# WebtoonLib — The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway #17: Chapter 16 ## Series - title: The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway - slug: the-broken-ring-this-marriage-will-fail-anyway-douf3qpc ## Chapter - number: 17 - chapter_key: 17-xygbiw - title: Chapter 16 - release_date: 2026-11-11 ### Summary The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway depicts Inés Valeztena dancing with Lieutenant Escalante and stealing all the attention at the wedding. While those around her are surprised by her transformation, Cárcel is torn between jealousy and guilt, and Crown Prince Oscar and Enrique Osorno stir up gossip. Inés says she accepted the dances so as not to humiliate Cárcel and vows not to shirk her wifely duties. - summary_language: en - summary_source: chapter_translation - summary_verification: verified ### Key events - Ines accepts all dance requests without complaint to protect Carcel from humiliation - Ines dances with Lieutenant Escalante and many men at wedding ball, surprising guests - After wedding, Ines removes makeup in her room, complains of hunger, prepares for bedroom - Ines recalls exhaustion and despair from first life and resolves not to avoid marital duties ## Spoiler - level: auto ### Safe teaser The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway depicts Inés Valeztena dancing with Lieutenant Escalante and stealing all the attention at the wedding. ### Spoiler summary The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway depicts Inés Valeztena dancing with Lieutenant Escalante and stealing all the attention at the wedding. While those around her are surprised by her transformation, Cárcel is torn between jealousy and guilt, and Crown Prince Oscar and Enrique Osorno stir up gossip. Inés says she accepted the dances so as not to humiliate Cárcel and vows not to shirk her wifely duties. ## Status - data_status: complete - summary_status: editorial ## Transcript - transcript_source: community - transcript_language: en - transcript_bubbles: 98 ### Content ...MY GOODNESS. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, EVEN AS I'M SEEING IT WITH MY OWN TWO EYES... IS THE WOMAN OVER THERE DANCING WITH LIEUTENANT ESCALANTE... ...REALLY THE INÉS VALEZTENA WE KNOW? IF YOU FIND THAT YOU'RE GROWING TIRED OF LIVING, JUST LET ME KNOW. I'LL GLADLY KILL YOU. WOMEN FLOCK TO YOU ANYWAY WITHOUT YOU EVEN HAVING TO LIFT A FINGER, AS IF THEY WERE ALL JUST WAITING FOR YOU TO EXTEND AN OFFER. IT TRULY IS UNFAIR. YOU GET TO DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT, SO YOU CAN'T EXPECT INÉS TO JUST STAY HOME OBEDIENTLY. BESIDES, IF INÉS DOES FIND HERSELF A LOVER, I BET YOU'LL HAVE A MUCH EASIER TIME SHAKING OFF THAT GUILT YOU FEEL... ...TOWARD THE WOMAN WHO'S BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU SINCE SHE WAS SIX YEARS OLD. IF EVER YOU GROW TIRED OF THE HONEYMOON PHASE, PLEASE DO GIVE US A CHANCE. YOU SEEM BORED. AS EXPECTED, VALEZTENA WINE IS TRULY THE BEST. THE MAN REFUSED TO GIVE UP A SINGLE BOTTLE BEFORE, EVEN WHEN