I was the Peacock Princess. On the day I came of age, suitors from every corner of the clan gathered, all eager to win my hand.

I chose Silvan, the noble Green Peacock, believing him to be the finest of them all. But after our marriage, I gave birth to a third-tier White Peacock.

When Silvan saw the child, his face twisted with fury. He snatched the baby from my arms, killing it in one brutal motion. In his rage, he attacked me, ripping me apart from neck to feather, and tossed my remains to the wild beasts for their feast.

Meanwhile, my elder sister, who married a second-tier Blue Peacock, gave birth to a rare and magnificent Purple Peacock. Her husband was crowned the new King of All Birds because of their child.

But when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day I had first chosen Silvan. This time, he publicly rejected me, turning to my sister instead, convinced that marrying her would bring him the coveted Purple Peacock.

I knew then that he had also been reborn. He believed he could change his fate and father a Purple Peacock with her.

But in this lifetime, he wouldn't even be able to produce the humblest Black Peacock.

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.

“Oh? If Your Majesty is so confident, why not have Princess Aurelia reveal her true form?” Silvan sneered, his eyes locked on Queen Elara.

“If she truly is a Green Peacock, I will atone with my life. But if she is not, then it is only right that Princess Aurelia pays with hers. Isn't that fair?”

Queen Elara’s face darkened, her brow furrowed in distress.

King Alaric, too, shifted from shock to suspicion, his expression growing stern.

For him, bloodline mattered more than appearances.

He was a Green Peacock, yet all his daughters were ordinary Blue Peacocks.

When I was born, rumors of my noble green coloring quickly spread, and he showered me with all his affection.

But now, hearing Silvan claim that I was, in fact, a lowly Black Peacock, King Alaric gripped the arms of his chair so tightly they almost splintered beneath his fingers.

Queen Elara stood there, unable to speak a single word.

Silvan’s expression shifted from disdain to triumph. “It’s a simple matter, really—just reveal your true form. Why hesitate, Your Majesty? Unless, of course, I am right?”

Queen Elara’s expression darkened further, but just as she was about to respond, I stepped forward, positioning myself in front of her, and calmly declared, “It’s true. I am not a Green Peacock.”

Queen Elara shouted in anguish, “Aurelia, how could you?”

Silvan had pressed me to reveal my true form because he knew I wasn’t a Green Peacock. In my previous life, during childbirth, I had revealed my original form due to the unbearable pain, and Silvan had been terrified.

Everyone believed I was King Alaric’s only daughter with the prized green feathers, which was why Silvan went to such great lengths to marry me. But peacock eggs always reflect their parent’s color, and when I laid a white egg, Silvan's rage knew no bounds.

He smashed the egg right then and there, then slit my throat while I remained in my original form. But he wasn’t finished. He plucked my feathers from my barely breathing body and cast me into the mountains, where wild beasts roamed, allowing them to tear me apart.

"Well, well, well." Silvan laughed as he stood up, removing his sword and tossing it at my feet. "Since you have confessed, then the princess should atone for her sins with her life."

I replied, "But I never claimed to be a Green Peacock. What crime have I committed?"

When I was born, a strange phenomenon filled the sky. The heavens above the entire Peacock clan were awash with colors.

Everyone said I was a sign of good fortune.

But only Queen Elara, who gave birth to me, knew the truth—that I had come from a dull, lifeless black egg. She sent everyone away and carefully wrapped the egg in cloth.

On the day I hatched, she was the only one to see my true form.

From that day forward, I never claimed to be a Green Peacock.

Before marrying Silvan in my past life, I sought him out and confessed that I was not a Green Peacock. At that time, Silvan told me he didn't care and that it was me he loved, not my feathers.

His words moved me, and with great joy, I married him, doing everything in my power to fulfill my duties as his wife. But I only realized the truth when I was dying. He had believed I was testing him, and so he said those sweet words to manipulate me into marrying him.

"Even if you never claimed to be a Green Peacock, you also never revealed that your true form is that of a Black Peacock. You have enjoyed the wealth and luxury of the royal family; that itself is a deception to the people."

While there was no law that stated Black Peacocks could not remain in the royal family, ever since the reign of the third Peacock King, any Black Peacock born into the royal family had been banished.

Just as I was about to say that I wasn't a Black Peacock either, King Alaric spoke up.

"Enough, Silvan. If you wish to marry Celeste, then I will grant you the marriage."

Silvan immediately fell to his knees. “Thank you, Your Majesty. But what is to become of Princess Aurelia?”

"Silvan, this is a matter of my family. Just how far do you intend to meddle?"

Silvan instantly understood King Alaric's intent. "I understand, Your Majesty."

Under the gaze of the entire court, Silvan took Celeste by the hand and led her away. As they passed me, Celeste gave me a long, meaningful look.

She leaned in close, her voice a soft whisper in my ear. "Looks like you’re finally getting what you deserve."

After returning to the palace, King Alaric flew into a rage.

He demanded to know why Queen Elara and I had deceived him.

Just as I began to explain that I was neither a Green Peacock nor a Black Peacock, he silenced me with a sharp wave of his hand. "From this day on, you are no daughter of mine. After Celeste's wedding next month, you will leave the palace for good."

Not only did King Alaric decide to banish me, but he also confined Queen Elara to her chambers. The news spread quickly, further cementing the belief that I was a Black Peacock.

In just one day, I fell from the highest of honors to a figure of disgrace. My reputation was ruined, and naturally, no man would want to marry me now.

I accepted it all with quiet composure, spending my days either locked away in my room or hiding in the library.

