Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 13

WHOA...

WELCOME TO THE REICHENHART ESTATE.

I'M FINE, THANK YOU.

SHE NEVER LETS HER GUARD DOWN, DOES SHE?

WELCOME

TO THE REICHENHART ESTATE.

HELLO.

HIS LORDSHIP INFORMED ME OF YOUR ARRIVAL,

AND YOUR ROOM HAS BEEN PREPARED.

PLEASE FOLLOW ME.

THIS IS THE MAIN BUILDING OF THE ESTATE.

THE BUILDING ACROSS THE WAY IS THE ANNEX.

IT IS CURRENTLY USED BY THE STAFF,

SO I DOUBT YOU WILL HAVE ANY REASON TO GO THERE.

FROM NOW ON, ABEL WILL BE YOUR GUARD,

AND I WILL BE IN CHARGE OF YOUR DAILY NEEDS.

PLEASE ENSURE ABEL ACCOMPANIES YOU WHENEVER YOU GO OUT.

YES... I UNDERSTAND.

THEN...

HOW SHOULD I ADDRESS YOU?

YOU MAY CALL ME MRS. BARBARA.

THIS IS

THE MAIN HALL OF THE MAIN BUILDING.

IT'S SO SPACIOUS.

YOU ARE FREE TO USE THE AREAS IN THE HALL,

BUT THAT DOOR OVER THERE CONNECTS TO HIS LORDSHIP'S PRIVATE QUARTERS,

SO YOU MUST NOT ENTER WITHOUT PERMISSION.

YOUR ROOM IS THIS WAY.

OH, RIGHT!

IT'S SO BIG... AND SO MANY BOOKS.

IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A LIVING SPACE, THOUGH.

THROUGH HERE.

OH, SO THERE'S A SEPARATE DOOR TO MY ROOM.

WHERE DOES THAT DOOR LEAD?

IT CONNECTS TO HIS LORDSHIP'S BEDCHAMBER.

THIS IS HIS LORDSHIP'S STUDY.

YOU ARE FREE TO READ ANY OF THE BOOKS HERE, BUT DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO HIS BEDCHAMBER,

AND YOU MUST NOT ENTER WITHOUT PERMISSION, EVEN IF IT'S OPEN.

AH...

YES, I'LL MAKE SURE OF THAT.

NOW THEN, AFTER A BRIEF TOUR, I WILL TAKE MY LEAVE.

YOU MAY ARRANGE YOUR THINGS HERE,

AND THIS DOOR LEADS TO THE BATHROOM AND WASHROOM...

YOUR MEALS WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOUR ROOM ON SCHEDULE,

BUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU REQUIRE ANYTHING AT ANY TIME.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL THEN, PLEASE GET SOME REST.

HAAAH...

NOW THAT I'M ALONE IN THIS VAST, IMPOSING PLACE,

IT TRULY HITS ME THAT I'M IN A FOREIGN LAND, SO VERY FAR FROM HOME.

THE SHIP, WHERE I COULDN'T LIE DOWN AND REST FOR A SINGLE MOMENT;

THE MOMENTS OF EXTREME ANXIETY, FEARING SOMEONE WAS PURSUING ME;

THAT HORRIFYING NIGHT.

AND...

THE MAN WHO SEEMED TO BE FORGED FROM DARKNESS ITSELF.

OSCAR.

I MAY BE WATCHED FROM NOW ON,

BUT AT LEAST IT SEEMS I'LL HAVE THE FREEDOM TO MOVE ABOUT.

AT THE VERY LEAST... I SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRUST THE CONTRACT I MADE WITH HIM.

THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.

I MUST PUT MY ANXIETIES ABOUT THE PAST TO REST.

THIS LONG JOURNEY WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

EXCUSE ME,

MY LETTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH THE CARRIER PIGEON. DID YOU RECEIVE IT?

OF COURSE I DID.

THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU PREPARE THE NEXT ROOM FOR ME?

OR A GUEST ROOM IN THE ANNEX, AT THE VERY LEAST.

WAS THERE ANY OTHER PLACE BETTER SUITED FOR SURVEILLANCE AND HER PROTECTION?

I PRIORITIZE HIS LORDSHIP'S ORDERS ABOVE ALL ELSE.

HE SAID WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO LOSE HER.

WHAT IF I'D PREPARED A ROOM NEXT TO YOURS OR IN THE ANNEX'S GUEST QUARTERS,

AND SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED?

NEITHER OF US WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ESCAPE THE RESPONSIBILITY.

AND GIVEN YOUR REPUTATION,

SHOULD WE REALLY BE DEBATING WHETHER A MERE ROOM ASSIGNMENT WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS?

THOUGH FOR ALL THAT, IT SEEMS YOU HAVEN'T EVEN MANAGED TO HOLD HER HAND YET.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST WHIP UP LIKE BAKING, YOU KNOW.

GRIT

IT'S A "HIGHLY AESTHETIC AFFAIR" THAT PEOPLE WHO ONLY SWING SWORDS WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND.

I WAS ABOUT TO JOIN THE COMBAT UNIT, BUT THE INTELLIGENCE TEAM BEGGED ME TO TAKE THIS PATH.

I'M A LITTLE HURT YOU'D SAY THAT.

WELL, SURE. YOU'VE GOT A DECENT FACE.

AND THAT "AESTHETIC" TALK ISN'T MY SPECIALTY ANYWAY.

HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN GET LOST IN YOUR FANTASIES OF HOLDING HER HAND IN THE NEXT ROOM

AND CREATE A SECURITY BREACH.

YOU'RE ALSO SERVING AS HER GUARD, SO CONDUCT YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY.

DAMMIT.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I WANT TO QUIT THIS RACKET.

THAT LOOK SHE GIVES ME, LIKE SHE DOESN'T TRUST A HONEYPOT

WITH THE JOB OF PRIMARY GUARD.

HONESTLY, THOSE COMBAT UNIT BASTARDS ARE ALL THE SAME. WHY DO THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO GET UNDER MY SKIN?

NO MATTER. THIS IS THE PERFECT MISSION FOR ME.

I'LL JUST HAVE TO SHOW THEM HOW DESPERATELY MY TARGET WILL CLING TO ME.

BARBARA.

I CAN STAY IN HIS LORDSHIP'S STUDY, RIGHT?

AFTER COUNTLESS SEDUCTIONS,

IF YOU ASK ME WHICH COMES FIRST, THE HEART OR THE BODY...

THE ANSWER IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE BODY.

BESIDES, SHE MUST FIND THIS PLACE STRANGE AND FRIGHTENING.

IF I OFFER HER KIND WORDS AND A GENTLE GAZE,

SHE'LL NATURALLY BECOME INTOXICATED BY MY ALLURE.

AS IF SHE'S FOUND THE ONE AND ONLY GOOD THING SHE CAN LEAN ON...

THAT AWKWARD ENCOUNTER ON THE TRAIN IS A BIT OF A CONCERN,

BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS INTIMATE SPACE FOR JUST THE TWO OF US,

I CAN TAKE MY TIME SEDUCING HER.