The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway Chapter 72

Chapter 72

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He had his doubts, but thinking back, there weren't many instances where what Ines said didn't come to fruition.

Cárcel stared at Jose Almenara across from him with a sullen expression. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] Jose's expression, who had somehow found himself at this unfamiliar dinner table, was also not entirely comfortable.

They had been together since Jose was commissioned as a lieutenant a year and a half ago, but they had a dry relationship, having never once shared a formal meal like this before.

Except for when they were all invited together to the commander’s residence, or when they simply grabbed a quick bite during missions…….

In other words, they had never been each other's guests. Until now.

“Almenara, how’s the food? We really enjoy Yolanda’s cooking, so we hope it’s delicious for you too, Lieutenant.”

“Ah, yes. Señora Escalante… It’s very good. No, it’s excellent. The soup, the soup is cold…?”

“Do you not like cold soup?”

“No, no! It’s special. It’s that special.”

The first guest invited in the name of the Escalante couple, Jose Almenara, boasted a presence that filled one side of the rather large dining table located in the center of their dining room. It was only natural, as he was literally a bear-like man in size.

However, for some reason, whenever he opened his mouth in front of Cárcel, he would become an infinitely small dot, and it was the same now.

And since Jose usually opened his mouth because Ines spoke to him, now even when Ines opened her mouth, he would shrink in advance.

“It’s quite hot today, so Yolanda must have prepared a cold soup.”

“Ah… is that so. How thoughtful. As expected… Escalante’s employees….”

Employees, what? As Cárcel instinctively looked at him with that familiar expression, Jose shrunk even further. He was the biggest small dot in the world.

“As befits Escalante’s reputation, their skills are outstanding….”

Cough, Jose choked mid-sentence, spitting out his grandiose compliment. There was nothing more undignified than choking at a formal invitation… he tried to swallow it with that thought in mind, but the more he tried to swallow, the worse it got.

While Cárcel gave him a cold look, as if watching something utterly pathetic, Ines quickly gestured to the butler to refill Jose's water glass.

“Almenara, drink some water quickly. Here you go.”

Cough, Yes, Gulp… Señora, Cough, I apologize…… Instead of drinking the water first as he was told, Jose, busy being polite, finally lowered his head and grabbed the water glass, coughing violently.

Even while gulping down the cold water, a rough coughing fit erupted. It was a noisy silence.

After the series of events ended, Jose, who had taken a few deep breaths, looked up with an embarrassed expression. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] While Ines looked at him with concern, his direct superior….

“You look like you could tear into raw meat, yet you can't swallow something without chunks?”

“You’re the barbarian who tears into raw meat, Cárcel.”

“Ines… how many times do I have to tell you? That’s fully cooked meat.”

“How can blood drip from fully cooked meat? I really can’t understand you or Father at all….”

“The Duke would be disappointed to see you tied up like that.”

“It’s because you act like that that the lieutenant can’t even swallow food without chunks, Cárcel.”

'Poor thing, how much pressure did you put on him…' Ines muttered softly, then stood up and pushed the bread basket toward Jose.

Cárcel scoffed in disbelief.

“Eat this once you’ve calmed down. It’s definitely because you’re feeling weak because of someone.”

“Señora Escalante… Thank you….”

“…Thank you? So it’s true that it’s because of me?”

Cárcel instinctively tilted his head and asked, and Jose froze with the bread still in his mouth. The bread was big even though it was sliced, but it looked dainty because his face and hands were so large.

Frozen with that dainty bread in his mouth….

“He’s cute, constantly being mindful.”

Cute? Who? Cárcel didn’t hide his dumbfounded expression. But Ines was looking at the colossal Jose as if he were truly cute.

It was a truly strange situation for Jose, who could see both of their expressions at a glance. Cute? …Me? His innocent face was filled with a silent question. As he pushed the bread into his mouth as if he had been urged to do so, this time, a clear laugh erupted from Ines.

“Yes. You’re cute.”

As if a shadow forms when light shines, Cárcel’s expression turned irritable as Ines’s expression brightened. That? He couldn’t acknowledge it as cute at all. That bear-like guy being cute. If anything was cute, it would be him….

Regardless, Ines, who wasn’t paying much attention to the person next to her, smiled and beckoned to the servant who was bringing in the food.

“You’ve come at the right time. Serve the Lieutenant first.”

“Señora! How can I dare!”

But it was already served. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] Jose’s eyes were fixated on the meat, as if mesmerized by the glistening oil. The smell was truly artistic.

“You said you like lamb. Yolanda happens to be very good at cooking lamb dishes. I used to hate lamb, but she cooks it so well that even someone like me who hates it thinks about it sometimes. As soon as I heard a few things from the servant who visited the Lieutenant’s residence, I thought it would be good to serve this.”

