The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Enthralled by a sticky imagination, picturing that scene, Cárcel realized he was pathetically chasing his tail and rose to his feet, annoyed.

It was clearer than crystal that Raul Balan wasn't Ines's lover, and in a situation where a valid suspicion was impossible, this was nothing but jealousy.

Jealousy… had he ever felt anything more unfamiliar in his life?

Of course, nothing could top the daydreams he’d had about Ines constantly throwing off her dress for him, but this was definitely a close second.

Considering his debauched past, it was ridiculous, even the dogs passing by would be laughing. He knew that, he had no right.

And aside from his sleazier aspects—Cárcel Escalante, in his own worldview, was a magnificent, perfect man, and he was completely unconnected to such pathetic feelings, actions, and motivations.

He hadn’t felt like this when he’d thought about the unspecified number of men who had been with her before their consummation. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] He had even wished it had been more than one, not just one.

Was this really jealousy? ‘It can’t be… ’ Cárcel tried to deny it for a moment. He did like Ines. But did he love her? He just liked her, that’s all.

They were going to be stuck with each other for the rest of their lives, after all, so it was better than disliking each other… Ines's response wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, but if they stayed together long enough, they would be persuaded by sentiment. He was looking forward to that day, but was that love? ‘Then anyone can love.’ Cárcel thought cynically.

Jealousy is, of course, the pathetic byproduct of love.

So why should he be jealous of some lowly servant? He was just a nuisance, an eyesore, just her pet.

If he needed to be reminded of why he shouldn’t be jealous, all he had to do was look back at his own shabby past. And there were countless reasons why he didn’t need to be jealous. He was too handsome to be living such a pathetic life, that kind of patheticness wouldn’t suit him, it wasn’t a position worth holding on to, he had social standing… he could truly justify every single aspect.

However.

“Raul flattered her six times, Raul fawned over her seven times, Ines scolded him twice, he filled her empty glass with water four times, Ines stroked Raul’s head twice, Raul smiled happily eleven times….”

This was a little different from jealousy, or perhaps it was something beyond jealousy. A primal aversion to seeing that guy smile happily... His presence was so annoying…

Who would say anything if the master petted the dog’s head? Even other dogs would dislike it. But was he a dog? He wasn’t, was he? Cárcel was swept up in a late identity crisis.

And then, Alfonso’s report suddenly started to bother him.

“Are you reporting like that because you think I’m a jealous husband? You think I’m so pathetic that I want to know all those petty details?”

“How could I! Cara’s report was so long and detailed, so I just summarized it. Did it bother you?”

“It did. From now on, tell me exactly what Cara said.”

“……Yes?”

“Every single detail. Understand?”

If, as Cárcel had said, a detailed report was directly related to being pathetic, then relaying Cara’s detailed statements word for word would be the epitome of pathetic.

“…One Cara is worth a dozen idiots. To think we had such a talent shortage.”

It was only natural, since surveillance and stalking weren’t virtues for employees. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] Cara had just been in dire need of money and had shown off her extraordinary talent.

“With all due respect, Cara asked about compensation, and that part…”

“Give her whatever she asks. She’s a genius.”

Cárcel said, then brightened when he saw Ines coming into the drawing room. It happened automatically, but he had been thinking of it as intentional for a while.

He just wanted to know, that’s all. This was definitely not jealousy.

It was a perfect day, where wildflowers, as if transplanted from a field, bloomed naturally beneath the walls, along with a full array of pink and purple flowers.

It was a perfect day, even without the flowers. On the side facing the coast, the new wall, built intentionally low, meant the blue sea was visible as far as the horizon, even before entering the garden. And the sky was so clear and high, that day.

It was a scene that made every guest exclaim, as soon as they stepped inside, that it looked like fairies might be flying among the branches. The weather, the flowers, the cool breeze. Everything was perfect.

If you turned your eyes to one side of the small, new garden of Captain Escalante’s residence, you could see a new glass greenhouse glistening like a jewel in the sunlight. The fresh green vines, climbing up from the bottom of the greenhouse’s transparent walls, were already creating an idyllic scene.

