Atonement, About it's Cruelty - Chapter 31
Oscar paused for a moment and pointed to the topmost letter with the pen before speaking.
“Han Seo-ah. My first name is Seo-ah, and my last name is Han.”
Oscar repeated her name quietly to himself.
Han Seo-ah.
As she finished signing and attempted to close the pen to return it, Oscar collected only the contract and said.
“Keep the pen.”
Without waiting for her to say anything, he stood up. He had some urgent matters to attend to.
He could sense Simon outside the door, fidgeting like a restless dog. Handling the contract was something he could leave to the wolves without much concern.
After placing the contract on the desk, he turned to see Seo-ah standing upright with a neat demeanor.
She looked white, small, simple, and now red-faced.
Whether it was a curious allure or a result of his habitual quest searching for that damned key, she had unwittingly made him linger.
Oscar stared at Seo-ah as he buttoned his jacket. He then took long strides, his pace contrasting sharply with his earlier relaxed manner.
As he swiftly passed by Seo-ah and reached the door, it opened as if on cue. Oscar continued without pausing, and just as he was about to step through the doorway, a voice called out.
“Excuse me…!”
Turning back, he saw the woman, now flushed to her forehead, standing helplessly. Oscar blinked once, twice, but he had no intention of giving her any more time.
He was about to continue on his way without even asking why she had called him.
“When will you be coming?”
A very small, trembling voice reached his ears.
Oscar took a step, then looked back at her.
“…”
But it was only a fleeting moment before he stepped through the door. The kind face he had been using like a mask evaporated instantly.
As the waiting wolves bowed their heads respectfully, Simon, who had been waiting, immediately followed Oscar and whispered,
“It’s been 30 minutes since the meeting with King Felpe began.”
Oscar swept back his fallen hair and responded with a sardonic tone.
“Whether it’s 30 minutes or 300 minutes, if I have more important things to attend to, he should be able to wait.”
“I think it’s because of the matter with Grand Duke Baden.”
“That was quite the gentleman, so why the change?”
Simon fell silent at the cruel twist of Oscar’s lips. Even though King Felpe had been waiting for 30 minutes, there was no mention of the King in what followed.
“What about Abel?”
“He should arrive around dinner time.”
Oscar nodded slightly. Then, an irrelevant and faint question popped into his mind. It was peculiar and didn’t make much sense. What difference did it make what time he returned?
Oscar’s eyes narrowed. But there were more pressing matters than dwelling on the foreigner’s awkward speech.
“When you go to the Felpe Bank, take the kids with you. Don’t stop them from going wherever they please, let them do as they wish. Also, send someone to the hotel to buy what’s needed.”
“Understood, Your Excellency.”
Simon stopped immediately after receiving the orders, but Oscar continued walking, not looking back.
* * *
Oscar von Reinhardt.
Where he had passed, the air stirred.
In the wake of the breeze, a faint scent remained—a hint of smoke and ash, like the remnants of a fire.
Seo-ah blinked, staring blankly at her hand.
The pen was black and glossy, like obsidian. It had gold decorations at both ends, and when opened, the nib shone with a golden hue.
She had signed her name on the contract with this pen.
A contract.
Seo-ah turned her head to look at the desk. The contract, with their names written side by side, lay carelessly on the desk as if it was seemingly insignificant.
The mention of the name on the identity verification provided to the Felpe Bank seemed to be a precaution against any potential disputes with the bank.
“When you visit the Felpe Bank later, you’ll see that opening the safe will take at least six months, no matter how brief the time frame is. During that time, if you entrust your safety to me and receive protection and the equivalent of a mansion in exchange… wouldn’t that be reasonable? When you add in the money inside the safe, it will be quite a substantial amount.”
It sounds promising, but in the end, it means she’ll be bound by constraints until the day the safe is opened.
The clause about entrusting her personal safety was clear: Reside in a location recognized by Marquis Reinhardt for protection; Always be accompanied by individuals approved by the Marquis when leaving the recognized area; Follow the orders of the Marquis or those approved by him in case of an emergency.
Yet, nowhere in the contract was there a definition of ‘protection’. So, if this protection only meant keeping her alive, even if her body were damaged, it wouldn’t be considered a breach of contract.
“……”
For now, it’s acceptable.
A sigh escaped that had been held back, and the warmth of the breath drying out her lips. Her heart felt like it might burst, and her back was already drenched with cold sweat.
Even so,
For now, it’s acceptable.
* * *
Beneath the enormous tapestry adorned with a scale, there was a steel throne. The steel throne, symbolizing the safe of the Felpe Bank, was occupied by King Henry IV of Felpe, who had his eyes tightly closed, his forehead deeply furrowed.
“Look, Your Majesty! The dog from Luxen, who should be on a leash, is completely disregarding Felpe and Your Majesty! How dare he be late when summoned by the King of Felpe!”
Grand Duke Baden’s booming voice kept irritating his nerves.
But it wasn’t just Grand Duke Baden’s shouting that was annoying, after all.
T/N:
*the part where Seo-ah said ‘when will you be coming(back)’ still sounds a bit okay in english, but it sounds a bit odd in korean. that’s why Oscar used the word ‘return’.
Seo-ah used the word 오다(to come); let’s say you’re inviting a friend “yes please come”. but she meant to ask Oscar when he will be back, in which she should be using 돌아오다 (to come back/return, from where they went)
i hope this explanation is clear enough!
p.s: this is the last chapter of atonement from me! i’ve decided to drop it since it’s being translated at another site too 🙂 thank you for reading the universe of atonement and salvation~
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