Chapter 2 — All I Crave in This Life Is Peace

I turned, the bridge of my nose colliding firmly with the solid chest of the man before me.

"Oh..."

His large hand grasped my shoulder, steadying me as I teetered. Seeing the lingering redness at the corners of my eyes, he paused for a moment, his voice cooling as he remarked, "Is a simple rabbit lantern truly enough to make you feel so wronged?"

I choked on my reply. Those tears were for seeing Little Peach again after having lost her; how could someone as cold-hearted and detached as him possibly understand? Unexpectedly—having died once and now seeing him again—my heart remained as still as stagnant water, devoid of the slightest tremor. When it came down to it, the events of my past life were entirely of my own making. He was cold toward me, yet I bore no resentment. In truth, I was the one who had hindered him. He had long been betrothed to the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister. Had it not been for me, he would have married a virtuous and gentle woman, supported by the power of her family, living in harmony until their hair turned white. Instead, he spent ten long years entangled and drained by me—a mad girl without a place to call home. Now, I saw him only as the son of my benefactor, an older brother I ought to respect. I took a step back, slipping away from the hands on my shoulders, my gaze clear and indifferent.

"Elder Brother Alum."

"Elder Brother Alum" was the title the Princess had instructed me to use from the very first day I stepped into the manor.

At that time, my parents had just passed away, and I had fallen into the arms of the Princess, weeping until my eyes were raw. He was but a youth then, dressed in black, standing as straight as a pine. His expression was cold, yet he clumsily offered me a piece of candy. The world mocked me as a daughter-in-law who had climbed into his bed out of greed and vanity, but in truth, my mistake was born solely of love. I loved him—I loved the soft heart hidden beneath that icy exterior. I loved the words he had once used to comfort me when my parents died on the battlefield: "A man who seeks his destiny finds it; they died where they belonged, heroes honored by the world."

Some condemned my father for his rashness, blaming him for the loss of three thousand soldiers at the frontier. But it was that very battle in which my father took the head of the Great General of the Southern Border, securing victory and laying the foundation for all the subsequent triumphs at the border.

"They traded their lives to ensure a hundred years of peace for the nation, free from the smoke of war," he had said. "General Lu and General Shen will be remembered for eternity."

He respected women; when referring to my mother, he addressed her by her own name. He respected every soldier who had left their head on the distant borders and shed their blood on the plains of war. How could I not love someone with such depth? In truth, if it were him, I would have been content to live on nothing but scraps. It was just that no one believed me—because he was the peerless young nobleman of the realm.

Phu Lam saw me call him "elder brother" and his expression visibly faltered. Previously, she had always addressed him by his courtesy name, Van Doan. Today, however, she addressed him with such respectful distance. In truth, he was not unaware of her feelings, but she was simply not the woman he had chosen to be his wife. Now that she had retracted her affections, it actually spared him from a great deal of trouble.

"I won this at the street stalls earlier. Take it."

A servant at his side presented a lantern, far more exquisite than the rabbit one from before. I smiled faintly. "Many thanks, Elder Brother Alum."

I took it and handed it casually to my maid, Little Peach.

In my past life, I truly had been moved to tears by Phu Tuyet Nhi's mockery right there on the street. He had brought this very lantern to comfort me. Back then, I had treated this object—a mere afterthought he didn't care for—as a treasure, allowing no one to touch it. Because of that lantern, I had tossed and turned in my blankets all night, too sweet with emotion to sleep. I believed I had finally waited for the clouds to part and the moon to shine, igniting a light in his heart. In reality, he was merely afraid that the conflict between me and Phu Tuyet Nhi would reach his mother's ears and cause her further distress.

In this life, it would not be like that again. I would withdraw my feelings. I would remain humble and content. From now on, I would live in peace with him, each of us walking our separate paths. I did not want to be entangled with him any longer, so I offered a polite bow.

"Elder Brother Alum, I shall not disturb you any further. I intend to take a stroll further ahead."

Seeing me depart, the servant at his side stared in astonishment. "Miss Kieu is truly different today. Usually, she is practically mute in front of the Young Master. Her tone is always so sugary and cloying. I was even prepared just now—fearing she would pretend to stumble to throw herself at the Young Master—and was ready to intervene. Who would have thought she would remain expressionless and walk away as lightly as a lotus flower... just like that? She actually left?"

"Young Master, whenever there is something strange, there is surely a demon afoot. I suspect Miss Kieu is holding back some grand scheme!" Truong Tung said with a grave expression.

Phu Lam cast a sideways glance at him and replied coldly, "Too much talk."

He did not pay much mind to her strange behavior. If she could truly maintain this obedient and sensible demeanor, his mother would no longer have to be troubled by her.