The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Ines’ words were like complimenting someone who had hit the bullseye, or someone who had cleared an obstacle while riding. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] Except that he was half-hugging and half-holding away a drunk noblewoman who was clinging to him in front of his wife.

“The reason I’m doing this is…”

“That doesn’t mean it’s bad for you. Actually, isn’t it good?”

“…….”

“Pretty.”

Of course, every morning when he looked in the mirror, he saw God’s perfect creation. And in terms of beauty, compared to the women he had dealt with in Mendoza, Señora Salvatore was just ‘okay.’

So, she wasn’t the kind of beauty that would excite Cárcel, but Ines thought that Calstera had a rather special environment.

Considering the unique circumstances of the naval base here, and considering the doomed marriage of the Salvatore couple, Señora Salvatore was pretty decent….

“What are you doing?”

Ines’s face was shocked when she saw Cárcel suddenly pick up Señora Salvatore like a sack of potatoes.

No matter how thin a woman is, if she passes out, she’s heavy as a rock. But Cárcel, as if he were carrying a sack of potatoes, just as heavy and as big as a person, just easily lifted her and walked out of the drawing room, ignoring Ines’s question.

Of course, he’d lifted Ines with one arm before, so the strength itself wasn’t surprising. But he had been trying to handle the situation as discreetly as possible, out of consideration for his wife’s reputation, but now he was treating her like a mindless piece of luggage.

Sure enough, as soon as Señora Salvatore was slung over Cárcel’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the women on the terrace rushed into the drawing room.

“Señora! Was that Captain Escalante just now?”

“You saw him, why ask? Of course, it was Captain Escalante… Has Señora Salvatore completely lost it? They both seem to be in a difficult position.”

“What was Señora Salvatore drinking before?”

“It wasn’t wine. I’m sure of it.”

When she was the one dealing with Señora Salvatore’s drinking, struggling alone, she thought that she was in a different world than the rest of them. Now, to be tracing her alcoholic footsteps…

But it wasn’t surprising. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] People usually act like nothing is more important than appearances, then they pretend that it never happened.

You can’t talk about someone in front of them, but you can talk about them behind their backs, you can only protect their reputation halfway.

“I wonder if she was drinking that alcohol over there…”

“Goodness, no way. That’s really rude. Señora Escalante didn’t even give me permission to do anything with someone else’s property…!”

“But did you see it? Captain Escalante carrying Señora Salvatore…”

“It was so fast! He just picked her up…”

Maybe it wasn’t because a difficult problem had disappeared from their sight, but simply because they had seen Cárcel.

Ines realized that, in the women’s chatter, Señora Salvatore was no more and no less than a sack of potatoes. She was just like an ornament, decorating one of Cárcel’s shoulders.

So the ladies were both polite and really rude towards Mrs. Salvatore.

“I swear, at first, I thought it was just a piece of clothing she’d taken off, not Señora Salvatore.”

“Who takes off clothes in the middle of the residence, where the newlyweds live? It’s scandalous…!”

“That’s what I meant. Like a snake shedding its skin, or a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. It’s like he’s so casually carrying her on his shoulder. You wouldn’t think there was a person in there.”

“His… how can his shoulders be so wide?”

“Señora, you’re lucky. Your husband’s strength is really….”

“He’s young. Because he’s young.”

“Who hasn’t been young? But they weren’t all like that.”

“Captain Escalante, just look at his face… ”

“Ines.”

Cárcel’s voice returned to the room, just as the Marchioness of Barcá, nodding gracefully, was praising him.

He had been standing by the doorway, his lips opening and closing as if he had something to say to Ines, but when he saw her surrounded by the other women, he shut his mouth silently. Just then, Señora Coronado walked briskly towards Cárcel.

“Captain, how is Señora Salvatore?”

“She’s suddenly feeling unwell, unfortunately.”

“Of course… ”

“I just sent her home in the carriage, with Captain Salvatore.”

“Was Captain Salvatore okay?”

Cárcel, instead of answering, smiled with his handsome face, as if that was an adequate answer. Señora Coronado, as if that was a great response, nodded enthusiastically, her round face flushed.

“Ah, right. You were looking for the Señora?”

“It’s nothing urgent… ”

“Señora Escalante! Señora Escalante!”

As someone had said, it was like a house where squirrels lived, the house was small, so the drawing room was necessarily small too.

So, she didn’t have to shout Ines’s name like that, but seeing Señora Coronado’s face, which seemed very satisfied with her own performance, she couldn’t help but play along.

“He just said he wanted to see his wife’s face again, because he’s newly married!”

Although Cárcel didn't even open his mouth, he calmly explained the reason for her own editing as if to say, ‘You are far away so she probably didn't hear.’

“He just went out for a while, but even that wasn’t good enough for him.”

