The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 30
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
Despite making preparations, the fear still lingered within her, as her solo efforts were nothing more than personal readiness that hadn’t completely dispelled this anxiety.
“Of course, it’s probably just a dream.”
“So, did you buy the oil because of that? In case that monster shows up?”
“…Isn’t it strange? Something like that.”
Igmeyer let out a dry cough to Amber’s words.
In the past, he might have dismissed her nightmares as mere fantasies and scolded her to eat something nutritious.
However, for now, he didn’t want to say that to his wife. Secondly, the reason for buying the oil to prevent the destruction of the territory was too adorable.
And thirdly… wasn’t he also troubled by nightmares these days?
The situation regarding the princess’s nightmares was difficult to handle.
“It’s not strange…. and it could be possible. Do you tend to have such nightmares?”
“Yes, since I was young.”
“It must have been tough.”
Now, the water in the bathtub was gradually cooling, taking away the warmth from their bodies.
Worried that his wife might catch a cold, Igmeyer lifted her slender body out of the bath and carried her to the room.
Even as he removed the clothes clinging to her skin, Amber remained calm.
After all, receiving attention from others had been natural from the moment of her birth, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
As Igmeyer put on a new gown, dried her hair, and even wiped between her toes, he suddenly found himself wondering why he was doing this so naturally.
Why was he effortlessly taking care of her like this?
“You bought a lot of chickens too. Is there a reason for that too?”
“Yes. I’ll soon go around the North, greet the residents, and distribute the chickens to the people of the territory.”
“You just bought the chickens, and you’re giving them to the residents?”
“They’ll need them. Smearing chicken blood prevents hallucinations…”
How much of this should he genuinely accept? In his contemplation, Igmeyer decided that if buying something like that would ease the princess’s anxiety, he’d rather be okay with it.
While he wondered where to put all those chickens, he was relieved to know they would be distributed.
“Come to think of it, why did you make gloves? Is it also related to the dreams?”
Crack. The sound of the fireplace warming up filled the room.
Amber faintly smiled as she heard the crackling of the burning logs.
“To protect the hands.”
“Hands?”
“In the dream, the knights applied oil to their swords and lit them on fire to fight. However, they all ended up with burns. With injured hands, they couldn’t fight even if they wanted to, so they died in vain… That’s why.”
Do dreams usually get this specific?
‘Well, repeating the same dream could lead to that.’
Satisfied with his own reasoning, he gave Amber a brief kiss on her wet lips.
It was a kiss filled with more comforting solace than desire.
“From now on, I’ll make sure you don’t have scary dreams.”
“Is there a way?”
“Well… not today. You still look tired.”
Igmeyer traced his thumb over Amber’s shadowed eyes.
She looked sluggish and sleepy, yet her appearance was excessively provocative.
‘It’s the limit.’
Despite having a calm demeanor even with the heat building up in his mind, there was a limit to maintaining composure.
Igmeyer reluctantly tore his gaze away from his wife’s enticing figure.
“I’ll summon a maid, so she can serve you and get some sleep first.”
“Yes.”
“When the snow settles and the roads clear, let’s tour the North.”
“Alright.”
That concluded their conversation. Hurriedly stepping outside with an uneasy gait, he forcefully opened the office door, grabbing his sword and cloak.
“Uh, where are you going at this hour?”
“Deer hunting.”
“Oh, the meat’s good. But why all of a sudden?”
“The weather’s nice.”
Jean, glancing at Igmeyer mumbling nonsensically, looked at him with cold eyes.
A snowstorm was raging outside.
“Have a safe trip…..”
Jean respectfully nodded and focused on his own duties.
The next morning, the courtyard of Niflheim Castle was filled with joy as five giant reindeer were piled up.
* * *
In the past, Amber never sought help from her family.
Of course, there were moments when she intended to.
During the busy times of rebuilding the territory after dealing with Nidhogg’s cry, when there was a shortage of food, Amber knew that a single letter to Shadroch would bring massive support.
She was aware that her friends, with whom she had genuinely shared her feelings, would not stay idle.
However, Amber had given up everything in the face of the disdainful gazes of those who rejected her.
‘This time will be different.’
Using expensive paper brought from Shadroch and an even more expensive ink, Amber wrote letters. The content was the same.
[… If our friendship still holds, I have a favor to ask. Could you send some fresh food, herbs, and clean cloth three months from now? I will never forget your generous help.]
Depending on the person, the letter’s introduction and conclusion varied slightly, but the common denominator was the above sentence.
After completing the letters, Amber melted wax to carefully seal the envelopes.
“Nora, you mentioned that your father is a messenger, right?”
“Yes, that’s right! He travels all over the North on a sleigh, delivering goods and letters.”
