The protagonist, a lady from a military family, wakes on the day her fiancé Edwin's family visits to discuss marriage. She realizes she has been reborn eight years into the past, having already lived through a future where Edwin married her for her family's wealth and influence, then framed them for treason, leading to their execution. Recalling his cruelty and infidelity, she resolves to never marry him. When her maid confirms the visitors are waiting, she heads to the hall, determined to change her fate as she faces the man who destroyed her.
In a chance meeting, Ms. Ashford asks Lord Hale if he is married. He playfully suggests she might be interested in him, prompting her to reveal she knows his true character behind his playboy reputation. Her thoughts are interrupted by a flashback of her fiancé, Edwin, cruelly abandoning her, injured, in the cold. Returning to the present, Ms. Ashford declares her intention is indeed to arrange a match for Lord Hale. She directly proposes: if she ends her engagement with the Vance family, would he marry her?
Celine Ashford rejects her arranged marriage to Edwin Vance, shocking the gathering by publicly defying the long-standing engagement. This bold move contradicts her reputation as a gentle, timid woman and reveals her true, defiant nature. Driven by memories of a past life where she built Edwin's success only to be betrayed, Celine now resolves to destroy him. Her declaration leaves the wedding plans in disarray and sets her on a collision course with her ex-fiancé, signaling the start of her revenge.
Celine returns home and announces she is ending her engagement to Edwin. Her parents are shocked, as the marriage was arranged by their families. Edwin's mother tries to defend her son, but Celine reveals Edwin has already taken two maids as concubines, exposing his infidelity. Edwin's mother makes excuses and offers to send the maids away, but Celine refuses to be manipulated, declaring the engagement is over. As her family escorts the Vances out, Edwin arrogantly believes Celine is simply jealous, while her father warns her to reconsider.
Celine declares to her parents and brother, Elliot, her firm decision to break off her engagement to Edwin. Her parents, concerned about social consequences, urge her to reconsider, but she insists. To convince them, Celine reveals a secret: Edwin's family, the Vances, have been illicitly contacting a banished prince. Her father questions the accusation's credibility, but Celine, drawing on knowledge from a past life, promises to expose Edwin's hypocrisy and protect her family's honor without humiliation. She asks her family to trust her and hints at having a concrete plan to end the engagement.
Lord Hale discovers an unpaid bill for 37,000 taels was settled by someone using his signet. He instructs his staff to find the owner and cover all his future expenses, suspecting a message is being sent. A woman observes from Crystal Pavilion as a man named Mr. Vance boasts that Celine, despite a spat, will beg him to marry her. The woman then directly confronts Lord Hale, reminding him she has already offered herself to him and questioning whose wedding he plans to celebrate.
At a social gathering, a woman confronts her former fiancé, Mr. Vance, who is celebrating his engagement to Ms. Ashford. The woman publicly reminds him of their past entanglement, while guests mock Ashford's character and looks. Vance's weak defense of his fiancée is seen as dishonorable posturing. Observing this, the woman privately asks another man, Lord Hale, to help her ensure Vance suffers consequences, outlining a plan to force the Vance family to break off the engagement to save face, setting her scheme into motion.
A woman approaches Lord Hale, asking him for a favor, knowing it will add to his scandalous reputation. He notes her concern for her own reputation now and agrees to help, cautioning her not to regret it. In return, she gives him a first gift: intelligence revealing that the Vances secretly run the Crystal Pavilion and are backing Prince Melange against Lucian. Seizing the opportunity, Hale has his assistant fetch paper and ink to compose a poem, which receives high praise. As the woman departs, she promises a second gift, leaving the nature of their alliance uncertain.
At a gathering, Edwin recites a poem that a woman, Celine, recognizes as identical to one she just composed, casting doubt on his talent. Her companion expresses relief she called off her engagement with Edwin, who made no effort to defend her from gossip. Celine reflects on a past life where Edwin imprisoned her and framed her family. She deliberately set this trap to make a lord, Lucian, question Edwin's integrity. Returning home, she orders all of Edwin's past writings to be collected and publicly displays a gift from the palace to signal her high status, beginning her plan to expose him. Meanwhile, Edwin pressures a captive scholar to write for him, threatening violence, revealing the source of his 'talent'.
A young man pressures his grandfather to arrange his marriage to Ms. Ashford, who is already engaged to Edwin. He argues Edwin's character is flawed and claims he wants to save her, but his grandfather dismisses this as another ploy to avoid duty. The man reveals he has already given Ms. Ashford his signet ring to force the issue. Meanwhile, the man's extravagant gifts to Ms. Ashford spark rumors across the city that he is pursuing her, leaving her shocked and her reputation hanging in the balance.