On the other side, where the greenhouse was not, there were long tables lined up for the party. Over them, a canopy, made of luxurious, sky-blue satin, had been draped to protect the guests from the harsh sun, and late summer flowers decorated the canopy’s awning, facing the residence.

It was large enough to seat about twenty people. The tables, covered neatly with dazzling white cloths, each with an elegant vase on them, were already being cleared by the servants and maids after lunch.

Scattered around them were small, round tables, each with wine glasses, expensive foreign sweets and dried fruits that could be eaten in a single bite, and smoked cheese from the southern region of Ortega.

Then, officers in uniform, and a few ladies, gathered at each table.

A late afternoon after morning mass in Calstera.

The church bell rang, coming from below Logroño Hill. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] It was just after four o’clock, past the hottest part of the day. Everything was relaxing and, for a first party, it was a decent sight.

The first party she had ever hosted in this lifetime.

“Señora Escalante, have you seen my husband?”

“Over there, by the greenhouse. He went with Colonel Barcá a while ago. Ah, he’s there with my husband, Captain Salvatore is there too.”

“Why, of all places…. Maybe they’re doing a damn money bet, in the middle of the day!”

“I doubt it.”

“Watch your husband, Señora Escalante. Colonel Barcá and Captain Salvatore are real gamblers, a real pain.”

“Those gentle señores?”

Ines asked, echoing the whisper, in a whisper of her own.

“Well, he’s a marquis of Barcá, so the Colonel himself is probably worth no more than a candy to him. Do you know how obsessed he is with gambling, even for something that’s not worth even a candy? He’s really persistent in his competitive spirit.”

As for the Marquis of Barcá, he was a middle-aged man who never gambled, let alone in Mendoza, so Ines had no idea.

How could he have come to the garrison and be playing silly games with his subordinates for a few coins?

“He never accepts defeat, so you have to carefully consider the stakes and promotions when you play. It never ends until he wins.”

Ines laughed, and Señora Coronado, as if to emphasize that she wasn’t exaggerating, furrowed her brow seriously.

She was fifteen years older than Ines, but she was charming, with a small, plump figure and expressive face.

“It’s true. The Colonel is so persistent… My husband isn’t very good at gambling. Barcá’s candy is worth as much as Coronado’s silverware. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] He knows it, so he’s trying to control himself, but when he faces the Colonel… He’s like a deer being dragged around by a lion. He’s a fool.”

“Where is there such a strong deer?”

“You’re not making fun of my husband’s height, are you? He’s even uglier when he sits next to Captain Escalante… He doesn’t even look human… ”

“Señora Coronado, Captain Coronado is very manly looking. He’s very average in height.”

Putting ‘very’ before ‘average’ made it sound like praise, at first glance. Señora Coronado solemnly nodded.

“Right… He’s as ugly as any other man in Ortega.”

As she said that, Señora Coronado sighed, looking at her husband as if she were looking at something very charming.

“Captain Salvatore is about to ruin his third marriage because of gambling. And yet, he still can’t control himself and is in the middle of it. And at a party where Señora Salvatore is present! Men, really!”

“Should we sabotage their little game? Before Señora Salvatore sees them?”

Ines suggested casually, and Señora Coronado nodded enthusiastically, as if she was very happy with the idea. Her round eyes even sparkled as if she’d finally found someone who understood her.

“It looks like Captain Escalante is going to deliberately donate some money to those poor middle-aged men.”

If it were Cárcel, he would do it. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] They were his seniors in rank, but decades older, a forty-year-old Colonel who was a small-time gambler… He was tired in his body, but he hated being mentally tired. So, he’d probably be putting his mind to work, trying his best to lose on purpose.

“But charity like that won’t be enough to handle Colonel Barcá. And if I try to interfere again… I tried to sabotage him a few times, but eventually, he stopped believing me.”

“I’ll go, Señora.”

Señora Coronado’s round eyes lit up with excitement.