Chapter 9 — Wedding Day Switch: My Husband Traded Me Away

I took the box, feeling its heavy weight settle firmly in my palm. My gaze followed the retreating figure of Phung Uyen as he gradually vanished into the distance, my mind a swirling chaos of tangled thoughts. I could not fathom his underlying intentions. Was this a test? A maneuver to pull me into his web? Or did he... genuinely harbor a shred of trust toward me now?

That very night. I sat alone in the courtyard, staring blankly at the thick stack of ledgers in front of me. I had to admit, the amassed wealth of the Prince Regent’s estate far surpassed anything I had ever imagined. The shops and sprawling manors scattered across the capital alone were enough to sustain an ordinary family in luxury for ten generations.

A shadow materialized behind me, soundless as a ghost. I caught a familiar scent drifting through the air, a complex blend of iron-rich blood and soothing herbal medicine. It was Phung Uyen.

"Finished looking through them?"

He asked. I closed the ledger and rose to my feet.

"Not yet. The Prince’s estate possesses a staggering fortune."

"Before long, it will be our fortune."

He corrected me. My heart inexplicably skipped a beat. *Our fortune...* Those two words. They felt far too intimate. And far too heavy.

"Why did you hand over the management of the inner household to me?"

I finally voiced the lingering doubt in my heart.

"As I have already told you, I detest trivial troubles."

He wheeled himself closer until he was right in front of me.

"A tranquil inner courtyard will spare me a mountain of unnecessary headaches."

"Your performance at the Shen residence today thoroughly proved that you possess the exact capability needed to keep an inner household at peace."

So that was it. What he truly valued, in the end, was my capability. Naturally. A man like him—how could he ever bring himself to easily place faith in matters of the heart?

"I will not let Your Highness down."

I said.

"Mm."

He gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, seemingly preparing to depart.

"Co Ngon..."

He spoke up abruptly.

"Did you two truly share eight years of deep affection?"

I never expected him to probe into this. I remained silent for a long moment.

"Yes, we did."

"Yet when I watched you look at him today, not a single shred of affection remained. Only hatred."

His gaze was razor-sharp, as though he intended to pierce straight through my soul.

"Your Highness." I met his piercing eyes, speaking in a calm, steady tone. "Those eight years of devotion were burned to ashes long ago, the very moment he chose to treat me as a disposable pawn and shove me forward to die in place of his precious white moonlight."

"Whatever remains now is naturally nothing more than ashes and bitter vengeance."

I did not weep. Nor did I offer any complaints. I was merely stating a cold, unvarnished truth. He stared at me. For a very long time. Within the fathomless depths of his dark eyes, turbulent waves of emotion surged and clashed. At last, he reached into his robe, produced a small, translucent white jade porcelain bottle, and set it gently upon the table.

"This is top-tier ointment for external wounds."

"My thanks to Your Highness." I initially assumed it was medicine meant for the estate servants.

"It is for you to use."

He said. I froze.

"I am not injured."

"Your hand." He looked straight at me, pronouncing each word with deliberate slowness. "Was torn by the jade pendant."

My heart gave a violent jolt, as if struck by a heavy blow. On the day of the grand wedding. Inside the bridal chambers. I had clenched the betrothal jade pendant gifted by Co Ngon so fiercely that the edges had sliced right through the skin of my palm. Even I had nearly forgotten about it. Yet he had noticed. And what was more, he had remembered it all this way.

I stared down at the small jade-white porcelain bottle resting on the tabletop, momentarily robbed of speech. Phung Uyen did not press the matter further. He gave me one last, profound look before turning his wheelchair around, slowly melting into the encroaching shadows of the night.

I picked up the porcelain vessel. The surface still retained the lingering warmth of his body heat. Removing the stopper, a refreshing, crisp medicinal aroma immediately drifted into the air. I held out my hand. The wound across my palm had already scabbed over, standing out in stark relief against my skin. Using the tip of my finger, I scooped up a small dab of the translucent ointment and applied it gently over the injury. A soothing coolness spread instantly, bringing immense relief. That night, I enjoyed an exceptionally peaceful slumber.

At the exact same time. The Shen household and the Co household were both enduring a sleepless night.

The moment Co Ngon returned to his residence, he locked himself away in his study. Over and over again, vivid images from the gates of the Shen estate replayed in his mind. Phung Uyen holding Thang Hoa’s hand. Thang Hoa bestowing upon him a radiant yet sharply mocking smile. Along with those two chilling words, "brother-in-law," which felt as vicious as a poisoned dagger.

The more he pondered, the more his chest ached, and the deeper his regret clawed at his soul. With a sudden burst of fury, he slammed his fist down hard against the wooden desktop. The writing brush, inkstone, paper, and ink block all bounced violently from the impact.

For the longest time, he had taken it for granted that Thang Hoa loved him unconditionally. No matter what he did, she would always tolerate him, always forgive him. She had been as natural and ever-present as the air he breathed, leaving him accustomed to her presence, yet completely blind to how vital she truly was. Until this very day. Only now did he finally realize precisely what he had lost.