“Newlyweds are really… ”

“Newlyweds…”

“They’re already talking about you both at headquarters. It’s because no one has actually seen you two, in person.”

“Really? What kind of stories? A story about love overflowing so much?”

“Yes. They said that once Captain Escalante got married, he finally settled down… ”

The young wife of young Lieutenant, Anaya, chattered, then realized what she had said and silently, awkwardly, licked her lips.

’Finally settled down’ was an expression that implied he had been flitting about, a bit of a rogue, before, of course. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] And no one in that room didn’t know that he had been Ines’ fiancé all that time.

In an awkward silence, Ines walked across the room, finally reaching Cárcel.

As if he had been waiting for this, Cárcel apologized and wrapped his arms around Ines’ waist, pulling her out of the room. Just the wall between them and the drawing room eased the awkward silence.

“…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have bothered coming back.”

Of course, that was only for Ines. Cárcel, with a still-uncomfortable expression, muttered, without releasing her or pulling her closer.

“It’s a little hot.”

As if she were saying, ‘If you can’t make up your mind, I will,’ Ines said it to indicate that she wanted him to let go, but Cárcel still held on to her.

The officers’ laughter from far away was audible, and the ladies, trying to be discreet, lowered their voices, switching to different topics, but they could be heard occasionally, and the silence continued in that state.

Cárcel sighed, as if to speak.

“…What Señora Anaya said before.”

“It’s fine. That’s my job.”

“…Your job?”

“It’s my job to hear that kind of thing, as long as I’m married to you.”

“…….”

To Cárcel, it sounded like she was saying, ‘The insults I have to endure, because I married someone like you.’ Regardless of how calmly she had simply stated a fact, in a tone that could not be more indifferent.

The grip of Cárcel’s hand, which had been holding her waist, loosened slightly, then he pulled Ines closer, towards him. Further away from the room. So that they wouldn’t hear any of their whispers.

And if Ines’s full skirt hadn’t been in the way, there would have been no gap between them… His face was full of guilt, but his hands were the opposite.

“You still keep muttering even after hearing such words… You really have no shame.”

“Because if you let it go, there is no chance to make up for it.”

“Cárcel. There’s nothing you can do to make up for it, unless you turn back time.”

Ines cut him off, flatly. Cárcel’s expression hardened in a strange way. It was like she had cut off not his words, but his finger. She quickly added.

“And there’s no need to make up for it… I like your talent.”

“…What, a talent for playing around with women?”

“That’s not what I meant… ”

As if she were saying, ‘Since that’s what you are, then that’s what we’ll call it,’ Ines tapped his chin. Then, as if realizing it was wrong, she made a serious expression and continued.

“Let’s just say, that you look good when you’re living according to your talents and nature. It’s beautiful when people are themselves… when they’re genuine.”

“Stop talking nonsense. What you're saying is ridiculous.”

“Honestly, I don’t care if I hear that, Cárcel. They don’t mean any harm, and it’s just a fact that you had lots of women.”

“…….”

“I have no regrets about that fact.”

“…….”

“So, there’s no reason for me to be upset, or for you to worry.”

“…….”

“So, let go of this.”

Cárcel’s hand slowly moved down her back. It rested on her buttocks, but it was weak, unlike before.

He seemed to be deflated… Whatever, it really was hot now. Ines tried to pull away from him, coldly, to get out of his embrace.

“……She wasn’t pretty at all.”

“What?”

“Captain Salvatore’s wife, she wasn’t pretty at all.”

It was only natural. [ʏᴜʟʜᴇʏᴜɴ] If you woke up every morning and saw that face in the mirror, anyone would get that kind of narcissistic illness.

Ines nodded as if to say, ‘I know,’ and tried to pull away again, but the hand on her buttocks pulled her back, forcefully.

“…You’re much prettier. The prettiest. You’re probably the only pretty woman.”

“Honestly, it’s not that hard to be the prettiest person here, Cárcel.”

She said it matter-of-factly, with a self-assuredness that was only natural.

“So, I wouldn’t be so flattered to hear that, out of the blue… ”

“What I’m saying is that I had no reason to be happy about that woman throwing herself at me. I didn’t think she was pretty or nice. I don't like her.”

“…….”

“Actually, I don’t even care if she’s pretty or not. Of course, she’s not pretty. I haven’t seen a woman as pretty as you today. Not one. Not today, and not any day. But I don’t care. So even if there was a woman prettier than you, I wouldn’t be happy. There’s no woman in the world as pretty as you… Do you understand?”

Cárcel added, in a nagging, irritable tone, a string of compliments that didn’t sound like compliments at all.

Ines vaguely nodded. He raised his eyebrow.

“Did you understand?”

“I understand, I understand… but…”

“If you think that having a drunk woman squirm in front of you is just a pleasant experience for your husband…… ”

“…….”

“You’re completely misjudging me, Ines.”