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4/5

[novel chapters: 65-113/601]

The review contains spoilers!

The second book was a tad slower, I would say, but I still very much enjoyed it. I think I could read about those two just staring at the wall and still be entertained. It’s not that nothing interesting happened—there were plenty of new revelations, and important new characters were introduced, such as Raul and Arondra, who will play significant roles later on. The relationship between Inés and Cárcel also started to develop into something deeper, especially on Cárcel’s side. However, this book primarily focuses on their daily life in Caltzea.


Once again, I have to say that I’m so happy I decided to read the novel alongside the manhwa, as the novel shows just so much more. There were a few scenes that were cut from the manhwa, and I’m so sad they weren’t included, as they make the story much deeper and reveal more of the main characters' feelings and thoughts, helping me understand them better. There was also one spicy scene that I would have loved to see in the manhwa, but sadly it wasn’t included. Yes, I’m talking about the carriage scene.

One of the best things about this volume was the development in Cárcel's character. I love how he went from the six-year-old boy who cried at the thought of marriage, to a teenage boy who wanted to spend time with Inez but, due to her plan, ended up doing things he now strongly regrets, and now to a man for whom Inés is the only right woman he is completely obsessed with. The way he wanted to have breakfast with her in bed, even though it wasn’t something Ortegans typically did, the way he loved her lazy side, they way he was upset when Raul took Inés to town before he could because he wanted to take her there on a romantic date, the way she was the first person he wanted to run to greet when he came home from work, they way he always smiled and blushed when he saw her, the way he did everything with her in mind, and they way he was utterly starved for her—seriously, starved. He was turned on by literally everything she did.

“Give her whatever she asks for.�� Then, Cárcel’s face lit up as soon as he spotted Inés entering the sitting room. He knew his muscles acted on instinct, but he tried to persuade himself that he had consciously chosen to smile to be polite."

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"For the past few weeks, the first thing Cárcel did upon arrival was ask, “Where’s Inés?�� His routine was so predictable that the maids even mimicked the movement of his lips, secretly echoing his words."

He is such a golden retriever husband. I love it.

"Cárcel scoffed at himself for acting like he still didn’t love her. The truth was that he was already besotted with her. When he heard her breathing stop and thought she would never open her eyes again, his world fell apart, and he could no longer deny his feelings."

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"his hand pulled her back into his embrace. “You are much prettier. The most beautiful. Perhaps the only truly beautiful woman.��
��…]
"In fact, I didn’t see any woman prettier than you today. I didn’t see a single one. Not just today, but every day.��
��…]
“Even if she were prettier than you, it still wouldn’t matter. Of course, such a woman would never exist��.��.��.�� Cárcel stopped mid-ramble and asked her impatiently, “Do you understand what I’m saying?��

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"Cárcel Escalante stood in front of the mirror, smiling like a fool. Only a day ago, his wife decided he could not be a fool, but he was proving her wrong right now. His mind was too occupied with Inés’s voice saying, “I’ll never leave you first.�� As blunt as ever, all she had said was that she would not leave him if he became less attractive than he is now. But Cárcel’s brain rewrote the narrative to interpret her words as a promise that she would never leave him."

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We can also see a slight change in Inés' feelings, especially towards the end of the book. She is still intent on making her plan for Cárcel to cheat on her come true, but she has yet to realize that it will never happen, as he sees her as his one and only. We already learn a significant part of Inés' past in the first book—a past that is, unfortunately, deeply sad and painful—and in this volume, we uncover even more heartbreaking events she endured in this life and her previous ones. Inés truly is one of the strongest heroines out there. I literally cried at times while reading her story. I’m just so happy that in this life, she is married to Cárcel, with whom she might have had a rough start, but now he treats her like the queen she is. Like, seriously. If she asked him to bring her the moon, he would somehow find a way to give it to her.


But anyway, I can’t wait to catch up to where the manhwa currently is.