The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway — Chapter 14

THERE IS ONE THING INÉS MANAGED TO DO THAT I ACTUALLY APPROVED OF,

AND THAT WAS PUTTING A CHAIN AROUND YOUR NECK AND MAKING YOU HERS BACK WHEN YOU WERE TOO YOUNG TO KNOW ANY BETTER.

GOSH, YOU WERE ONLY SIX THEN.

PARDON?

IT WAS WHEN THE EMPRESS DECLARED YOU HAD TO MARRY INÉS.

YOU CRIED ALL DAY BECAUSE YOU WERE SCARED.

HONESTLY, NO SIX-YEAR-OLD KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT THAT AGE.

BUT INÉS WAS DIFFERENT.

SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS DOING.

SHE'S THE DEVIL, I TELL YOU.

I'M SORRY, CÁRCEL.

MY FATHER GAVE YOU QUITE A HARD TIME, DIDN'T HE?

...IT'S FINE. AFTER ALL, I DO HAVE MANY FAULTS.

BUT WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING?

BECAUSE I FEEL APOLOGETIC. DON'T MIND WHAT HE SAID AND JUST DO AS YOU WISH.

I AM ALREADY DOING EXACTLY THAT.

I SEE THAT. YOU EVEN SET OUR WEDDING DATE FOR TWO WEEKS FROM NOW WITHOUT ANY NOTICE.

THANKS TO YOU, I'LL HAVE TO WEAR MY MOTHER'S HIDEOUS 27-YEAR-OLD DRESS FOR MY WEDDING.

WHAT YOU DID WAS SELFISH, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE JUST DOING WHAT YOU FELT YOU HAD TO.

WHAT I WANT IS TO MARRY YOU, SO I HAVE NO OBJECTIONS.

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR A LONG TIME, SO WHILE THIS MAY BE SUDDEN, I SHOULD ACCEPT IT WITH A SMILE.

I KNOW HER REASONS FOR WANTING THIS ARE NOT PURE.

CÁRCEL, YOU'RE TOO GOOD TO BE TIED DOWN BY CONVENTIONS.

I RATHER ENJOYED SEEING HOW FREE YOU ONCE WERE.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO WITHER AWAY AFTER BEING BOUND BY RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

AFTER ALL, A FLOWER DIES WHEN IT'S PLUCKED.

WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPOUTING NOW?

IT'S ONE THING TO COMPARE A GROWN MAN TO A FLOWER, BUT ARE YOU HONESTLY TRYING TO BRAINWASH ME RIGHT NOW?

BRAINWASH YOU? WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?

YOU'RE TALKING TO ME AS IF YOU'RE TRYING TO CONTROL MY MIND. SO, WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?

I'M NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.

I ALREADY KISSED YOU,

SO I THINK I MADE MYSELF QUITE CLEAR.

...YOU WERE JUST MAKING AN EFFORT.

MAKING AN EFFORT?

YOU WANTED TO DRIVE IT INTO MY HEAD THAT YOU'RE PREPARED TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO SATISFY YOUR SENSE OF OBLIGATION,

EVEN IF THAT MEANS KISSING A WOMAN LIKE ME.

...DID SHE REALLY HAVE TO USE THOSE WORDS?

I DON'T FEEL "OBLIGATED," NOR WAS I HOPING TO "DRIVE" ANYTHING "INTO YOUR HEAD."

YOU TOLD ME YOU LIKED ME, AND THEN YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T. NOW, YOU'RE SUDDENLY ACTING THIS WAY.

YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE YOUR ENERGY, YET YOU'RE BUSY TRYING TO PUSH ME OVER THE CLIFF'S EDGE AS IF YOU CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF ME.

DID YOU EVER EVEN LIKE ME ALL THOSE YEARS AGO?

IF SO, WHEN DID YOU BEGIN HATING ME?

ARE YOU ACTUALLY ANGRY BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE YOU?

I'D SAY THIS IS A CASE OF THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK. WAS IT NOT YOU WHO CHOSE TO LIVE A PROMISCUOUS LIFE?

WHAT EXACTLY IS INSIDE THAT LITTLE PEABRAIN OF YOURS? I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU ONE BIT!

...I IMAGINE YOUR INABILITY TO COMPREHEND IS A RESULT OF YOU RELYING SOLELY ON THAT BODY OF YOURS WHILE NEGLECTING TO USE YOUR BRAIN, NO?

EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME, YOU'RE STILL TREATING ME AS JUST SOME IDIOT WITH A HANDSOME FACE?

OF COURSE, YOU NEVER FAIL TO BRING UP YOUR GOOD LOOKS. AFTER ALL, HOW ELSE WOULD YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR IF YOU WEREN'T PRETTY, HUH?

SO, AM I SUPPOSED TO JUST PRETEND I'M NOT GOOD-LOOKING? I'M OBVIOUSLY FAR MORE HANDSOME THAN EVEN THE MOST IDEAL MAN. AND ALSO, I SHOULD REMIND YOU THAT I WAS NEVER A WILLING PARTICIPANT IN THIS ARRANGEMENT FROM THE START...

IT'S TRUE THAT YOU WERE FORCED INTO THIS ENGAGEMENT, AND YOU'RE ABOUT TO BE FORCED INTO THIS MARRIAGE AS WELL,

SO YOU HAD NO OBLIGATION TO BE FAITHFUL TO ME.

