Una cuestión de honor - A Matter Of Honor

Una cuestión de honor

Era una cuestión de honor. Disparó primero y falló. El rostro de alegría de su oponente contrastaba con la mueca de desesperación que se reflejaba en sus facciones. Como asesor de Napoleón, ahora debería estar lejos de aquí, en Versalles, a la espera de ser recibido por el emperador.

En un instante pasaron por su mente los acontecimientos que habían dado lugar a aquel duelo. Ya nada importaba. Nunca había querido a su esposa. Fue un matrimonio de conveniencias, y ahora estaba obligado a defender su honor, estaba a punto de perder la vida.

Sin embargo en ese instante veía a su mujer con otros ojos. Su ternura, el amor que siempre expresaba a sus hijos, su disposición a comprenderlo todo. Y también la ausencia de cariño por parte de él, su abandono. En cierto modo se consideraba culpable de muchas cosas.

Por fin, el oponente disparó. Oyó el sonido del proyectil y luego algo negro, algo que le impedía seguir viendo en su imaginación a su familia, a su esposa. Y todo se detuvo.

A matter of honor

It was a matter of honor. He fired first and failed. The face of joy of his opponent contrasted with the grimace of despair that reflected his features. As the Napoleon adviser, he should be far from here, at Versailles, waiting to be received by the Emperor.

In an instant, his mind remembered the events that had given rise to this duel. Nothing mattered anymore. He had never wanted his wife. It was a marriage of conveniences, and now he was obliged to defending his honor, and he was about to lose his life.

But at that moment he saw his wife with other eyes. His tenderness, the love that always expressed his children, her disposition to understand everything. And also the absence of affection on his part, his abandonment. In a way he found himself guilty of many things.

At last, the opponent fired his weapon. He heard the sound of the projectile and then something black covered his eyes, something that prevented him from seeing in his imagination to his family, to his wife. And everything stopped.