Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 7

AT DAWN, I RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE WOLF I'D PLANTED INSIDE FELPE BANK.

THE WOMAN'S IDENTIFICATION WAS ISSUED

BY A SMALL EASTERN NATION CALLED DANGUK.

ON THIS CONTINENT, THE ONLY COUNTRY WITH DIPLOMATIC TIES TO DANGUK

IS HEROT.

THE KING OF FELPE HAS ORDERED THE ID TO BE SENT THERE FOR VERIFICATION.

THE VERIFICATION PROCESS WILL TAKE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME,

AND THAT'S BEFORE THE INVESTIGATION INTO HOW SHE OBTAINED THE KEY

AND THE PROCESS OF POSTING PUBLIC NOTICES IN MAJOR NATIONAL PAPERS.

THEREFORE, IT WILL TAKE A MINIMUM OF 6 MONTHS

TO 2 YEARS TO OPEN THE SAFE.

2 YEARS IS TOO LONG.

HOW CAN WE SHORTEN THAT TIME?

THERE IS ONE OPTION

THAT DOESN'T VIOLATE FELPE BANKING LAWS.

MARRIAGE.

MARRIAGE?

YES.

MARRYING THE WOMAN TO SOMEONE WITH A CLEAR, ESTABLISHED IDENTITY

WOULD VERIFY HERS, SHORTENING THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS.

AND SINCE INHERITANCE BETWEEN SPOUSES IS PERMITTED,

THE SAFE CAN BE OPENED EVEN IF THE WOMAN IS NOT PRESENT.

AND THE RISKS?

AT PRESENT, THE WOMAN HERSELF IS THE RISK.

WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER, OR HER BACKGROUND.

WE CAN'T PREDICT HOW SHE'LL TAKE THE NEWS OF A MARRIAGE,

OR IF COERCION WILL EVEN WORK.

IF SHE TESTIFIES THAT THE MARRIAGE WAS FORCED,

IT COULD COMPLICATE MATTERS DURING THE IN-PERSON REVIEW AT THE BANK.

SO, MARRIAGE TO CUT THE REVIEW PERIOD BY A YEAR, HUH?

THE KEY IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME,

YET I'M SUPPOSED TO JUST SIT ON MY HANDS AND WAIT A YEAR?

BUT NOW THAT THE KEY IS IN MY POSSESSION,

THERE'S NO REASON TO BE HASTY.

I NEVER EXPECTED IT TO FALL INTO MY HANDS TODAY, AFTER ALL.

I CAN TAKE MY TIME DECIDING

HOW TO HANDLE THAT WOMAN.

ESPECIALLY AFTER SEEING HER LOOKING SO PUT-TOGETHER.

DON'T JUST STAND THERE. LOOK AT ME.

UM...

THANK YOU...

FOR SAVING ME...

SHE'S COMPLETELY DRAINED.

LET'S HAVE A WORD, SHALL WE?

FOLLOW ME.

AH... YES!

SIT WHEREVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE.

AH...

WOULD YOU LIKE ANYTHING?

I HAVE COFFEE, TEA, SOME LIGHT SODAS.

UM... ANYTHING IS FINE.

LET'S GO WITH A SODA, THEN. IT'S REFRESHING.

HERE.

OH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SHE'S SO TENSE.

YOU CAN ACCEPT IT SITTING DOWN.

AND HERE I AM, TRYING TO BE SO POLITE.

UM...

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SAVING ME.

DO YOU REMEMBER?

I REMEMBER YOU WERE STANDING BY THE DOOR...

THAT'S ALL?

DOESN'T YOUR TONGUE HURT?

MY TONGUE...?

COME TO THINK OF IT, THE LEFT SIDE OF MY TONGUE DOES HURT A LITTLE.

DID SOMETHING HAPPEN WHILE I WAS OUT?

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

OH...

IT'S... SEOAH.

SEOAH?

YES... SEOAH.

THIS MAN, AS THREATENING AS A BEAST OF PREY...

SEOAH.

...MURMURS MY NAME AS IF SAVORING AN UNFAMILIAR ACCENT.

SO NATURALLY AND GENTLY.

PERHAPS THE REASON IS...

MAY I

ASK YOUR NAME AS WELL?

OSCAR.

OSCAR VON REICHENHART.

SO IT IS HIM.

HE'S THE ONE

MY TEACHER TOLD ME ABOUT.

THE WOLF WHO WOULD COME FOR ME.

THANK GOODNESS HE FOUND ME.

SPEAKING OF WHICH,

YOU THANKED ME FOR SAVING YOU, DIDN'T YOU?

AH, YES.

IN THAT CASE,

I'D LIKE TO COLLECT A FEE FOR THAT RESCUE.

IT'S NOTHING TOO HARD.

I'M JUST GOING TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS.

AND I EXPECT YOU TO ANSWER THEM HONESTLY, ALL RIGHT?

YOU CAME FROM A FARAWAY PLACE CALLED DANGUK,

AND YOU WERE CARRYING A KEY TO A FELPE BANK SAFE.

HOW DID YOU GET HERE,

AND HOW DID YOU GET THAT KEY?

HOW...

DO I EXPLAIN IT?

I CAN'T SAY I BECAME BAIT FOR A MAN WHOSE FACE AND NAME I DON'T EVEN KNOW.

I CAN'T TELL HIM I'M HERE TO FIND MY BIOLOGICAL FATHER.

I CAN'T SAY I CAME TO BORROW HIS POWER FOR MY REVENGE,

OR TO TAKE MY GRANDFATHER AWAY FROM HERE.

WHAT CAN I SAY TO MAKE HIM TAKE ME IN COMPLETELY?

MONEY.

IT'S BECAUSE OF MONEY.

IT'S JUST THAT...

I NEED... A LOT OF MONEY.

SO...

AH, SO YOU NEED MONEY?

UH... WAS THAT A STRANGE ANSWER?

UNBELIEVABLE.

THAT FACE HOLDS SO MANY STORIES, AND YET YOU SAY IT'S JUST ABOUT MONEY.

IF IT'S JUST ABOUT MONEY, THAT'S ACTUALLY BETTER.

GOOD.

THAT MAKES THINGS EASIER.

I WASN'T PLANNING ON LETTING YOU GO ANYWAY.