Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 22

IT IS A NIGHT WHERE I CANNOT EASILY FALL ASLEEP.

EVERY NERVE OF MINE WAS TRACING THE SHADOW BEHIND MY BACK,

AND EVEN WHEN THE HEAVY PRESENCE BEYOND THE DOOR VANISHED,

I COULD NOT BRING MYSELF TO MOVE.

HOW FOOLISH MUST I HAVE LOOKED?

IF EVEN A QUESTIONABLE GUEST IS BOTHERSOME,

PERHAPS HE IS WONDERING IF I SHOULD GO SOMEWHERE OUT OF SIGHT.

I WAITED FOR HIM TO RETURN,

AND I WAS RELIEVED WHEN HE RETURNED.

HOWEVER, I DID NOT WANT TO FACE HIM.

I WANTED TO STAY AT EXACTLY THE DISTANCE

FROM WHICH I WATCHED HIM WHILE HIDING BEHIND THE TRAIN WINDOW.

BUT, IT IS DIFFICULT.

SOMEDAY, I MUST CONFESS MY SINS TO THAT PERSON...

JUST FACING HIM LEFT ME BREATHLESS.

HOW FOOLISH.

HOW WONDERFUL WOULD IT BE IF I COULD TURN BACK TODAY ENTIRELY?

NO,

IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME TO BEFORE I WAS BORN.

MY LADY.

I AM COMING IN.

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY EXHAUSTED.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SLEEP A LITTLE LONGER?

NO, MA'AM. I WILL GET READY.

HOW ABOUT YOU TAKE THE DAY OFF?

I AM TRULY ALRIGHT, MA’AM.

SHE MUST NOT HAVE SLEPT PROPERLY

SHE WAS SO FLUSTERED ALL DAY YESTERDAY,

AND WHEN I VISITED HER ROOM AT NIGHT, SHE LOOKED EVEN MORE DISTRESSED.

UM, MRS. BARBARA.

I WOULD LIKE TO BUY SOME CLOTHES, BUT WHERE SHOULD I GO?

IF IT IS CLOTHES YOU SEEK, SHALL I LOOK INTO THE MARKET WHERE THERE ARE MANY CLOTHING STORES?

AH, THAT IS...

I WAS THINKING OF FABRIC THAT IS A BIT DIFFERENT.

SOMETHING A BIT EXPENSIVE...

CLOTHING WITH A HIGH-CLASS FEEL, I SUPPOSE.

SENIOR!

THE TARGET HAS FOUND YOU AND IS WAITING IN FRONT OF THE ANNEX.

I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD PREPARE YOURSELF.

HA... MAN.

THIS IS A TOTAL CRAP.

TELL THEM I WILL BE DOWN SOON.

AFTER YOU SPENT ALL DAY YESTERDAY WANDERING AROUND LIKE THAT...

WHAT KIND OF MARKET DO YOU WANT TO GO TO AGAIN, VISITING ME FIRST THING IN THE MORNING?

IF YOU ARE EVEN HUMAN, ISN’T IT NATURAL TO WANT TO REST?

THAT COAT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN’T EVEN BE WORN ANYMORE,

BUT I CANNOT GIVE UP EITHER.

GIVEN THE ATMOSPHERE, I WON’T DIE EVEN IF I FAIL TO SECURE THE TARGET,

BUT I CERTAINLY CANNOT AVOID A PENALTY LIKE A DEMOTION.

INSTEAD OF JUST FOLLOWING HER AROUND AND GETTING DEMOTED,

ISN'T IT RIGHT TO SOMEHOW COAX HER AND OBTAIN THE POSITION I WANT?

ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT THE MARKET AGAIN TODAY?

I AM ABEL STING.

I CAN SEDUCE THIS WOMAN.

THIS WOMAN WILL FALL FOR ME.

I... LOVE THIS WOMAN.

TODAY...

LET'S GO TO THE DEPARTMENT STORE.

...WHAT?

BECAUSE OF ME, YOUR CLOTHES WERE RUINED.

I THOUGHT I WOULD BUY YOU A NEW SET.

...HUH?

THAT IS FINE. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MUCH THAT CLOTHING COSTS.

WOULD THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY SUFFICE?

Is that a check...?!

...MRS. BARBARA GAVE HER A CHECK?

YES.

WHAT WILL YOU DO IF IT IS NOT ENOUGH?

...IF IT IS NOT ENOUGH,

I WILL GO AND RECEIVE A LITTLE MORE FROM MRS. BARBARA.

NOT ENOUGH, MY FOOT.

THIS YOUNG LADY IS NEVER GOING TO BECOME RICH.

I GUESS SHE WAS QUITE CONCERNED BACK THEN?

VERY WELL.

THEN.

SHALL WE GO, MY LADY?

I WILL SERVE YOU WITH THE UTMOST CARE.

The atmosphere suddenly became...

UM... I DID NOT STEAL IT.

OH MY~ OF COURSE YOU DID NOT.

RATHER THAN WANDERING AROUND HERE AND THERE,

I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO KEEP HER IN ONE PLACE.

I WILL TRIPLE THE BACKUP TEAM PERSONNEL AND SEND THEM OVER,

SO THAT SHE CAN MOVE WITHOUT BEING EXPOSED TO THE CROWD.

THEN, I WILL GO AND CONFIRM THE BACKUP TEAM WAITING FOR THE OUTING.

HE IS IN A FOUL MOOD.

EVEN THOUGH HE BATHED IN COLD WATER LAST NIGHT,

IT SEEMS HE SHOWERED SEVERAL TIMES.

THAT HIS EXCELLENCY ONLY WASHES HIS BODY IN ICE-COLD WATER

IS TO SOOTHE THE EMOTIONS BOILING INSIDE HIM.

WHAT COULD HAVE MADE THE INSIDE OF HIS EXCELLENCY BOIL?