Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 8

SHE'S CERTAINLY THOROUGH.

SO SHE HAS NO TROUBLE READING THE COMMON LANGUAGE OF NORFOLK.

THEN AGAIN, SHE SPOKE FLUENTLY ENOUGH.

FOR A STRANGER IN CLOTHES THAT LOOK AT LEAST 20 YEARS OLD,

HER BEARING IS QUITE FASCINATING.

THE FINGERTIPS SCANNING THE CONTRACT ARE REFINED,

AND HER POSTURE IS IMPECCABLE, WITH HER FEET PERFECTLY ALIGNED.

SHE SEEMS ALMOST PATHOLOGICALLY UNABLE TO MEET MY GAZE,

YET SHE HAS THE UNMISTAKABLE AIR OF SOMEONE WHO WAS RAISED IN WEALTH.

PERHAPS THE ILLEGITIMATE CHILD OF A NOBLEMAN, FORCED TO WALK ON EGGSHELLS HER WHOLE LIFE.

SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CONTRACT?

OH...

IF THERE ARE ANY CLAUSES YOU DON'T LIKE, JUST SAY THE WORD.

UM...

IT SAYS 500 MILLION KERTERA A WEEK, ON THE CONDITION I REMAIN IN CUSTODY...

HOW MUCH IS 500 MILLION KERTERA ACTUALLY WORTH?

WELL, BY THE STANDARDS OF THE NORFOLK CONTINENT'S UPPER CLASS,

A DECENT MANSION IN A KINGDOM'S CAPITAL GOES FOR ABOUT 10 BILLION KERTERA.

AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING ANYTHING YOU'D CALL A PROPER CASTLE, OF COURSE.

THOSE ARE USUALLY CONSIDERED PRICELESS.

A Mansion...

IS THAT NOT ENOUGH?

IF YOU NEED MORE, JUST SAY SO.

THAT'S NOT

WHAT I MEANT.

THAT WILL BE MORE THAN ENOUGH.

SO, READY TO SIGN?

AH...!

SHE'S TAKING IT WITH BOTH HANDS AGAIN.

...?

HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN A FOUNTAIN PEN BEFORE?

I'VE SEEN PENS THAT YOU DIP IN INK.

THAT'S A RELIC.

JUST OPEN THE CAP.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PULL IT.

CAN'T GET IT OPEN?

N-NO—

I'M JUST... AFRAID I'LL BREAK IT...

JUST PULL IT OFF.

AT 500 MILLION KERTERA A WEEK, YOU COULD AFFORD TO USE IT ONCE AND THROW IT AWAY.

THERE YOU GO.

RIGHT,

I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SIGN NOW.

THE SIGNATURE LINE... RIGHT HERE.

ARE YOU WRITING "SEOAH"?

YES.

BUT THAT'S THREE CHARACTERS.

SEOAH HAN.

SEOAH IS MY GIVEN NAME. HAN IS MY FAMILY NAME.

SEOAH...

HAN...

MY SERVANT WILL TAKE THE SIGNED CONTRACT.

KEEP THE PEN.

WAIT—

WHEN...

WHEN WILL YOU BE BACK?

SO, IT'S COME TO THIS.

I'VE SIGNED

MY NAME TO A CONTRACT.

AN AGREEMENT THAT TIES ME DOWN IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY.

IT MAY SOUND GOOD FOR NOW,

BUT IT MEANS MY FREEDOM WILL BE BOUND UNTIL THE DAY THE SAFE IS OPENED.

THERE ARE NO CLAUSES CONCERNING MY WELL-BEING,

JUST... PROTECTION FOR THE SAKE OF HIS GOAL.

BUT

FOR NOW,

THIS IS ENOUGH...

BEHOLD, YOUR MAJESTY!

THE KING OF FELPE HIMSELF SUMMONS HIM,

AND HE DARES TO BE LATE!

THAT DAMNED DOG FROM LUXEN

IS SHOWING COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR FELPE AND YOUR MAJESTY!

WE MUST PROTEST TO THE KING OF LUXEN AT ONCE!

KING HENRY IV OF FELPE

NOT LONG AGO, YOU WERE SO EXCITED TO BE CORRESPONDING WITH MARQUIS REICHENHART,

AND NOW YOU WANT ME TO PROTEST TO THE KING OF LUXEN?

BUT, WE HAVE BEEN INSULTED!

THIS IS NOT MERE DISRESPECT —

IT MUST BE SEEN AS AN ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE FELPE ROYAL FAMILY!

HAVE YOU ONLY JUST REALIZED THAT THE MARQUIS LOOKS DOWN ON THE FELPE THRONE?

YOU DULL-WITTED...

DID YOU THINK I WOULDN'T KNOW THAT MARQUIS REICHENHART'S INFLUENCE

WAS THE REASON YOU BECAME PRESIDENT?

I, THE KING, OPPOSED YOUR APPOINTMENT.

SO HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN SEATED AS PRESIDENT OF THE BANK OF FELPE?!

GRAND DUKE BADEN. MY DEAR HALF-BROTHER.

SHALL I TELL YOU WHY YOU'VE ENDED UP IN THIS STATE?

IT'S BECAUSE YOU FOOLISHLY WENT SNIFFING AROUND FOR OPPORTUNITIES ON BOTH SIDES.

WHEN I WOULDN'T MAKE YOU THE PRESIDENT,

YOU MUST HAVE RUN TO THE MARQUIS, HOPING TO REAP THE BENEFITS AND THEN SLIP AWAY.

WHAT WAS THE PRICE HE MADE YOU PAY?

YOUR MAJESTY, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

A PRICE?!

I BECAME PRESIDENT PURELY ON MY OWN MERIT.

YOUR MAJESTY.

MARQUIS REICHENHART OF LUXEN HAS ARRIVED.

LET HIM ENTER.

GREETINGS, YOUR MAJESTY.

WELCOME, MARQUIS.