Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 14

ALL THE CORRUPTION THAT NOBLEMAN WAS INVOLVED IN...

THE COUNT SIMPLY TURNED A BLIND EYE TO IT ALL.

HE PRACTICALLY BECAME AN ACCOMPLICE.

TO KNOW ALL THAT

AND BE COMPLETELY POWERLESS TO STOP IT... I FELT SO WRETCHED.

PLEASE, DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF. IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, MY LADY.

MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT SUCH MATTERS

MIGHT HAVE CAUSED YOU PAIN.

YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO EVER SAYS SUCH THINGS TO ME.

HELP ME FORGET, IF ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

THIS SORT OF MISSION WAS EASY.

BY SHARING THEIR BODIES, THEY OPEN THEIR HEARTS.

AND ONCE THEIR HEARTS ARE OPEN...

THEY EVENTUALLY OFFER UP EVERYTHING.

THAT'S CERTAINLY HOW IT USUALLY GOES...

YOU'RE PRACTICALLY NAKED.

AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL SORRY FOR BEING THE FIRST TO SEE YOU IN SUCH A STATE?

I NEVER KNEW YOU WERE SUCH AN AVID READER.

ENOUGH. WE'RE BOTH JUST HERE TO DO A JOB.

WHAT A WAY WITH WORDS.

I'VE PREPARED YOUR DINNER, MISS.

!!

SHE WENT IN EARLIER IN THE DAY

AND IT'S BEEN DEAD SILENT UNTIL NOW,

EVEN AFTER I MADE ALL THAT NOISE OUTSIDE THE DOOR.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS SHE UP TO?

SHE'S DEEP ASLEEP. LET'S BE QUIET.

YOU SHOULD BUTTON UP YOUR SHIRT AND GO GET SOME REST.

HAH... UNBELIEVABLE.

IS THIS THE SAME WOMAN WHO WAS TREMBLING WITH FEAR?

HOW CAN SHE BE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO FALL ASLEEP HERE?!

UNBELIEVABLE...

I'M SURE IT WAS THE AFTERNOON WHEN I LAY DOWN TO SLEEP...

BUT SOMEHOW IT'S ALREADY MORNING.

I'M COMING IN.

OH, YOU'RE AWAKE.

YOU WERE SLEEPING YESTERDAY, SO I DIDN'T WAKE YOU FOR DINNER.

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED.

LET ME HELP—

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

HERE IS YOUR BREAKFAST.

JUST LEAVE THE DISHES WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED. I'LL CLEAR THEM AWAY LATER.

YOUR WEEKLY ALLOWANCE FROM HIS LORDSHIP WILL BE KEPT IN YOUR SAFE IN MY OFFICE.

JUST LET ME KNOW, AND I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH WHATEVER AMOUNT YOU REQUIRE.

IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK.

UM...

ON THE CARRIAGE RIDE HERE, I NOTICED HOW LOVELY THE CITY IS.

I WAS HOPING I COULD GO SEE A PLACE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE LATER,

LIKE THE MARKET.

WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE?

SOME SIGHTSEEING?

YES, OF COURSE. THAT WON'T BE A PROBLEM.

THERE IS A CENTRAL MARKET NOT FAR FROM HERE.

IT'S THE LARGEST IN VIESSE.

IT SHOULD BE OPENING SOON, SO YOU ARE WELCOME TO LOOK AROUND.

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO DEPART, PLEASE LET ME KNOW,

AND I WILL CALL FOR ABEL.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.

AM I SOME KIND OF MERCHANT?

WHO GOES TO THE MARKET AT THIS HOUR?

SHE MUST HAVE SLEPT LIKE A LOG LAST NIGHT.

MEANWHILE, SOME OF US WORKED ALL NIGHT AND NOW HAVE TO WANDER AROUND HERE THIS MORNING.

I'M DEAD TIRED.

And This Outfit Cost A Fortune.

She Looks So Refreshed.

BESIDES, I'M NOT A FAN OF THESE CROWDED MARKET ALLEYS.

WHOA, WATCH IT.

IT'S SO CROWDED AND CHAOTIC,

ISN'T IT?

STILL...

A JOB'S A JOB.

UM,

IS IT PERHAPS CONSIDERED RUDE NOT TO HOLD HANDS HERE?

Haha

OF COURSE NOT. I JUST THOUGHT THE PATH LOOKED TREACHEROUS.

Ah,

I SEE.

DON'T WORRY.

I CAN GET AROUND JUST FINE ON MY OWN.

I'M SURE YOU CAN.

TO BE HONEST, WHEN I WAS SUMMONED AT DAWN,

I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR THE BEST.

THE MARKET IS NOTORIOUSLY CHAOTIC.

I WAS SURE SHE WOULD WANT TO LEAVE THE SECOND WE STEPPED IN.

BUT CONTRARY TO HER

RATHER CLUELESS APPEARANCE,

SHE GETS AROUND PERFECTLY WELL.

SHE NEVER STUMBLES ON THE UNEVEN STREETS.

AND IT'S AS IF SHE HAS EYES IN THE BACK OF HER HEAD —

SHE MASTERFULLY DODGES THE CARTS COMING UP FROM BEHIND.

I MIGHT BE EXAGGERATING, BUT...

I FEEL LIKE EVEN A COMBAT UNIT SPECIALIZING IN AMBUSHES

WOULD PROBABLY MAKE MORE OF A RACKET THAN SHE DOES.

SHE'S JUST... UNNATURALLY QUIET AND LIGHT ON HER FEET.

HERE, MISS, HAVE A TASTE.

COME ON, TRY IT BEFORE IT GETS COLD.

THIS IS THE BEST SAUSAGE YOU'LL FIND HERE!

Go-on.

IT'S CHEAP, TOO! ONLY TEN THOUSAND KERTE!

WHAT...? TEN THOUSAND?

WHO DOES HE THINK HE'S TRYING TO RIP OFF?

EXCUSE ME, THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT, CAN IT?

Hey!

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! GO TRY SOMEWHERE ELSE!

IT'S THE SAME EVERYWHERE!

THIS IS TEN THOUSAND KERTE?

YOU'RE TELLING ME

F-FIVE FOR TEN THOUSAND... IS WHAT I MEANT.

W-WELL... ARE YOU GOING TO BUY IT OR NOT? IF NOT, THEN GET GOING!

YES, OF COURSE.

HE WAS OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO RIP OFF A FOREIGNER.

FAT CHANCE.

UM...

THANK YOU.

HUH,

SO SHE DOES KNOW HOW TO LOOK ME IN THE EYE.

IS THIS THE FIRST TIME SHE'S SMILED, TOO?

IT'S NOTHING.