The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway — Chapter 7

...YOU HAVE A RATHER LONG VACATION THIS TIME, CAPTAIN.

DOES THAT BOTHER YOU?

OF COURSE NOT... I'M THRILLED TO KNOW I'LL BE ABLE TO WATCH YOU ALL SUMMER.

GOSH, HOW DID GOD MAKE YOU SO PERFECT?

YOU HAVE THAT HANDSOME FACE AND SUCH A STRONG, PERFECT BODY...

I'M SO ENVIOUS OF YOUR FIANCÉE.

YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TURN ME ON LIKE THIS.

...MY LADY, PLEASE...

...BACK AWAY FROM ME.

I DON'T BELIEVE THIS. HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME?

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MINE FOR THE NIGHT!

...I APOLOGIZE.

LORD CÁRCEL?

CAPTAIN ESCALANTE!

THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. WEREN'T THOSE WORDS...

...JUST SOME NONSENSE I BLURTED OUT IN A DREAM?

NO, THAT SILLY DREAM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MEANINGLESS.

ARE YOU TRYING TO AROUSE ME EVEN MORE?!

THINGS SAID IN A DREAM SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY POWER OVER ME.

SO WHY...

...IS THIS HAPPENING?!

you really are perfect!

WHY CAN'T I GET IT UP?!

i'll wait for you right here!

AFTER THE WEDDING, I WON'T HAVE ANY OPTION ASIDE FROM INÉS VALEZTENA.

SO...

...I CAN'T BE UNABLE TO PERFORM.

THIS HAS TO BE A CURSE.

OR MAYBE IT'S JUST BROKEN TEMPORARILY.

YES, THAT HAS TO BE IT. THERE IS NO WAY THAT I...

...AT THIS AGE...

...CAN BE IMPOTENT!

NO, JUST CALM DOWN. THERE IS NO WAY.

BUT EVER SINCE THAT NIGHT, WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT INÉS...

OF COURSE... I'M NOT IMPOTENT AT ALL. IT'S JUST BROKEN. VERY BADLY BROKEN...

CONVINCED

IT'S ALRIGHT. INÉS ISN'T COMING TODAY ANYWAY,

SO I CAN JUST...

I'M SORRY I'M LATE.

I HAD PLANNED TO GET HERE ON TIME, BUT LUCIANO...

...WHY...

...ARE YOU HERE?

YOU HARDLY EVER COME TO THESE EVENTS DESPITE BEING INVITED.

BUT I KNEW YOU WOULD BE COMING.

LORD CÁRCEL, PLEASE AVOID MAKING THAT UNDIGNIFIED FACIAL EXPRESSION IN PUBLIC.

SHE TOUCHED MY CHEEK WITH HER BARE HAND...

AND WHOSE FAULT IS IT THAT I LOOK LIKE...

...NEVER MIND.

I'M SORRY ABOUT BEFORE.

I'M NOT SURE THE REASON, BUT YOU SEEMED A BIT RATTLED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED...

IS THAT WHY YOU CAME TODAY? YOU COULD HAVE SEEN ME ANY OTHER TIME.

I DIDN'T REALLY THINK IT NECESSARY TO CREATE A SEPARATE OCCASION JUST FOR US TO MEET.

...AH, YOU MEAN, BECAUSE WE AREN'T CLOSE ENOUGH TO WARRANT THAT?

HAVE I PERHAPS UPSET YOU AGAIN?

STOP BEING SO POLITE. I FIND IT BOTH UNCOMFORTABLE AND DISTURBING.

YOU MAKE IT SEEM LIKE I'M THE IMPOLITE ONE HERE ALL ON MY OWN.

...WHY ARE YOU...

...SO TESTY TODAY?

EVER SINCE EARLIER...

...YOUR BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN AWFULLY STRANGE.

OH...

BY THE TIME HE'D COME TO HIS SENSES, HE WAS ALREADY INSIDE THE CARRIAGE.

...IT'S NOTHING. NOTHING AT ALL.

(IS IT ME OR IS THIS MAN CRAZY?)

WHY AM I ACTING LIKE THIS? IT'S NOT LIKE I'M SOME HORMONAL TEENAGER OR A PERVERT...

HE IS.

WELL, IF YOU'RE AWAKE NOW, HOW ABOUT GETTING OUT OF THE CARRIAGE?

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, CÁRCEL? HAVE YOU FINALLY LOST YOUR MIND?

HUH? WE'RE ALREADY HERE...?

WAIT, THIS IS...

YOU'LL NEED TO ESCORT ME IN, OF COURSE.

...MY HOME.

WHAT IS THE MATTER? I TOLD YOU THAT WE WERE HEADED TOWARD THE ESCALANTE RESIDENCE.

WEREN'T YOU LISTENING?

AH! RIGHT.

HE CAN'T REMEMBER.

I REALIZE THAT HAVING TO SEE ME ISN'T EXACTLY PLEASANT FOR YOU,

BUT IF YOU KEEP ACTING THIS WAY, IT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR ME AS WELL.

INÉS, YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT I DON'T FIND YOU BOTHERSOME.

AT ANY RATE, LET'S GET OUT.

THIS...

...IS TORTURE.

SUCH PAINFUL TORTURE.

DAMN YOU,

INÉS VALEZTENA...