Chapter 2 — My sister changed her concubine, I was reborn to reclaim my fate

"This place no longer needs your service."

The two maids looked at each other. But no one moved. One person even muttered softly:

"The servants were sent by the master."

"Miss... you have no right to decide this."

I burst out laughing. At that moment... Footsteps were heard outside the door. The sound of father's soles stepping on the blue tile floor was steady and leisurely each step. Came at just the right time.

"What happened again?"

Father walked through the threshold, his eyes first fell on Lieu Uyen Nhu. Lieu Uyen Nhu immediately stepped forward and pulled her father's sleeve.

"Uncle, sister...she scolded me."

"I just wanted to help my sister see if there was anything loose about the phoenix gate, but she scolded me and even kicked me out."

Father frowned slightly and turned to look at me.

"Nien Khanh, Uyen Nhu was kind enough to help me take care of the marriage, why are you angry with her?"

"She didn't help me arrange the marriage. She was testing my phoenix."

"So what if you try? You two grew up together since childhood, do you not even have that bit of tolerance?"

I don't answer. In my previous life, I would bow my head and admit my mistakes, say "I was wrong", and then things would pass. But not in this life.

"Father, I have something to tell you privately."

Father gently waved his hand, signaling Lieu Uyen Nhu and the maids to leave. When she reached the door, Lieu Uyen Nhu turned her head to look at me. In those eyes there was no self-pity, no pain, only a flash of pride that flashed and then disappeared. Exactly like the previous life. The door closed.

"Say, what's wrong?"

"I want to see the family tree."

Father's hand that was placed on the teacup paused.

"What's the point of looking at genealogy?"

"The day after tomorrow I will be married. I want to confirm whether my name in the family tree is correct or not."

"What a mess! Genealogy is worshiped in the temple, it's not something an unmarried lady like you can flip through at will."

"Then I'll come watch from the street."

"Impossible."

His father's voice immediately became a little heavier.

"In three days, you will be a member of Dinh Vien Marquis' palace. Just obediently stay in the dowry embroidery room, don't run around everywhere."

"I don't embroider a dowry."

Father suddenly placed the teacup firmly on the table.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I don't embroider a dowry. I want to see the family tree."

"Co Niem Khanh, you really want to rebel!"

He stood up, a head taller than me, and his shadow immediately fell in front of him.

"When my mother was still alive, I at least knew how to keep the rules. She's only been gone three years, and I've turned into this."

"If it weren't for your mother's family urging this marriage, I would have called off the marriage a long time ago."

These words... He also said them in his previous life. The only thing is, that was after I had been poisoned to death. The person he was talking to... was Lieu Uyen Nhu.

"You won't let me see it, so I'll go by myself."

I turned around to walk away. Father immediately grabbed my wrist.

"Nien Khanh, you better be more reasonable."

"If you still dare to cause trouble before the day of marriage, don't blame me for not respecting fatherly love."

I forcefully pushed his hand away.

"Father love?"

"In your heart... are there really those four words?"

His father's face turned pale. He stared at me for a long time, then waved his sleeve, turned and left. Ta Still standing in place, waiting until the sound of his footsteps completely disappeared. I turned my hand to lock the door tightly. I squatted down and pulled out a wooden box from under the bed. That's what my mother left me. Inside is a white jade cicada. In my previous life, I never knew what that jade cicada meant. It was not until before death, in a coma, that I heard the voice of an old woman.

"That white jade cicada is the Luc family's token of recognition, hand-carved by the old man himself. There are only two in this world."

"One is in the Luc family, the other is in the hands of the young lady."

"Unfortunately... the young lady doesn't know. If you bring this jade cicada to Dinh Vien Marquis' palace, no one will be able to impersonate you anymore."

I clasped the jade cicada in the palm of my hand. The edges of the jade are sharp, leaving a red streak on the skin. We finally know. As soon as it got dark, I lit an oil lamp, followed the small path behind the backyard, and quietly made my way to my father's study. In my previous life, I had never set foot here. Father said that the study room was a place for men and that women were not allowed to enter. I have believed for sixteen years. The study room door is not locked. Perhaps the father never thought that his obedient and understanding daughter would dare to rummage through his belongings in the middle of the night. I pushed the door open and walked straight to the innermost bookshelf.