The Plan of the Terminally-Ill Wife's Divorce (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
“Huh?”
Ignoring the guests’ bewildered expressions, the Grand Duke seriously repeated the motion of scooping soup, bringing it to his lips, then letting it dribble back down—like an actor performing a theatrical scene of eating.
Naturally, not a single drop of soup actually passed down his throat.
“Hmm, what a waste of food! What on earth is he doing?”
Of course, I could afford to be lenient toward the male lead’s eccentric behavior.
“Your Grace! What is the meaning of this rudeness!”
Clang! Marquis Fosse pushed his chair back and stood up abruptly. He was visibly furious.
“How dare you treat the meal our house prepared with such care in this manner!”
If he had at least tried eating through the mask with a spoon, that would have been understandable—but letting the soup drip like that was practically an accusation that the food was poisoned.
“My lord Marquis, His Grace is merely having difficulty eating because of the mask.”
“If you don’t wish to eat, simply set down your spoon! What is this mockery…!”
Everyone’s faces hardened instantly, and the atmosphere grew so tense it seemed the dining table might be overturned at any moment.
At that precise moment, when everyone’s nerves were stretched razor-thin—
“Ahahaha!”
A cheerful laugh cut through the tension.
“Anette?”
“What are you doing now, too!”
“I’m sorry. It was just too funny.”
Pfft. I covered my mouth and laughed as if the Grand Duke had just told the funniest joke in the world.
The already furious Marquis shot up from his chair as if ready to grab the Grand Duke by the collar, while Marchioness Fosse’s face flushed red.
Only I remained smiling comfortably—like a carefree child.
“A grown man like His Grace acting as if he’s picky about food—it just made me laugh, that’s all.”
Though Marquis Fosse had taken offense at the Grand Duke’s impoliteness, I too sat in the host’s seat.
By dismissing the Grand Duke’s rudeness as mere “playfulness,” I’d left the Marquis in an awkward position to press the matter further.
The mood shifted.
“…Hmph!”
The Marquis shot me a displeased glance before sitting back down. Regardless, I gave the Grand Duke a warm, friendly smile.
‘You saw me take your side just now, right? Remember that well.’
“Perhaps it’s because you’re to be married—they already seem perfectly in tune with each other.”
“Indeed. There must be some inexplicable connection between us.”
My stepmother and younger sister Kaitlyn spoke with barbed words, clearly criticizing me.
While everyone in my household had stiffened at the Grand Duke’s behavior, I found it amusing—implying, “You’re clearly not one of us.”
‘If they say my heart aligns well with the male lead, I’m all for it.’
If it meant living even one more day, I’d match not just his sense of humor but anything else he threw my way.
“I’m truly delighted to hear that the Grand Duke and I suit each other so well.”
Special service, coming right up.
I gave the Grand Duke a playful wink.
Unfortunately, he completely ignored my cute gesture.
Perhaps he was shyer than he appeared.
“Lady Anette has already shown such openness toward His Grace—it fills me, as a knight serving the Grand Duke and representing the North, with gratitude. I am Sir Daniel, humbly standing by His Grace’s side.”
Instead of the aloof Grand Duke, it was his knight who stepped forward with proper courtesy.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Daniel.”
I smiled at Sir Daniel, though impressing him wasn’t my goal.
Turning my gaze back to the Grand Duke, I spoke again.
“You said you wore the mask because of a facial injury—but your throat isn’t hurt, is it?”
“Anette.”
Marquis Fosse gave me a warning look, as if telling me to stay quiet.
Huh? Just moments ago, he was ready to brawl, and now he’s acting all polite? How odd.
“I simply wish to hear His Grace’s voice. I don’t need a long speech—just one word will do. Whether the food is tasty, or what you think of our home.”
“My lady, as I mentioned earlier, His Grace finds speaking difficult while wearing the mask. If there’s anything you require, I’d be glad to—”
“We are grateful for the Fosse household’s generous hospitality.”
A grating, metallic voice scraped out from beneath the silver mask—the male lead’s voice for the first time.
Grrr…
At that chilling sound, Kaitlyn involuntarily dropped her utensil with a clatter.
Her expression betrayed her shock, clearly conveying the thought: ‘What on earth is hiding beneath that mask?’
“Making clattering noises during dinner is impolite, Kaitlyn. We have guests—mind your manners.”
I gently scolded Kaitlyn, yet the atmosphere remained strained.
Sir Daniel’s face darkened, clearly thinking, ‘I knew the Fosse family would be this rude.’
“I remained silent because I feared this voice might ruin your pleasant mealtime.”
Only the Grand Duke remained calm. Fine then—I’d step up and meet expectations at this dreary table.
“Thank you for granting my request, Your Grace. I’m overjoyed to hear you’re enjoying the banquet our family prepared.”
“How unexpected. Doesn’t my voice bother you, my lady? I assumed you’d be terrified at the thought of marrying a man like me.”
