Chapter 8 — Wedding Day Switch: My Husband Traded Me Away

The carriage curtain fell, cutting off the desperate crying of Rou and the sorrowful gaze of Gu Yan. The horse-drawn carriage slowly rolled forward, and quietness descended upon the interior once again. Phuong Uyen and I sat facing each other. He kept his eyes closed to rest, acting as though everything that had happened today had nothing whatsoever to do with him. Yet I knew he was observing. He had always been observing—from the very moment I stepped through the door and uttered my first sentence to the final words I had just spoken to Rou, he had watched me with a probing gaze.

My Prince.

I took the initiative to speak, shattering the quiet atmosphere.

Thank you very much for today, My Prince.

This expression of gratitude came entirely from the heart. Had he not been there to anchor the situation, I could never have won so easily today, nor could I have won so thoroughly. He slowly opened his eyes. Those deep, fathomless pupils stared at me in silence.

You played your part rather well today.

He said. Played? I paused for a moment before instantly understanding. In his eyes, everything I had done today was nothing more than a meticulously orchestrated performance—a play put on for revenge and to establish my absolute authority.

You flatter me too much, My Prince. I lowered my head, concealing the emotions lurking in the depths of my gaze. It was merely some petty maneuvering within the inner courtyard, hardly worth mentioning in public.

Inner courtyard maneuvering? He seemed to find that description amusing, the corners of his lips curving upward into the faintest of smiles. In this prince's view, your methods would be more than sufficient even if applied at the imperial court.

Such an assessment was truly far too generous. I had no idea how I should reply. Silence enveloped the carriage once again. The vehicle traveled very steadily; I could hear the bustling clamor of the streets outside, along with the sound of the wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement. A moment later, he suddenly spoke up again.

Your hand.

What? I had not heard clearly.

Your hand is trembling.

He pointed at the hand I had resting atop my knee. I lowered my gaze, only then noticing that my fingers were indeed quivering slightly. Was it lingering fear from the recent danger? Or perhaps sheer excitement? I could not quite tell. I had imagined that I concealed it exceptionally well, yet he had still managed to spot it. I was just about to retract my hand into my sleeve when a large, warm, and dry hand covered it. It was his hand. He grasped my slightly trembling fingers, and the warmth from his palm permeated through my skin, transferring over bit by bit. It felt like a glowing bed of embers amidst the biting cold of deep winter, banishing all the lingering anxiety and chill within my heart in a mere fraction of a second. I raised my head, looking at him in utter astonishment. However, he had already closed his eyes once more, his handsome face betraying no emotion whatsoever, as if his previous action had been completely subconscious. Even so, he did not let go. Holding my hand thus, he accompanied me all the way back to the Regent's Mansion.

Upon returning to the Regent's Mansion, the grand gates stood wide open, with the head steward leading all the servants in neat rows to kneel at the entrance.

We respectfully welcome the Prince and the Princess back to the manor.

The voices rang out in unison, laden with a reverence born from the bottom of their hearts—completely different from the attitude when we had first departed. Phuong Uyen let go of my hand. That warmth vanished in an instant, and the tips of my fingers grew cold once again. He was the first to step down from the carriage. I followed closely after, coming to a halt beside him. His gaze swept over the sea of servants kneeling across the ground, finally coming to rest upon Mother Truong. Mother Truong trembled so violently with fear that she lowered her head even further.

The Princess has only recently entered the manor and is not yet accustomed to the affairs within.

Phuong Uyen's voice was not particularly loud, yet it carried clearly across the entire front courtyard.

From this day onward, all authority regarding the internal management of the manor shall be handed over to the Princess.

He paused slightly, his tone chilling by several degrees.

Should anyone dare to comply in public while defying in secret, or show any form of disrespect toward the Princess, there is no need to report the matter to me. The Princess possesses the full authority to deal with them as she sees fit. Whether they live or die shall be decided entirely by the Princess.

These words of his were no different from an imperial decree; he was handing the entire power of life and death within the Regent's Mansion directly into my hands. Stunned, I turned my head to look at him, but he did not return my gaze. Having finished speaking, he turned his wheelchair himself and headed deeper into the manor. The steward hurriedly scrambled to his feet, respectfully holding up a box carved from purple sandalwood.

My Princess, these are the keys to the manor's storehouses along with all the account ledgers for our estates. Please take a moment to review them.