The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway Chapter 28

Chapter 28

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“……What on earth did I do wrong? What was lacking? Why did I make a mistake?”

“Ines, I don’t know what the problem is from the beginning.”

Juana tilted her head as if she couldn't understand no matter how much she thought about it and put the perfume on Ines’ feet.

Then Ines forgot what she was talking about and trembled as if she was disgusted.

“It tickles…! Don’t go there.”

“The Duchess told us to do it without missing even the smallest area.”

“It’s not like my mother is watching, so what does it matter?”

“God is watching.”

Devout Juana made the sign of the cross with her perfumed hands for a moment and then took Ines’ feet. Ines laughed.

“God is not at all interested in how the ointment is applied to my body. So, ah, stop…!”

“Do you tickle that much?”

“You know very well how much I hate putting perfume on my feet……”

“This is my first time applying it like this. How would I know? Of course, I learned better from today...….”

Ines realized that she had made an inadvertent mistake and closed her mouth for a moment. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] In her past life, she did this when she was bored, so stopped.

In her third life, Ines became distant from everything related to decoration, and she also became distant from these things. No matter how much the duchess insisted, she refused, and no matter how much she refused, her mother continued to insist, so she went on a rampage as if she was ready to harm herself, which made her mom got scared.

Thanks to this, the Duchess of Valeztena had to watch the still-present Ines walking around wearing only pitch-black clothes like a crow, with only the adorable image of her five-year-old daughter lingering in her heart.

It goes without saying that the daughter of a great nobleman does not smell the scent of flowers as she passes by, her hands that should be shiny and twinkling sometimes have ink marks or stains on them, and she is seen breathing dust from the bookshelf without any friends coming to visit.

'Your hair already looks like your f*cking father! And wearing black clothes means you're insulting your mother... !’

She screamed this nervously often from then on. But the important thing is that she never touched her daughter again.

'It couldn't be like this otherwise. The kid suddenly went crazy and I thought it couldn't be like this.….. With black hair and a black dress, you're an alley undertaker, a gravedigger, or something! What on earth is this cursed appearance?!’

She was said to be an undertaker, a gravedigger, or a cursed figure, but the truth is that she couldn't even think of breaking the curse...When Ines refused trivial adornments for the last time, the Duchess of Valeztena either screamed to the point of being unable to scream anymore—or truly became convinced of the curse.

So she gritted her teeth as she looked at her daughter from afar. Then, on some very emotional days, she would come to her daughter's room crying, repeatedly caressing Ines' face and saying various things. Most of the time, it was self-blame and unnecessary sympathy, repeating words that were more self-reproach than anything else.

'Surely it's because of that fever back then. Isn't it? I should have taken better care of you. So you wouldn't end up like this…... It's all because of your father, that wretched man who made it impossible for me to care for you…… Ines, pitiful child. Look at your black hair. Giving black hair to a girl, he has never been any help to you since the day you were born... Yet, you choose to wear a black dress here... Unless you're insane... What on earth did I do wrong to you……’

Six-year-old fever. As her mother said, the timing was right. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] From that point on, her entire life changed differently than before... It was funny to hear that the color of the dress was the basis for 'it was ruined from then on' even after dozens of years, but it was important to her mother, just like it was to the rest of the world.

In that aspect, Ines also felt a sense of responsibility.

Although the reason was not clear, her daughter was not originally this gloomy crow-like figure....

Hence, at this very moment, following her mother's orders, she lay still, undressed, receiving meticulous care for her entire body.

All of a sudden, under the pretext that marriage was imminent.

“No matter how annoying this is, you have to endure it now. Ines. The Duchess has been patient for a long time. Besides, we don't have much time left right now...….”

There isn't much time. There isn't much time.….. Ines frowned and looked at the portrait on the bedroom wall. A somewhat eerie picture of Escalante smiling brightly when he was about ten years old.…..

A day like today finally came for the Duchess of Valeztena, who had gritted her teeth and watched her only daughter wear only mourning clothes for seventeen years.

Cárcel Escalante, who had been making all sorts of polite excuses and soldier-like excuses mentioning the military laws of the Imperial Navy as if he wanted to avoid actually getting married at all costs, finally sent a letter as of yesterday requesting a formal marriage as soon as possible. It was sent to the Valeztena family.

