SPOILERS!!!
In this novel we are shown how corrupt Fernando VII's rule was as he gave favours and positions to anyone who he liked, and he replaced ministers when he felt like.
Juan Braga shows us an example of corruption and opportunity. He was a frequent visitor of the Misses de Porrua, and there he got into contact with Presentacioncita, daughter of the Duchess of Rumblar. Presentacioncita asks him a favour; she tells him that she loves Gasparito Grijalba and he has been imprisoned because he said that the king had a big nose. Presentacionita asks Juan to try to ask for Garparito's freedom. Then Miss Paz de Porrua tells him that they owe money to Alonso de Grijalba, father of Gasparito, and they want a moratorium of ten years. Juan tells both Presentación and Paz that he will do what he can.
Then Juan goes to see the Duke of Alagon, who is close to the king, and when he mentions Gasparito and the moratorium, the duke says that both causes are possible and there are people speaking on favour of Gasparito and Miss Paz. However, Juan tells him that he doesn't want Gasparito to be released and he hopes that the moratorium doesn't happen.
After Juan returns to the house, Presentacionita tells him that Gasparito has escaped prison, and she wants him to walk him to see him. Juan goes with Presentacionita and Salomé de Porrua, but the place where Gaspar was supposed to be is empty,and they are told that he is somewhere else. The room where they end up is a building full of criminals, and at some point they are unable to leave, and they are told that Gaspar is back in prison. Then when they leave, they try to get out of the area as fast as possible, and then Presentacionita falls. Then two men arrive, one of whom is the Duke of Alagon, and his companion carries Presentación and help her. The three then manage to get home.
The next day when Juan and the women go to some religious act that the king presides, they realise that the companion of the duke that helped him is the king.
There are several chapters about the mess of the monarchy with men and women wanted positions, and the king naming and replacing ministers because of the influence of others. There is a chapter in which Juan mentions Gabriel de Araceli, who told him about these six days that were all corruption.
Juan asks the king to stop the moratorium for the Porruas, and leave Gaspar in prison for a few more days. Thanks to this, he buys the credits from Alonso who was worried about his son. So he ends up with properties. This doesn't sit with the Misses Porruas, who consider him a traitor.
As he thinks Presentacioncita is lovely, he arranges to meet her. The woman tells him that he doesn't love Gaspar any longer, and now the young man keeps coming to see her, but she is indifferent. Then she confesses that after the night when she fell and then she discovered that her rescuer was the king, she can't stop thinking about him. Juan, who knows that the king likes the girl, tells her that he can arrange for her to have a social interview with him. Presentacioncita is nervous, thinking that it is not decent, but she finally agrees. Juan tells him that they will go to Casa de Campo where the king will be, and Presentacioncita says that her brother will have to go with them. So they go there, and then they take a boat at the lake. Diego de Rumblar rows and rows powerful, and when they see the king appear, Juan tells him to row them to land, and Diego eventually rows close to the edge. Then Presentacioncita tells Juan to greet the king from where they are, and as Juan stands up and waves at the king, Presentación pushes him and he falls into the water. Then he hears the girl call him all names. We discover that this was a revenge that the girl planned for what he had done to her friends, the Porruas. When he is fished out of the water, he expects the siblings to be punished, but then the king laughs and says that it was just a mischie because he is a scoundrel.
This was not the most entertaining novel in the series, but I have to say that I was surprised by the end which made me laugh.
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