Chapter 1

After the Phoenix clan was wiped out, we peacocks became the new rulers of all birds.

Peacocks came in six colors: mystical black, purple, green, blue, white, and ordinary black. Among them, the mystical black was the most legendary, as no one had seen one in three million years, leading many to believe it was merely a myth from ancient times. Purple peacocks were incredibly rare, appearing only once in a hundred thousand years.

Therefore, in the Peacock clan, green peacocks were considered the most noble, while black peacocks were seen as the lowest of all.

In my father, King Alaric’s generation, he fathered only female peacocks. To ensure the royal lineage, he had no choice but to invite suitors from outside the clan, promising that whoever fathered the most noble offspring with his daughters would inherit the throne.

I was King Alaric’s most beloved daughter, his precious little princess, and the only green peacock among his children. So, on the day I came of age, men from across the land gathered outside the palace, hoping to win my hand.

After a rigorous selection process, I chose Silvan Ravenscroft, another green peacock. King Alaric was very pleased with Silvan; he was strikingly handsome, the most outstanding young man in the clan, and, in King Alaric's eyes, the ideal heir to the throne.

He immediately announced his approval of the match and declared that we would be married soon.

But then, Silvan spoke up, "Your Majesty, I must humbly decline the honor of marrying the Sixth Princess, Aurelia. Instead, I seek the hand of the Second Princess, Celeste."

I had just been reborn when Silvan released my hand, stepped back, and bowed deeply to King Alaric. His words rippled through the crowd, leaving everyone stunned.

Even Celeste looked surprised at first, but soon enough, a sly smile spread across her face.

Celeste was ten years older than me and still unmarried. My mother, Queen Elara, was King Alaric's only wife, properly wedded with ceremony, while her mother was merely a maid who used deceitful means to sleep with King Alaric.

So, although Celeste was also King Alaric’s daughter, few truly regarded her as a princess, and even fewer men were willing to marry her.

Everyone was bewildered.

Why would Silvan, such a distinguished Green Peacock, choose an ordinary Blue Peacock?

Only I knew the truth: Silvan had also been reborn.

He chose Celeste because in our past lives, Celeste married a Blue Peacock and gave birth to a rare Purple Peacock, while I bore him a lowly White Peacock.

King Alaric’s face darkened at Silvan’s choice.

“Nonsense! This is Aurelia’s bridal selection. If you wished to marry Celeste, you should have approached me in private. Instead, you present yourself here as a suitor, only for Aurelia to choose you, and then you reject her in front of everyone. What of my daughter’s honor?”

As King Alaric aged, his concern for his reputation only deepened, and Silvan's actions were a direct affront to his honor.

Silvan immediately fell to his knees. “Your Majesty, it is not that I dismiss Princess Aurelia. It is because Princess Aurelia has deceived us all by hiding her true lineage as a Black Peacock. Her conduct is unbecoming of her rank!”

He spoke with righteous indignation, pointing at me angrily.

The entire hall fell silent, every face marked with disbelief.

“You speak nonsense! My Aurelia is no Black Peacock!”

Before King Alaric could respond, Queen Elara stepped forward defiantly.