Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 9

GREETINGS, YOUR MAJESTY.

EVEN HIS HAIR IS JUST BAIT.

IT MAKES A 30-YEAR-OLD MAN WITH A HEART OF STONE

LOOK LIKE A CHEERFUL 20-YEAR-OLD.

THAT'S HOW HE LOWERS YOUR GUARD AND GETS EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTS.

MARQUIS REICHENHART! YOU'RE LATE!

HOW DARE YOU BE SO DISRESPECTFUL?!

DO YOU MOCK THE ROYAL FAMILY OF FELPE?!

THE SUMMONS WAS UNEXPECTED, BUT I CAME AS QUICKLY AS I COULD.

I HOPE YOU CAN FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO FORGIVE MY TARDINESS.

YOU CALL THAT AN EXCUSE?!

I HEARD SOMETHING HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND GRAND DUKE BADEN LAST NIGHT.

MARQUIS.

I'LL ASK YOU PLAINLY.

DID YOU POUR ALCOHOL INTO THE GRAND DUKE'S MOUTH?

I CAN'T SAY.

THE GRAND DUKE DID DRINK A LOT LAST NIGHT, HOWEVER.

DON'T PLAY IGNORANT!

YOU HELD MY MOUTH AND POURED IT DOWN MY THROAT!

THIS IS CLEARLY AN ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF A ROYAL—!

YOUR GRACE.

YOUR GRACE, GRAND DUKE BADEN.

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION?

HOW?

EVEN IF I DID SUCH A THING, SURELY I WOULD HAVE HAD A REASON.

AFTER ALL,

THERE'S A REASON FOR EVERYTHING.

LIKE A WOLF

STARING DOWN ITS CORNERED PREY.

TAKE THE GRAND DUKE AWAY!

NOW!!

I KNOW YOU WANT TO OPEN THAT SAFE IN THE BANK OF FELPE.

AND I KNOW YOU MADE THE GRAND DUKE ITS PRESIDENT TO THAT END.

STOP RIGHT THERE.

WHATEVER YOU DO, THE BANK OF FELPE WILL ADHERE TO ITS PRINCIPLES.

YES, YOUR MAJESTY.

I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY.

AS FOR ANY UNINTENDED CONCERN I'VE CAUSED YOU,

I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE.

I PROMISE THAT FROM NOW ON, YOU WILL HAVE NOTHING MORE

TO WORRY ABOUT.

WHAT IS THAT?

A TOKEN OF MY APOLOGY. IT'S A—

I WON'T OPEN IT, SO TAKE IT WITH YOU.

THEN BURN IT.

JUST PRETEND A CROW BROUGHT IT.

WHETHER YOU BURN IT OR READ IT, THE CROW WILL NEVER KNOW.

INSIDE THE ENVELOPE

IS A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF ALL THE CORRUPTION DUKE BADEN COMMITTED WHILE HE WAS PRESIDENT.

AS THE KING WHO WANTS TO GET RID OF THE THORN IN HIS SIDE THAT IS THE GRAND DUKE,

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY HE CAN'T POSSIBLY REJECT.

A SECRET IS ONLY SAFE WHEN THERE'S NO ONE TO SHARE IT WITH.

AS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY BETRAYED ME...

THERE'S NO REASON TO KEEP HIM ALIVE, IS THERE?

HOW DID THE KING REACT?

EXACTLY AS YOU'D EXPECT.

HERE IS YOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY.

YOU HAVE A MEETING WITH COUNT HOLTON

AND AN APPOINTMENT WITH CHAIRMAN TITAN IN 2 AND A HALF HOURS.

AND THE ONES WE CAPTURED?

THEY HAVEN'T TALKED YET.

MOST OF THEM FELL UNCONSCIOUS DURING INTERROGATION.

THERE'S ONLY ONE WE CAN GET ANY INFORMATION FROM.

WILL YOU BE PAYING HIM A VISIT LATER?

THEY WON'T GIVE ANYTHING UP EASILY.

AFTER ALL, THEY'RE JUST ASSASSINS HIRED FOR A JOB.

THEIR EMPLOYER IS THE BETA MERCENARY CORPS.

THEY'RE A MILITANT GROUP THAT HANDLES THE KING OF LUXEN'S DIRTY WORK

AND CLEANS UP HIS MESSES.

WE'VE ALREADY

PLANTED A SPY TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THEM.

IN ANY CASE, SINCE THIS MAN IS INVOLVED WITH THEM,

IT WOULDN'T HURT TO DROP BY.

Sir. About That Thing You Mentioned...

DID THAT WOMAN GO TO THE BANK?

NOT YET.

SHE APPEARS TO BE AT A SHOP RIGHT NOW.

AFTER SHE BUYS WHAT SHE NEEDS,

WE WERE TOLD SHE PLANS TO VISIT THE BANK.

I SUPPOSE HER CLOTHES AND BELONGINGS DID LOOK WORN.

ANYTHING ELSE TO REPORT?

THEY ALSO SAID SHE DIDN'T SPEAK AFTER YOU LEFT.

THE ONLY THING SHE ASKED WAS

IF YOU WOULD BE RETURNING TO THE HOTEL.

SHE ASKED IF I'M COMING BACK TO THE HOTEL?

YES.

HA.

A FAINT QUESTION, NOT EVEN WORTH A REPLY.

WHEN WILL YOU BE BACK?

A QUESTION NO ONE ELSE WOULD DARE TO ASK,

YET THIS HESITANT WOMAN ASKS IT AGAIN.

WHAT BUSINESS IS IT OF HERS WHEN I RETURN?

WHAT ABOUT ABEL?

HE IS CURRENTLY PREPARING.

THE MISSION DETAILS HAVE ALSO BEEN RELAYED TO HIM.

HMM...

A NEW TARGET.