Chapter 2 — I Will No Longer Be Your Star

Long ago, Mother Manh teased me, saying: "Uyen Nhi, this is not your sister. This is your brother’s betrothed who has yet to cross our threshold. You should call her sister-in-law."

Uyen Nhi was young and innocent, so she took the words to heart and began calling me by that title from that day on. I was only thirteen then, and though I did not fully grasp the complexities of the world, I understood the weight of such a name. I cherished her like a biological sister, and she grew deeply attached to me. She called me that for the rest of her life. In truth, whether she called me sister or sister-in-law, my feelings for her never wavered. But at this moment, hearing her use that title before Manh Truong Trach, my brow twitched involuntarily. Outsiders did not know the truth, but I understood it all too well. In this lifetime, I would no longer be Uyen Nhi’s sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law!"

Uyen Nhi remained oblivious to my inner turmoil. She grabbed my hand, her face beaming with intimacy. She asked where I had been and began to pout, complaining about how much luggage she had to pack for our journey to the capital. I could not find a gap in her chatter, and she pulled me straight toward the front courtyard.

"Sister-in-law, please help me check if I have left anything behind."

I could not withdraw my hand, so I yielded to her whim. "Have you packed your favorite jewelry box?"

"Oh! You are right!"

She had indeed forgotten it. She released my hand and, light as a dancing butterfly, darted back into the room.

Mother Manh set down the item she was holding and walked toward me. "Linh, you are back?"

She was a kind and gentle woman, her eyes filled with maternal warmth. During the years Manh Truong Trach was away, she and I had relied on one another to survive. She had treated me like her own daughter, braiding my hair and sewing my clothes with her own hands. On stormy nights, knowing I was terrified of thunder, she would lie beside me, holding me close until I drifted into sleep. Yet, in my previous life, as Manh Truong Trach suffered repeated demotions, her anxiety grew, eventually turning into resentment.

"If only Truong Trach had a wife from a noble house, at least he would have a powerful family to lean on; he would not be in such a desperate plight."

I knew she meant no harm, but those words, repeated over the years, felt like a razor blade carving into my heart. If not for the shackles of our engagement, Manh Truong Trach could have been the son-in-law of a prestigious capital family, his path to power smooth and his future brilliant. But now, Mother Manh was no longer the weary, sorrow-stricken woman of my previous life. With Manh Truong Trach’s triumphant return, she blossomed like a spring flower. With her children by her side and the family reunited, she looked forward to her twilight years, dreaming of grandchildren. She asked after me, questioning if I had eaten yet.

"I have stewed some bird’s nest and snow fungus for you. Let me bring it out."

Before she left, she winked at me, intending to provide a moment of privacy for me and Manh Truong Trach to converse. But she did not know that in my past life, Manh Truong Trach and I had spent forty years together. The budding affection of my youth had long since faded like mist. In my heart now, there was only the stillness of a stagnant pond. Mother Manh stepped away with a light, happy gait. I could not stop her. In my helplessness, a gaze suddenly settled upon me. It was Manh Truong Trach.

"...Master."

"What did you call me?"

In my previous life, after we married, I had called him "husband" for a lifetime. In this life, we were not wed, and I should have reverted to our childhood address—"Brother Truong Trach." But my heart was no longer the same; I could not bring myself to speak such intimate words. Calling him "Master" was the safest path. Yet, unexpectedly, Manh Truong Trach took offense at the formality. His eyes, fixed upon me, darkened. After a long moment, I heard his voice.

"Where have you been?"

He asked. The tone carried the same weight as an interrogation of a prisoner in my past life, pressing down upon me. My lips pressed together instinctively. Though we had been husband and wife for a whole life, I still felt a sense of reverence and fear toward him. He was six years my senior. When my face was still round and childlike, he was already a composed and calm young man. Before our wedding, while I lived in the estate as his betrothed, he treated me much like he treated Uyen Nhi. He possessed both the sternness of an elder brother and the protective care of a guardian. But I was an orphan; I could not be as intimate as a sister, nor as close as a wife. Later, he ascended to the heights of power. He was like the moonlight upon the eaves or the snow on a mountain peak—beautiful, distant, and untouchable. In our past life, we were husband and wife, yet we never truly reached one another’s hearts.

"I... went to sell wine," I replied softly.

His gaze remained fixed on me. The courtyard was not entirely quiet, as servants moved back and forth with luggage, yet between Manh Truong Trach and me, an invisible barrier seemed to separate us from the rest of the world. This reminded me of those years living with him in the past. After Mother Manh passed and Uyen Nhi was married off, Manh Truong Trach endured three demotions. Later, when he was reinstated and promoted, he only grew colder and more silent. I had once longed for him to be lighter and happier, but after all the trials, our bond had become nothing more than a hollow shell. Many times, we had stood just as we were now—facing one another with nothing to say. I once thought there was no joy to be found with Manh Truong Trach. And so, in my previous life, the moment I closed my eyes in death, I made a silent vow: If I could do it all over again, I would never go to the capital. I would remain a simple wine-selling girl, and he would remain a noble, powerful official. From then on, we would live worlds apart, having nothing to do with one another. And I thought, if Manh Truong Trach had been given the chance to live again, perhaps he would have made the very same choice.

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Seeing that Manh Truong Trach remained silent for a long time, I prepared to retreat. Unexpectedly, he spoke up: "About that matter from that day, how do you intend to handle it?" His voice was low. I paused, immediately understanding what he was referring to. Since my return, everything had been unfolding just as it had in the past. Only one thing was different: three days after Manh Truong Trach returned to the estate, I had inadvertently overheard a conversation between him and his confidant. It was not intentional; Mother Manh, wanting to foster affection between us and accelerate the marriage, had sent me to deliver snacks to his study. Just outside the courtyard...