Battle Divorce! - Chapter 16

Chapter 8.2

Why is he pressing me about this…? Is he mad?

But why would he be mad about this? It was baffling.

“Are you angry?”

“No, I’m just worried that you might not be feeling well, Izzy.”

Unexpectedly, his concern came across as warm. His cold demeanor had thrown her off, making her think he was angry just because of his serious expression.

From the start, her role in this mission as “Daisy Therese,” or rather, “Daisy von Waldeck,” was to act timid and delicate, so she dutifully followed that by eating modestly. However, with everyone watching her, she genuinely found it hard to swallow.

“I’m fine. I’m not feeling unwell at all.”

“Are you sure? You’re eating far less than usual. Are you positive I shouldn’t call the doctor?”

Sure, she was eating less than usual, but…

How would he even know her usual eating habits? How could he be so sure? Then again, the former grand duchess often scolded her for eating too much at the table…

If he’d asked the staff, they might have exaggerated a bit.

“Don’t worry, I’m eating fine. But why aren’t you eating, Y-Your Highness? Is the food not to your liking?”

After all, he was only drinking wine on an empty stomach, which she found rather ridiculous.

Upon hearing her question, Maxim’s gaze darkened even further.

“Max.”

His low voice made Daisy flinch.

“We agreed you’d call me Max, didn’t we?”

“T-that’s…”

That was the reason?

His mood swings were so unpredictable it was impossible to keep up. She wanted to humor him if she could, but with the former grand duchess glaring at her, it felt… awkward.

…How could she call him that? She didn’t want to add ice to an already chilly atmosphere.

Daisy gave an awkward smile.

“Well, perhaps we could call each other something more comfortable?”

“Something more comfortable?”

“Yes, how does ‘honey’ sound?”

“…”

Daisy was rendered speechless at his even bolder suggestion.

“Do you dislike it, honey?”

“I-I’ll just… s-stick with Max.”

It wasn’t that difficult, and there was no need to make things worse by overcomplicating things.

“I’m a fan of ‘honey’ as well. Let me know if you happen to change your mind.”

…As if that would ever happen.

Watching Maxim smile so brightly, though with a hint of disappointment, Daisy felt drained even though she’d barely taken a few bites.

Sure enough, the former grand duchess, sitting across from them, wore a look of utter distaste as if she’d witnessed something unthinkable.

“I’m eating fine, so M-Max… could you stop staring and maybe eat, too? Your food will get cold.”

“Izzy, are you actually worried about me?”

Maxim had a knack for twisting anything to his advantage.

“N-no, that’s not—”

“It feels good to have you worrying about me, Izzy.”

“Please, eat with me.”

“I already am. Truthfully, just watching you eat is enough to fill me up.”

You’ve been drinking wine this entire time!

If anything, his stomach was full of wine. He hadn’t even touched his food.

His cheeks were already flushed, whether from genuine happiness or from the wine. He was unhinged enough as it was. She dreaded to think how much more terrifying he’d get if he got drunk. Or maybe he was just spouting nonsense because he was already tipsy.

Daisy felt like she was sitting in front of a ticking time bomb, unable to enjoy her meal peacefully. But knowing how much he’d pester her if she didn’t eat, she brought another piece of meat to her mouth and began to chew.

“Now that’s more like it. Before, you ate without any sense of decorum.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘no sense of decorum’?”

The former grand duchess had made the comment, and Maxim snapped back.

“Eating without a care, stuffing your face. She’s not some street beggar. It’s unbecoming for a woman to eat with such an appetite.”

“Oh, you’re referring to Izzy, are you?”

Hearing his wife being criticized right in front of him, Maxim forced out a laugh.

“I find it rather refreshing. Eating well makes her seem more lively.”

Whether he was truly defending her or not, Maxim spoke about his wife’s eating habits as if he were inspecting a live fish at the market.

With Maxim openly siding with her, the former grand duchess’s expression grew even darker.

‘It’s true I ate well, but I didn’t exactly stuff my face.’

It felt unfair. That was an outright exaggeration.

The two of them were clearly blowing things out of proportion.