Chapter 53

Was it… erect, or had it been there all along?

Or was it simply so big… that he had to keep it carefully tucked to one side?

The more she dwelled on what was pressing against her cheek, the more it drove her mad.

Should she just ask him bluntly? What the hell is wrong with you?

“Why, exactly, is that thing of yours here, Max? Hm? Care to explain?”

“Let’s be clear. A man simply has what a man must. You’re the one who trespassed on its rightful domain.”

The worst.

“So you’re a hopeless pervert then? Why on earth would you offer me that instead of a pillow?”

“A hopeless pervert, yes. But if you’re truly willing to rest your head there, then it would be House Waldeck’s highest honor.”

Even worse.

“Regardless! Why must I end up face-to-face with your… that, and feel compelled to greet it like it’s an old acquaintance?”

“Who knows? Perhaps the fellow was just eager to see you and came out to say hello.”

…She was losing it!

She imagined herself scolding him, but in every way she tried, it was all equally disastrous.

There was no obvious answer. Trying anything might only arouse this pervert further. He clearly had a thing for things that moved. She wasn’t about to stir things up and end up facing Maxim’s even more… “assertive friend.”

They had spent several nights together, but he didn’t seem like the kind of trash who would assault a woman in her sleep.

Therefore, pretending to sleep was the safest choice.

‘I’ll sleep now. So don’t you dare get angry… or rise in any other sense. Just lie still and be good.’

Daisy gave a firm, coaxing plea to Maxim’s thing and squeezed her eyes shut.

༺♰༻

In the end, she did not sleep a single wink.

Each time she dared crack her eyes open, she found Maxim already watching her. It wasn’t pleasant, and if anything, it left her more exhausted.

The boutique staff, nervous as they were, only returned after forty minutes had passed. Maxim spent the full time feasting his eyes on his wife’s feigned slumber, before finally stepping out once it was time.

And so thanks to him, Daisy had to lie there pretending to sleep for an extra ten minutes, like she was being punished.

Now, standing before the mirror, her face looked haggard. The staff moved about timidly, treating her with the caution of handling a newborn.

‘Awkwarddd.’

Naturally so. Those who had gossiped, and the one gossiped about, both embarrassed after being exposed.

‘He’s the one who caused the scene, so why am I the one who’s embarrassed?’

She was grateful he had defended her, yes, but she also resented him for making such a spectacle of it.

The staff, too, must have felt uneasy after witnessing Maxim’s outburst. Still, Daisy could not truly hold a grudge against them.

‘Everyone talks shit. People even insult the royal family behind their backs. Why should I be different?’

In her view, mocking people was essential to one’s mental health. And c’mon, what other small pleasures did one have while working?

She herself often filled her head with outrageous curses toward Therese, her shameless boss, and Maxim, who seemed to test her constantly… If the Lord above tallied it all, surely she’d be marked “irretrievable” and damned beyond saving.

As for “Daisy Therese” and “Daisy von Waldeck,” these names were roles she had donned for missions. They carried no real weight for her, and the insults didn’t hurt.

For Daisy, it was never pride at stake, only survival. To hear raw gossip was useful information. Losing that opportunity was the real pity.

‘This is mortifying I could die.’

She just wished to finish quickly and go home, but the staff were so cautious that it only dragged the ordeal out.

“Uh…”

“Y-yes, Your Highness!”

“D-did you call for us? Please, say anything you need.”

The two attendants, midway through dressing her, bowed hastily.

Daisy realized she alone could ease this suffocating tension.

“About the dress I was wearing earlier… was it really that cheap?”

“Pardon? Ah— no, not at all…”

Damn. Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say.