Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 3

LONG AGO,

I LET A SINGLE, WORTHLESS BASTARD SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

NO — I WAS TOLD HE WAS CAPTURED, ONLY TO BE LOST AGAIN.

THE SHIP BRINGING HIM BACK ALIVE HAD SUNK.

I HAD NO USE FOR REPORTS SUGGESTING HE WAS PRESUMED DEAD.

I NEEDED DEFINITIVE PROOF. NOTHING ELSE MATTERED.

THE TRAITOR WHO BROUGHT RUIN TO MY HOUSE

AND DROVE MY FATHER TO HIS DEATH.

HIS ALIAS WAS "PETER."

HE WAS ONCE ONE OF THE REICHENHART FAMILY'S MOST ELITE AGENTS.

HE KNEW JUST HOW RELENTLESS AND CRUEL HIS FORMER COMRADES COULD BE

AND EXACTLY HOW TRAITORS WERE DEALT WITH.

HE KNEW BETTER THAN ANYONE.

A DOCUMENT, PRESUMABLY EXCHANGED WITH THE FORMER KING OF LUXEN.

A COPY OF THAT DOCUMENT

AND THE MONEY FROM THE DEAL MUST BE HIDDEN IN THE SAFE.

THE FAMILY HAS RECOVERED FROM THE RUIN IT FACED AFTER MY FATHER'S DEATH.

THE MONEY IN THAT SAFE IS MEANINGLESS TO ME NOW.

ONE MIGHT THINK THE SAFE HAS LOST ITS PURPOSE BY NOW, BUT...

THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS CONTINUE, EVEN AFTER A NEW KING HAS BEEN CROWNED IN LUXEN.

AND THE KING OF LUXEN HAS BEEN IN SECRET CONTACT WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL BANK OF FELPE.

I'M SURE OF IT.

THE KEY TO FINALLY GETTING THE UPPERHAND ON THE ROYAL FAMILY OF LUXEN

AND STOPPING THEIR ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY HOUSE REICHENHART

IS INSIDE THAT SAFE.

TO FINALLY BREAK THIS CURSE, I MUST BE THE ONE TO OPEN THAT BASTARD'S SAFE.

IF ONLY, BACK THEN...

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO WAR?

IT'S THE ROYAL FAMILY'S FIGHT!

WHY DOES A REICHENHART HAVE TO GO?

IF ONLY MY FATHER HADN'T GONE TO THE FRONT LINES IN PLACE OF THE LUXEN ROYAL FAMILY...

WHY?!

IF ONLY OUR KEY AGENTS

HADN'T ALL DIED IN BATTLE ALONGSIDE MY FATHER...

THE ONLY ADULT WHO COULD HAVE REBUILT THE FAMILY

WAS THE MARCHIONESS HERSELF.

IF SHE HADN'T ACTED AS IF SHE WERE JUST WAITING FOR HER HUSBAND TO DIE

AND LEFT HER OWN CHILD,

A CLUELESS SIX-YEAR-OLD,

TO BECOME THE HEIR OF A RUINED FAMILY,

THEN PERHAPS I WOULDN'T HAVE SPENT ALL THESE YEARS

OBSESSED WITH THAT SAFE.

WE WILL ARRIVE AT OUR DESTINATION IN 10 MINUTES.

RIGHT.

STILL, TO THINK THAT THE ONE TO BREAK THROUGH MY DRIED-UP INFORMATION NETWORK

WAS SOME WOMAN I'VE NEVER EVEN MET.

IS SHE THE LIVING KEY NOW?

THE CURTAINS ARE DRAWN TIGHT.

AND THE DOOR'S LOCKED, OF COURSE.

ALL MY LUGGAGE IS HERE TOO.

CHECKING FOR THE NTH TIME.

OKAY... I'M SAFE.

EVERYTHING SEEMS FINE.

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'VE LET MY GUARD DOWN A LITTLE...

BUT I'M SO TIRED.

THINKING BACK ON THESE LAST FEW DAYS, IT'S FELT LIKE WALKING ON THIN ICE.

THIS MOMENT FEELS LIKE A FLEETING PARADISE.

I WAS SO ANXIOUS

THAT I DIDN'T EVEN TAKE OFF MY COAT IN THE SWELTERING HEAT.

I WAS TOO CONSUMED BY FEAR TO EVEN MANAGE A PROPER MEAL.

TEACHER...

AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING?

AT THE END OF A WEARY DAY, I RECALL MY TEACHER'S ADVICE.

I CAN ONLY HOPE MY CAUTION

HAS BOUGHT ME A LITTLE MORE TIME IN PEACE.

THIS IS AN ANESTHETIC AND AN APHRODISIAC.

BE CAREFUL WITH THE DOSAGE.

IS IT REALLY OKAY TO GO IN RIGHT AWAY?

WHAT, AND JUST LEAVE HER BE?

THAT COACHMAN CHARGED A FORTUNE FOR HER.

THE BETTER THE MERCHANDISE, THE FASTER YOU HAVE TO CLAIM IT.

TRUE. AN EXOTIC WOMAN IS A RARE FIND.

PLUS, SHE'S SO DELICATE AND PRETTY.

I BET SHE'S LIKE THAT EVERYWHERE, HEHE.

AND TO THINK, SHE HAD NO IDEA SHE WAS BEING BROUGHT TO THIS FAMOUS PLEASURE DISTRICT.

SHE'S DEFINITELY A GIRL WITH NO CONNECTIONS.

THE SMOKE SHOULD HAVE FILLED HER ROOM BY NOW.

NOW, GO ON AND GIVE HER A LESSON.

WHAT... IS THIS SMELL...?

SOMETHING'S WRONG...

AH... I'M BLACKING OUT...

AAH, NO...

I HAVE TO... GET OUT OF HERE...

QUICKLY...

DAMN, BETTER AIR THIS PLACE OUT.

DON'T WANT HER PASSING OUT COMPLETELY.

DAMN...

I'D TAKE HER.

STOP GAWKING AND GIVE HER THE DRUG.

NOW'S THE PERFECT TIME.

MAYBE I'LL PUT SOME REAL EFFORT INTO HER "EDUCATION" FOR ONCE.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE NOW...

AGH!!

WHAT THE? SHE WAS ABOUT TO PASS OUT—

DAMMIT!!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU CAN'T EVEN HANDLE ONE GIRL?!

THIS BITCH HAS SOME FIGHT IN HER. HOLD STILL!

THERE, THERE. BE A GOOD GIRL, HM?

GOOD... ALMOST DONE.

SEE? THAT WAS QUICK, WASN'T IT?

NO...

I CAN'T LET IT END LIKE THIS.

I HAVE TO GRAB SOMETHING... ANYTHING.

ANYTHING... PLEASE...

TEACHER...

GRANDFATHER...!

W-WHAT WAS THAT?

WHO'RE YOU?

DOES HE HAVE THE WRONG ROOM...?

BLUE... EYES...?

THE WOLF... THE WOLF IS COMING.

TO KILL THAT MAN

AND... TO KILL YOU.

THE BLUE-EYED WOLF.