The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 97
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
this book is completely translated on luna kofi (advanced chapters for the website will follow)
The prophecy that the children of the current Grand Duke and his wife would kill Nidhogg was mere nonsense.
But no one knows this because he has never spoken of it.
The Princess of Shardroch is… well, a minor sacrifice for a greater cause.
Such a puzzle had to be put in place to make everyone believe it; it was a necessary decision.
Moreover, Mikael enjoyed building things high before destroying them.
Just like when he was a child playing with dominoes or toy blocks, stacking them as high and as far as possible before knocking them down.
Igmeyer Niflheim, cast as the joker, must be blissfully happy with a wife who is out of his league.
Only then will he truly feel despair when it all collapses.
‘And from deep despair, the monster shall arise.’
Mikael’s goal is only one.
To exterminate the current humanity and create a new one filled only with the finest specimens.
For that, he needs a Nidhogg that he can control and command.
Not the current Nidhogg, but a new Nidhogg.
* * *
Igmeyer moved as if he was not human, his body light and movements swift.
It was a wonder how he, who was made of bone and muscle, could so easily sprint while carrying Amber, no matter how light she weighed.
He reached the mountaintop effortlessly, almost without breaking a sweat.
“Wow…! The lake looks like sapphire!”
“It’s beautiful. It gets even prettier at sunset. The red hues reflect off it, turning the lake a purple shade. I wanted to show you that.”
Igmeyer spread a blanket he had brought on a bench at the summit. A gesture of his manners.
“Who put this bench here?”
“I did.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I placed it here a while ago to watch the sunset.”
Indeed, as he had described, this bench was perfectly situated.
There were no trees or vines to obstruct the view. All that lay before them was the lake.
Amber contentedly watched the lazy sunlight reflecting off the partially thawed lake, waiting for the sun to give way to the moon.
“Being out here feels so relaxing.”
“It makes sense. You’ve been on edge every day because of the prince and those priests.”
“You knew?”
Taking care of important guests means that it’s better not to mess up once than to do well ten times. So, Amber had to be on alert.
She took meticulous care not to give them any reason to fault her.
Feeling acknowledged for her efforts seemed to ease her stress.
“I wish they would just leave and stop bothering my wife.”
Igmeyer grumbled as he hugged Amber from behind.
Amber noticed his choice of words.
‘My wife’, he said. That was surprisingly affectionate.
Thinking about it, since when had he stopped calling her by ‘princess’?
It must have been since he acknowledged her as the mistress of the north.
Such small changes were pleasing to her. Finding differences in him from the past brought Amber a little more joy each time.
To Amber, change meant hope.
“Every time you smile so beautifully, I wonder who you’re thinking of.”
“Thinking of who?”
The idea of the past him being jealous of the present him was too amusing.
As they playfully bickered, the sun started to set.
Amber looked at the deep red sunset and whispered softly.
“It looks like a spirit of fire is dancing there.”
“That’s a new way to put it… but I can see it.”
It was indeed a good decision to come back.
Amber thought to herself as she admired the scenic view. Of course, she kept her thoughts inside.
She swallowed hard, worried that speaking about her return might somehow disrupt their relationship.
“Sometimes, watching the sunset like this makes it seem like nothing bad will ever happen.”
“I feel the same way, Igmeyer.”
“Living a somewhat boring life in peace might not be so bad.”
Amber silently agreed to his almost sigh-like words.
By now, the lake had turned a purplish hue.
The sight was dazzling, and Amber allowed herself to sink into happiness.
“Hey, Igmeyer.”
“Hmm.”
“What should we name our child when they’re born?”
Having this conversation made them feel like a real couple.
Not just a couple bound by political marriage, but one that started from love and led to marriage.
Amber clasped her hands over her racing heart as she looked at him.
“Camelot? Camerun? What if it’s a girl? Camille?”
“…A child?”
“Yes, a child!”
Amber smiled as if she owned the world.
However, Igmeyer found himself unable to return her smile.
He now fully realized that Amber’s desire for a child was sincere.
He had suspected it before, but today was different.
It was time to face the truth.
“You really meant it.”
“Yes, of course.”
Watching Amber nod, Igmeyer realized that he couldn’t just let it slide as usual.
It was time to address the issue. Keeping secrets any longer would not be fair to Amber.
