Atonement, About it’s Cruelty - Chapter 12

Could this key that had escaped him throughout the world truly be within his grasp now?

Oscar brushed back his hair and stepped out of the carriage. The employees of the pleasure district respectfully bowed their heads as the impeccably stylish man got down. It was a clear sign of a VIP whom no one dared to stop.

Entering the space filled with the cheap smell of booze and perfume, mixed with vulgar laughter, Oscar instinctively reached for a cigarette.

“It must be expensive here, she seems to have plenty of money.”

Simon lit the cigarette for him and responded.

“That might not be the case.”

Oscar stared back at Simon.

“And if not a customer?”

“….”

Oscar asked with a snicker.

“Oh, a prostitute?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Simon replied in a businesslike tone.

“That might soon be the case.”

Oscar’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Simon added nothing more.

* * *

About 30 minutes earlier.

“We’re here!”

Seo-ah, clutching her luggage, hurriedly disembarked and was struck speechless by the imposing mansion. Uniformed staff moved efficiently about their tasks, and the heavy presence of numerous people could be felt inside.

“It’s a busy inn.”

“Yes…”

It did appear so. The problem was, Seo-ah had no idea how much a night here might cost.

So, the money she has left…

As she fiddled with the purse inside her coat, a door as tall as two adults combined swung open, and a middle-aged woman emerged. She approached with a warm smile.

“Welcome.”

The lavish appearance of her clothing only heightened Seo-ah’s anxiety.

“I… would like to stay the night. Is there a vacant room?”

She asked, fidgeting with her clothing.

Would they accept a guest dressed more shabbily than even the doorman? Yet, this place seemed secure enough that that man couldn’t just barge in…

“Of course.”

Her train of anxious thoughts was sharply cut off by the kind words.

“Please come in.”

Meeting her kind, curved eyes, Seo-ah instinctively tilted her head down again and asked.

“How much for one night?”

Half a smile visible in her field of view, the innkeeper seemed to think briefly before answering.

“Normally, it’s quite expensive, but a room just became available due to a last-minute cancellation. The bed’s already made up. I’d hate to waste it, so I can give it to you for a discounted price. 100,000 Kerte, how does that sound?”

100,000 Kerte.

A train ticket for 20,000 Kerte, a carriage ride costing 100,000 Kerte, and now, a night at this inn for another 100,000 Kerte? The prices seemed random. It was hard to tell what was reasonable. Was the carriage ride a rip-off?

“It’s better than leaving a room empty. I’m offering it cheaper because it helps me too.”

Seo-ah’s gaze drifted outside to the dark, unfamiliar city.

Turning her head back, the inn now bathed in a warm glow seemed inviting.

For a stranger in a foreign land, there wasn’t much choice.

“Yes, thank you.”

As she turned to pay the coachman, the innkeeper intervened, insisting that it was customary for the inn to compensate coachmen who brought in guests.

She then gestured for someone. A staff member, apparently, hurried over, took Seo-ah’s luggage, and led her inside with polite efficiency.

Looking back as she followed the staff member, Seo-ah saw the innkeeper still smiling at her.

For the first time since her arrival, Seo-ah smiled back, reassured by the innkeeper’s kindness.

Once Seo-ah had entered the inn, the innkeeper turned to address the coachman. The kind innkeeper vanished as if evaporating, replaced by a brothel owner’s cold gaze.

“Where is she from?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but she’s definitely not from Norfolk.”

“Are you certain?”

As she lit a cigarette, her voice was sharp. The coachman quickly explained.

“Or if they’re from Norfolk, she might be from some backwater. Completely clueless about the ways of the world. She couldn’t relax for a moment, awkward with money too. Can you believe she paid 100,000 Kerte for a carriage ride?”

“…”

“And just look at her, not the face of a local. Plus, wouldn’t someone from Norfolk know what goes on in Felpe’s pleasure districts? She believed this place was an inn without question.”

The brothel owner remained silent, just puffing on her cigarette. The coachman, frustrated, raised his voice.

“Come on, it’s not just okay, it’s better than what they got with Anna from Amant Rose, isn’t it? Even without undressing her, you can tell. Put her in some fairy-like outfit, and I bet a bunch of guys would go crazy to have a go at her. She’d be the kind that brings in top money, and who knows, she might even outdo Catherine in this business, right?”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Come on, we’re all in the same game here. I brought her in nice and easy, smiling all the way.”

“I said lower your voice. So, she was alone?”

“I first saw her at Folsman International Port. She was alone from the start, dressed just as she is now. Got lucky catching the train to Felpe. I followed her on the train, and sure enough, no company.”

“But why dress like that? She’s not crazy or something?”

“I thought that at first too, so I watched her closely. Doesn’t seem crazy, more like that’s literally the only clothes she has.”

“Just those clothes? Well, the poorer, the better. But why come to Felpe? You followed her, didn’t you?”

The coachman hesitated as he was about to mention that the woman went to the Felpe Bank. Felpe Bank was a place where ordinary people couldn’t even open an account, let alone a safe deposit box.

However, it seemed highly unlikely that this ragged and naive woman could have an account or safe there. Perhaps she went to the bank seeking a job, being naive about the world.

Regardless, the coachman decided to omit the bank story, talking about it might just reduce the price he could ask for her.