The Plan of the Terminally-Ill Wife's Divorce (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
“His Grace the Grand Duke has arrived.”
“Your Grace.”
I turned away from Kaitlyn and beamed brightly at my fiancé—or rather, my husband now.
“We will be leaving shortly, Anette. It may be difficult to return here again—do you have anything you’d like to take with you?”
The roughness in his voice had vanished, replaced by a low, refined tone showing concern for me. Though his words were stiff, they carried worry beneath.
“If Your Grace says so, I should take another look.”
I glanced quickly at Kaitlyn. Her face was twisted with injustice and anger, her fists clenched tightly as she trembled.
Her expression seemed to scream, “No one ever told me the Grand Duke Inkheart was this handsome!”
I remembered the faces of the Fosse household the first time Darius removed his silver mask and appeared at breakfast.
The Marquis’s mouth hung agape, and even his younger brother wore a bewildered expression. The Marchioness and Kaitlyn were so flushed they couldn’t even speak properly.
〈W-Who are you?〉
〇I am Darius Inkheart.〉
Kaitlyn’s expression when she suddenly realized that the stunning young man before her was the fiancé of the half-sister she’d been ignoring—that look alone was enough to make me jump out of bed laughing even in my sleep. It was just that delightful.
I called a maid to double-check my belongings one last time. There wasn’t much I needed to take: a few newly prepared dresses, Anette’s diary, and the jewels I’d reclaimed from Kaitlyn….
“Huh?”
My hands moved faster as I rummaged through the rubies and glittering diamond rings.
My face hardened as I inspected the jewelry box.
“My mother’s keepsake is missing!”
Immediately afterward, a maid cried out in shock.
“Miss Anette’s necklace is gone!”
[This is the timeline separator]Hot tears streamed down my cheeks. Overwhelmed with sorrow, I cried out,
“Not just anything—how could you take my late mother’s keepsake!”
Panic spread through the mansion. On the very day the eldest daughter was to be married off, the late Marchioness’s heirloom had been stolen. The wedding ceremony was halted immediately.
The entire estate erupted into chaos as everyone searched the house, and eventually, the culprit was caught.
It was none other than the nursemaid.
“Nursemaid, how could you do this to me?”
I wailed in grief so intensely that anyone witnessing it might think my mother had died all over again.
“W-Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
The nursemaid, dragged out with servants gripping both her arms, looked around fearfully. She’d been nowhere to be seen while the young mistress she served prepared to leave for distant lands. On the day I was departing, the nursemaid had also been packing her own bags.
〈Since Miss Anette won’t be staying here anymore, I must leave the estate as well.〉
It sounded plausible enough.
“You surely have nothing to say after seeing this necklace.”
Huffing in outrage, I thrust the blue sapphire necklace right before the nursemaid’s eyes.
“That’s—!”
Her eyes widened in shock as she stood restrained by the servants.
“Of all things, I never imagined you’d steal my mother’s necklace, Nursemaid!”
“What are you talking about? You gave it to me yourself, Miss Anette!”
“You claim I gave you the necklace?”
I shook my head in disbelief.
I’d taken the bait. Barely suppressing the smile tugging at my lips, I forced my voice to sound tearful.
“What exactly have you done for me that would make me give you my mother’s keepsake? Was I really that naive? That you’d dare steal a valuable and then blame me for it?”
Everyone in the mansion knew the servants had never treated Anette well. Thus, the excuse I’d cleverly fabricated using Anette’s name sounded utterly convincing to them all.
“To think we’ve been feeding and clothing a thief in our own home.”
Kaitlyn was the first to coldly turn her head away from the nursemaid. Though she and the nursemaid had always worked in perfect harmony when tormenting Anette, at this moment of crisis, Kaitlyn didn’t utter a single word in the nursemaid’s defense.
“Miss Anette!”
Sensing things were turning against her, the nursemaid cried out.
“You told me yourself that I’d worked hard serving you! You gave me the necklace and money too! You said to take it and live comfortably in my old age! Why are you doing this now!”
“I wanted to leave only good memories behind on the day I left my family home, but since we’ve come this far, I must speak plainly. Do you truly believe you’ve done enough for me to deserve such a gift?”
Even the nursemaid, who had been insisting on her innocence, fell silent at those words. In truth, she’d never once treated Anette kindly.
“Father was worried about me leaving for distant lands and wanted you to accompany me, but you flatly refused—saying you didn’t want to go to the cold North.”
Tears streamed endlessly down my face as I reproached the nursemaid.
“I tried to understand, thinking perhaps you were too old to make such a journey… but I never imagined you’d steal my belongings, thinking I’d never find out once I’d left! And the money too!”
“Miss Anette! Why are you lying like this! No, I didn’t steal your necklace! And the money—you gave it to me yourself!”
The nursemaid, her face turning pale, pleaded desperately to the Marquis, the Marchioness, and Kaitlyn. But both the Marchioness and Kaitlyn only stared back at her with icy expressions.
“Take this woman to prison! Give her a proper thrashing until she confesses the truth!”
The Marquis pronounced his judgment coldly.