I BEGGED, BUT IT SEEMS HE'S FINALLY WILLING TO PART WAYS WITH IT FOR YOU OF ALL PEOPLE, NOW THAT YOU'RE HIS SON-IN-LAW. I APOLOGIZE, YOUR HIGHNESS. ...IF SHE HAD OPTED FOR ENRIQUE OSORNO, FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD'VE HAD A SLIGHTLY EASIER TIME ACCEPTING THIS, BUT WHY DID INÉS CHOOSE SOMEONE LIKE YOU? JUST LOOK OVER THERE. GOSH, THEY LOOK SO GOOD TOGETHER. YOU'RE FEELING QUITE JEALOUS, AREN'T YOU? AFTER ALL, INÉS IS INCREDIBLY GORGEOUS, AS EXPECTED. I IMAGINE YOU MUST WANT TO CHAIN HER TO YOUR SIDE AT ALL TIMES, BUT I DOUBT THAT WILL MAKE FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE. WHAT WOULD AN UNWED MAN KNOW ABOUT MARRIAGE ANYWAY? THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN JUST TELL, EVEN WITHOUT HAVING EXPERIENCED THEM YOURSELF. IT'S ALRIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE OSORNO IS KEEPING YOUR WIFE QUITE ENTERTAINED IN YOUR STEAD. CROWN PRINCE OSCAR WAS ALREADY 27 YEARS OLD. EVEN AFTER BEING REJECTED BY INÉS AT THE TENDER AGE OF 10, HE SECRETLY CONTINUED TRYING TO WOO HER TO NO AVAIL. EVENTUALLY, HE ENDED UP GETTING ENGAGED TO MARQUESS BARCA'S NIECE, WHO WAS NOW 22 AND PASSING HER MARRIAGEABLE AGE. BUT THE PRINCE REFUSED TO WED HER, CITING THE RIDICULOUS EXCUSE THAT SHE LOOKED TOO YOUNG. MEANWHILE, HE COULD BARELY SPEAK A WORD TO INÉS, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE REJECTION HAD SIMPLY BEEN THAT HARSH. I'VE NEVER SEEN HER SMILE LIKE THAT WHEN SHE'S WITH YOU. IS IT BECAUSE ENRIQUE IS SUCH AN EXCELLENT CONVERSATIONALIST? OR MAYBE THOSE TWO ARE JUST BETTER SUITED FOR EACH OTHER. DAMN THIS COUSIN OF MINE. SHE SMILED JUST FINE WHEN WE PARTOOK IN OUR FIRST DANCE. AH, I SEE. THE VERY FIRST TIME SHE SMILED FOR YOU, SHE WAS FAKING IT. WHAT AN OVERREACTION. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DRINK FROM MY CUP, BUT THE BRIDE'S IS OFF-LIMITS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DANTE IHAR. HE'LL EVENTUALLY BECOME BALD, JUST LIKE HIS FATHER. OF COURSE, YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL TOO. UNCLE DOESN'T EXACTLY HAVE A FULL HEAD OF HAIR EITHER. JUST AS DANTE AND HIS FATHER SHARE THE SAME FOREHEAD... YOU MEAN, THE SAME WAY YOU HAVE MY FATHER'S FOREHEAD? NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF HAVING THE SAME FOREHEAD SHAPE MEANS YOU'LL END UP HAVING SIMILAR HAIRLINES. I'M HUNGRY. CAN'T I EAT SOMETHING BEFORE I GO? NO. WHAT IF YOU HAVE A POTBELLY ON YOUR WEDDING NIGHT? BUT EVERYONE GETS A POTBELLY WHEN THEY EAT. I SAW YOU EATING QUITE A LOT AT THE BANQUET EARLIER TOO. IN FACT, I SAW THE DUCHESS GLARING AT YOU LIKE SHE WANTED TO KILL YOU, SEÑORA. *SEÑORA : A TITLE FOR THE MISTRESS OF A HOUSE OR A MARRIED WOMAN. WELL, SHE CAN'T KILL ME, EVEN IF SHE WANTS TO. I'M AN ESCALANTE NOW. ALSO, I'M STARVING AFTER ALL THAT DANCING. WHAT SPARKED THIS SUDDEN CHANGE IN YOU? YOU'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE CONVERSING WITH THE OTHER NOBLES. IT WAS MY WEDDING. EVERY SEÑOR IN THE ROOM WAS STARING WITH THEIR EYES BULGING OUT OF THEIR HEADS... IT