Chapter 69

“M-Max…”

“Shh, stay still.”

Maxim was completely out of control now. Even as she tried to stop him, his eyes had that wild, unhinged gleam.

Pinned under his massive, rock-solid body, Daisy squirmed helplessly, like prey caught in a predator’s jaws as he nipped at her neck.

Should she headbutt him? Maybe elbow him in the jaw?

Or should she pretend to ask for a kiss and then bite him like a feral dog?

…But then what? What would happen after that?

Even if she fought her way out of the situation, that wouldn’t resolve the bigger problem.

A dozen violent ideas flashed through her mind, but none of them offered a lasting solution.

He had already suspected her of having some sort of “training,” and she’d barely managed to talk her way out of that once. If it happened again, it could only make things worse.

Bang, bang! Bang—!

Just as she was thrashing in panic, unsure of what to do, the loud sound of a fist pounding on the door shattered the tension.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

The urgent voice from outside was unmistakably Mary Gold’s.

Of course. The gunshot. She must have heard it and rushed over in concern.

Oh, hail Mary Gold. Ever the dependable head maid, her loyalty was unparalleled. Unlike Rose, who was probably passed out somewhere, Mary Gold’s diligence was in a league of its own.

My savior has arrived. Daisy quickly glanced up at Maxim, who was still looming over her, to gauge his reaction.

“…Fuck.”

Maxim cursed under his breath. While Daisy silently rejoiced over Mary Gold’s arrival, he looked visibly irritated at the arrival of such an overreacting intruder.

Bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang—! The door rattled violently on its hinges.

“The door is locked, so I’m going to break it down. Please pardon the intrusion.”

CRASH—!

With a thunderous crack, the door shattered in a single blow. People had always said Mary Gold was stronger than most men, and clearly, they weren’t wrong.

Daisy couldn’t let the poor innocent woman see them like this.

Before Mary could step into the room, Daisy snatched up the bed sheet and flung it over Maxim’s lower body, hurriedly covering him up.

“I came running the moment I heard the gunshot! A-are you alri—?”

Mary Gold’s voice faltered as her eyes took in the sight before her. Both the Grand Duke and Duchess half-naked, tangled together amid the disheveled bed. She froze mid-step, like a broken machine.

She had charged in, expecting a life-threatening danger, only to be greeted by the sight of bare flesh on full display. Who wouldn’t be caught off guard?

Even in the dim light, Daisy could swear she saw Mary’s face glowing bright red from embarrassment.

“Haah…”

Maxim let out a long, irritated sigh, wrapping the sheet around his waist with exasperation, then turned his deadpan gaze toward Daisy’s loyal head maid.

“Mary Gold.”

“Y-yes, master! Are you injured anywhere?”

“Do I look injured to you?”

“No, master.”

“Then leave.”

“…”

Even though Maxim had clearly ordered her to leave, Mary Gold showed no intention of leaving. Her eyes sharply darted around the room before landing on the shattered mirror, and her expression darkened.

“Did you not hear me just tell you to get out?”

Maxim snapped, growing impatient. Mary lowered her head before answering cautiously.

“Forgive me, master, but I can’t leave just yet.”

“Why not?”

“What I heard wasn’t just any noise. It was a gunshot. I must confirm that Her Highness is safe before I can leave.”

Defying her superior’s command, Mary Gold cast a quick glance at Daisy.

“What exactly is there to confirm? You just saw with your very own eyes that we’re fine.”

“Yes, I saw, but…”

“Then what? Do you think I’m the kind of fool who would endanger my own wife?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Get. Out.”

“…”

“What is the meaning of this?”

As Mary Gold continued to disobey his order, Maxim’s voice dropped to a dangerously icy tone.

“If you’re not looking to die, don’t make me repeat myself. Understood?”

Absolute obedience to orders.

In the army, Mary Gold had been taught that this was a good soldier’s fundamental duty and virtue.

But beyond her sense of duty, she harbored a personal respect for Maxim. He had recognized her potential despite her being a woman and had given her the chance to become a true soldier.

But Mary Gold was no longer a soldier. And using obedience was no excuse to ignore what she had just heard and witnessed.

A gunshot breaking the dead silence of the night.

Shattered fragments of a mirror scattered across the floor.

And the Grand Duchess, ashen-faced, trembling on the bed.

Mary Gold was now firmly devoted to serving Daisy von Waldeck as her master, not Maxim. And in her eyes, the greatest threat in the room was the Grand Duke himself.

“M-Max…”

Sensing the shift in the air, Daisy turned her pale face in Maxim’s direction, calling out to him in a weak voice.

Mary Gold saw Daisy the way one might see a wounded deer. Cornered and unable to flee.

Maxim von Waldeck was undoubtedly the finest soldier Mary had ever served under, but whether he was just as praiseworthy as a husband was another matter entirely.

What if he turned out to be a brute who didn’t hesitate to use violence against women?

Could this delicate and pitiful Grand Duchess possibly survive being married to a monster like Maxim von Waldeck?

The possibility that she might be Daisy’s only lifeline gave Mary all the resolve she needed. There was no way she could back down now.