Episode 40

"I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat before I go?"

"No. What if a boat comes out in the middle of the night?"

"Everyone is supposed to get it if they eat it."

Ines looked longingly at Juana, who was combing her hair in the mirror.

"I saw you eating continuously at the banquet earlier, Señorita… no, Señora (señora, host, honorific title for a married woman). The Duchess was already looking at you as if she was going to eat you."

"You can't eat it anyway. I'm Escalante now."

Ines laughed, a breathless sound. It was more self-mockery than mockery. Juana suddenly looked worried, so Ines laughed again.

"I digested it well because I danced."

"What happened so suddenly? You said you didn't like it when nobles even spoke to you."

"It's a wedding."

"The senors' eyes all widened… and later they were ready to form a line. His Excellency the Duke and the Duchess were initially delighted, but later they began to doubt whether it was okay for them to continue like that… and asked if they should at least hand out the tickets in order. In the end, they just clicked their tongues… "

"So you're happy? It's your work."

Ines spoke to Juana as if she was praising her, but Juana didn't look too pleased. Ines shrugged.

"Your work was well-received, not mine."

"Senora was originally beautiful. Those people were ugly. Just because she put on some makeup, her attitude suddenly changed like that overnight. And that's to a woman who just got married today. How outrageous."

"People are inherently shallow, Juana. Men are even shallower."

"But how can the gentlemen who are the most prominent in Mentor Company act so openly and blatantly? And how about the senoritas? They suddenly become so friendly."

"I was once shallow, too. More so than them."

"When exactly?"

Instead of answering, Ines gave a sly smile.

Her first life as a crown princess was shallow, if not superficial. Perhaps, as her life became more and more empty, as she grew further and further away from Oscar, as she was betrayed and deceived, as she was looked down upon by the imperial family… Ines, as if to replace that emptiness, wore clothes like wings and became the center of all kinds of banquets, drawing people's attention.

She liked the glamor from head to toe. When the compliments that she was beautiful, that she was the most sophisticated woman in Ortega, filled her heart for a moment, even her suffering was forgotten. The fleeting attention of people, the meanness of those who were competing to impress her, the power she wielded with her father and the hated Oscar as her halo.

But when she put the gun to her own throat, did any of that mean anything to her? Nothing gave her any reason to live any longer.

"Anyway, I could have decorated it more beautifully. I held back because I knew you would hate all the cumbersome things… It was a wedding without even a dress tailored for the senora. I took the time to properly prepare for it. How unsightly would it have been?"

"Since it's a wedding, it's better to have a friendly atmosphere even if it's shallow."

The envy of noble women, the courtship and desire of young noble men… It was a distant memory that I had never experienced since my last life, but it was still exhilarating to experience it again, even if only briefly.

It wasn't just because of their shallowness that they were once her friends, because at one point she was one of them.

But even the smallest reminder of my first life sometimes makes me bleed like I've swallowed a fly.

The presence of Oscar lingering before her eyes was now truly comical, but apart from the comicality, Ines still couldn't even fake a smile when she saw him. If she were to laugh at him, it wouldn't matter... .

Every day of her life was a frustration, a miserable survival. Just because he was funny didn't make the despair and anger she felt each day any less funny. Even though everything had become hazy now... .

What's more, if that boring life reminds you of the next life that will be even more desperate?

Ines looked at herself in the mirror and remembered two other weddings: the night of her first wedding, when she had looked at herself in the mirror as if worried that there might be a speck of dust on her face—and the night of her second wedding, when she had been married in that little country chapel, borrowing an old evangelist's veil.

At that time, she didn't have a mirror so she couldn't examine herself, so she just watched Emiliano's expression and guessed how she should wear the veil. Emiliano just looked at her as if he was in a trance no matter what she did, so it wasn't much help… … .

There were nights when that alone was enough.

Her long hair, still half-wet, had a subtle sheen from the perfume she applied, and the single-layer negligee she wore for the outing showed off her beautiful shoulder line.

