Chapter 82

“Well, I definitely crossed a lot of lines that night…”

That night, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Waldeck were like a pot about to boil over, too hot to handle.

Remembering how close they came to going all the way—up to the verge of penetration—made Daisy’s stomach clench, the lingering ache in her lower belly still enough to make her shudder. But the moment things got too heated, she cussed him out, and she cried.

She’d fallen asleep with her hands tied because of the man who said he needed to “take care of himself.” When she woke, her wrists were freed, just as he’d promised, but Maxim was gone.

Daisy thought back to the spiteful words her husband had thrown at her while she pretended to sleep.

“Screw the prayers. Come to hell with me instead. With you there, hell might honestly be more fun than heaven.”

Did he really think she needed an invitation? That night had been a living hell and worse than any mission she’d ever been on.

‘I really… crossed a line I shouldn’t have.’

The heated kisses, the barely restrained touching, the reckless insults she threw at him.

Two opposite extremes tangled together into one dangerously heated night.

If Maxim von Waldeck truly had a change of heart, Daisy had no idea which direction it had shifted toward.

“I don’t know. If he’s avoiding me, maybe he just doesn’t want to see my face.”

Looking at it from that angle, that seemed to be the case.

No trace of him at night, nowhere to be seen in the morning. And if he’d spent the night out…

A sudden thought popped into Daisy’s mind, and she straightened up.

“Wait… did you get yourself another woman?”

The portrait of her husband, of course, didn’t answer. Still, Daisy asked the question bluntly.

It was an impulsive thought, but the more she considered it, the more everything seemed to make sense. Daisy mentally ran through every assumption she had confirmed about her husband so far.

1. Maxim von Waldeck is admired by many women in high society.

2. Maxim von Waldeck is a pervert with an abnormally high sex drive.

3. Maxim von Waldeck is absurdly handsome for a pervert.

= Therefore, his abnormal sex drive would only make him more attractive to the women who admire him.

The conclusion was simple.

“…Yeah. He’s got a mistress.”

She’d set fire to this man’s sex drive and then left him high and dry. Honestly, no surprise it came to this.

“He slept with her. I know he did.”

Daisy had worked hard to memorize that list of candidates, studying their backgrounds all while preparing for her divorce.

And yet he succeeded before she could even put a plan into motion. It left her feeling strangely hollow.

“Okay, don’t jump to conclusions. I should check first. It might all just be my imagination.”

Right. Calm down. She needed to confirm the facts first. Maybe she was wrong. This could be an overreaction.

Daisy stood up from the bed, feeling slightly numb, and sat down onto the long couch. She noticed a gift box and a single envelope on the tea table in front of her.

“What’s this…?”

Carefully, Daisy opened the box. Inside lay a pair of beautiful shoes. They were sapphire-set heels that glittered like something out of a fairy tale.

[ Wear them. For your new beginning.

—Maxim von Waldeck ]

New beginning?

Daisy read the message again, and again, and again.

She remembered an article she had once seen in the gossip columns. The meaning behind gifting someone shoes…

[ Good shoes will take you to better places. ]

In other words, once Daisy von Waldeck moved on to a “better place,” that vacant spot would naturally be filled by a new grand duchess.

“This bastard… he slept with her. He actually did.”

He said his dying wish was to “put it in just once”… and now he finally had.

“Congratulations, honey.”

Daisy said, offering her congratulations to Maxim’s portrait.

“I sincerely wish you happiness.”

It kind of felt like taking a step back, only to accidentally step on a rat behind you. Unpleasant and gross feeling, but hey… as long as the job got done, what did it matter how she felt?

But why the hell was his request for a divorce… delivered like this? She wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.

‘Right… aristocrats just love talking in circles like sly cowards.’

Damn this indirect speech. It was a divorce, no question. She’d almost jumped out of her skin for nothing. Those filthy royal pigs, they were spineless bastards, the whole lot.

How much alimony should I demand? Maybe around a million gold…?

Should I act furious when I “discover” the affair?

Or should I just smile and go through with the divorce like a refined lady?

It’s not like he was my real husband anyway.

With all these conflicting thoughts, Daisy felt disoriented, almost as if someone had smacked her in the head.

“…So basically, the conclusion is… I’m free now?”

Daisy grabbed the pitcher on the nightstand and poured water into her cup, filling it to the brim.

She downed it in one gulp.

“…”

Maybe the water was too lukewarm? The weird thirst, and the heaviness in her chest, didn’t go away.

Her strange thirst, the heaviness in her chest, none of it went away.

Daisy poured herself another cup and gulped it down.

“Hah…”

Is this heartburn? She hadn’t even bothered putting on underwear today because that pervert wasn’t around.

Believe it or not, he truly never laid a hand on her if she was actually asleep, so she was able to relax a little.

Can you even get indigestion from drinking water?

“Maybe lying down for a bit will help.”

Daisy went back to the bed and sprawled out right in the center. She rolled around a bit, then buried her face deep into Maxim’s pillow.

“…Goodbye, my million-gold husband, Maxim von Waldeck.”

Daisy gave her own private farewell. Maybe it was all too sudden, but she thought she’d feel relieved. Instead, she just felt strange.