The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 95
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
As Amber asked with a trembling voice, Igmeyer simply shrugged.
“No, it’s not necessarily because of that.”
“If it’s a dream where I die… can I ask what happens in it?”
Surely, surely not.
That shouldn’t be true.
She hoped so, and Igmeyer responded.
“It’s a dream where Nidhogg attacks you and our child. I’m unable to stop Nidhogg, and I fail to protect both you and the child.”
“My goodness.”
“I wake up blaming myself for being helpless and pathetic, and when I fall asleep again, I see the same scene. I don’t know why I have these dreams.”
Igmeyer exhaled a shallow sigh.
She knew the answer but couldn’t bring herself to speak. She was still unsure if she should discuss the blessing of repentance.
‘I should ask about the blessing when I send someone to Shadroch to investigate skiing.’
The blessing of repentance was a very secretive matter, not even disclosed to the men or younger daughters within Shadroch’s royal family.
As the only daughter and the heir to the blessing, Amber, now married into Niflheim, was expected to continue the tradition through the matrilineal line.
Thus, Amber felt the need to learn more about this blessing.
‘I wonder if my mother’s nanny is still alive. It would be good if she is.’
The nearly centenarian might not be able to travel all the way to Niflheim.
Therefore, Amber was considering sending Nora. If there was anything to be heard, she hoped Nora could learn it and report back.
While Betty was reliable in handling matters, Nora was the one Amber trusted more.
“It’s probably just a silly dream, so I’m trying not to worry about it anymore.”
“Right.”
“Let’s pick up the pace. It would be good to reach the village by evening. Hold on tight.”
Having suddenly changed their route from Mount Camellia to Mount Cyprus, Amber hadn’t been able to bring her own horse.
But riding together like this wasn’t a bad feeling either.
She always wanted to do things independently, but, yes, this was a surprisingly pleasant feeling.
* * *
When Jean conveyed that the Grand Duke and Duchess’s outing would be extended, the couple had already arrived at the lower village of Mount Cyprus.
“Welcome, Your Grace!”
“Any trouble?”
“None at all.”
As expected, there was a military garrison near this village traditionally referred to as the lower village. Knights and soldiers from the garrison regularly patrolled and searched the village and surrounding mountain.
While Igmeyer engaged in various conversations with a knight he hadn’t seen in a long time, Amber revisited the village.
Where should they build a large inn? With this in mind, everything seemed new and significant.
‘This site looks good. We could even develop a market area around here.’
Amber smiled as she discovered a wasteland full of thorn bushes that could be cleared without displacing any local homes. Previously, she had worried about the uselessness of the land, but now it seemed like a gold mine.
Depending on the perspective, it was funny and fascinating how things could appear so different.
“Amber.”
“Yes?”
“It doesn’t look like there will be a blizzard, what do you think about watching the sunset from the mountaintop?”
Igmeyer stepped up with a proposal, and Amber’s eyes sparkled.
Why would she refuse? With Igmeyer there, even dangerous monsters wouldn’t deter her.
“I’d love to. Can we go now?”
“The chef said he would pack enough food for us to last until tomorrow, so we just need to wait a bit.”
The thought of spending the night in Cyprus excited her.
Hearing him talk about the nightmares of her death had cleared her head of complexities.
‘Right, there’s no use worrying about things out of my control right now.’
Instead, she focused on what they could do in the present.
That was to climb the high mountain to see if it was suitable for the skiing event.
Of course, Igmeyer would do the climbing, and she would be carried, but nonetheless.
* * *
Creak, creak.
The mismatched wooden planks twisted and creaked with each step.
Mikael frowned as he looked down.
He was not accustomed to things that were old, drab, and dirty. From the moment of his birth, Mikael had been surrounded only by things that were bright, fresh, and beautiful.
Mikael stepped into the back alley building because he knew that the people in the light could not fulfill what he was seeking.
“You’re here.”
This place was a brothel. Each room was filled with women and clients, and the air was thick with ceaseless, grubby moans.
A woman with a smooth manner welcomed him.
She recognized him as a ‘client’ by the dove-shaped brooch pinned on his chest.
“Is everything ready?”
“Of course. As long as you can pay, we can provide anyone you desire.”
The woman was the owner of the brothel.
Known as ‘Madame Étoile,’ her main business was running the brothel. However, she also had a side business—arranging fraudulent marriages.
Although she was too old to engage in such marriages herself, she selected the most attractive and well-mannered women from those she employed and trained them for various roles.
Then, when a request like this came in, she would send one out. She didn’t care whether the woman returned or not, as long as she received a hefty upfront payment from the client.