She looked different from back then when she was very thin because she didn't eat much, but now that she had gained some weight, she looked pretty and healthy.

"… I was worried that Senora would be the same at the wedding, but I'm glad that it's true. I think it was the first time the Captain had seen Senora so kind and gentle. And she was smiling so lively. Of course, the Duchess said it was the first time she had seen her… … ."

"I guess so."

"That's why he couldn't take his eyes off Senora's face throughout the banquet. She danced so well."

"okay?"

"… You continued dancing without showing any sign of displeasure, was it because you were concerned about your honor, Captain?"

Juana spoke with anticipation. Ines answered a little dryly, her face still smiling at Juana.

"Well, it's his first marriage."

"What do you mean? As if it weren't for Senora…"

It was the same throughout my other lives.

Ines remembers that at the age of twenty-six, Cassel Escalante was a single man who had left the position of successor to Miguel and was living a free life. The story after that is unknown, but he was on the verge of giving up his title in order not to get married—or conversely, he may not have married in order not to inherit the title, but either way, he probably never got married. And he probably spent his whole life freely incurring the resentment of women.

Aside from the fact that she was planning a breakup, she had grown attached to Cassel in her own way, so she didn't overlook that part and thought about it.

He couldn't bring shame and contempt to his first wedding. No matter how bad the ending would be, it would be resolved quietly between the two of them—very peacefully. Unlike the weddings that start with all the famous people of Mentor Company gathered together.

The sense of responsibility that she could not cause any harm from the beginning, and the obsession with 'one-sided blame' also played a part. She would never cause any explicit harm to him in this marriage, would never shirk any obligations, and would never create any grounds for disqualification.

As part of that resolution, no matter how sick they were, they smiled and danced as they were asked. Whatever curiosity or desire they harbored, they were guests and she was the hostess of the banquet.

It was inexplicable why Cassel continued to sit in the same spot without answering, but if that was the case, she had no choice but to respond diligently… .

"Ah. How surprised must she have been? The Duchess said so. All the senors who asked her to dance were nobles of great families. Why didn't you do it sooner…?"

"That's enough about mother's story. That's enough about makeup."

"Hey, just a moment, Senora. Just here."

It was hard to believe that she was a bride about to have her first night, but her mind was more calm than ever. Juana applied perfume along her neck and down to her collarbone, making her figure stand out even more.

It is a wedding that is not the same as the time when we spent three days and nights fasting and putting endless effort into our makeup, or the time when we were busy looking at each other's faces and laughing without a mirror.

She replayed the plan in her head again.

"It's okay, things like this. I just need to finish what I have to do anyway."

"Honestly, all you say is romantic stuff that will make you freeze to death… … ."

The marriage went smoothly, but these days, Cassel Escalante keeps going against her expectations, so she needs to be careful.

Perhaps the words she had spoken to try to make him let his guard down were too hasty. Unlike the entire engagement where everything went her way, just before the wedding, the premise of the plan kept going awry.

If something like that were more interesting, then that would be a problem… … Ines stared into the mirror as if trying to collect her thoughts.

Since I had heard that she had an ulterior motive, I had to show that I was going into this marriage without any ulterior motive. To prove that he was wrong. To prove that she was right.

In fact, he wasn't wrong at all, but in order to make sure that Cassel wouldn't realize the ins and outs...

"Now let's go to the bridal chamber."

"Are you okay? Are you nervous?"

"He knows women well. Just do as he says."

"Really… please be a little romantic."

"The first night is a contract between families. There is no need to feel that way."

You can do whatever you want. It's the first time, but it's not really the first time. Sleeping together will be the same no matter what, and you've already experienced all sorts of perverted behaviors in your unpleasant experiences with Oscar.

She thought she would be responsible and fulfill all the demands of the field, but stiff as a stick, so that poor Cassel Escalante would not have even a little fun.