Read Atonement, For Your Cruelty English Novel Translation

[AFYC] Chapter 86

original: Han Boyeon, translation: Ru

Romance, Drama, Mystery, Fantasy, Mature, Smut

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He had tossed the greeting out casually.

She should have responded, ‘Did you have a good trip?’ But no words came out; her throat seemed blocked. She merely opened and closed her mouth like a fool. The man had watched her for a moment before murmuring to himself, his voice tinged with faint amusement.

“Well, you don’t look like you’ve been well.”

The day’s frustration and self-reproach must have also been evident to Oscar.

He had turned away indifferently, and the men who had stood sentinel at the entrance melted away into the shadows. Seo Ah had been left standing alone.

How pathetic she must have looked. Then, the memory of being caught watching him on the train resurfaced, and a cold sweat broke out on her skin.

Lying face down on the table, Seo Ah curled up even more tightly, groaning.

If not for the sound of Barbara’s cart approaching from outside the room, she might have stayed that way for a long time.

“My lady, may I come in for a moment?”

Startled, she shot to her feet just as the door opened without further ado.

“Barbara.”

Seo Ah hurried to the door, holding it open for the older woman pushing a cart laden with food.

The amount of food seemed to increase every day.

She found herself speaking without thinking.

“It’s too much, ma’am.”

Barbara paused at the threshold, turning to look at her.

“You haven’t had your dinner yet,” she said.

“Yes, but…”

Barbara continued to gaze at her for a moment, then nodded. She began to push the cart back out of the room.

“I’ll take it back then.”

It would be beyond rude to refuse the food that had been brought for her. Seo Ah quickly grabbed the cart, shaking her head.

“No, ma’am. I didn’t mean for you to take it back.”

“Then I’ll bring it in.”

Barbara seemed to have no middle ground in her actions as if she were always standing on the edge of something. Seo Ah quickly pulled a small plate from the cart.

“I’m sorry. I think this will be enough for tonight.”

“Are you sure that’s enough?” Barbara asked, her tone impassive.

“It’s more than enough. Thank you.”

She quickly set the plate down inside the room, but Barbara was already pushing the cart out the door. Seo Ah felt she couldn’t just stand by and let her take it all away after going through the trouble of bringing it. She hurried to grab the door as Barbara deftly manoeuvred the cart through it. The older woman raised an eyebrow and then expertly guided the cart down the hallway.

Seo Ah stepped ahead of her to open the door to the corridor.

Their eyes met briefly, Barbara’s impassive gaze lingering on her as she pushed the cart through.

“I’ll collect the plate when I bring breakfast in the morning. Rest well.”

With that, she was gone before Seo Ah could even thank her. Seo Ah stood there, staring after her for a moment. She listened to the steady sound of the cart’s wheels receding into the distance, then closed the door quietly.

Barbara was a kind person. As she turned away, Seo Ah resolved to eat everything she had taken. But an odd feeling crept over her—a mix of unease and a strange sense of déjà vu, like a cold breeze brushing against her skin.

She turned and froze before she could fully grasp the source of this feeling.

“…!”

Someone stood in the dimly lit study filled with the scent of old books.

It felt like encountering a large predator in the middle of a dark mountain. The shadow cast by the figure seemed to reach out and grab her by the ankles.

Under the low light, Oscar stood, casually draped in a silk robe, watching her intently. It suddenly struck her that this was his space.

Maybe he had come to read. She should leave. It would be best to retreat through the door behind her.

But despite the room’s ample size, Oscar’s presence seemed to fill it. Seo Ah tried to hold her head high instead of ducking like a turtle, and she cautiously broke the heavy silence.

“I was too flustered earlier to greet you properly.”

Then, she raised her eyes to meet his briefly before bowing her head.

“Did you have a good trip?”

A soft laugh, almost a sigh, drifted down over her bowed head, followed by words spoken as if to himself.

“You’re very polite.”

“…”

“Yeah, I did.

How have you been?”

“The staff here have been very accommodating, so I’ve been well.”

“You didn’t seem very well,” he noted.

Unsure how to respond, Seo Ah hesitated.

“I made a mistake today.”

“What mistake?”

“I bought some flowers without realising what they were…”

Oscar was silent for a moment. Seo Ah didn’t dare look up to see his expression. She imagined he might be too perplexed to respond, but when he spoke again, his tone was casual.

“Why did you sprinkle the salt?”