[This is the timeline separator]Due to the theft of the sapphire necklace, the Grand Duke and I remained at the estate for one more day.
“I’m sorry to hear about your nursemaid.”
“I’m sorry, Your Grace. Let me rest a little. I’m still in shock.”
Though Darius tried to comfort me, I spent the entire day wearing a sorrowful expression, devastated by the betrayal of the nursemaid I’d trusted completely.
That night, after huddling alone all day, I quietly left my room.
My destination was the Fosse family’s underground dungeon.
“Miss Anette.”
“I’d like to ask the nursemaid why she did it.”
Seeing my wish to speak with her alone, the guard stepped aside with a look of pity.
“Ughh….”
“Nursemaid.”
In just half a day, the nursemaid lay groaning on the dungeon floor, clearly having endured harsh interrogation.
“You! What do you think you’re doing here!”
“Where else would it be? This is the dungeon, and you’re imprisoned here—clearly guilty.”
The moment she saw my face, the nursemaid shrieked.
“It was you! You gave it to me! I told you I didn’t need it, but you insisted on pressing those things into my hands!”
“That’s right. I did give them to you.”
I cheerfully admitted it.
Rustle. I pulled Anette’s diary from my pocket. Poor Anette. With no one to confide in, you always poured your heart into these pages. Thanks to this, I learned everything that had happened to Anette.
“You wicked, evil thing! After all I’ve done for you!”
“‘It rained today. Rosalind was scolded severely and sent away from the house. The nursemaid claimed Rosalind stole something. But I know the truth.’”
The sudden reading from the diary twisted the nursemaid’s face in horror.
“Rosalind?”
“‘Rosalind didn’t steal anything. Someone else clearly took it. Even as she was being driven out, Rosalind worried about me—saying she could find another job, but I’d still have to stay in this house.’”
Rosalind had been a young maid newly hired by the Fosse household around that time.
Just a year or two older than Anette, she’d treated Anette like a younger sister and cared for her tenderly. To the other servants—who all conspired to torment Anette—Rosalind must have been unbearable to see.
“Don’t you remember? You personally grabbed Rosalind’s wrist and declared, ‘This hand stole the Fosse family’s treasures like a thieving rat!’”
“I don’t remember! That thieving wench got what she deserved!”
“You’ve committed so many sins you can’t even remember them all.”
I clicked my tongue in disdain.
Those who think they alone can set traps always end up ensnared by their own schemes.
The Marquis had wanted the nursemaid to accompany Anette to the North—not out of any beautiful paternal concern for his distant daughter, but because he wished to send someone along to gather intelligence from the North.
I had no desire for the nursemaid to come with me.
〈Father seemed to want you to go north with me. What do you think, Nursemaid?〉
With obvious reluctance, she replied that she’d go if I raised her wages.
〈No need. Someone who’s lived their whole life in the South couldn’t possibly survive in the North. Besides, your health isn’t good.〉
So I took the blue sapphire necklace—the very one she couldn’t take her eyes off—from the jewelry box and placed it in her hands.
〈You’ve raised me all my life. This is my thanks to you.〉
I also gave her money and instructed her to tell the Marquis she was leaving due to poor health. I assured her that with this money and the sapphire necklace, she could live comfortably for the rest of her days.
“Guard! Miss Anette has told the truth! Is anyone there? Miss Anette has admitted she lied!”
“Nursemaid, really—do you think anyone would come here?”
I chuckled softly, slipping my hand through the bars of the cell to lift the nursemaid’s disheveled head.
“No one here cares to listen to your words.”
Just as no one had cared about Anette’s plight when she shivered alone in that old room.
In the end, life always comes full circle.
“If you’d had even a shred of conscience, you wouldn’t be here now. Did you truly believe you deserved such a precious gift from me?”
Hehehe. My laughter echoed through the dungeon. Had she known her place, she wouldn’t have accepted it. Had she remembered what she’d done to Anette, she’d have been too frightened to take that necklace.
The nursemaid’s imprisonment was simply her just deserts.
“Is anyone there? Anyone at all! Please, come and listen to what Miss Anette is saying!”
The nursemaid’s desperate cries rang loudly through the dungeon—but it was all in vain.
If Anette were here before me now, I’d tell her:
“You may not be here, but I’ve avenged you.”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
9 Comments
Chapter Comments (128)
well done, duke. adapt to Anette.
Anette did the right thing.
he doesn’t know how the nanny tortured Anette.
that’s why the duke doesn’t comment.duke, don’t think too much.
you go hunt monsters.
everyone should do the job they know best.Duke, how did you get to this age with so much suspicion?
Maybe it’s all just coincidence.
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
Poor Annette, how much she suffered because of this filthy family. The nanny deserved what happened to her.
agustus_orchid
I’m so glad the nanny is okay in this situation.
May Anet’s soul rest in peace; she suffered greatly.
agustus_orchid
I would have liked to take a photo of Kaitlyn’s reaction when she saw the Duke’s face without the mask.
agustus_orchid
Anette, you’re smart, diva.👑👍😘
You fooled the nanny well.
You prepared your own end.
agustus_orchid
Duke, did you go to breakfast without a mask?
I was very surprised.