The Plan of the Terminally-Ill Wife's Divorce (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
The maids came to help me bathe, and when evening fell, I headed toward the bridal chamber. Lady Ygritte, who had arrived earlier and was waiting for me, bowed her head upon seeing me.
“This isn’t an apology for what happened earlier, but this room has been carefully prepared since before your arrival. I believe it’s fitting enough to commemorate your first night in the Inkheart household.”
Though it was the cold North, the room was so warm that the chill outside was completely imperceptible, and it was lavishly decorated with fresh, vibrant flowers—though where they’d procured them remained a mystery.
Moreover, the drapes and wall hangings were adorned in the two signature colors of House Fosse. Even the bedding in the bedroom bore large, embroidered crests of both Fosse and Inkheart side by side.
‘Well, they certainly went all out.’
Just where in this nearly greenhouse-less North did they manage to find these flowers in winter? And those hangings and bedding—had they hastily pulled them from my own dowry?
The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt as if I’d stepped into the vivid South.
“Lady Ygritte.”
I smiled.
“I cannot sleep in this room.”
The bridal chamber was bright and beautiful, like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
Which meant it was an exceptionally well-crafted slight.
“My lady, is there something about the room that displeases you?”
Lady Ygritte asked with concern.
“We only received word of your arrival at the last minute, so our preparations may have been somewhat lacking. If you’d let us know, we could bring anything you find missing right away.”
“No, no. The preparations are perfect—if the theme of this room is ‘the South’ and ‘House Fosse,’ that is.”
It was precisely because it was too perfect—hammering into everyone’s mind that I was a woman who’d married into House Fosse—that it became a problem.
“Changing the room’s decor at this late hour must be difficult. Here’s what we’ll do: I won’t sleep in this room tonight. Perhaps I’ll stay in His Grace the Grand Duke’s chamber instead—it surely won’t have decorations like these.”
“But Lady Anette, it’s unprecedented for a newlywed Grand Duchess to leave her own chamber and stay in the Grand Duke’s room on her wedding night…”
“I left House Fosse to marry into House Inkheart. House Fosse is no longer important to me. From now on, everything comes second to Inkheart.”
If Rose Temari wanted to maintain her villainess role, she ought to sincerely observe and learn from her mentor.
While preparing this room, everyone in the castle must have firmly imprinted in their minds that the new Grand Duchess was “from the South” and “of House Fosse.”
If I stayed in this room, the rumors circulating through the castle by morning would be obvious.
〈Hey, did you hear? That southern woman spent her wedding night with His Grace the Grand Duke.〉
Everyone dislikes outsiders—and especially so when the outsider draws attention to herself.
This room arrangement was practically designed to make me lose favor with the household.
“Your Grace, your roots lie in House Fosse.”
“A bride who marries in should adorn herself with the symbols of her husband’s house.”
Not because I was submitting to patriarchy, but as a signal that I intended to integrate myself going forward.
Thus, if they truly cared for me, they should have decorated this room with symbols of the North and House Inkheart.
“You must have been in such a rush to prepare that you didn’t have time to consider that. Since you called it a gesture of sincerity, I won’t hold it against you.”
Someone as insignificant as Rose Temari, whose height barely reached my chest, was laughable.
Truly frightening people were like this—capable of publicly isolating the new Grand Duchess without uttering a single insult.
“Please clear it away.”
I turned my back coldly and left the room.
[This is the timeline separator]Crash.
Ygritte, unable to contain her fury, hurled the vase far away. The fully bloomed flowers were crushed into the floor.
“That southern wench is tougher than I expected.”
I’d been dreading who Darius’s bride would turn out to be. So when I heard they’d chosen the eldest daughter of Marquis Fosse—the southern house with poor relations to the North—I was delighted.
I’d also learned she was a daughter unloved even by her own family.
A girl who seemed powerless and easy to manipulate.
I’d assumed that bringing such a woman as Darius’s wife would allow me to continue managing the household as I always had.
“Darius was wrong from the start to bring that woman into this castle. Hmph. She may be riding high now, but soon…”
Soon—after all, it wouldn’t be long now.
Just as Ygritte muttered, biting her lip—
“Goodness! Lady Ygritte, what happened to the room? Oh no—have you hurt your feet? Let me clean up the vase for…”
A maid stood behind Ygritte, utterly unaware of what truly lay before her.
Gulp. Gulp.
When shock is too great, even a scream won’t come out.
“Oh, it’s you.”
Ygritte smiled faintly and clamped a hand over the maid’s mouth as she stared at her in stunned silence. The round shadow of her fingertips reflected on the wall stretched and sharpened into something long and pointed.
“Shh.”
Click. The door locked shut.
In the cold, dark northern night, one more chilling shadow made no noticeable difference at all.
[This is the timeline separator]Thump thump. Nice and cushioned.
Plop plop. The floor’s soft too.
“Did you hunt the bear pelt on the floor yourself?”
“…It’s an heirloom passed down from previous generations.”
After rejecting the Grand Duchess’s chamber—lavishly decorated in southern style—I headed straight for Darius’s room.
