Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“Yours?”

“My fiancé gave it to me!”

“When did you get engaged? Why didn’t I know about this?”

I had been at the Cui Family residence for several months now. Aside from Cui Zishu occasionally going out, I hadn’t seen anyone come to the door. An engagement was something that required the man’s side to take the initiative.

“Of course you wouldn’t know. He is the heir to a Marquis Mansion! Once I marry him, I’ll be the consort to the heir. You two just wait to be dealt with!”

So this was what she meant when she kept telling me to wait.

The Chen Clan of Qinghe was famous throughout the land, a name that even royalty and high officials were wary of. Between Noble Families, the goal was always to form powerful alliances to solidify their foundations.

Because the Chen Clan of Gusu was on good terms with the Cui Clan, they had arranged a childhood betrothal.

I knew of the Xinbo Marquis Mansion. They had once sent a formal visiting card, but before the date for the engagement could arrive, the Cui Clan fell from grace. Naturally, the engagement was never finalized.

And it never would be.

But Cui Zishu refused to believe it.

“The Xinbo Marquis Mansion values its promises. The heir is a man of honor and loyalty. He said he would get engaged to me and take me as his wife.”

“The promises of Noble Families and royalty are always conditional. Now that the Cui Family has fallen, what’s left of those promises? The Chen Clan of Gusu values their promises, which is why they sent me-an illegitimate daughter-in their stead.”

I had understood this logic since I was five years old. Lord knows how many maidservants and dancers Master Chen had held while promising to marry them, make them his concubines, and love them for a lifetime. But in the end, they all shared my mother’s fate.

No, it wasn’t exactly the same. Some didn’t even live long enough to see the day they were abandoned; they ended up dead in a well or a pond.

No matter how beautiful they were in life, they were nothing but a horrific, bloated sight after being soaked in water.

All because they harbored thoughts they shouldn’t have.

“If he truly intended to marry you, he would have finalized the engagement and sent the betrothal gifts long ago.”

“Impossible! I don’t believe you! You just can’t stand to see me happy!”

With that, Cui Zishu ran out. My younger brother tried to stop her, but I held him back. Some dreams are meant to be broken.