The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 48
However, Igmeyer’s comment about the cold was just his way of being considerate towards Amber.
‘Consideration. That’s a word that doesn’t suit me at all.’
Amber was extremely fragile, to the extent that Igmeyer felt he couldn’t bear not to be considerate.
“Oh, by the way, the first sword made of Litton iron has been completed.”
“Really?”
“Would you like to see it, Princess?”
“Of course! I’d love to.”
Amber, who had been lying down, hurriedly sat up. Igmeyer placed a cushion behind her back and moved to fetch the sword.
“It’s in my office. I’ll bring it.”
“Alright.”
The blacksmiths had prioritized making his sword first.
The new sword had a broad surface and was sharp at the end. It was perfectly weighted for him and had already become his treasure. Probably the same would be true for the other knights.
Receiving this new sword, everyone would praise Amber. It was inevitable.
The knights always desired expensive swords, and it was because of Amber’s persuasion that Igmeyer had these swords made and distributed.
The elite knights close to Igmeyer were already aware of this and had been praising Amber excitedly.
“Here it is.”
The new sword was carefully stored in a pitch-black wooden box.
Although it’s said that the knights were excited, Igmeyer himself also felt his heart flutter every time he saw the sword. He confessed that although he had received it a few days ago, he had not yet used it in combat.
Perhaps he wanted to cherish it for a while.
This sword was the second most precious possession of his.
“It suits you well.”
Amber watched him, who showed a boyish look, then glanced at the sword.
It was evident how much he cherished it.
The blade was polished to such an extent that it reflected his face. The leather handle also felt stiff, indicating its newness.
“When will you start using it? You need to get used to it, don’t you? Though I don’t know much about swords.”
“Well, I don’t really want to use it recklessly. It’s too precious.”
“Precious?”
Amber tilted her head, puzzled by his response. Igmeyer then scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“I’ve never really had anything new before. This is the first time since my cloak.”
“What about your first sword?”
“It was second-hand. I did not even buy it, I won it from gambling.”
“You’ve been using that sword… until now?”
Amber had never heard these stories about Igmeyer. It seemed like an opportunity to learn more about him.
What was his childhood like, and how did he grow from a boy into a young man?
With no one to properly raise him, how did he manage to grow up by himself?
Now she was curious about these things.
“No, that one broke quickly, and I threw it away. When it broke, I wondered if I could fix it, so I went to the blacksmiths… That’s where my connection with them began.”
“Can a broken sword be fixed?”
“It was impossible. They said it couldn’t be fixed but felt sorry for me and gave me a bunch of failed practice swords to take home and grind down. I took them and sharpened them on a whetstone.”
Amber blinked.
She could almost visualize a much younger Igmeyer, a boy so fragile that even a breeze could sway him.
The boy who cherished even the practice swords which were nothing more than scrap metal, and tirelessly ground them down until his hands were raw… she found it pitiful.
He was just a child back then, not the man he is now. It was natural to feel this way about him.
“You’ve grown into a fine man from those times.”
But Amber did not pity him. She did not dare say she understood his pain.
She simply responded matter-of-factly and calmly.
Igmeyer chuckled softly and then flopped down on one side of the bed.
“What were you like as a young girl?”
“Me?”
“Just curious.”
His rough, calloused hands gently played with her golden hair.
Hugging her knees to her chest, Amber leaned her cheek against her knees, lost in thought.
‘What was I like as a girl…?’
It was so long ago that she had forgotten much of it.
“I had loving parents and a protective older brother. Every morning, my bedroom was filled with flowers, and the maids would wash my face with smiling faces.”
“Hooh…”
“Anything I wanted, I could have. If my parents or brother didn’t buy it for me, my friends would give it to me as a gift.”
“Did you have many friends?”
“Yes, lots.”
It was surprising. Not only did he and she share physical intimacy, but they could also engage in such conversations.
And Igmeyer listened to her words more earnestly than she had expected.
“I loved meeting new people. Whenever foreign delegations came, we always had tea together. They found me cute as a child and would tell me all sorts of stories… stories so vivid you couldn’t find them in books. I was so fascinated, I could hardly sleep.”
“That’s cute.”
“My mother used to call me her little curious cat.”
A slight smile formed on Amber’s lips.
