Battle Divorce! - Chapter 19

Chapter 10.1

“This rose garden is the most beautiful spot in the Therese mansion. The fragrance grows even stronger at night. Do you feel it?”

“….”

“We have many rare seedlings that were imported here from overseas. Most of them are quite costly, but thanks to the gardener’s skill, they’re all flourishing beautifully again this year.”

Therese’s butler had been tirelessly guiding Maxim von Waldeck around the rose garden, casting him an occasional glance.

The Grand Duke of Waldeck offered little in response.

Back in the parlor, the butler had already noticed that the grand duke wasn’t particularly interested in the rose garden, yet his indifference now seemed excessive. He merely followed along mechanically, barely sparing a glance at his surroundings.

Still, he was carrying out his master’s orders. The walk was arranged to allow Daisy some time alone with him, so, from the butler’s perspective, he had to keep him suitably occupied.

After pondering for a moment, the butler thought of a question that might capture the grand duke’s interest.

“Shall I ask the gardener to prepare a bouquet of roses for you to present to Her Highness?”

“Hmm. I have a feeling she wouldn’t be particularly fond of roses.”

A small smile appeared on the otherwise indifferent face of Maxim von Waldeck.

“Pardon? But I thought this was Her Highness’ favorite spot…?”

“It’s ‘Pardon,’ not ‘Pardon?’^[1] I detest being questioned. Do you understand?”

“…Yes, I understand. I-I apologize for my rudeness.”

“If you understand, then don’t make the same mistake again.”

A war hero, indeed. He was certainly no ordinary man.

The butler hadn’t actually made a mistake. He had simply repeated what Daisy mentioned in the parlor. Even though he’d done nothing wrong, he felt as if he had, and out of caution, he bowed deeply to offer a polite apology.

“Beauty, fragrance, even money… none of that matters.”

Maxim didn’t bother to wait for permission and plucked a single rose, brushing his fingers over the thorns along the stem as he said,

“I wouldn’t want to give something this dangerous to Izzy, either.”

Every rose has thorns. A rose without them wouldn’t truly be a rose.

If not careful, those thorns could pierce a person’s skin, potentially causing injury or even infection.

“When people stop to admire the flowers, they want to feel safe enough to lower their guards, even if it’s just for a moment. Don’t you agree?”

“Those are truly wise words.”

The butler responded in agreement without missing a beat.

“On a separate note, I left something in the car. Could you retrieve it for me?”

“Of course. Just let me know what it is, and I’ll fetch it for you.”

The butler replied with a polite bow.

“On second thought, I’ll get it myself.”

“Understood. Please follow me this way.”

Following the butler’s lead across the garden, they reached a parked car. It was the vehicle in which the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Waldeck had arrived.

The butler kept a respectful distance as Maxim approached the car, opened the back door, and climbed inside.

Maxim’s aide, seated in the front, turned to face him and offered a salute.

“Did you do it?”

“Yes, naturally, just as you instructed.”

Per his orders, the aide had engaged in casual chatter with nearby staff while parking the car. To onlookers, he would have seemed like any regular subordinate, venting about his boss, exactly the impression Maxim von Waldeck intended.

Translator’s Note:

1. In Korean, “네?” means “Yes?” but can also mean “Pardon?” This is common in Korean novels. You can see this in a previous chapter where Maxim corrects Karen for saying “Yes?” (which is just 네?) ↩