The Plan of the Terminally-Ill Wife's Divorce

Chapter 6

"Thank you for visiting."

"Thank you for the hospitality."

The Duke, wearing a silver mask, arrived in my room with Daniel. It was a room befitting the eldest daughter of the Forshee family, yet it was incredibly humble. Despite the modesty of the room, I greeted him elegantly.

Today, my room was decorated with flowers resembling hibiscus, blending white and pink hues.

"These flowers are..."

Daniel seemed to recognize the flowers, his eyes showing interest.

"Here's some tea and snacks."

The nanny, who brought the tray in, looked pale. Soon, tea and snacks were placed before me and the Duke. The snack was the fruit of these flowers.

〈Prepare the fruit of this flower?〉

The nanny was aghast at my command I added earlier.

〈How can you serve this to His Grace? It's something commoners eat while working! He will surely think you're joking!〉

〈I have no intention of hiding my situation from His Grace. My room will be shown as it is, and so will the meal. 'That fruit' is something I often eat, isn't it?〉

It was a ludicrous idea. The snack that was supposedly too humble to serve guests was what Annette normally ate.

If it became apparent that I was treated with disdain in the Forshee household, the Duke might sympathize and lower his guard.

The poorer I appeared, the better. That way, he would understand why I showed him kindness.

And the 'fruit' I had the nanny prepare was my trump card for the Duke.

The Duke stared at me intently.

'I knew you would find this appealing.'

"I pondered what to serve His Grace and prepared this meal."

Crunch. I bit into the fruit first without offering it to the guest.

It spread a sweet yet peculiar taste in my mouth, like cotton candy, yet slightly bitter.

This was certainly not an ordinary fruit.

"Hibiscus flowers are said to be the most precious because they help reduce the cold for the people. I'm glad I could offer hibiscus fruit for our first tea time together."

Food and cotton. These were the items the Duke sought from this arranged marriage.

"I understand you're camping and might be facing inconveniences. Is there anything I can assist with? I'll take care of it in my name."

Darius snorted.

"Even your tented camp seems more spacious and better-kept than this room."

"Right. The Duke barely remembers my growth, showing how little he regards me."

I didn't falter but laughed at his apparent disdain.

"So this is an opportunity to assert the name of the eldest daughter of the Forshee family. Thanks to His Grace's visit, I finally have some power."

I pushed the bowl containing hibiscus fruit toward him.

It wasn't hard to imagine the expression on his face behind the silver mask.

The thing that the warm South can easily grow but the North desperately needs. The cause of the North's willingness to fight the South. The only hope for the cold winters of the North.