Even through the mask, it was clear—he was teasing me.
Was this a sign of interest?
I met his gaze with a composed smile.
“You withheld your words out of concern I might be startled by your voice? Your Grace truly has a kind heart.”
Huh—someone audibly gasped in admiration. It was Sir Daniel, the Grand Duke’s knight. His earlier disappointment over Kaitlyn’s rudeness had transformed into a look of deep respect toward me.
‘Honestly, I’m only unfazed because I know he’s the novel’s male lead.’
The original story never described the male lead’s voice as particularly unpleasant—so this must be an intentionally distorted tone, part of his thorough disguise with the mask.
After all, male leads are always handsome, barring exceptional circumstances.
What truly mattered wasn’t whether I liked his voice—it was Darius’s feelings toward me.
“Lady Anette, you’re far more open-minded than I imagined. I’m truly impressed by your generosity.”
‘Hmm.’
Were his words genuine praise—or veiled sarcasm, warning me not to scheme?
Unlike Sir Daniel, whose emotions showed plainly on his face, Darius’s thoughts remained unreadable behind his silver mask.
“To better demonstrate my generosity, perhaps I could request some tea after dinner? After all, conversation is how we come to know one another.”
“If time permits, we shall.”
‘Translation: He’s not coming. What could he possibly have to do here anyway? Tch.’
For the rest of the evening, Marquis and Marchioness Fosse led most of the conversation. Sir Daniel, speaking on the Grand Duke’s behalf, and I provided timely replies to keep the mood from souring.
Though the masked Grand Duke sat silently throughout the meal, no one could ignore his overwhelming presence.
[This is the timeline separator]‘He seems more the master of this gathering than Marquis Fosse himself.’
Sir Daniel thought fondly of his lord. And if even he felt this way, how much more so the woman destined to become his lady?
Today, Anette had been as charming in wit as she was in appearance.
According to reports, the Fosse Marquis’s eldest daughter was said to be timid and painfully shy, having grown up under a stepmother—but not a trace of that demeanor was visible tonight.
Anette guided the conversation with just the right amount of cleverness—neither excessive nor lacking.
Sir Daniel quite liked this version of Anette, though naturally, someone else found it infuriating.
“Who does she think she is, flapping her lips like she’s already his fiancée! She can’t even lift her head normally, yet today she’s acting so bold!”
Normally, at the Fosse family’s banquets, Kaitlyn monopolized the guests’ attention.
Kaitlyn, Anette’s half-sister, was a beautiful girl with curly red hair and green eyes.
Anette had always played the pitiful background role, merely enhancing Kaitlyn’s radiance—but today, everything was reversed.
Somehow, Anette stole everyone’s attention so completely that even Kaitlyn was left speechless, as if in a daze. Only after the banquet ended did Kaitlyn snap back to her senses.
“Hmph! She’s marrying that gloomy Grand Duke who won’t even show his face or speak a word—what’s so great about her?”
Just as Kaitlyn grumbled, her personal maid whispered something into her ear.
“Miss Kaitlyn, actually… Miss Anette has…”
“What did you say?”
Kaitlyn’s eyes widened like lanterns. Her face quickly flushed red, and she clicked her tongue sharply.
“How ridiculous! Since when does an older sister covet her younger sister’s belongings?”
She’d just found the perfect excuse to pick a fight with Anette.
[This is the timeline separator]
“Take that outfit off. Right now.”
Bang!
Kaitlyn stormed in, glaring at me with contempt. I’d just finished dinner and was about to change out of my constricting dress into something comfortable.
“What a disgrace! Are you a beggar? Did you steal my clothes because you have nothing else to wear?”
Still in my muslin undergarments, I looked toward my nursemaid. Guiltily, she avoided my gaze.
〈Just bring Miss Kaitlyn’s clothes for now—they’re the quickest option.〉
Recalling that earlier instruction, I pieced together what had happened.
‘Why didn’t they just take my stepmother’s clothes instead?’
If they were going to pin this on me anyway, that would’ve made far more sense.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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MANGA DISCUSSION
5 Comments
Chapter Comments (160)
Hahaha, well done, Annette! It’s truly wonderful. How funny! They were arguing head-on, embarrassing! 🤭
what will you gain by insulting the male lead?
kaitlyn, be a little more intelligent.kaitlyn heard the male lead insult his.
will everything turn out okay?
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?
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agustus_orchid
now that we’ve won over the duke of the north’s deputy to our side, everything else will be easy. (ʘᴗʘ✿)
agustus_orchid
the duke of the north spoke to Anette.
we succeeded. we’ve come halfway.
(◕ᴗ◕✿)
Miioo
What is this? The maids are so filthy! How dare the servants plot against their mistress?
agustus_orchid
anette, find strength, my dear.
because your patience will be severely tested.
agustus_orchid
anette, I support you.
let’s walk on flowery paths from now on.