The Camellia Tattoo - Chapter 71

“Oh, rebelling now, are we, Little Pea?”

“His name is Jason, Igmeyer. You shouldn’t call him that. He’s scared.”

“Hah… Scared? Where do you see fear in him?”

Igmeyer exhaled deeply. He was bewildered by the sudden appearance of a sibling and even more so by his character.

He wished he could confront the former Grand Duke and grab him by the collar. Why wasn’t he informed earlier!

“Fine… let’s head back to the castle.”

With a sense of resignation, Igmeyer made the decision. Then Jason stuck his tongue out at him.

A truly irritating Little Pea.

* * *

That night, Amber softly sang a lullaby and patted the child sleeping on her lap.

His cleansed and tidied appearance revealed his fair face which startled even the castle staff and the butler.

He does have a striking resemblance to Igmeyer.

“It seems that….he was neglected, and no one realized.”

“Seems so. Tsk.”

As Huvern said, Igmeyer’s irritation grew and he drank. He was bothered by the small being occupying Amber’s lap, feeling a sort of kin resentment.

Unbeknownst to others, Igmeyer knew.

The child also possessed an anomalous power.

Though different from his own—where his power burst outward, the child’s delved inward.

“I heard he makes prophecies, though with low accuracy. It could be due to lack of training. If his power manifests in foresight, it could be useful.”

“Yes, I’ll review the archives for any ancestors who dealt with foresight-related powers.”

“Yes.”

Hearing their conversation, Amber stopped singing the lullaby to look at Igmeyer.

“He’s still a child, so don’t be too harsh. And no pushing him under the guise of training.”

“Hmph.”

“First, we need to treat his wounds and address his malnutrition. Training can wait.”

Indeed, the boy was noticeably thin. From what he heard, the boy survived by stealthily entering homes to steal food or catching rats to eat, which explained his poor health.

Amber intended to clothe, feed, and educate him like a proper person—to ensure he could bear the name of Niflheim with dignity.

“He’s your family, after all. Probably.”

Had there been no blood relation with Igmeyer, Amber might have considered taking the boy in as a servant. However, with the former Grand Duke’s blood potentially running through his veins, such a role was out of the question.

The boy deserved the same respect as Igmeyer in this household.

“That’s why we should treat him with care.”

Igmeyer flinched at Amber’s words. He was not entirely displeased by the notion of treating the boy preciously because he was family.

“Well… if the blood relation is confirmed, that is. Might have to write to the imperial family to borrow a bloodline verification artifact.”

“That would be definitive.”

“Even if we look similar, we should verify with the artifact.”

Igmeyer finished his drink, firmly stating it.

The boy must have been utterly exhausted. He fell into a deep sleep while snoring softly…. Watching him sleep, Igmeyer couldn’t find it in himself to dislike the boy’s face.

Though their eye colors differed, their hair color and, seemingly, their temperaments were quite similar.

‘If he truly is my half-brother, maybe… after I’m gone, he could inherit the Grand Duke’s title.’

This meant Igmeyer wouldn’t need to worry about having children of his own.

Comforted by this thought, Igmeyer stretched his legs. He was ready to retire after a taxing day.

“I’ll take care of our little guest.”

“Thank you.”

Huvern picked up the child, and Igmeyer lifted Amber in his arms.

It was time for bed.

* * *

The next morning, after finishing his training, Igmeyer was surprised by an unexpected visitor.

Nicholas had come to see him.

“What brings you to the training grounds?”

“Haha, I have something to tell you. I think it’s time for me to leave.”

“Oh?”

That was indeed good news.

Igmeyer, visibly pleased, took a drink of water while Nicholas kept smiling at him.

“Yesterday, you gave me a valuable lesson. I’ve learned a lot, and above all, thank you for sparing my life.”

“Hmph.”

Igmeyer snorted as if to ensure Nicholas heard. It wasn’t that he wanted to save him. Had Amber not been there, he likely wouldn’t have been as merciful.

These thoughts bubbled inside him until Nicholas spoke again.

“So, I’ve been thinking about traveling across the North and turning those experiences into a novel. To ensure no one else ends up like me.”

“A novel, huh?”

Not a bad idea. But he couldn’t let him do it for free.

“If a portion of the profits were donated to Niflheim.”