Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 5

WE CAN'T HAVE THAT NOW.

MMPH...!

RELAX.

AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?

STILL TRYING TO RESIST?

EVEN THOUGH YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD CRUMBLE AT ANY MOMENT.

HER EYES MAY BE EMPTY,

BUT HER INSTINCTS ARE FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL.

CLEARLY SHE'S LEARNED TO BE CONSTANTLY ON GUARD.

STUBBORN, AREN'T YOU?

BUT I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT.

ONE WRONG MOVE AND YOU COULD DIE.

NOT ON MY WATCH.

HAA...

HAS SHE STOPPED NOW?

WELL.

NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY THE BROTHEL OWNER WANTED TO HOLD ONTO HER.

....!

WHAT IN THE...

YOU CALLED FOR ME, MY LORD?

ANY UPDATES ON THE THINGS I ASKED YOU TO LOOK INTO?

THE PHYSICIAN IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE SHORTLY,

AND I HAVE STATIONED MEN AT THE BANK.

THIS IS THE INFORMATION ON THE WOMAN'S NATIONALITY.

SHE IS FROM DANGUK,

ON THE EASTERN CONTINENT.

IT'S A MONARCHY LOCATED NEAR THE RIOHER EMPIRE.

SHE LOOKED LIKE

SHE WAS OF MIXED HERITAGE.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT AS WELL,

BUT WE CAN'T CONFIRM ANYTHING AT THIS POINT.

SIMON.

YES, MY LORD.

HOW DO YOU THINK THAT KEY ENDED UP IN HER HANDS?

THE REPORT MADE IT CLEAR THAT MAN WAS SWEPT AWAY BY A STORM

AND DROWNED.

SO IS THAT BASTARD PETER

STILL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA?

OR WAS THE MASTERLESS KEY JUST FLOATING IN THE OCEAN?

PETER IS PRESUMED TO HAVE DROWNED ALONG WITH THE KEY.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER REPORTS SINCE THE INITIAL BRIEFING.

WAS THAT FROM REPORT #2021?

THAT WAS FROM ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO,

WRITTEN BY AN INTELLIGENCE AGENT

FOR THE PREVIOUS MARQUIS,

THERESA WITTGENSTEIN.

SHE WAS SAID TO BE AN AGENT WITHOUT EQUAL.

STILL NO WORD FROM THERESA?

NO, MY LORD.

HER LAST MESSAGE WAS THAT SHE WOULD INVESTIGATE A LITTLE LONGER.

FIND HER.

I WANT HER CURRENT STATUS.

AS THESE CONTRADICTORY QUESTIONS RISE TO THE SURFACE,

MY HEAD BEGINS TO THROB ONCE MORE.

A LONG-HELD GRUDGE I THOUGHT WAS BURIED AT SEA

IS RIGHT HERE BEFORE MY EYES.

THIS WON'T BE OVER WITH JUST A WRITTEN APOLOGY.