One sunny afternoon, with the weather clear and bright, I found a maid and asked her to keep watch below. I took my true form, soaring up to the sky and momentarily blocking out the sun.

Moments later, I landed gracefully on the ground, returning to my human form.

“Princess, just as you said! When you spread your wings, your entire body shimmers with every color. It was breathtaking,” the maid gasped in awe. “You’re truly the most beautiful Black Peacock I’ve ever seen.”

I smiled softly. Her words confirmed what I had suspected.

I asked her to return to my chambers and sketch my original form, but before she could, I heard a mocking laugh.

“A Black Peacock is still a Black Peacock—no matter how beautiful, it’s still the lowest of the low among us.”

Ever since the incident, my palace had grown exceptionally quiet. She was likely the only one who would dare to come and mock me now.

I looked up to see Celeste, dressed in lavish robes, standing in the doorway.

Having caught the eye of Silvan, the most esteemed young lord of the Peacock clan, Celeste had been basking in glory lately.

Her food, clothing, and living conditions were now more extravagant than mine, the once-favored princess.

She flaunted her new status in the palace, finally having her moment in the sun.

Rumor had it that several maids in her palace had mysteriously disappeared.

“Aurelia, how do you still have the nerve to stay in the palace?” Celeste sneered. “Royal Father gave you a month out of respect for your mother. If you had any sense, you'd leave now and stop disgracing the royal family."

Celeste had disliked me since we were children, driven by jealousy over the affection I received.

I let out a cold laugh. “Celeste, what brings you here? Are you looking for the missing maids from your palace? If so, you've come to the wrong place. They're probably in the mouths of the beasts in the back mountains. Aren’t you afraid their restless spirits might come back to take you with them?”

Celeste’s face went pale, her teeth clenched in anger. “What are you so smug about? You're nothing but a discarded royal now. I, on the other hand, am about to marry Silvan. He is the most esteemed Green Peacock, and he believes that our union might produce a rare and noble Purple Peacock.”

I looked at her with a frosty smile. “Is that so? Congratulations, then. So why aren’t you off trying to have his children already? Though, I should warn you, Silvan doesn’t seem like he’s capable of fathering any.”

“You dare insult my husband? I’ll kill you!” Celeste shouted, raising her hand to strike me.

But she never could win a fight against me, not even as children. This time was no different; I easily pinned her down.

I hadn’t landed more than a few slaps before a powerful force pulled me away. Silvan had arrived.

“Who gave you permission to bully Celeste?” he demanded.

The moment Celeste saw Silvan, she transformed into a delicate, fragile figure, leaning into him as she pointed at me with feigned distress.

“Silvan, you’re finally here! She cursed me, saying I won’t be able to bear your children.”

“How absurd. Of course, you will give me a perfect Purple Peacock,” Silvan replied, gently stroking her face. “As for her, I doubt she could ever produce even a White Peacock in her life.”

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “We’ll see who ends up childless.”

Silvan's expression darkened.

He had a secret—one only I knew. He was infertile.

In my previous life, when I discovered the truth, I had been ready to accept that we might never have children. I believed that as long as we loved each other, nothing else mattered.

But Silvan did not see it that way. Desperate for an heir to secure the throne, he begged me to drink a potion brewed from a rare plant known to force conception.

What he failed to tell me was that this root would drain my core, consuming every drop of my vital essence and blood. That was why I had reverted to my true form during childbirth.

And that wasn’t the worst of it; the potion had severe side effects. Headaches and nausea were the least of my worries. The most unbearable was the itching—deep, relentless itching that wasn't on the skin, but in the very bones. No amount of scratching could relieve it.

Perhaps fearing I would reveal more, Silvan quickly led Celeste away.

After they left, the maid returned with the painting she had completed. The moment I saw it, my eyes widened. The image confirmed my suspicions.

Over the past few days, I had been searching through the library for answers.

Ancient texts described the existence of the Mystical Peacock, a bird with black feathers that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow under the sunlight. The texts also stated that when a Mystical Peacock consumed the child-bearing potion, it would lay a white egg that would hatch into a Purple Peacock.

I realized then—I was never a Black Peacock at all. I was the legendary Mystical Peacock.

And the egg I laid wasn't a lowly White Peacock—it was a rare and noble Purple Peacock.

Since no one had ever seen a Mystical Peacock, Silvan had no idea what he was dealing with.

When I learned the truth, I chose to keep it to myself.

Everyone already believed the worst of me—telling them now wouldn’t change a thing. No one would believe me anyway. To prove myself, I needed to lay an egg and hatch it into something extraordinary.

But who could I find to help me lay an egg?

My reputation was in ruins; no respectable peacock would ever agree to sire a child with me. I had no other choice. I had to find a mate in the black market.

After much searching and sifting through a crowd of men, I finally chose one who caught my eye. His appearance was striking, almost dazzling—though, unfortunately, he was just a multicolored rooster.

No matter.

According to the ancient texts, a Mystical Peacock could produce a rare and auspicious offspring, even with any type of bird. As long as I had the right genes, the child would be exceptional.

The first day I brought him home, I started to undress him immediately.

The man’s ears turned bright red as he clutched his clothing tightly. “P-Princess, shouldn’t we… take some time to get to know each other… before… doing something like this?”

Take time to know each other?

That sounded like a waste of time.

I let go of his clothes, smiling. “How do you think we should get to know each other, then?”

“At the very least… we should learn a little about each other first.”

“Oh.” I sat back down. “I’m Aurelia. What’s your name?”

“Lucian.”

Good.

Now we were acquainted.

I jumped on him again.

Time to get down to business.