The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway — Chapter 2

JUST LOOK AT THOSE CLOTHES SHE WEARS. YOUR FIANCÉE DRESSES LIKE A NUN.

AND YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE HOW ARROGANTLY SHE BEHAVES IN FRONT OF THE OTHER NOBLE LADIES.

IF YOU ONLY KNEW, LORD CÁRCEL...

...SO...

...SHE HEARD EVERYTHING.

THE RESIDENCE OF DUKE VALEZTENA

"ONCE MARRIED, A MAN MUST TAKE NO OTHER WOMAN THAN HIS WIFE."

I'VE ALREADY TAKEN PLENTY OF WOMEN, SO WHAT DOES IT MATTER?

SUCH AN ANTIQUATED IDEA FOR A NOBLE SOCIETY WHERE ADULTERY IS ALREADY WIDELY ACCEPTED.

"ADULTERY IS FORBIDDEN EVEN IN DEATH."

THAT'S HIM!

OH MY!

IF THAT'S THE CASE, I SHOULD HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS I CAN BEFORE THE WEDDING.

AT LEAST THEN, IF I HAVE TO LIVE OUT THE REST OF MY LIFE LIKE A MONK,

I WON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS.

MY SCOUNDREL-LIKE WAYS WILL SOON BE BEHIND ME.

OH NO...

I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE!

LORD CÁRCEL.

...INÉS.

I BELIEVE YOU WANTED TO SEE ME ABOUT SOMETHING.

I DID. IN FACT, I NOT ONLY NEEDED TO SEE YOU YESTERDAY, BUT ALSO THREE DAYS AGO, AS WELL AS TWO WEEKS AGO.

WE HAD TERRIBLE RAIN.

I SIMPLY DIDN'T WANT TO PUT YOU OUT ON MY ACCOUNT.

THIS REACTION IS TO BE EXPECTED GIVEN WHAT SHE SAW,

BUT SHE HAS NEVER IGNORED ME LIKE THIS BEFORE.

THAT DAY...

I KNOW HOW YOU MUST'VE FELT.

BUT WHOSE FAULT IS IT...

...THAT I MUST LIVE LIKE A MONK FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?

I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND...

...WHAT IT IS YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY, LORD CÁRCEL.

YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M SAYING.

I DON'T. NOT AT ALL.

SHE CHANGED MY LIFE WITH A SINGLE POINT OF HER FINGER.

TO CALL THIS WOMAN SUBMISSIVE WOULD BE A COMPLETE AND UTTER JOKE.

BUT...

...INÉS VALEZTENA LOVES ME.

SHE CHOSE ME OUT OF LOVE,

GIVING UP HER NOBLE STATUS AND HER BIRTHRIGHT TO MARRY INTO THE IMPERIAL FAMILY AS A RESULT.

THERE WERE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR HER TO UNDO IT ALL, BUT SHE THREW THEM AWAY.

WHETHER IT WAS 17 YEARS AGO OR NOW, SHE'S BEEN WAITING FOR ME. OUT OF LOVE...

...RIGHT IN THE SAME PLACE WHERE SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN.

AND THAT WAS ALWAYS THE PROBLEM.

INÉS VALEZTENA LOVES ME,

BUT I DON'T LIKE HER AT ALL.

I SPENT AGES DROWNING MYSELF IN GUILT BECAUSE OF IT.

I CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING.

I SAW YOU WITH MY OWN EYES, SO I HAVE ALL THE EXPLANATION I NEED.

AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE'S NO PROBLEM AT ALL.

...ARE YOU SERIOUS?

LORD CÁRCEL.

I UNDERSTAND HOW UPSETTING THAT MUST'VE BEEN FOR YOU! AT LEAST YELL AT ME!

BUT I'M NOT UPSET AT ALL.

OF COURSE YOU'RE UPSET!

NO, I'M NOT.

YOU REFUSED TO SEE ME FOR TWO WEEKS BECAUSE OF IT!

THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE RAIN.

I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO ARRIVE SOAKING WET.

AND FRANKLY SPEAKING, I FIND THIS SORT OF BACK-AND-FORTH TO BE VERY TIRING, LORD CÁRCEL.

YOU AND I AREN'T REALLY CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, ARE WE?

AND IT'S NOT AS THOUGH YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH JUST ONE OR TWO WOMEN EITHER.

...DID YOU REALLY THINK I HAD NO IDEA?

...AND YOU AREN'T ANGRY?

WHY SHOULD I BE ANGRY? YOU'RE FREE TO BE WITH WHOEVER YOU WANT.

I'M YOUR FIANCÉ.

WE'RE TO BE MARRIED SOON.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LOSE YOUR FREEDOM RIGHT NOW.

AND BESIDES, YOU AND I AREN'T MARRIED YET.

SO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.

THIS ISN'T FUNNY IN THE LEAST, INÉS...

I KNOW.

LIKE YOU SAID,

I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE I'M JUST SO UNDERSTANDING.

I'M TELLING YOU THAT YOU'RE FREE TO DO AS YOU WISH...

...BECAUSE I HAVE NO INTEREST IN YOU.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND,

ESCALANTE?

IT WAS THE SUMMER WHEN I TURNED 23.

THAT WAS WHEN SHE TOLD ME...

...THAT EVERYTHING I'D COME TO BELIEVE WAS WRONG.