Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 15

OH...

I CAN DO THAT—

IT'S ALL RIGHT. PLEASE, STAY SEATED.

YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO THE MARKET AGAIN TOMORROW?

IF YOU HAPPEN TO NEED MORE MONEY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

YES, I WILL.

I THIN I SHOULD BE FINE FOR NOW.

JUST AS I THOUGHT.

WELL THEN, I'LL BEGIN DINNER PREPARATIONS.

WHAT ON EARTH?

HE'S COMPLETELY WIPED OUT.

LOOKS LIKE THINGS AREN'T GOING HIS WAY.

THE BACKUP TEAM LOOKED EXHAUSTED, TOO.

LIKE THEY'RE COMPLETELY DRAINED.

And Yet, The Woman Was Perfectly Fine.

I WONDER IF HE EVEN MANAGED TO HOLD HER HAND.

HAH.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE DOING?

SHE SEEMED TO HAVE FINALLY RELAXED A BIT,

SO I THOUGHT THINGS WERE STARTING TO PROGRESS... BUT I GUESS NOT.

7 HOURS EARLIER

HOW MUCH IS IT?

FIFTEEN THOUSAND KERTE.

WHAT? THAT'S RIDICULOUS.

TWO THOUSAND.

TEN THOUSAND KERTE.

ONE THOUSAND.

FINE, JUST GIVE ME THREE THOUSAND KERTE.

THANK YOU.

DON'T MENTION IT.

DID SHE JUST USE ME AS A DISCOUNT TACTIC?

EXCUSE ME...

YES, MISS?

THERE ARE A LOT OF CHAIRS OVER THERE. WOULD IT BE ALL RIGHT IF WE SAT DOWN?

OH, OVER THERE?

THAT'S A CAFÉ.

YOU CAN USUALLY SIT THERE IF YOU ORDER TEA OR DESSERT.

SHALL WE GO?

COULD WE?

OF COURSE.

IF I'D KNOWN I'D GET STUCK THERE,

I WOULD'VE DONE ANYTHING TO STOP HER FROM GOING IN.

HERE'S YOUR COFFEE.

I'M SURE WE'LL JUST CATCH OUR BREATH AND BE ON OUR WAY.

1 HOUR LATER

AND ANOTHER HOUR AFTER THAT...

...?

AND ANOTHER AFTER THAT...

?

AND ANOTHER HOUR AFTER THAT...

??

HUH????

WHO ORDERS SIX CUPS OF COFFEE?!

WHAT IS WITH THIS WOMAN?

SHE COMES OFF AS NAIVE — COMPLETELY CLUELESS, IN FACT —

AND YET SHE'S WORRIED ABOUT BEING RUDE ONLY SITTING WITH ONE DRINK?

NOT ONLY HAS SHE ORDERED A NEW COFFEE ON THE HOUR,

EVERY HOUR,

BUT SHE ALSO EASILY NAVIGATED THE MARKET, DESPITE NEVER HAVING BEEN.

AND THAT LOOK ON HER FACE...

WAS BECAUSE SHE WANTED ME TO HAGGLE.

I WAS TOO ANNOYED BY THE CROWDED MARKET TO NOTICE BEFORE,

BUT THIS TARGET SEEMS TO HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN MY LOOKS... OR IN ME AS A PERSON AT ALL.

HAVE I EVER MET A WOMAN LIKE THIS BEFORE?

I REALLY WANT TO GO GET WASTED.

PLEASE, JUST STAY HOME TOMORROW.

SO NOTEBOOKS USUALLY COST AROUND TWO TO THREE THOUSAND.

A FOUNTAIN PEN WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE THAN THAT.

I'VE LEARNED ABOUT LUXEN, VIESSE, AND THE LARGEST MARKET.

TOMORROW, I SHOULD CHECK OUT THE OTHER MARKETS

THAT MRS. BARBARA RECOMMENDED.

THERE WERE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX OF THEM, I THINK.

I'M A LITTLE SORE. I SUPPOSE I DID WALK A LOT.

I'M NOT SURPRISED I'M PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED AFTER BEING OUT ALL DAY,

BUT MY MIND'S NOT AT EASE EITHER.

THIS PLACE IS STILL UNFAMILIAR TO ME,

AND THOUGH THEY TRY TO BE INCONSPICUOUS,

I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ME.

THAT MAN, ABEL...

HE SEEMED RATHER DISPLEASED.

BUT IT CAN'T BE HELPED.

I HAVE TO KEEP MOVING.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND A SPECIFIC FISH

IN THE VAST, WIDE OCEAN,

YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST MAKE A SMALL FISHING ROD WITH BAIT, DON'T YOU?

A FOREIGNER WITH A RED RIBBON.

SURELY YOU'LL RECOGNIZE ME.

AND JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T, I PLAN TO FREQUENT THE MOST CROWDED PLACES I CAN FIND.

EVEN IF MY HEART POUNDS AND I WANT TO RUN AWAY AT EVERY MOMENT, I WILL ENDURE AND WAIT...

I'LL SEE YOU SOON.

WE'VE RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE SEARCH PARTY.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO.