Trading My Future For Peace

My sister was reborn.

She stole the husband who was supposed to be mine, and the life I was destined to lead.

But I could not care less.

Because I, too, was granted a second chance at life.

In this timeline, I am finally free from a cold-hearted mother-in-law, a vile sister-in-law, and a greedy matriarch.

Not to mention, my sanctimonious ex-husband.

In my past life, my husband, Alistair Penhaligon, excelled in his examinations and rose to the highest office.

I was bestowed the title of First-Rank Lady, and for a while, I was the envy of the city.

The Penhaligon family hosted a grand banquet to celebrate.

My own family, the Sterlings, were naturally on the guest list.

My sister, Ivy, arrived dressed entirely in black, looking like she was attending a funeral.

She had married Jasper Blackwood, the heir to the Northern Duke's estate.

When she first married him, she had been overflowing with arrogance and pride.

But soon after, Jasper had gotten into a brawl with some street ruffians over a local lounge singer and died in the chaos.

From that moment on, Ivy became the town's laughingstock.

Everyone whispered that she was a jinx, a woman who brought death to her men.

Seeing Ivy in such a state, I initially felt a flicker of pity for her.

However, during the banquet, she suddenly lunged at me, plunging a knife into my chest.

Before my eyes closed forever, I heard her unhinged laughter.

"Seraphina, you bitch! If I cannot have a happy life, you won't either! Let's go to hell together!"

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment we had to decide our marriages.

"Mother, Alistair will surely become the top scholar. If I marry him, I'll be the wife of a prodigy! He might even earn me a noble title, so please, let me marry him!"

Ivy's voice trembled with excitement.

In an instant, I realized the truth: Ivy had been reborn as well.

Watching her scramble to seize my future, I felt no desire to snatch it back.

Ivy, do you really think the Penhaligon household is some kind of paradise?

"Sister, you don't have any objections to marrying the Duke's heir, do you?"

I noticed the guarded look in Ivy's eyes and lowered my head, acting submissive.

"I will follow Mother's arrangement."

I knew exactly what she was afraid of; she feared that I, like her, had also been reborn.

I was indeed reborn, but why would I ever let her know?

After all, only if I played the part of someone without previous memories could I smoothly let her have that disastrous marriage, right?

Seeing my lack of resistance, Ivy was instantly overjoyed.

"Sister, don't feel down. Although the Duke's heir is a bit of a rake, he's more than enough for you. You must serve him well in the future!"

I offered a gentle, submissive smile and did not argue.

"Well then, since neither of you has any objections, it is settled. Seraphina will marry into the Northern Duke's estate, and Ivy will marry into the Penhaligon family."

Realizing she had failed to land her daughter in the wealthy Duke's house, my stepmother spoke with clear displeasure and vented her frustration on me.

"Seraphina, why are you still standing there? Go and practice your etiquette immediately! Don't let them say our Sterling daughter lacks breeding when you arrive at the estate!"

I lowered my head and left the room.

Before I even reached the door, the voices of my stepmother and Ivy drifted out.

"Mother, I don't understand why you did that. Alistair is only the second son; he will inherit nothing. Why choose him?"

"Don't worry, Mother. Alistair will definitely pass the top exams and earn me a title!"

"Fine, fine. I suppose that little wench got lucky this time. At least she is a pushover; she won't escape our control once she is in the Duke's estate..."

I walked away as if I had heard nothing.

I knew those words were meant for me to overhear.

It was a warning: do not think that marrying into the Northern Duke's house would turn me into a princess. If I dared to disobey, she would make my life a living hell.

In this world where women are treated as second-class citizens, a single word from her could destroy me.

The malicious gossip alone would be enough to crush me.

But after enduring the absolute horror of the Penhaligon family, would I really fear a measly threat from my stepmother?

I walked down the corridor, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin.

In this life, I would never let anyone ruin my future again!

I was the elder sister, so I should have been married first.

But Ivy, perhaps out of a need to humiliate me or a desperate rush to secure her prize, insisted on holding her wedding ahead of mine.

I went to see her as she prepared to leave.

"Are you truly sure about marrying Alistair now? Should we not have Father and Mother look into his character a bit more?"

I feigned a gentle, worried concern.

"Are you jealous because I am marrying such a brilliant young man, so you are trying to smear his name?"

Ivy slammed her hand on the vanity, snarling at me.

"My Alistair will be the top scholar, and he will make me a proud, respected lady!"

I put on a hurt expression, acting as though my good intentions had been misunderstood.

"No, sister, I only meant..."

"Enough!"

Ivy cut me off sharply and turned to our stepmother with a pout.

"Mother, today is my wedding day. I do not want to see this jinx!"

I was driven out of the bridal chamber in front of all the guests.

Seeing the mocking glares from the noblewomen, I felt no embarrassment at all.

No matter how pathetic Ivy's life would become, it had nothing to do with me.

After all, I had already given her a fair warning.

The Penhaligon family arrived for the procession, and Alistair stood there, looking like a picture-perfect gentleman.

I could see that my stepmother was quite pleased with this son-in-law.

Looking at him, she could never imagine that he was the kind of man who would ruthlessly scheme to steal his wife's dowry.

I remembered my past life; as soon as I married in, they handed the household accounts to me.

I thought they trusted me, but when I opened the vaults, I saw that half the assets were missing.

I was isolated, and I once tried to ask Alistair to stand by me.

But I overheard the truthDAlistair was the one who had hidden the funds, forcing his new bride to cover the debt with her own inheritance.

"That woman is the mistress of the house now; she can afford to pay for these losses."

I ended up using most of my dowry to fill the hole, and later, when I suffered a tragic loss of my child, I had no money for medicine, leaving me unable to bear children again.

I looked at Ivy and my stepmother, both beaming with joy, and smiled coldly.

In this life, Ivy, it is your turn to taste that bitterness.

The day after Ivy's wedding was my own.

The house didn't bother to prepare anything new for me; I even used the leftover decorations from Ivy's wedding.

But I didn't care; in fact, I felt a joy I had never known before.

After today, I would finally be saying goodbye to the person I used to be!

"The bride is leaving, offer your bows to your parents!"

I acted like a puppet, following every instruction the marriage broker gave me.

Through the edge of my red veil, I saw Jasper holding the other end of the silk ribbon.

His hand was firm and strong, covered in callusesDthe hand of a man trained in combat.

Seeing this, I realized my husband was not the useless, spoiled brat the rumors claimed.

With that knowledge, I stopped paying attention and continued to move like a doll.

Once we reached the bridal chamber, I immediately lifted my veil.

"My lady! You must wait for the master before uncovering your head! This is so unlucky!"

My maid, Willow, saw what I had done and scrambled to cover me again.

"It is quite alright."

I stopped her with a firm shake of my head.

"The master will not be coming tonight."

Willow looked at me, confused.

"My lady, how could you know?"

Because in my past life, Jasper never entered the bridal chamber to see Ivy.

I shook my head, deciding not to explain, and ordered Willow to fetch me something to eat.

In my past, Ivy had caused a massive scene at the estate that night, making the Northern Duke's house the joke of the capital.

When she returned home for her third-day visit, she cried and complained, only for our father to kick her back to the estate.

Ivy never understood how to play the game.

You should never cause a scene; the quieter you are, the more people will pity you.

Whenever Jasper and I had a disagreement in the future, everyone would naturally side with me.

To them, I would always be the fragile one who needed protection.

As expected, Jasper did not come to my room that night.

The next morning, when I went to offer tea to my parents-in-law, I could clearly see the pity and disdain in the eyes of the servants.

I ignored it all, offering my tea with perfect grace.

"Father, Mother, please drink."

"Quickly, Seraphina, rise!"

Lady Beatrice, the Duchess, pulled me up with a kind look and examined me from head to toe.

"What a lovely girlDso poised and elegant."

I lowered my head, feigning shyness.

"Oh, it is a pity my son is such a fool! Seraphina, I heard about yesterday. Do not worry, I will surely discipline that ruffian for you!"

"Mother, I am sure the Duke's heir had urgent business to attend to. I do not mind."

Beatrice was Jasper's biological mother, after all.

Would I be stupid enough to speak ill of her son in front of her?

Naturally, Beatrice looked even more guilty.

"You are truly a good child. Someone, fetch that red jade jewelry set from my vault."

That set was as bright as blood; even when I was a First-Rank Lady, I had never seen anything so exquisite.

"This is my gift to you; you must not refuse."

Hearing this, I swallowed my refusal and bowed respectfully.

Beatrice was quite satisfied with my calm demeanor.

"Since you are part of the family now, come learn how to manage the estate with me. I believe you will learn quickly."

Just like that, I gained the favor of the Duchess and secured my footing in the Northern Duke's estate.

The day of our return visit was fast approaching.

Jasper did not appear during those three days.

I assumed he would not show up for the return visit either.

So, I was truly surprised when I saw him waiting at the gate of the estate.

"Why are you here?"

Jasper was a large, imposing man, but he looked incredibly awkward as he mumbled a reply.

"Isn't today the day we visit your family?"

I looked at his stiff, guilty expression and couldn't help but laugh.

I didn't press him about where he had been all those days and simply said, "Since you are coming with me, let us go."

In the carriage, Jasper opened his mouth several times but couldn't find the words.

"Do you have something you want to say?"

"That night... I am sorry. I was not targeting you."

Since I had opened the door, he finally let out his apology.

"I just dislike it when my parents interfere in my marriage."

I smiled, accepting it.

"It is fine. In fact, I should thank you."

"Thank me?"

He looked puzzled, and I stayed silent.

I was telling the truth; I was grateful to him.

Even though he hadn't done much, it was because of him that I escaped the wolf's den of the Penhaligon family.

When I brought Jasper home, we unexpectedly ran into Ivy.

Seeing me arrive with him, she looked completely shocked.

"How is this possible? Why would Jasper come back with you? Didn't he despise you so much that he refused to share a bed with you?"

Her words caused everyone to look awkward, and Jasper's face darkened.

I, however, remained calm.

"Sister, you joke. How could you possibly know about our private matters?"

"Exactly! How would she know such a thing? Unless she was lurking outside their bedroom window!"

"Before her sister arrived, she kept saying how terrible she was and insisted she would be returning alone. Could it be that she was just making things up because she couldn't stand to see her sister do well?"

"She has always hated her sister. I can't believe she would spread such lies to humiliate her! How vile..."

I looked at the noblewomen visiting the Sterling house and guessed Ivy's motive instantly.

She was certain I wouldn't be able to bring Jasper back, and she wanted to shame me.

Unfortunately, she was not me, and she clearly didn't understand Jasper at all.

Seeing Ivy about to spiral into a deeper humiliation, my stepmother stepped in.

"Alright, enough. Son-in-law, go to the front courtyard for the feast. The men are all there; you should go and enjoy yourself."

After my stepmother chased Jasper away, she brought us into a private room, claiming she wanted to have a heart-to-heart.

"You have quite a lot of nerve, bringing the Duke's heir and all these gifts to show off!"

The moment the door closed, she began her mocking.

I was wearing the red jade set Beatrice had given me.

Seeing it, my stepmother's eyes burned with such jealousy that it looked like they might bleed.

"I only have this today thanks to you and sister."

I poked at her wound with a flat, cold tone.

"Since you know that, you should be grateful! Your sister's dowry was swindled by that old man in the Penhaligon family. You need to give her your dowry to make up for it."

"And there is more. Your brother-in-law is taking the imperial exams soon. You must use the Duke's influence to find out which essay style the examiner prefers and help him out!"

I looked at her in genuine disbelief.

I knew she had no shame, but I never expected this level of audacity.

Asking for my dowry to feed Ivy?

And the Emperor detested cheating more than anything; everyone was avoiding the examiner like the plague for fear of being accused of fraud.

She wanted me to go and solicit the examiner in the name of the Northern Duke right before the exam?

Did she really think I was that stupid?

"Mother, you overestimate me. You know exactly how much dowry I have; I have no way to subsidize my sister. I'm sure you don't want the world to know the Sterlings are demanding their daughter's dowry back, right?"

My stepmother's face turned sour.

"But the exam..."

"Absolutely not. I have no intention of dragging my husband's family to the gallows."

My words were blunt, and they made her explode with rage.

"How dare you! Do you think you have grown wings just because you married into the Duke's house? I am your mother!"

She slammed the table and pointed her finger at me, screaming.

"Mother, don't be angry at her; it is not worth it! Besides, even without her help, my Alistair will definitely pass! When he becomes a top official, he will give me whatever dowry I want. I don't need her dirty money!"

Ivy scolded me with an air of superiority.

She thought Alistair was a prodigy who would bring her glory.

Little did she know that his reputationDand his future scholar statusDwere built entirely on the stolen work of others.

In my past life, after I married into the Penhaligon family, I discovered the existence of Clara.

The family treated her with a strange mix of contempt and awe.

I later learned that the contempt was because she was a former lounge singer.

The awe was because she could produce such brilliant, soul-stirring poetry.

It was through those poems that Alistair became the most famous "talent" in the capital.

But I knew those poems weren't hers.

Given her background and limited education, she could never have written such magnificent verses.

At first, I didn't harbor any hatred toward Clara.

I was the wife, and she was, at best, a mistress.

But I never expected that AlistairDor rather, the poems in Clara's handsDwould lead him to stand by and watch as she caused me to lose my child at four months.

When I crawled back to the Sterling family, begging for justice, only to be cast aside by my stepmother and father, I knew the truth.

In this world, I could only rely on myself.

I hid my pain and hatred, used every means to befriend the examiner's wife, and learned his preferred writing style and political views.

I took this informationDa shortcut to successDand forced Alistair to abandon Clara, finally avenging my child.

Before she died, Clara shrieked that Alistair would never betray her.

I hated her, but I also pitied her.

She died without ever seeing Alistair for the monster he was.

That man was all about profit.

When Clara was useful, he let her kill my child.

Now that I was more useful than her, he would let me kill her.

It was all just a transaction.

Thinking of this, I looked at Ivy with a wicked curiosity.

What kind of end awaited her, now that she was utterly useless to Alistair?

"Unlike some people, whose lives might look shiny on the outside, but are actually miserable on the inside!"

I listened to Ivy mocking me in front of our stepmother.

"Sister, for the sake of our blood, when my husband reaches the top, I will be sure to throw you a few scraps!"

I offered a slight smile.

"Thank you, sister. My husband has no concubines, and my in-laws treat me well. I have nothing to worry about. But as for you, I hear your husband is quite close to the singer at the Cloud Pavilion."

The singer at the Cloud Pavilion was Clara.

"What nonsense are you spouting? My husband is a man of honor! He would never be involved with that slut. I think it is your Jasper who is the one frequenting those places!"

Seeing the hostility in Ivy's eyes, a thought crossed my mind.

In my past life, I heard Jasper died in a brawl over a singer, but I never paid attention to who she was.

Could that singer be Clara?

A cold smile spread across my lips. That would be quite a coincidence, wouldn't it?