“How could you consider what the likes of me likes……”

Jose muttered in awe. He had a simple heart, unbefitting of the third son of Count Almenara, and the innate posture of a timid subordinate.

Ines glanced at Cárcel. She was looking at him with the thought, 'The military academy has ruined many people…' and Cárcel, as if sensing her gaze, looked back at her.

“Why?”

“I thought it was all your fault.”

His flawlessly smooth face pleaded his innocence.

However, considering that Cárcel's mental state remained intact despite three years at the military academy, it was likely his superior who had ruined Jose. Or maybe both of them.

“Does Cárcel bully the Lieutenant a lot?”

“What? The Captain? That’s preposterous….”

Jose, his face melting along with the melting texture of the meat, vaguely denied Ines’s question. He didn’t even realize that he had accidentally nodded his head.

Cárcel’s eyebrows rose crookedly.

“Your words and actions don’t match, Almenara.”

“It’s the difference between outward appearance and inner thoughts. Cárcel. Accept it.”

As Ines said so, Jose waved his hands vigorously.

His hands were so large that the flowers in the nearby vase swayed as if in the wind.

“No. No. This is a misunderstanding.”

“How much did you usually oppress him for the Lieutenant to deny it so frantically?”

“…Almenara, did I usually ‘oppress’ you that much?”

As Cárcel asked with a slightly mocking emphasis on the word, Jose shook his head again, as if it were truly absurd.

“No, of course not… Just an average amount.”

Cárcel shrugged as if to say 'See?' and looked back at Ines, then suddenly realized the inner thoughts that had unintentionally slipped out of Jose’s words and turned his head sharply.

…Average…?

“So, Cárcel doesn’t bully the Lieutenant that much, but he oppresses him an average amount? So, what’s next?”

“It’s a misunderstanding, Ines.”

“This is another side of my husband that I’ve never seen before. Even though we’ve known each other for a long time……. This sadistic side of him.”

“First of all, Ines, the word 'sadistic' sounds a bit strange here. And it’s a misunderstanding, damn it, that bastard has no idea how comfortable he has it in the Navy.”

“Cárcel, did you just curse at my guest?”

“…He’s my adjutant, isn’t he?”

“Right now, he’s my guest, isn’t he?”

“Um… You two, please don’t fight because of me……”

Jose muttered pathetically like a tragic protagonist.

“Señora Escalante, I misspoke……”

“Since that bastard is my adjutant, that’s why you invited him—.”

“—You cursed at my guest again, calling him 'that bastard'?”

Cárcel irritably turned his head and stared at Jose.

“Explain yourself properly, Almenara. You’ve never been oppressed or anything like that. You know it yourself.”

“Apologize to the Lieutenant first, Cárcel.”

“How can I dare ask for an apology from the Captain……?”

“Tell the Señora how idle your position is, Almenara.”

“This is exactly what oppression is, and oppression is abuse of authority. Lieutenant.”

Jose’s eyes darted back and forth between Cárcel and Ines with each word.

“If following orders is oppression and abuse of authority, then the fleet would be overflowing with people drowning in the sea.”

“So, you’re saying you’re going to drown the precious third son of Count Almenara in the sea?”

Cárcel instinctively froze for a moment at Ines’s leap in logic, which felt strangely reminiscent of Duke Valeztena. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] Like father, like daughter… In any case, the father and daughter were experts at suddenly shutting people up.

However, his opponent was the insignificant Jose.

“…He’s the third son anyway, and he has nothing to do with the succession, so it wouldn’t matter if one of them got drowned.”

“Just apologize, Cárcel.”

“…….”

“It’s not embarrassing to apologize, it’s embarrassing not to be able to apologize.”

Whether their relationship was good or bad, there was something off about them as a newlywed couple. Just judging by their current tone, it sounded like the tone of someone strictly disciplining a child.

Jose's eyes darted helplessly between Ines and Cárcel, eventually settling on an awkward gaze at the empty space somewhere between them.

He didn’t want to receive an apology from his superior. Thinking about the subtle retaliation that would come in the form of missions if he received an apology…… But in the meantime, the lamb was incredibly delicious, and the hierarchy between the couple seemed clear.

Rather than upsetting the superior’s superior, no, the superior’s wife, and ultimately upsetting the superior as well by saying he didn’t want an apology…….

Jose silently closed his mouth and savored the lamb. And soon after.

“……I was a little wrong.”

“About what?”

“What?”

“You have to state the reason for what you did wrong so the other person knows you’re aware of your mistake and are apologizing. For example, ‘I was terribly rude to you, who came all the way here after I invited you,’ something like that.”

“Damn it, I’m sorry… After inviting you all the way here, I made you listen to my cursing.”

“What about when you cursed again while apologizing for cursing?”

“…I’m sorry for cursing again. Are you happy now?”