Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 17

SEOAH.

THE “SEO” MEANS “TO FORGIVE,”

AND THE “AH” MEANS “TO LOVE.”

IT'S

A RATHER UNUSUAL NAME, CONSIDERING HER SOCIAL STATUS.

STILL, THIS IDENTIFICATION CERTIFICATE IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM DANGUK, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

SHE IS PRESUMED

TO BE FROM A COLLATERAL BRANCH OF A FAIRLY WELL-KNOWN FAMILY IN DANGUK.

THEY SAY THERE ARE NO DISCERNIBLE ISSUES WITH HER PAPERS.

HOWEVER...

HOWEVER?

THE NATION OF DANGUK HAS A VERY STRICT NAMING CULTURE,

SO MUCH SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE SEPARATE FORMAL AND CHILDHOOD NAMES.

IT'S JUST THAT IT'S UNHEARD OF FOR A NOBLE FAMILY TO BESTOW A NAME THAT MEANS “TO FORGIVE.”

SEOAH.

SO, SOMETHING LIKE “FORGIVE AND LOVE,” HUH.

HOW PECULIAR.

THEN AGAIN, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY PECULIAR THING ABOUT HER.

"...WILL YOU BE BACK?"

SHE SAYS THINGS I'VE NEVER HEARD IN MY LIFE.

AM I COMING BACK?

TO WHERE?

IT SOUNDED LIKE A QUESTION FROM SOMEONE LEFT BEHIND TO SOMEONE WHO'S DEPARTED...

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

HER STRANGE NAME WON'T BE AN ISSUE AS LONG AS THE BANK DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.

ESPECIALLY IF ABEL STING MARRIES HER.

MY GRANDFATHER USED TO WATCH THE COMINGS AND GOINGS OF TRAVELING MERCHANTS,

AND HE WOULD SAY...

THAT NO ANIMAL ADAPTS TO ITS ENVIRONMENT BETTER THAN A HUMAN.

BIRDS FLY THOUSANDS OF MILES TO FOLLOW THE SEASONS,

AND BEARS HIBERNATE TO GET THROUGH THE WINTER,

BUT PEOPLE...

THEY MOLD THEMSELVES TO FIT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES.

IT HAD ALREADY BEEN A WEEK SINCE I STARTED LIVING AT OSCAR'S MANSION.

AND I, TOO, WAS SLOWLY GETTING USED TO IT.

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MRS. BARBARA AND ABEL,

NO ONE SPOKE TO ME OR EVEN CAME NEAR ME.

MRS. BARBARA HERSELF ONLY SAID WHAT WAS NECESSARY.

WE NEVER HAD ANY PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS.

THE ONLY ODD THING IS THAT I FEEL LIKE MY PORTIONS KEEP GETTING BIGGER.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE REAL PROBLEM.

THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE WHO'S FAR MORE DIFFICULT.

GOOD MORNING.

I HADN'T GREETED HIM YET.

SO...

WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO THIS TIME?

UM, THE FELPE MARKET.

FELPE...

...MARKET.

THAT PLACE IS FILTHY, CRAMPED, CROWDED, AND DANGEROUS.

IT'S CRAWLING WITH VAGRANTS AND THE HOMELESS,

AND THE GOODS ARE SHODDY. IF YOU EAT ANYTHING FROM THERE...

Ugh

YOU'RE JUST ASKING FOR AN UPSET STOMACH.

HOO...

YOU'VE BEEN WANDERING AROUND FOR A WEEK NOW,

AND YOU HAVEN'T SEEMED TO WANT ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO THERE?

I JUST...

WANT TO GO.

WON'T YOU PLEASE TAKE ME?

HAH.

THIS WOMAN...

SHE CERTAINLY HAS A KNACK FOR BEWITCHING PEOPLE.

THIS PAST WEEK WITH HER,

I'VE HAD SO LITTLE SUCCESS

THAT I'VE STARTED TO DOUBT MY OWN REPUTATION.

I BOUGHT THESE, WONDERING WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR A FLOWER TO HOLD A FLOWER...

AND IT'S JUST AS I IMAGINED.

A FLOWER... HOLDING A FLOWER...?

AH!

YOU USED "FLOWER" AS THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE

AS A METAPHOR FOR ME.

YOU'RE QUITE THE POET.

THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR ME.

AND SHE'S ALWAYS WANDERING AROUND THAT BLASTED MARKETPLACE.

THOSE BASTARDS SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MOCK ME,

AND THAT OLD WOMAN... WHY DOES SHE KEEP RECOMMENDING THESE PLACES?

IT'S PATHETIC.

TODAY...

IS ESPECIALLY SO.

I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S DRAGGED ME ALL THE WAY HERE.

HOW HAS THIS PLACE NOT CHANGED ONE BIT?

HONESTLY, THAT WOMAN...

IT'S LIKE SHE'S POSSESSED BY THE GHOST OF SOMEONE WHO DIED BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GO TO THE MARKET.

I JUST DON'T GET IT.

HE SEEMS TO BE IN AN EVEN WORSE MOOD.

HUH? AN UNUSUAL BUILDING...

I THINK THERE USED TO BE PLACES CALLED CATHEDRALS IN SPOTS LIKE THIS...

MISS, THIS FLOWER IS ONE THOUSAND KERTE.

UM... I DON'T NEED A FLOWER.

IT'S PRETTY...

JUST GIVE ME ONE THOUSAND KERTE!

HERE, HERE!!

BUY MINE, TOO!

AND MINE!

MISS, PLEASE BUY MINE, TOO.

MINE'S ONE THOUSAND KERTE AS WELL!

MINE TOO, PLEASE...

WAIT,

ONE AT A TIME—

THANK YOU!!

YAY!

AND THIS ONE!!