The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway Chapter 70

Chapter 70

“Señora, where should we move this console table?”

“Outside the entrance, please.”

Cárcel, seated on the terrace outside the drawing-room, gazed inside dubiously through the wide-open door. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] His body itself was turned away from the sea, facing the drawing-room.

In the center of his vision, Ines was busy pointing her finger here and there around the drawing-room. She was always good at pointing fingers, then and now.

Any noble would be the same, but Ines was especially accustomed to ordering others around.

Despite her unsociable personality, considering how she sometimes even bossed around nobles she barely knew with a tilt of her chin… As Oscar said, she was indeed born with the excellent qualities of the ruling class. Perhaps marrying Oscar would have truly suited her aptitude….

The thought suddenly made him feel a bit disgusted, so Cárcel looked back at Ines’s busy, bright yellow dress.

She even smelled fragrant and artificial today. She always smelled good, but today, there was a lingering scent wherever she went, so she must have sprayed perfume.

Perfume, not fragrant oil… It was a series of ladylike actions. At the same time, it was uncharacteristic of Ines.

Cárcel didn't particularly like the artificial scent of perfume. That was why the nobles of Mendoza had, at some point, commonly chosen perfume instead of frequent washing, which had become a trend. Both men and women seemed to think that covering up filth with flowers was enough.

Their glamorous floral scents were always subtly mixed with their natural body odor, and he, with his exceptionally sensitive sense of smell, often felt disgusted by that faint smell.

So he had established a hypothesis that this might be why he was particularly aroused by Ines’s clean scent….

The lingering scent wafted into his nostrils again. As if it were a matter of course, his lower body tightened a little. He frowned, unconsciously staring at Ines’s back as she momentarily drew closer to the servant and then moved away, as if he were about to devour her.

Whatever she did, it was already a lost cause. Now that he was artificially aroused by the artificial scent, how could he convince himself with any excuse?

He had actually given up on convincing himself quite a while ago. So there was nothing new about it, but it was almost laughable that he had been inwardly disgusted by the smell of people's perfume.

Thinking about her sitting in front of the vanity mirror, haughtily lifting her face and spraying perfume on her slender neck…There was no way he could convince himself why this kind of thing was arousing. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] He couldn't even explain why he was thinking about it in the first place.

Sitting in front of the mirror, did she recall that night even once?

If she did, would she be even momentarily embarrassed with that shameless face of hers…? The face that couldn’t overcome the embarrassment and briefly flushed red, the face that flushed even redder, the lips that exhaled heavily, and the breasts that swayed enticingly, all gnawed at his mind one after another.

Damn it. For Ines, who stubbornly refused unless it was nighttime, the world was still too bright.

He grimaced as he looked at the bright sky where even the sunset glow over the sea couldn’t be seen. A day in Calstera, close to the tropics, was too long.

Besides, even if the sun set, would this series of events come to an end?

“Señora, what about this armchair?”

“That too, outside the entrance.”

Ines said ‘Throw it away’ in a refined way, by specifying the location. Most of the items were headed outside the entrance. Yet the servants diligently asking questions and Ines constantly smiling and encouraging them….

‘……Why?’

His thoughts were cut short, and only a very simple and primal question remained.

He secretly checked with Yolanda if she had swallowed something wrong during the day, but she reported that the mistress had only had her usual snacks.

But there were no signs of this in the morning. She didn’t have such lively eyes, and he couldn’t even sense the prelude to such an active plan.

‘So why?’

Wherever he looked, it was nothing but surprising and strange. Moreover, how could she suddenly have such a natural bond, calling each of them by name and ordering them around, as if she had been living as if she didn’t even know that such male servants existed in this residence?

“Hugo, the one here too. Yes, that’s right. This one… Wait a moment, can you carry it alone? Call Jose, oh. You can carry it alone? Oh my…!”

The servant, with a proud expression, politely asked, desperately hiding his trembling hands.

“This much is not difficult at all, Señora.”

“Cárcel, Cárcel!”

“…….”

“Look, Hugo carried this all by himself.”

She spoke in such an uncharacteristically loud voice, and even stepped aside as if worried he wouldn’t be able to see.

Cárcel replied with a slightly annoyed face.

“I can already see.”

“Isn’t his strength amazing?”

Instead of answering her, Cárcel stared at the servant’s trembling hands.

The best course of action would be to clench his teeth and quickly leave the room, but since Ines was telling him to look at her, he couldn't move and was enduring it pitifully.

How could he put it down while she was praising him, saying look how strong he is, how amazing he is?

So it was even more pitiful. Cárcel smiled and nodded. But very slowly.

“Right? I think he might be the strongest person in the residence….”

“Oh dear, I wouldn't dare.”

His hands were trembling pathetically, but he spoke well. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] Cárcel looked at the servant with just such eyes and quietly gestured to her to look at him.

However, Ines didn't consider Cárcel’s gesture to be meaningful at all and turned back to the servant.

“Why are you still here? Go quickly.”

She urged him with a wave of her hand, as if she couldn't even imagine that the servant couldn't move because of her.

The servant looked momentarily bewildered, but eventually melted like snow at the sight of Ines’s face, smiling kindly and adding, 'You were needlessly struggling,' and obediently turned around and left.

But unlike the servant, Cárcel still had a bewildered expression.

“Cárcel, the people in the residence are all so diligent, it’s a big problem.”

“…….”

“Look at Hugo. He must have been tired, but he waited patiently without a word….”

It was even more so seeing Ines exaggerating a sigh and shaking her head.

The kind of praise that implied they were so good-natured that it was a headache… The maids who remained behind, busy cleaning the vases and trimming the candles, wore delighted expressions.

‘……Was that it?’

There are times when words that were difficult to understand suddenly become clear. Cárcel replayed Ines’s incomprehensible actions one by one.

Indirect praise, spoken loudly enough to be heard, but not directly, making it sound even more sincere… There was no need to mention the simple-minded people of Calstera.

If the maids talked about this moment while having dinner—especially that guy, he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

That face that had been grinning inappropriately since earlier… Cárcel swallowed an irritated sigh. Actually, it suited her. Everything was fake, but strangely, it suited her as if it were something she did every day. It suited her so well that it was even exciting because she was doing something she had never done before…….

He briefly ignored the feeling of defeat that was rearing its head again and traced his memory back to her gentle speech and the welcome at the entrance.

That was also meant to be heard. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] It was too late and sudden to be directed at him, considering the 17 years that had already passed in a mess, and the conclusion was that the employees were the target of that suspicious behavior…

But even so, why?

The suspicion circled back. What was the use of being hypocritical and kind to the employees…? If she was the kind of person who cared that much about other people’s gazes, the nickname 'Valeztena Crow' would never have been born.

That arrogant woman who ignored even the royal family at the royal banquet…….

“How is Hugo so strong? Look at him, look at him. He’s already back and carrying that heavy frame all by himself……”

But his sharpened senses dulled in an instant.

That damn Hugo…….

This was why men were a problem.

Suddenly feeling a competitive spirit for a problem with no results, no benefits, and no warning, and being unable to think of anything else.

“His body is only about half your size.”

“…….”

And Ines fueled that foolish thought.