The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 74
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
“I’m not small. I’m big.”
“Sure, sure. You’re this big, Little Pea.”
Igmeyer teased, and Jason glared at him with indignation. It was a rather childish scene.
“Go on, the kid should go have his snack. Shoo.”
Igmeyer gestured for Jason to leave.
Jason looked conflicted, but when a servant assigned to him appeared from a distance, he eventually moved towards them.
This afternoon was the time for Jason’s favorite apple pie.
“You’ve been busy watching over the child. And you have so many other things to do.”
“No, Igmeyer. It’s enjoyable being with Jason.”
In truth, Amber found Jason’s company far from bothersome.
His cautiousness around her was pitiful, and his attempts to impress her were equally poignant.
She wished he could feel more at ease, but Jason still acted like a child desperate not to be abandoned, which pained Amber.
“Well, that aside, it looks like the banquet preparations are nearly complete.”
“Did you see the banquet hall?”
“The camellias were beautiful. They reminded me of you.”
Igmeyer pressed a kiss to Amber’s cheek.
From his faint scent of fire and iron, Amber could tell he had been to the secret forge deep in the mountains.
“Are the blacksmiths still making swords today?”
“Yes. Since the imperial folks are coming, everyone is rushing to finish their work before everything has to be halted.”
The Emperor sending his youngest son, along with a priest who had received a divine oracle about Igmeyer and Amber, was significant.
What could it mean?
From the moment they arrive until they leave, they’ll scrutinize, search, and understand everything about the North.
Although the secret forge was well-hidden, the Emperor’s men were not to be underestimated. The best course of action was to halt all work.
Some of them have senses as keen as animals, capable of detecting the faintest scent of metal carried by the wind from the mountains.
“Overqualified for mudslingers, aren’t they?”
Igmeyer teasingly suggested, with Amber soothingly stroking his head just like she had done with Jason. Feeling this, Igmeyer grumpily rested his forehead against her shoulder.
“Maybe I should ‘accidentally’ kill them. We could ask Jason to predict where a gate will open and lead them there.”
“Igmeyer.”
“If both the prince and the priest die, wouldn’t that end the oracle?”
Although his suggestion was absurd, Amber didn’t blame him; she felt the same disdain.
“They won’t leave until they see if I’m pregnant, Igmeyer.”
Despite trying to stay busy to forget, the harsh reality became increasingly clear. No matter how much they wanted to ignore it, it was inescapable.
“They want to ensure their stallion performs its duty well.”
Behind his mocking tone lay deep wounds. Amber shared those scars.
A child should be a blessing, not a result of coercion.
‘And if I was to get pregnant, they don’t know what would happen.’
What did the imperial family do when Niflheim was on the brink of collapse?
They offered minimal help, but after a while, they withdrew all troops to defend the capital and the border to the North.
Whether Niflheim lived or died didn’t concern them; their orders were to prevent anyone from coming to the capital.
‘I hate it. It’s dreadful.’
Leaning on his warmth, Amber soothed her bruised pride.
Just as he was not merely a ‘stallion,’ she was not just a ‘mare’ to be bred at the imperial family’s command.
“Let’s pretend it was an accident and kill them. We might be short on weapons for a war, but it’s okay. I’ll figure something out. If not, we could always awaken Nidhogg to attack the capital.”
It was something that should never have happened, yet it was strangely comforting.
Trusting him felt like a guarantee she wouldn’t be harmed anymore… allowing Amber to smile.
“Loki Asgarden. That kid’s nothing serious. Just treat him casually.”
“Have you met him before?”
“Only in passing, but I’ve seen him. Just a young kid, hardly daring to speak in front of his siblings. Coming here probably wasn’t his choice either.”
“Aha.”
Being an imperial member not in line for the throne has its complexities. In youth, they are family, but in the face of the Emperor’s absolute authority, how can such bonds remain untested by time?
As for Amber, from a young age, she never doubted her older brother’s ascension to the throne.
In a small kingdom like Shadroch, the king was less an omnipotent ruler and more a diplomat enduring hardships under the watchful eyes of the empire. Amber was thankful she wasn’t assigned such a role.
Looking at it from all angles, the sweetness of power as a king came with a greater share of responsibility’s bitterness.
“Still, don’t be too kind to that one. Jason might be my half-brother, which is unavoidable, but the prince is different. He’s like a little wildcat, not nearly as adorable as a fox.”
