Battle Divorce! - Chapter 1
Marriage is madness.
Standing straight in her wedding dress and veil, Daisy forced a smile and tried to ignore her aching back.
“That bride… isn’t she Count Therese’s illegitimate daughter? She’s pretty.”
“Pretty, so what? She’ll be a widow soon enough. I just feel sorry for her.”
“Exactly. How is this any different from selling your own daughter?”
The guests’ whispers carried all the way to the altar.
Sorry, but that’s exactly what made this situation appealing to Daisy. In her plans for retirement, there was never any room for a husband.
[Become Maxim von Waldeck’s wife at least in name.]
That was her final mission as a secret agent. Nothing more.
The royal family’s bloodhound, Maxim von Waldeck.
The man who would become Daisy’s husband today was destined to be sent off as cannon fodder in a war he had no chance of winning.
A formal marriage was required for title succession, but with his impending deployment and almost certain death, not a single noblewoman volunteered for the role.
That’s how this chapel became Daisy’s final mission site. If her beloved ‘husband’ died in the war, she would receive a huge payout.
Now, the wedding that would turn her into ‘Daisy von Waldeck’ was about to begin.
‘Late for his own wedding. How perfect.‘
Daisy thought, standing alone before the officiant while the groom’s spot remained empty. From an outsider’s perspective, she must have looked absolutely pitiful.
As if that wasn’t enough, the extravagant high heels and elaborate dress made her feel like she was being punished.
The hastily borrowed wedding gown had a high-neck lace collar, making Daisy look the picture of innocence, but the bodice was far too tight. She’d wrapped her chest with a smaller bra for the sake of appearance, and though she hadn’t eaten much, she felt as if her food was stuck in her throat.
‘Ugh, I feel like I’m going to be sick.’
She was already fantasizing about divorce before even getting married, but she had to bear it. This was, after all, a million-gold husband.
If this were a real marriage, she never would have put up with it, but for this fake husband? He was by far the highest-value target she’d ever been assigned.
‘Well, he’s heading off to die soon, so the least I can do is forgive him for this small embarrassment.’
Just thinking of the payout made her much more forgiving.
‘He’s not actually going to stand me up, is he?’
Daisy anxiously glanced toward the entrance. This mission wasn’t just about the huge payment, and her hard-earned retirement fund was also on the line.
‘Just show up in one piece, please. My million gold…’
Nervous, she fiddled with her fingers. She should have at least brought a bouquet, but she’d skipped it in the rush.
Just as her anxiety peaked—BANG!—the chapel doors swung open. A moment later, a tall man in military dress strode in, silhouetted by the light behind him.
At first, Daisy thought she must be seeing things. But as he got closer, she was sure of it. Daisy’s husband was absurdly handsome.
‘Ha, fu–, no one told me he’d be this good-looking.’
Beautiful people die young, they say, but did a man doomed to become cannon fodder really have to be this gorgeous? It seemed like a national tragedy.
He looked every bit the soldier. Broad shoulders, a wide chest, his uniform fitting him perfectly. His jet-black hair and steel-blue eyes gave off a cold, sharp aura.
‘Ice-cold, huh.’
He barely showed any emotion. Daisy was tough herself, but his intensity was so overwhelming she found it hard to meet his gaze.
Well, what else could you expect from someone about to be shipped off to war? Plus, having a total stranger suddenly appear as your bride must be awkward for him too. Daisy tried to be understanding of her husband.
“Here.”
With long strides, her new husband stopped beside her and handed her something.
“Take it.”
Startled, Daisy automatically accepted it.
It was a small bouquet of daisies, simply tied together. Modest, but sweet. He must have prepared it to keep up appearances, even though this was all just for show.
‘Cute.’
Honestly, she preferred this kind of wildflower bouquet over a lavish arrangement. The tension finally left Daisy’s face, softening her stiff expression.
With her husband’s arrival, the ceremony proceeded quickly and simply.
“In the presence of the Almighty, I declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
The officiant finished reading the vows and prompted them to seal the marriage with a kiss.
A kiss? There would be no wedding night as her husband was about to leave. There was no way he’d actually kiss her.
Besides, this would be Daisy’s first kiss. She wasn’t about to waste it in some meaningless ceremony.
But then, that handsome face started moving closer.
‘Wait, what?’
She hadn’t expected a kiss at this formality of a wedding. Maybe he was just the type to do everything by the book, a stickler for rules, like a true soldier.
‘Whatever. I’ll just think of it as kissing a million gold.’
With that, resignation set in. A wedding kiss is just a quick peck anyway, just lips brushing and nothing more.
‘Well… at least he’s good-looking, thank goodness for that.’
Her first kiss would be with a man this gorgeous. Daisy tried to comfort herself, telling herself it could be a lot worse, and squeezed her eyes shut.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she felt his face getting closer.
Soft lips pressed against hers, and Daisy clenched her trembling hands.
‘There, we’ve kissed. Now he’ll pull away and it’ll all be over.’
But things did not go as Daisy expected.
“……!”
Wet warmth slid deeper as his mouth moved, and a soft tongue slipped deftly between her teeth.
‘Why on earth is… Why is his tongue going in?’
Under her tightly shut eyelids, Daisy’s eyes darted back and forth. Instinctively, she tried to lean away, but Maxim’s strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her firmly in place.
