Read Atonement, For Your Cruelty English Novel Translation

[AFYC] Chapter 89

original: Han Boyeon, translation: Ru

Romance, Drama, Mystery, Fantasy, Mature, Smut

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The night that refused to let her sleep was both cruelly long and painfully short. She watched as the surrounding darkness slowly shifted into a pale grey, signalling the arrival of dawn. Seo Ah closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, a sharp ray of golden sunlight pierced through the narrow gap between the curtains, stabbing into her eyes. She winced and began to sit up when a knock came at the door.

“My lady, may I come in?”

Before Seo Ah could answer, the door opened. Startled, she sat up abruptly, catching sight of Barbara hesitating at the threshold.

“Would you like to rest a little longer?”

Barbara would likely take the food away if she agreed, just as she had the night before. Seo Ah had the distinct impression that she could sleep the entire day if she wanted to.

“No, I’m fine, Barbara.”

Hurriedly, she reached for her coat and threw it on, glancing nervously toward the door across the hall. She pulled the coat tighter around herself as she walked over to draw the curtains, flooding the room with light. What little sleep she had managed to get seemed longer than it actually was.

“You must have been very tired,” Barbara remarked as she wheeled the cart over to the table.

Seo Ah felt embarrassed by the untouched food from the night before and approached the table, though she knew she couldn’t hide the evidence. Barbara noticed the untouched meal and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

“No.”

“It doesn’t seem like you slept well.”

“I slept fine,” Seo Ah lied.

Barbara didn’t seem convinced. Her sharp, dark blue gaze made Seo Ah uncomfortable, so she turned away.

“Perhaps you should take the day to rest,” Barbara suggested.

The shrewd old woman and the uncertain foreigner exchanged glances, the morning sunlight seeping into the room between them.

In truth, Barbara hoped Seo Ah would stay in the mansion for the day. The backup agents all agreed that Abel and Seo Ah must have had a hellish day yesterday. The morning confirmed it; Seo Ah had the telltale signs of someone who hadn’t slept a wink.

No matter how exciting exploring a foreign land might be, she wouldn’t be in any state to enjoy it.

“Surely you don’t plan to visit the market again today?”

Barbara’s question hung in the air, and Seo Ah felt it wouldn’t be wise to insist on another market visit today.

Avoiding Barbara’s gaze, Seo Ah watched as the older woman began to clear away the untouched food from the night before and set out only a few light dishes from the fresh meal she had brought.

Perhaps it would be wise to take a day off, as Barbara suggested. If this were her home or if she were simply on vacation, that might have been the best choice. But Seo Ah knew she couldn’t afford to waste a single day.

The image of Abel’s ruined clothes came to her mind—perhaps as a small stroke of luck.

“Barbara,” Seo Ah began hesitantly.

“Yes?”

“Where can I buy clothes like Abel Stings’?”

Barbara, who had been silently pouring water into a glass, paused and set down the pitcher, turning to look at Seo Ah.

“Abel’s clothes?”

Barbara’s dry tone carried a hint of curiosity for the first time. The two women, worldly and the other naïve eyed each other, hiding their intentions. Meanwhile, the morning sunlight continued to fill the room.

♔♔♔

When Abel Sting first started as an intelligence agent, he hoped his targets would match his preferences. Ideally, they’d be around his age, with a generous figure.

But his seniors had laughed at his wishes and spoke with authority.

“A wealthy target is the best kind,” they said.

Preferences?  All that matters is that they’re rich.

At first, Abel didn’t understand. Won’t money also be meaningless if your life was on the line? Wouldn’t it be better to have fun with a target you actually desire, even if you die tomorrow?

But the more missions he undertook, the more Abel found himself agreeing with his seniors.

Preferences could change at any time. He couldn’t recall what kind of sex he’d had a year ago or how satisfying it was, but the money from his targets always left a trace.

Because…

“It leaves you with trophies,” Abel muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion.

The expensive suit and shoes he had acquired from a certain countess were now ruined after yesterday. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t eliminate the smell, and the amount of sticky mud on them suggested they would be better suited as battle gear.