LISTEN, ESCALANTE. I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU BEHAVED AS YOU DID.

WELL, THERE'S NO NEED TO BE UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU THAT THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT AFTER THE WEDDING.

AND HOW EXACTLY WILL THEY BE DIFFERENT?

YOU'VE LIVED LIKE A DOG ALL THIS TIME, YET YOU CLAIM YOU'LL SUDDENLY BECOME A SAINT ONCE WE'RE MARRIED. YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?

YOU WILL ONCE WE REACH OUR BEDROOM.

WE'LL BE SLEEPING IN SEPARATE ROOMS, ESCALANTE.

EVENTUALLY, WE WILL BE SLEEPING TOGETHER.

I AM A HUMAN. I DON'T LIE WITH DOGS.

ALRIGHT, LET'S SAY I'M A DOG. BUT DOGS ARE ANIMALS THAT MUST LIVE AMONG HUMANS.

SO...

...DON'T JUST RELEASE ME INTO THE WILD AS YOU PLEASE.

AFTER ALL, A DOG WILL ALWAYS RETURN TO ITS HOME.

SO DON'T WASTE YOUR ENERGY ON A FIGHT YOU WON'T WIN.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT...

THIS IS GETTING TOO DANGEROUS.

THAT'S RIGHT. YOU GOT SLAPPED.

I SLAPPED YOU.

WHY DO YOU LOOK SO SHOCKED? THIS CAN'T BE YOUR FIRST TIME BEING SLAPPED IN THE FACE.

BUT IT IS...

AND YOU SLAPPED MY HEAD, NOT MY FACE...

BUT HONESTLY, THE WAY SHE HIT ME JUST NOW TELLS ME THAT THIS ISN'T HER FIRST RODEO.

TO THINK I WAS YOUR VERY FIRST TIME...

IT FEELS A BIT BURDENSOME.

SHE'S TALKING LIKE AN EXPERIENCED MAN...

DON'T TELL ME YOU ACTUALLY WANTED TO GET SLAPPED.

INÉS, NO ONE IN THIS WORLD WANTS TO BE SLAPPED.

YOU'D BE SURPRISED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE DO. THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE LIKE THAT TOO.

ALSO, DOGS ARE MEANT TO RUN OUTSIDE, AND THAT IS PRECISELY HOW I WOULD RAISE ONE.

AN ANIMAL SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO ENTER ITS MASTER'S ROOM, LET ALONE THEIR BED.

ARE YOU GIVING ME A WARNING RIGHT NOW?

SINCE YOU STARTED IT, I'M SETTING A FEW BOUNDARIES MYSELF.

AND WHEN THE TIME COMES, JUST GET TO THE MAIN PART QUICKLY.

DON'T BOTHER WITH ANY OF THAT EXTRA SILLINESS LIKE JUST NOW.

...AND WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU CONSIDER "EXTRA SILLINESS"?

THAT THING YOU JUST DID.

YOU MEAN, A KISS?

THEN, WHAT'S THE MAIN PART?

THE VERY BASICS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY...

YOU MEAN, "IT"?

WE'LL DO THINGS EFFICIENTLY. WE MUSTN'T HOLD BACK IF WE'RE TO APPEASE OUR FAMILIES.

...YOU'RE SUCH A PERVERT. SO, WE CAN'T KISS, BUT INTERCOURSE ITSELF IS OKAY?

IT'S SO RIDICULOUS THAT I CAN'T EVEN LAUGH.

OUR WEDDING IS A JOKE ANYWAY. I'M ABOUT TO ATTEND MY WEDDING MASS IN THAT OLD DRESS AS IF I'M FOLLOWING FAMILY TRADITION.

AND YOU, A MAN WHO WAS ROAMING ABOUT OUTSIDE OF MENDOZA TRYING TO AVOID YOUR FIANCÉE, SUDDENLY INSISTED ON GETTING MARRIED IN TWO WEEKS.

SO CONSIDERING OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, I'D SAY IT'S FINE IF YOU DON'T FIND IT FUNNY.

I NEVER THOUGHT ANY OF THIS WAS LAUGHABLE.

HAVING YOU AS MY WIFE WAS THE ONLY FUTURE I EVER CONSIDERED.

THAT IS WHY I KISSED YOU. IT WASN'T BECAUSE I LOVE YOU,

BUT RATHER BECAUSE YOU'RE SOON GOING TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT WOMAN IN MY LIFE.

IT WAS RUDE OF ME, SO I APOLOGIZE.

SINCE WE'RE ABOUT TO BE MARRIED, I CARELESSLY ASSUMED IT WOULD BE OKAY.

I WON'T DO ANYTHING YOU DON'T LIKE.

WE AREN'T IN LOVE, SO IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE, I WILL RESPECT YOUR DECISION. I WON'T KISS YOU AGAIN.

I WON'T KISS YOU AGAIN.

AND I WON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE...

...YOU ASK ME NOT TO.

SO, FOR NOW,...

...I WILL TAKE IT THAT YOU'RE OKAY WITH EVERYTHING...

...EXCEPT FOR KISSING.

AND JUST LIKE THAT,

TIME PASSED...

...AND THE WEDDING DAY HAD FINALLY ARRIVED.