B-ronken-R-ing 159...

***

Inés saw Oscar's expression brighten as soon as he spotted her from afar, but his gaze quickly hardened upon noticing the flower crown adorning her head. He had always harbored a jealous streak and openly displayed jealousy even against a member of her family in her past life.

Inés stifled a scornful laugh, her eyes sparkling with restrained amusement as she clung to Luciano's arm, redirecting her attention forward.

"Lady Alicia seems to have already taken her place among the spectators," Luciano observed. "But you mentioned His Highness extended an invitation to you, too?"

"Indeed. He even said he would give me a flower crown in Cárcel's stead."

"And what of his betrothed?"

"She, too, would be given one, of course."

Sensing something amiss, Luciano came to a halt and frowned. "That would look ridiculous."

"It certainly would. The only question is, which of us would appear more foolish."

"That woman?"

"She is already the subject of mockery at court, so it would be my turn. Or perhaps Cárcel is his intended target."

"Does His Highness harbor ill feelings toward your husband?" Luciano asked after a thoughtful pause.

If the events of today were to lead people to believe that Inés Escalante was entangled in an illicit affair with her husband's cousin while rumors of Cárcel Escalante being utterly besotted with his wife ran rampant, the result was obvious. By Mendoza's "modern" standards, a husband pathetically in love with his wife was far more likely to be ridiculed than a couple suspected of infidelity. Though the latter might be criticized in an official capacity, it was the former that this society would brand as naive and foolish, diminishing his manhood. Seen from a particular perspective, an affair was lauded as true love. In Mendoza, a marriage was predicated by noble houses, but an affair was strictly a genuine, personal choice, after all. As long as they weren't overly scandalous or frequent, affairs were viewed in a positive light.

Inés smiled lopsidedly as she recalled the scandal she had been embroiled in with her cousin, Marquess Montor. It was the first ever scandal she had been involved in, having been very cautious with her choice of company. And Oscar, after hearing a passerby comment that she and her cousin, if the rumors were to be believed, would make a wonderful pair, had absolutely lost his mind. It wasn't the absurd rumor itself but the utter disregard for him as her husband that had set him off.

"A wonderful pair... A wonderful pair?" Oscar had muttered to himself over and over as he locked the doors. She could still recall the scene vividly: enduring several days of his revolting touches and torture, locked in the bedroom, stark naked, just to placate his fury.

The incident had been very different from the usual nasty things he had committed out of petty jealousy. Normally, he would put on that facade of the perfect prince after humiliating her all night, appearing satisfied as he left the bedroom. But that night was unlike the others; he discarded his mask as a respectable crown prince entirely.

As far as she remembered, he had always been the perfect prince until then, at least in the public's eyes. He never betrayed any sign of jealousy, regardless of how many men hovered around Inés. He maintained the guise of a dignified husband who would never succumb to petty jealousy or obsessively interrogate those men about any intimate encounters with his wife. He had Inés Valenza like an untouchable masterpiece-the perfect wife to the crown prince.

But that day had been different.

"Inés, all I ever need is proof of your fidelity, no matter what those wanton scoundrels may claim," he had said, feigning his usual considerate demeanor as he tore at her clothes and soon spiraled into madness.

"I will kill that bastard, Inés. I'll kill him... and ensure he never lays a hand on you again. Yes, I'll kill Escalante, too. And that Montor bastard..."

"Oscar, you told me you believed in my innocence. As you noted, this was all a trap."

"Yes, of course... you would never betray me, my lovely Inés. Someone as virtuous as you would never tarnish your honor like that. You would never spread your legs so willingly. I will always trust you, my Inés."

Inés had stifled countless objections. She had spread her legs for him numberless times, had been crushed and disrespected worse than a harlot at a brothel, initially for the false promise of love she had once believed in, but mostly due to his authority, for her family's prosperity and their lives. Her self-worth couldn't have stooped any lower, she had thought to herself derisively.

Even in that moment, Inés had to endure some cold, foreign object being shoved inside of her as her legs were spread open, her body bare with not so much as a sheet to cover her. At the same time, Oscar hovered above her, his hand caressing her cheek as though she were precious to him.

Ironically, she much preferred the object being thrust inside her to his tender touch. At least it wasn't part of his body.

"If you truly believe me, then please do not harm Fernando. He is innocent."

"Is he really innocent, I wonder? Hmm?"

"Please, Oscar."

"How many years do you think he has lusted after you? Perhaps you were aware, Inés. Perhaps you kept him close to you like a brother because of it, close enough to reach out and touch and gaze at longingly... Perhaps you wished for the marquess to lift your dress and plunge into you, just like this."

"Please stop saying such deranged things."

"If you were to show him your depraved side, impaling yourself on a paperweight like this in that study he frequents... he would probably lose all control and ravish you. What man wouldn't? They would all jump at the chance to thrust into you just once, even if it meant sacrificing their members."

"That's enough."

"My Inés, my perfect Inés... A mere paperweight can get you sopping wet, my adorable Inés. You rotten harlot. How eagerly you must have swallowed your cousin's length."

"Please, let Fernando go."

She had been particularly obedient that day because her cousin had been incarcerated. The most unfounded rumor had been enough to land Fernando in prison. She had to get him released, no matter the cost. Back then, she had believed that she had to claw her way out of whatever depths of despair she encountered.