A plush carpet deep enough to bury my ankles, hunting trophies lining the walls (somewhat gloomy, admittedly), and a fireplace burning warmly.
“My Lord, My Lady, may you both have a wonderful evening. We’ll take our leave now.”
“Have a good time.”
The maids grinned far too broadly. Hmm, hmm—their faces flushed bright red as they cleared their throats awkwardly.
“Don’t worry—we won’t disturb you until morning.”
“My Lady, there’s no need to be afraid. If you’re unsure about anything, just leave it all to His Lordship.”
Yet the faces of Darius and myself—the very recipients of their suggestive expectations—were pale as ghosts.
‘Interrupt us! Burst in! Fan the flames of hostility against this foreign woman from a rival house! Make a fuss as if something catastrophic will happen the moment we so much as move in bed!’
Darius and I sat back-to-back in grim silence. The atmosphere was so tense that if either of us moved even slightly, it felt as though I’d shriek in terror.
Wedding night. What even was a wedding night? Couldn’t we just play some dice or something?
“…”
“…”
My fists, hidden behind my back, were drenched in sweat.
Fine. If Darius so much as twitches a finger toward me, I’ll clench my fist and punch him square in the face.
Maybe he’ll pass out, and we can pretend the wedding night is over.
Aaargh! Damn this cursed fate of mine! I’ll curse it thrice a day every time it crosses my mind!
Truthfully, this wasn’t the first time Darius and I had shared a sleeping space.
The journey from Marquis Fosse’s estate to the Inkheart domain had been long, and we’d spent many nights camping along the way.
Though we’d traveled together in the same carriage from the start, I hadn’t expected to share it with him at night as well—and my face had burned crimson.
〈I’ll sleep in a tent with the knights. You stay in the carriage, Anette.〉
〈Are you trying to make me look like a heartless wife who banishes her husband outside on their wedding day? …It’s fine. Sleep over there. Way over there. Just don’t move.〉
In the dark night, the call of a nightjar drifted through the carriage window. When I opened my eyes, I saw his face, lying perfectly still right before me.
The carriage had felt spacious in daylight, yet now that darkness fell, even the sound of his breathing seemed loud—why did it suddenly feel so cramped?
Trapped alone with a man in an enclosed space.
‘If… if something like that were to happen… could I really refuse? He’s the male lead, after all—and absurdly handsome, too.’
If anyone had seen me then, my face would’ve been as red as a ripe tomato.
After all, cheerful romance web novels meant for the whole family never depicted such scenes in detail! They were always vague and understated—how could I possibly handle the real thing properly?
Every slight movement he made sent my heartbeat racing. When Darius finally threw off his blanket and sat up, I nearly screamed from sheer tension.
‘No, no! Maybe he just woke up thirsty!’
Despite my frantic denial, he leaned toward me.
Unable to open my eyes—still pretending to sleep—I let out a silent scream.
‘Not in the carriage!’
Not in the carriage!
〈Ugh, uh…! (At least wait until we’re somewhere with a proper bed!)〉
〈You’re shivering because you’re cold under that thin cover.〉
Rustle.
What covered me in that moment wasn’t his scorching-hot lips—but the lukewarm blanket he’d just been using, now draped gently over my body.
〈Huh…? (What’s this?)〉
Even straining my eyes half-open, I couldn’t read Darius’s expression.
Then, to my shock, he pinched my nose between his fingers and even twisted it slightly.
〈Ugh…! (I’m awake! I’m awake but can’t say it out loud!)〉
〈Your nose is small. Your hands are small, your feet are small, your whole body is small. Are all southern women this tiny?〉
‘Is that an insult? Am I supposed to be some cicada clinging to an ancient tree compared to his towering height?’
Tap.
Before I could fake waking up and scold him, Darius lightly tapped the tip of my nose and returned to his spot.
Then, leaving his own blanket untouched, he went back to sleep.
Much later, when I thought Darius had fallen asleep again, I sat up groggily—and stared in confusion at the two blankets now covering me.
〈Does he think he’s immune to catching cold or something…?〉
My solo awkwardness and two blankets—that was the true memory of my actual wedding night.
‘But nothing happened in the carriage either! So today should be fine too!’
…Though, if you really thought about it, we’d been traveling in the carriage, whereas today was the official wedding night. If anything were to happen, it’d be tonight, wouldn’t it?
Two versions of myself waged war inside my mind.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (101)
Hahaha, how embarrassing, Annette! You should reject him and correct the misunderstanding.
What is this? I feel uneasy about Ygritte; she’s hiding something.
What is this? A demon queen? Could Annette be the demon queen?
Inline Comments (2)
‘Remember the original story. Darius belongs to Evangeline Stockwork.’
Why does she insist that Darius would never like her? Isn’t she already defying the original work by changing the events?
‘In the original story, Anette was assassinated in the annex by Darius’s unknown
Who really could that be? If she was just the arranged wife and an enemy daughter at that, who could possibly plan on killing her?
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
Miioo
Hahaha, they’re so funny! They’re really nice. Don’t worry, Annette, nothing will happen.