at the turtle dove dish in front of her. Not because the food was unappetizing, but because her mind was clear for the first time in a while, and she wanted to think more.
‘My ultimate goal is to meet my child again and live together in this land with my child.’
Let’s think in reverse.
To achieve that, she must defeat Nidhogg.
‘The reason for the previous defeat could be attributed to a lack of elite knights.’
If the elite knights, who had been coordinating with Igmeyer for a long time, do not die early, and if all the forces here are still alive… they might have a chance of winning.
‘So, there are about four things I need to do now.’
First. Get close to her husband.
Second. Manage the castle properly to gain trust.
For when she talks about the event that will happen in three months, these two things are crucial for gaining credibility.
‘Third. Inform about the appearance and weaknesses of the new type of monster, the Phantom Breed.’
How about saying she saw it in a dream?
It sounds absurd, but she couldn’t think of a better way to convey it.
‘And fourth. Prepare practical combat items for the knights to withstand Nidhogg’s cry.’
Fortunately, she had some items that could be exchanged for money.
Pretty clothes and valuable items, what use were such things in this Niflheim? Survival was the top priority.
Amber wanted to create items to save the lives of the knights even if it meant selling everything she had.
Compared to before her regression, this was a significant change.
Back then, she clung to anything she had, fearing that without it, she would lose herself completely. That’s why she was so busy holding onto everything she had.