Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 4

YOU THERE.

I SAID, I THINK YOU'RE IN THE WRONG ROOM.

SHOULDN'T YOU BE LEAVING NOW?

WHY CAN'T ANY OF THEM UNDERSTAND A SINGLE WORD I SAY?

KERGH...

W-WHAT THE HELL, YOU BASTARD?!

HE STOOD, IMPASSIVE,

OVER THE BLOOD-STAINED SCENE.

I THINK SHE'S BLACKED OUT.

LET'S MOVE HER OVER THERE FOR NOW.

MY LORD.

WE'VE BROUGHT THE OWNER OF THE BROTHEL.

RAISE YOUR HEAD.

GASP...!

OH, YOU'RE HERE?

I FIGURED THEY WERE WITH YOU, SO I WAS JUST LOOKING AFTER THEM.

AAAAAAH!!

MY—

MY LORD!!!

I-I'VE MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE. PLEASE, H-HAVE MERCY ON ME JUST THIS ONCE—

THERE WERE NO GUESTS STAYING THE NIGHT.

YES! YES, OF COURSE!

AND THE WOMAN YOU BOUGHT FOR FIVE THOUSAND NEVER EXISTED EITHER, CORRECT?

Y-YES, OF COURSE. ABSOLUTELY...

BY THE WAY, WHAT DID YOU GIVE HER?

UH... WELL...

IT WAS A DRUG...

IT'S NOTHING SERIOUS.

IT JUST MAKES IT A LITTLE HARD TO M-MOVE AND...

HEIGHTENS THE SENSES...

YOU'VE MADE A REAL MESS OF THINGS, HAVEN'T YOU?

IF YOU CAN'T EVEN HANDLE THE CONSEQUENCES,

YOU SHOULD'VE KNOWN YOUR PLACE FROM THE START.

I... I'M SORRY.

THE DRUG WILL WEAR OFF BY TOMORROW MORNING.

STAY PUT AND DON'T WANDER OFF.

THERE WON'T BE ANY TROUBLE ONCE THE WOMAN WAKES UP.

ASSUMING SHE WAKES UP SAFELY, THAT IS.

THE KEY, THE CERTIFICATE, EVEN THE IDENTIFICATION PAPERS —

ALL SECURED.

AS SOON AS THE CERTIFICATE AND DUPLICATE KEY ARRIVE,

REPLACE THEM WITH THE GENUINE ARTICLES.

HAVE A PHYSICIAN ON STANDBY,

AND IF SHE'S STILL UNCONSCIOUS AFTER THE EXPECTED TIME, BRING ME THE BROTHEL OWNER.

YES, SIR.

I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT TO LEAVE HER IN THIS STATE WITH A BUNCH OF MEN.

THAT WOMAN...

WHAT'S HER NAME?

YOU NEVER TOLD ME.

HER IDENTIFICATION PAPERS ARE INDECIPHERABLE.

THAT'S WHY THE BANK HAD PUT THE MATTER ON HOLD.

BRING ME A TRANSLATION WITHIN THE WEEK.

AND KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THE BANK.

UNDERSTOOD.

WHAT'S THE SITUATION WITH THE KING OF FELPE?

THE INTEL IS DUE TO ARRIVE SHORTLY. I'LL GO AND CONFIRM.

I'D VAGUELY ASSUMED

I WOULD FIND IT IN THE POSSESSION OF SOMEONE HIGH UP.

TO THINK IT WAS JUST SOME WOMAN LIKE THIS.

IT'S SO ABSURD, IT'S ALMOST LAUGHABLE.

HER EYES, HAZY FROM THE DRUG, SHOW NO SIGN OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

EVERYTHING ABOUT HER

IS DELICATE AND SMALL...

AS IF SHE'S BEEN DRAWN WITH FAINT LINES,

WITH NOT A SINGLE STROKE MADE WITH FORCE.

A BLURRY SKETCH OF A WOMAN.

UGH...

NGH...

MMM...

HAHH...

NGHH...

NGH...

HAA

IT'S FUNNY WHAT DRUGS CAN DO.

JUST A DROP OR TWO, AND A PERSON ENDS UP LIKE THIS.

ENOUGH.

I DON'T NEED TO BE WATCHING OVER HER LIKE THIS.

NO POINT IN STARING AT A WOMAN WHO'S NOT EVEN CONSCIOUS...

?!

SO YOU'D BITE YOUR OWN TONGUE TO FIGHT OFF THE DRUG, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE ASLEEP?

WE CAN'T HAVE THAT NOW.

NOT ON MY WATCH.