"You ask for his freedom when you are under me in such a state? This isn't like you, Inés. You're acting so differently... Is Fernando Montor that precious to you?"

"You demanded that I prove myself to you until you felt reassured. I have proven myself. I've done everything you ordered, until you said you believed me. Even now..."

"But Inés, the more you implore me to release him, the guiltier you seem. If you truly wanted to prove your innocence, you shouldn't have complied with my orders. If he meant nothing to you, you wouldn't care whether he lives or dies."

She remembered staring at him, speechless.

"My Inés... Why are you so protective of Fernando Montor, hmm?"

"He is my cousin, my mother's nephew. Fernando grew up with Luciano, and they are practically brothers. Do you truly believe that I have no reason to save my kin unless I was having an affair with him?"

"Inés, you are no longer part of House Valeztena. And yet you call your mother's nephew your kin?"

"My name still includes 'Valeztena de Perez,' Oscar. And my mother, the lady of Perez, is still a Montor.

We are undeniably flesh and blood."

"Undeniably," he had repeated with a sinister glint in his eyes. "I see. I suppose I must release the cousin you cherish so much, then. I will summon him from prison and bring him here. I will show him how you 'undeniably' belong to me. You take anything so easily down here, even if it isn't that bastard's... Ha, good girl, Inés. Spread your legs further. I'll fill you up myself now."

"All right, summon Fernando. If you wish to see me dead, then go ahead. If you wish to show my cousin the sight of you ravishing your dead wife."

"What do you mean, Inés? Why would you die? Why would you say something so frightening when I love you so dearly?"

"I'll do it myself. I'll kill myself, you despicable scum... you rotten, disgusting..." She had slapped him across the face, clawed at his neck, and struck his shoulders, her hands trembling with rage.

Love? How dare he claimed to love her? It had been more insulting than anything she had ever heard.

Oscar had simply kissed her hands and smiled. "Finally. This is much more like you. You were exasperating when you said you'd do anything, imploring me to spare your cousin."

She had glared at him with pure hatred in her eyes.

"You knew what to say all along. 'Oh darling, I do not care what happens to any man other than you in this world, whether they live or die has nothing to do with me. You are the only one I care about, Oscar.' That would have quelled my doubts instantly. In sooth...I suppose it doesn't matter to me at all what you say, as long as I am your one and only. I'm aroused."

"You are sickening. I am going to kill you. I want to kill you. Oscar, I wish you would die. Please, let me kill you and then kill myself. I do not care whether I end up in hell..."

"You can say whatever you want about me, Inés. But no one is ever allowed to kill you. Not even yourself."

At times, Inés would recall that revolting voice of his making such a confident claim. The certainty in his voice made her laugh.

At the very least, she had won against that Oscar in her past life by killing herself before his very eyes.

Oscar's utter disappointment at the sight of her wearing Luciano's flower crown was ridiculously repulsive. His crestfallen gaze disgusted her.

Inés had already killed herself twice to escape him. Even if he ensnared her with a noose, she would remain unmoved. He would never have her.

"Is His Highness perhaps after you, Inés..." Luciano murmured.

"That is what Isabella suspects, though I believe he is trying to disgrace Cárcel," Inés replied, leaning against a pillar so that no one could read their lips. Putting on a gentle smile as though she were sharing a pleasant conversation with her brother, she quietly continued, "He may be after both. He may wish to insult Cárcel and cast his shadow upon me."

"But why? You are already married to his cousin."

"I hear they call it unrequited love."

Luciano stared at her in silence.

"When we were children... when I chose Cárcel over him, the crown prince had tormented Cárcel behind everyone's back for a while."

"He had tormented him? How?"

"Not in the way a child might persecute another. He had tortured him, very deliberately, when my dear husband was but six years old."

Luciano ran a hand down his face.

Inés, still smiling brightly, added in a low voice, "He still bears the scars, Luciano. And just yesterday, I noticed a new one that could only be several weeks old."

"He is a naval officer, Inés. It could simply be-"

"Yes, but he spends most of his days in his office, not on the battlefield. I only saw it in passing, but it was most definitely a bullet wound."

"How would you know?"

You taught me how to identify such wounds, she nearly confessed, but she let out a sigh instead. "I know what I saw."

"All right... if you say so, it must be true."

"And just as you said, he is a naval officer. It wouldn't be unheard of for a naval officer to perish."

"So, you mean..."

"That it may not simply be humiliation that the crown prince wishes upon my husband. If he had gone to such lengths as a child for his unrequited love, there must be more to his intentions now than meets the eye."

"He often came to visit Perez even after you chose Escalante, at least until he was engaged to Lady Alicia... But I recall that his unwanted attention toward you stopped after that," Luciano pointed out.

"Indeed, it did."

"But why would he do this after you are married and just before his own marriage? Why would he wait so long?"

"He had no means to prevent my marriage," Inés replied.

"Yes, but even if your husband were to die and you were to be widowed...oh." Luciano was struck dumb for a moment before he dragged a hand down his face once more and continued, "A woman who is widowed or divorced cannot marry into the imperial family."

"Exactly."

"And an unmarried man cannot officially keep a mistress," Luciano murmured, his gaze growing more worried.

Inés smiled, gently brushing his black hair from his eyes as if comforting her nervous brother before the competition. "Thank you. I wanted to hear someone else arrive at this absurd conclusion. I was beginning to think I had lost my sanity."