Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 28

AH.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TRAUN IS?

HE DECIDED TO LOCK ME AWAY.

TRAPPED THERE, SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS AND LAKES,

I WILL NOT COME OUT UNTIL THE DAY THE FELPE BANK VAULT OPENS.

...THE PRESENCE THAT PULLED ME IN THE MIDST OF THE CROWD.

AMIDST THE LONG JOURNEY WE HAD WALKED THUS FAR,

I CONSIDERED IT A MEANINGFUL STEP.

SO...

I CANNOT GO THERE.

A MAN SEEMINGLY FORGED OUT OF DARKNESS.

SIMULTANEOUSLY THE MOST TERRIFYING AND

THE MOST NECESSARY THING IN THE WORLD,

AND ONE OF THE FEW WHO CAN CONDEMN MY EXISTENCE.

YOUR EXCELLENCY...

I AM SORRY.

I AM SORRY.

WELL, DID YOU COMMIT SOME GRAND SIN?

I...

I AM SORRY FOR PRESSING DOWN YOUR HEAD.

I D-DID NOT KNOW THAT WAS FIREWORKS.

THERE WAS NO SUCH THING IN MY HOMETOWN.

THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE, SO I THOUGHT THOSE SCREAMS WERE...

NOW THAT YOU KNOW, BE ON YOUR WAY.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

I SAID I KNOW, SO GO ON.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME, YOUR EXCELLENCY.

I, I...

I DO NOT WISH TO GO TO TRAUN.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME AWAY.

CRAWLING INTO A BROTHEL WITH MONEY IN HAND,

AND YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT AND WHERE TRAUN IS?

IF YOU DISLIKE TRAUN, I WILL SEND YOU SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THE OTRION ARCHIPELAGO, NICE, DIETA...

NO, NO, YOUR EXCELLENCY...

YOU HAVE NO REASON TO STAY HERE, DO YOU?

DO YOU HAVE A REASON?

WHY.

...WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU TRYING TO SEND ME AWAY NOW?

WHAT ABOUT ME BOTHERS YOU THIS MUCH?

PRESSING DOWN MY HEAD? IS IT THAT...?

NO, IT CANNOT BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SOMETIMES, INSTINCT PROVIDES THE ANSWER.

WHEN YOU ARE DRIVEN TO A DEAD END AND SEEM TO HAVE NO OTHER WAY OUT.

INSTINCT REVEALS ITSELF AT TIMES LIKE THAT.

...I WANT TO STAY BY YOUR SIDE.

I...

I WANT TO STAY BY YOUR SIDE, YOUR EXCELLENCY.

BY YOUR SIDE.

HOW DARE YOU...?!

I MUST TRAMPLE YOU DOWN.

SO YOU CAN NEVER CRAWL BACK UP AGAIN.

AH,

IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU WANTED?

I THOUGHT,

YOU WERE LIKE THAT.

IS THIS ALSO BECAUSE YOU ARE IGNORANT OF THE WAYS OF THE WORLD?

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WOMAN TELLS ME

JUST HOW TERRIFIED SHE IS OF ME.

SO INSTEAD OF SPOUTING USELESS NONSENSE,

SHE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HER PLACE, STAYED QUIET, AND TAKEN HER MONEY.

I AM SORRY...

I, I.

I WANT... TO STAY HERE.

HA.

IF YOU WANT TO PLAY WHORE, DO IT PROPERLY.

IF YOU ARE JUST TALKING NONSENSE OUT OF IGNORANCE,

DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO BE CAREFUL?

HOO...

OPEN YOUR MOUTH.