No way.

Cárcel Escalante from thirteen years ago was looking down at her and her bedroom in a frame. The annoying little kid, only charming in appearance.

“…….”

For some reason, Ines was feeling better and glared at the painting while lying down.

There was also a picture of Ines from that time hanging in Cárcel’s bedroom. The reason why they did not exchange portraits of themselves when they were older, even though they were both well past their adult years, was because they naturally became estranged as they grew up—Cárcel left for the military academy and stopped using Mendoza's bedroom.

So, no matter how much you have a fiancee who is like a thorn in your neck and your future is dark, you will never know what it feels like to see that face every morning when you open your eyes.

“… You don’t know, that's why you say things like that.”

He says he won't betray his family, he doesn't need freedom or privacy in the first place, he won't even touch a woman who isn't her.……

“How could he say something like that to the woman he is going to marry?”

“… So I wonder what the problem is.…...”

Juana swept Inés’ leg and expressed her doubts.

“If you two get married, aren’t you saying that the playboy will also settle down with you? And then he even personally sent a marriage proposal letter yesterday. But what’s the problem?”

“That’s exactly the problem, Juana.”

"…...?"

"The fact that he wants to settle down is the problem.”

“…….”

Juana, who was spreading the perfume down her knees, stopped her hand in bewilderment and looked at her owner.

“…What? Don’t look at me like that.”

“Ines, I don’t know what strange thoughts you’re thinking now, but Captain Escalante is perfect.”

"I'm tired of hearing that... I wish you wouldn't say that either."

"You used to like him so much when you were younger."

"Yeah, I did."

She acted so cleverly that even the closest maid didn't notice.

"The only flaw in that perfect man is—"

"—Me. It's me.”

Ines confidently spoke. It was a proud response, reflecting years of effort that eventually paid off.

Juana frowned and shook her head violently.

"No! Ines, you have no flaws! You are the glory, the honor, and the overwhelming grace of the divine—"

"—Enough, Juana. Stop there.”

"His only flaw is that he's surrounded by too many women."

“That’s how Escalante was created.”

"And he said he would fix that. How wonderful is that?"

"I like Cárcel Escalante just the way he is."

"Your taste is truly unique... Surely, seeing him interact with other women doesn't spark any feelings in you?"

"Maybe it does, who knows.”

Juana looked up at Ines as if she were some kind of pervert, and then sighed.

"Senorita's fiancé doesn't like that. It might have been said just for the sake of it, as you're not married yet, but still, he's not the type to speak lightly..."

"What's the basis?"

"He's a soldier. According to priest's teachings from my childhood, soldiers don't lie.”

"Oh, innocent Juana... Where should I start pointing out? Everyone lies. Soldiers do it as casually as eating, and sometimes even priests tell white lies to please the Lord."

"Father Jorge would never do such a thing!”

Juana, who was urgently making the sign of the cross again, came hurriedly to Ines' bedside and made the sign of the cross on Ines' head as well.

"Is that so? I don’t think he gets tested by you every time he prays to God.”

“Ines, you are too pessimistic.”

“But you said something plausible.”

"Sorry?"

“In the end, it’s all just words that Escalante threw out casually to please me.”

“… I've never said that before.…….”

She turned Ines' body over with a shocked expression. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] As Ines speak to her, she turned around and muttered.

"You're right. Where will that habit go? Yes, you are absolutely right. How can a dog suddenly become a human? If you say, ‘I have to become a human starting tomorrow,’ does a dog become a human starting tomorrow? You can’t do that.”

“You’re talking to yourself right now. Ines.”

"That's right. Escalante is a dog.”

“…And why on earth do you feel relieved about that?”

“I was not wrong. Juana.”

So my efforts will never be betrayed...… Ines muttered as if brainwashing.

However, is there a fiancé who tells sweet lies that his fiancée would like to hear, as if throwing a gauntlet at her face?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't stop looking at Cárcel's expression. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] It also affected her attitude that day. That strangely irritated, nervous-looking face.…

Then, as if to stab her in the back, he sent a marriage proposal letter to Valeztena.