The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway — Chapter 10

INÉS, STOP!

INÉS!

GOODNESS, INÉS...

WHAT ON EARTH HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU...?

OUCH...

THAT REALLY HURT.

THIS ISN'T A DREAM.

OF COURSE IT'S NOT A DREAM.

EITHER WAY...

...MY GOD. LOOK AT HOW FRESH-FACED YOU ARE.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THE GREAT LUCIANO VALEZTENA...

...IS JUST A YOUNG PUP OF 19...

LUCIANO VALEZTENA, INÉS' OLDER BROTHER

INÉS, YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN.

...YOU'RE ACTING STRANGE TODAY.

DID YOU PERHAPS TAKE MOTHER'S MEDICATION BY MISTAKE?

MY LORD, PERHAPS LADY INÉS IS ACTING THIS WAY BECAUSE OF HER WEDDING.

THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I CAN THINK OF. BUT DIDN'T SHE SAY SHE COULDN'T WAIT FOR IT?

JUANA,

YOU LOOK SO PRETTY AND YOUNG...

GOSH, LOOK AT YOUR SKIN... DID YOU JUST TURN 17 THIS YEAR?

STOP IT ALREADY, INÉS. YOU SOUND LIKE A PERVERTED OLD MAN LUSTING OVER YOUNG GIRLS.

I'VE BEEN ASKING HER TO STOP ALL AFTERNOON, BUT I DON'T THINK SHE'S HEARING ME.

PLEASE SNAP OUT OF IT, MY LADY.

MY WHOLE LIFE IN PEREZ CAME TO A STOP WHEN I TURNED 16.

THE MOMENT HE PUT THAT VEIL OVER MY HEAD,

I WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE CASTLE OF PEREZ UNTIL THE TIME OF MY DEATH.

EVERYONE I CARED ABOUT HERE,

THE BEAUTIFUL GARDEN WHERE I USED TO PLAY WITH LUCIANO,

AND EVEN THAT PLACE AT THE TOP OF THE CASTLE...

...ALL BECAME A DISTANT MEMORY.

I HAD NO IDEA HOW THINGS WERE FARING HERE...

...OR HOW THE PEOPLE I'D LEFT BEHIND HAD CHANGED.

BUT NOW,

ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE MIRACULOUSLY REAPPEARED IN FRONT OF ME JUST AS THEY WERE.

THE LAST SPRING I SPENT HERE IN PEREZ...

...!, IT WAS SPRING THEN.

...WAS 10 YEARS AGO.

IT'S STILL SPRING.

IT'S STILL THAT TIME IN VALEZTENA.

SPRING HASN'T PASSED YET...

INÉS...

YOU WILL BE WEDDED TO THE CROWN PRINCE IN FOUR MONTHS.

IN FACT, YOU'LL BE LEAVING FOR MENDOZA IN TWO WEEKS.

EVERYONE IN MENDOZA WILL BE TRYING THEIR BEST TO FIND FAULT WITH YOU.

AFTER ALL, LORD OSCAR IS ALREADY TOO GOOD FOR YOU,

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MUST BE FEELING THE PRESSURE OF IT ALL, BUT...

WHO?

WHO'S TOO GOOD FOR WHO?

WHO DID YOU SAY IS TOO GOOD FOR ME?!

...INÉS,

YOU'VE CLEARLY LOST YOUR...

MY LADY! PLEASE STOP!

MY LADY!

AH...

MY LORD, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

THIS SENSATION SEEMS TOO AUTHENTIC NOT TO BE REAL.

WE NEED TO TREAT YOUR WOUNDS RIGHT AWAY...

THIS IS TRULY REAL.

BOTH THE HOPELESSNESS OF MY LIFE AT AGE 26...

...AND MY NAIVETE AT AGE 16...

...WHEN I DREAMT OF BECOMING OSCAR'S WIFE...

NONE OF IT WAS A DREAM.

I'VE RETURNED TO THAT POINT IN TIME...

...WHEN I WAS 16...

...AND THE WEDDING WAS FOUR MONTHS AWAY.

THIS IS BEFORE EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE WAS RUINED.

I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN REWARDED FOR MY PATIENCE. WHAT A BLESSING.

THIS IS A CHANCE FOR ME TO FINISH MY LIFE PROPERLY BEFORE I GO TO HEAVEN.

AT LEAST, THAT WAS WHAT I BELIEVED AT THE TIME.

THAT WAS BACK WHEN I HAD EXPERIENCED DEATH ONLY ONCE.

...WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED FOR 10 YEARS AND THE WEDDING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER,

SO I KNOW WHAT REACTION TO EXPECT.

AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME, OSCAR WAS PRACTICALLY A SAINT WHO BOASTED COOL INTELLECT AND AN UPRIGHT IMAGE.

HE WAS THE CROWN PRINCE WHO HAD PRESERVED HIS CHASTITY TO SHARE WITH HIS NEW BRIDE ON THEIR WEDDING NIGHT.

SO WHO WOULD BELIEVE ME IF I SAID...

...THAT HE WOULD BE FREQUENTING THE BROTHELS IN TWO YEAR'S TIME...

...AND BECOME RIDDLED WITH VENEREAL DISEASES?

THERE'S NO NEED TO WASTE THIS PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY ON A USELESS FIGHT.

I WON'T EVER MARRY OSCAR AGAIN.

...AND IF I'M TO MAKE SURE OF THAT,

I'LL NEED TO BE A BIT MORE CUNNING.