Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 18

HEY.

WHAT'S THAT YOU HAVE?

GULP,

HEY, I THINK WE SHOULD RUN AWAY QUICKLY!

UGH... WHAT A WASTE.

STILL, I MADE THE SALE!

HONESTLY... THEY'RE REALLY SOMETHING ELSE.

WHY ON EARTH WERE YOU EVEN BUYING THAT?

DID YOU PAY MONEY FOR THAT?

WHAT, ARE YOU GIVING IT TO ME?

BUT WHAT CAN I DO?

I ABSOLUTELY LOATHE IT.

IF I ACCEPT THAT, WHAT KIND OF MISFORTUNE WILL COME MY WAY?

...MISFORTUNE, YOU SAY?

DID YOU NOT KNOW?

THAT WAS ALL STOLEN FROM A PUBLIC CEMETERY.

IT WAS STOLEN FROM A DEAD PERSON.

THE WOMAN'S EXPRESSION, WHICH HAD BEEN CALM UNTIL NOW,

IS TURNING PALE.

HAVE YOU REALIZED IT NOW?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WANDER AROUND RECKLESSLY IN A PLACE LIKE THIS,

IS IT BECAUSE I SPENT NIGHTMARE-LIKE DAYS BECAUSE OF YOU?

THIS EXPRESSION...

IT'S NOT HALF BAD.

...... I INTENDED TO PUT AN END TO THIS BEFORE HIS EXCELLENCY ARRIVED,

FORGET IT. TEMPTATION OR WHATEVER,

A WOMAN WHO BUYS THINGS LIKE THIS WITH MONEY.

YOUR HIGHNESS!

MY GOODNESS, YOU REALLY DID COME!

OF COURSE! IT IS NOT THAT FAR FROM FELLE TO HERE.

DON'T MAKE ME CRY.

I PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO MY MAKEUP TODAY, SO I MUST NOT CRY.

SABINE, MY SINCEREST CONGRATULATIONS.

DUCHESS OF ELOS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING!

THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE LAST TIME I CALL YOU BY YOUR NAME LIKE THIS, RIGHT?

PLEASE DO NOT SAY SUCH THINGS. PLEASE CALL ME BY MY NAME ANYTIME.

HOHO, HOW COULD I DO THAT ONCE YOU BECOME THE QUEEN?

DUCHESS.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE PAINTING HANGING ON THE WALL?

YES, THESE DAYS THAT ARTIST'S PAINTINGS HAVE A PECULIAR ARTISTIC SENSIBILITY,

I WAS THINKING OF ACQUIRING ONE MYSELF,

AS IT TURNS OUT, THIS WAS ALL THE YOUNG LADY'S WORK?

IT SEEMS SO. HER EYE FOR ART IS TRULY EXCEPTIONAL.

THIS IS WHY THESE DAYS, ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS

ARE ALL SEEKING PATRONAGE FROM THE JEROME FAMILY.

YOU ARE TOO KIND.

I AM SIMPLY HONORED THAT YOU WOULD PRAISE MY EYE FOR ART.

OH, AND ABOVE ALL ELSE...!

IN TRUTH, DISCOVERING AND SUPPORTING ARTISTS

IS ENTIRELY MY MOTHER'S DOING.

SABINE, YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR SUCH MODESTY.

I EXPECTED AS MUCH, BUT...

TO THINK THAT SO MANY FAMOUS NOBLES WOULD GATHER ALL AT ONCE.

MARCHIONESS!

HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND INTELLIGENT DAUGHTER?

WHY WOULDN'T I? THE EARL OF JEROME'S FAMILY IS ALSO,

A PRESTIGIOUS FAMILY, NO LESS THAN THE MARQUIS OF REINHARDT'S,

AND THE EARL'S ONLY DAUGHTER IS EVEN ENGAGED TO KING LEOPOLD.

...THEY ARE AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL FAMILY.

COME TO THINK OF IT... MARCHIONESS.

WILL YOUR SON NOT BE ATTENDING TODAY?

AH~ BROTHER OSCAR...

ABOUT THAT.

I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT IT MYSELF!

HOW COULD HE NOT COME TO HIS ONLY SISTER'S BIRTHDAY?

MOTHER, I AM DISAPPOINTED!

DO NOT SAY SUCH THINGS. DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW BUSY YOUR BROTHER IS?

IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT HE GAVE YOU AS AN ENGAGEMENT GIFT,

YOU SHOULD NOT SAY SUCH THINGS.

I DO NOT NEED SUCH GIFTS,

I JUST WISH MY BROTHER WOULD COME.

MY, HOW SHE MUST MISS HER BROTHER TO SAY SUCH THINGS.

WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE YOUNG LADY'S FEELINGS.

A PARTY ATTENDED BY THE MARQUIS OF REINHARDT.

IF SUCH A PLACE EXISTS, I WOULD WANT TO GO EVEN IF IT WERE ACROSS THE SEA.

MARCHIONESS,

IF THE MARQUIS ATTENDS, PLEASE DO LET US KNOW.

OSCAR DOES NOT OFTEN COME TO PLACES FOR IDLE CHATTER, BUT...

IF SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY ARISES, I WILL LET YOU KNOW...

I AM COUNTING ON YOU, MARCHIONESS!

IF IT WERE A PLACE WITH THE MARQUIS OF REINHARDT,

I THINK I WOULD BE HAPPY EVEN IF THERE WERE NO SEATS FOR ME.

YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT MY SISTER HAS BEEN SCRAPBOOKING

THE NEWSPAPERS FEATURING HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUIS, DO YOU?

....THE MARCHIONESS IS TRULY AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER.

THEY SAY SHE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN NORFOLK FOR GOOD REASON.

BUT ISN'T SHE A LONG-TIME LOVER OF EARL JEROME?

THEY EVEN HAD LADY SABINE TOGETHER, SO WHY DO THEY NOT MARRY?

SHE LIKELY WANTS TO MAINTAIN THE NAME OF REINHARDT.

SINCE THEY ARE THE GREATEST FAMILY ON THE CONTINENT OF NORFOLK.

OH, SABINE.

I HEAR THAT THE GIFT SENT BY HIS MAJESTY HAS ARRIVED.

SINCE IT CANNOT BE BROUGHT INSIDE, YOUR FATHER IS WAITING OUTSIDE TO RECEIVE IT.

MY FATHER?

...YES.

THE MARQUIS OF REINHARDT

HAS JUST ARRIVED IN THE CAPITAL.