The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 64
Chastising himself proved futile as he kept feeling the soft touches on his arm.
“I’ve been wanting to eat something spicy for a while, what about you?”
“…Haa.”
“Igmeyer?”
Turning to him with an innocent look, Amber saw Igmeyer struggling to suppress his desires, shaking his head slightly.
It didn’t matter anyway. The thing he most wanted to eat wasn’t on any menu.
* * *
Today has been immensely enjoyable for Amber.
The peaceful ambiance, the joyous people, the beautiful lake, and the scent of spring had all uplifted her spirits.
Plus, she had acquired a pretty horse… and Igmeyer had been kind.
‘Why is he being so sweet?’
Perhaps it was because he had explicitly called it a date, but Igmeyer had indulged her every wish. Almost excessively so.
‘But it was definitely fun. Today will be a day to remember for a long time.’
Igmeyer had also shared that the North’s common folk used seven types of spices in their cuisine, three of which were so spicy they could make one sweat instantly upon contact with the tongue.
Curious even after hearing those words, Amber had tried a skewer of lamb, and her tongue was still tingling.
“Mom, the sun has fallen right into the lake!”
“That’s the sunset.”
“Sunset? What’s that?”
As dusk approached, people gathered cozily by the lake to watch the sunset together.
A young girl, seemingly seeing this spectacle for the first time, chattered away while holding onto her mother’s dress. While boys shouted excitedly running through the crowd.
Watching warmly, Amber softly spoke to Igmeyer.
“Our child would be just as lively.”
“Hmm.”
“If they take after you, they might be quite the handful.”
What would their unborn child have been like? Whose traits would they have inherited more, and what would they have looked like? What color would their eyes have been…?
Amber caressed her flat belly while lost in thought.
Yet, today, these musings did not end in tears.
“Today, you know, I saw many pregnant women. I’m glad they’re all safe.”
By next year, those babies will have been born. Thanks to that, Niflheim will not be a land filled with death but one sparkling with life.
Amber was greatly looking forward to how bright the future would be after changing what she had once regretted.
“Did you enjoy today?”
“Yes, very. Thank you for taking me out, Igmeyer.”
Now that the sunset had faded, Amber thought it was time to return. Igmeyer, however, had a different idea.
Why head home just when the evening’s starting and the food stalls were taking out the liquor jars?
“It’s too early to go back. Aren’t you curious how the common folk enjoy their nights?”
While he gently coaxed her, conflict appeared on Amber’s face.
“I am curious, but…”
“Even if the princess has experienced many things, you’ve never mingled with the commoners for a drink, have you?”
“That’s… true.”
The idea was enticing, undeniably so.
In fact, Amber had never ventured into the village after dark in her life.
Though she could freely roam the streets with a guard during the day, that was limited to daylight hours. By night, it was deemed too dangerous, so Amber always returned to the palace at dusk.
‘But it’s not dangerous now. The people of the North like me, and I have the strongest knight by my side.’
Noticing her hesitance, Igmeyer added a few more enticing details.
“I overheard that a jester will be doing fire juggling tonight.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s better to see it for yourself than to have it explained. Besides, there’s something even more important about the night lake.”
By now, Amber gave in. She couldn’t resist the enticing baits he was offering.
“You’re going to say I should experience that for myself too, right?”
“Exactly. But, you know, children aren’t allowed by the lake at night.”
Amber glanced at Igmeyer with a smirk and started walking towards the square.
“Hurry up. I’m curious.”
“As you command.”
A warm breeze swept around them as they walked.
Just being together made for a lovely evening.
* * *
In truth, what Igmeyer had learned about relationships between men and women was extremely limited.
The notion that a man’s insertion would lead to a woman’s ecstatic cries. It was often a false portrayal.
Women would gather and mock the size of men, while men were filled with the mere desire to grope a woman’s b*****s.
Having been exposed to such views from a young age, Igmeyer was clueless about normal dating or romantic feelings.
The idea that two people could simply be together, not physically intertwined. He never imagined he could still feel contentment.
‘It feels strange.’
He had initially planned to take Amber to a secluded spot after their date. He had even arranged for guards to prepare a cozy place for this purpose.
But now, what he felt was an odd sense of tranquility.
