Chapter 36

Her prayers usually ended with her gazing at the portrait of her husband, Maxim von Waldeck, and praying for his safe journey to heaven…

“…”

But was there any point in looking at the portrait when the man himself was sitting beside her, watching her intently?

Instead of reaching for the framed portrait, Daisy stole a glance at his face.

Their eyes met, and the dangerously charming man who belonged in hell, not heaven, flashed her a mischievous smile.

‘And finally… grant me the strength to protect my purity from this violent, wicked demon of lust.’

Finishing her most fervent prayer yet, Daisy set the rosary back on the nightstand. Then, to make her point clear, she tucked the revolver under her pillow, laid down and closed her eyes.

“Well then, good night, Max.”

“If you happen to change your mind, just say the word, Izzy.”

“…”

“My offer always stands.”

Ignoring his teasing voice, Daisy turned her back to him without a word.

“Sweet dreams, Izzy.”

With that, Maxim finally fell silent.

Despite being utterly exhausted and her eyelids feeling like lead, Daisy couldn’t fall asleep. Stupid nerves.

The Grand Duke and Duchess of Waldeck’s first night together was a long one, but Maxim von Waldeck kept his word and didn’t lay a finger on his wife.

༺♰༻

The next morning, Daisy stared at her breakfast with dark, tired eyes.

An uneasy tension filled the dining room.

“Still half-asleep, I see.”

The former Grand Duchess, clearly displeased for God knows what, chastised Daisy sharply.

“Go easy on her, Aunt. She barely got any sleep because of me.”

Once again, Maxim von Waldeck made another remark ripe for misunderstanding without batting an eye.

And, as always, Daisy was caught in the middle of it.

Visibly unformattable, the former Grand Duchess repeatedly cleared her throat, while Maxim barely touched his food, his eyes never leaving his wife.

‘I haven’t even taken a bite yet, and I already feel like I’m going to throw up.’

The perfect recipe for Daisy’s indigestion. Literally.

“Izzy, you didn’t seem to like the food yesterday, and today, you’re hardly eating again. Is there something wrong with the food?”

“N-no, I’m just… not fully awake yet. I’ll have some water for now.”

This is all your fault.

Although the words were on the tip of her tongue, she swallowed them down. Feeling parched, Daisy downed the entire glass of water.

“Aunt, I think it’s time to replace the head chef.”

“What kind of ridiculous idea is that? Matthew’s been with us for over thirty years. He’s a seasoned veteran.”

“Stagnant water rots. He’s been here too long. It seems he’s lost his touch.”

“The food hasn’t changed. She’s just being needlessly picky.”

“Regardless. If Izzy can’t eat, his experience means nothing.”

“Honestly, I don’t understand her. She used to stuff her face like there’s no tomorrow, and now look at her.”

The former Grand Duchess grumbled, shooting a dissatisfied glare at Daisy.

“So what if she decided to change her mind? The staff should cater to the lady of the house. Isn’t that right?”

Fine, I’ll eat. Happy now?

Why are you all so obsessed with what goes into my mouth?

Frankly, she was so worn out she wanted to surrender, hands and feet in the air. However, the truth was, Daisy genuinely loved Matthew’s cooking. Mealtimes were the highlight of her life in Waldeck.

“No, I really like Matthew’s food. Please don’t fire him.”

Daisy sighed deeply as she responded.

“You prefer to eat meat, yet all he serves is fish. This ‘Matthew’ or whoever he is has clearly grown complacent.”

“It’s fine. I actually really like fish too.”

Of course, it was true she didn’t like it as much as meat, but the fish wasn’t the issue. Matthew was Waldeck’s most valuable asset. There was no way she could afford to lose him.

With reluctance, Daisy shoved a bite of sea bass into her mouth.

“Chew slowly, or you’ll upset your stomach.”

His tone was so gentle it sounded like he was talking to a child, but she was only in this state because of him.

The hypocrisy was infuriating.

“Maxim, I hear you’re leaving for the capital soon. I imagine it’ll take you a few weeks with so many summons.”

“Yes.”

Maxim was leaving for the capital? For several weeks?

For Daisy, who hadn’t had a single moment of peace since her husband’s return, this was wonderful news.