LOOKED LIKE THEY ALL WANTED TO COURT YOU TOWARD THE END. *SEÑOR: A TITLE FOR THE MASTER OF A HOUSE OR A GENTLEMAN. IT IS TYPICALLY PLACED IN FRONT OF A MAN'S SURNAME. THE DUKE AND THE DUCHESS WERE PLEASED AT FIRST, BUT THEY BECAME MORE WORRIED LATER. THEY WERE WONDERING IF THEY SHOULD START HANDING OUT NUMBERS TO THE MEN TO KEEP THEM IN ORDER. SO, DID IT MAKE YOU HAPPY? IT WAS YOUR WORK, AFTER ALL. IT WASN'T ME THEY WERE INTERESTED IN. THEY WERE ONLY REACTING TO YOUR MASTERFUL HANDIWORK. OH, YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BEAUTIFUL, SEÑORA. THAT IS WHY IT'S SO RIDICULOUS THAT EVERYONE HAS SUDDENLY CHANGED THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD YOU JUST BECAUSE YOU PUT ON SOME MAKEUP. AND YOU JUST GOT MARRIED TOO! DO THEY KNOW NO SHAME?! PEOPLE ARE NATURALLY SHALLOW. AND YOUNG MEN ARE EVEN SHALLOWER. BUT HOW COULD THEY TRY TO FLIRT WITH YOU SO OPENLY? THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE TOP YOUNG GENTLEMEN IN MENDOZA. AND WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG SEÑORITAS? THEY WERE SUDDENLY ACTING SO FRIENDLY TOWARD YOU. I WAS SHALLOW ONCE TOO. EVEN MORE SO THAN THEM. ...I DON'T RECALL YOU EVER BEING LIKE THAT. ANYHOW, I COULD HAVE ADORNED YOU EVEN MORE BEAUTIFULLY. YOU DIDN'T EVEN GET TO WEAR A SINGLE CUSTOM DRESS TO YOUR OWN WEDDING. TO BE THE ENVY OF EVERY NOBLEWOMAN, AS WELL AS THE OBJECT OF COURTSHIP AND DESIRE OF ALL THE YOUNG NOBLEMEN... IT WAS A WEDDING, AFTER ALL, SO KEEPING THE ATMOSPHERE LIGHT WAS THE BEST THING TO DO, HOWEVER SHALLOW IT MAY HAVE BEEN. I HADN'T EXPERIENCED IT SINCE MY FIRST LIFE, BUT EVEN JUST THAT SMALL TASTE WAS ENOUGH TO EXHAUST ME. BACK WHEN I LIVED THAT LIFE, EVERY DAY WAS A FRUSTRATINGLY MISERABLE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE. EVEN IF THOSE DAYS SEEM LAUGHABLE NOW, THE ANGER AND DESPAIR I FELT CONSTANTLY WAS NO LAUGHING MATTER. ALTHOUGH THOSE MEMORIES HAVE NOW BECOME FAINT, THERE WAS ONE NIGHT THAT MADE IT ALL WORTH IT. BUT I UNDERSTAND MY SITUATION ALL TOO WELL. ...YOU ACCEPTED ALL THOSE DANCE PROPOSALS WITHOUT COMPLAINT... ...FOR THE SAKE OF THE LIEUTENANT'S REPUTATION, DIDN'T YOU? I COULDN'T LET CÁRCEL BE HUMILIATED OR LOOKED DOWN UPON. WELL, IT WAS HIS FIRST WEDDING, AFTER ALL. IT WAS THE LEAST I COULD DO FOR HIM. WHY IS SHE SPEAKING AS IF THIS ISN'T HER FIRST WEDDING AS WELL...? I WILL NOT CAUSE ANY HARM TO HIM THROUGHOUT THIS MARRIAGE, AND I WON'T AVOID ANY OF MY DUTIES AS HIS WIFE EITHER. THAT'S ENOUGH. THERE'S NO NEED FOR ME TO BE DOLLED UP ANYMORE. I WON'T GIVE HIM ANY REASON TO DIVORCE ME. THE REST OF MY PLAN MUST GO OFF WITHOUT A HITCH. I'LL BE GOING TO THE BEDROOM NOW. AFTER ALL, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. ## See also - [WebtoonLib — The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway #17: Chapter 16](/series/the-broken-ring-this-marriage-will-fail-anyway-douf3qpc/chapter-17-xygbiw) - for_series_detail: /llms-series/the-broken-ring-this-marriage-will-fail-anyway-douf3qpc ## Usage AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.