A century ago, the war between humans and beastkin nearly destroyed the world. To restore order, the five major beast clans—Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Serpent, and Peacock—formed an alliance with humanity.

Under the Treaty of Balance, every hundred years, a union between humans and beastkin must occur. The first child born of this union—a half-beast—will inherit the throne and rule over the Human-Beast Alliance.

In my past life, I chose Max, the Dragon Clan's heir. Known for his unwavering devotion and noble bloodline, he seemed the perfect mate. I gave birth to the first half-beast child of the generation—a rare white dragon. Our son was named the next ruler, and Max rose to unmatched power.

My half-sister, Alice, chose the Tiger Clan—seduced by beauty, blinded by arrogance. Her husband betrayed her, and she was left barren and disgraced.

She envied me. Hated me.

One night, she drugged me, set our home on fire, and watched as the flames devoured me and my son.

But fate was not done with me.

When I opened my eyes, I had returned to the day of the choosing ceremony—the moment that would decide our mates, our fates, and the future ruler of the realm.

Only this time… Alice had already climbed into Max’s bed.

She had been reborn too.

But what she didn’t know was this:

Max is not the devoted prince she remembers.

He is brutal. Possessive. A beast of blood, not love.

And this time, I won't make the same mistake.

"Ella, Max and I truly love each other. Can't you just let us be together? We've already shared a bed. If I don't marry him, how could I ever marry anyone else?"

In a daze, I heard my younger sister Alice crying out.

Father stood nearby, speaking up in her defense. "Ella, maybe you could choose another fiancé instead. Alice just made a mistake in a moment of poor judgment."

He had always been biased toward Alice. After all, she was the legitimate daughter of his official wife, while I was merely the illegitimate child from one of his affairs.

I looked at Alice, who was kneeling on the ground. Though her face was streaked with tears and full of pitiful sorrow, the ambition and excitement in her eyes were unmistakable.

I knew then: she had been reborn too. And this time, she had made it to Max's bed before I did.

In my past life, I had chosen Max, the eldest son of the dragon clan, as my fiancé. I saw the elephant clan as cold-blooded and unfeeling, the leopard clan as frivolous and unfaithful, and the tiger clan as proud and arrogant. Only the dragon clan, known for their loyalty and devotion, seemed worthy of trust.

Six months after marrying Max, I got pregnant with our child. And then, I gave birth to a half-beast white dragon, our son Charles.

As the first half-beast child born from the human-beast union, Charles naturally became the next leader of the Human-Beast Alliance.

Alice, enamored by the tiger clan's beauty, had chosen their heir, James. But she didn't expect him to be a shameless womanizer, constantly entangled with other lovers.

Eventually, she contracted a disease because of him—one that left her infertile and scorned by the tiger clan.

She blamed me for her misfortune, jealous that I had lived a better life than she did. One night, she drugged me in secret and set a fire that burned both me and Charles alive.

At the memory, hatred surged in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to kill Alice right then and there and avenge Charles.

I clenched my fists inside my sleeves. The pain in my palms sobered me slightly.

Then I slowly nodded, masking my fury with a look of understanding.

"If Alice and Max truly love each other, I'd never stand in the way of their happiness."

Alice hadn't expected me to agree so easily. The tears she had squeezed out now hung awkwardly at the corners of her eyes.

"Alice, get up now. Hurry and thank your sister for stepping aside," Father urged, clearly relieved.

"Th-thank you, Ella!"

Alice beamed as she rushed out, eager to bring the good news to Max and the dragon clan.

"Girls really do grow up and slip away too quickly," Father joked. But when he turned and saw the cold indifference on my face, his voice faltered.

"Ella, among the eligible beast clan heirs, only two remain: David of the peacock clan and James of the tiger clan. I still think the tiger clan would be a better match—better looks, higher status, clearly superior to the peacock clan.

"Besides, Alice once said—"

I cut him off. "Father, I choose to marry David of the peacock clan."

To most humans, celestial bird clan were cold-blooded and heartless, and that prejudice extended to the peacock clan beastmen.

For thousands of years, no human had ever chosen to marry into the peacock clan. As a result, they had never produced a single ruler for the Human-Beast Alliance.

Eventually, they were cast out from the ranks of the five great beast families and reduced to the lowest tier of the beast clans, denied even the smallest share of resources.

But in my past life, as the fire consumed me, I saw a pair of emerald-green eyes—David's.

He tried to save me.

But the flames were too fierce, and he… could do nothing.

Although father disapproved of my decision, when he saw the resolve on my face, he didn't press further.

He simply sighed and tried to console me. "If your life in the peacock clan becomes too difficult… perhaps Alice can help you out."

But when Alice found out I had chosen to marry into the peacock clan, she couldn't resist mocking me to my face.

"Ella, even if you couldn't marry Max, surely you didn't have to stoop to the declining peacock clan? Don't end up starving to death before you even manage to bear a child. I heard they're struggling just to stay fed these days.

"The dragon clan is wealthy beyond measure. Even their bathwater is infused with precious divine herbs. If your life gets too miserable, I can pack up some leftovers and send them your way!"

She covered her mouth and burst out laughing, ignoring the awkward glances from the servants around us.

In Alice's eyes, the dragon clan had vast resources, and Max's devotion would guarantee a swift pregnancy. She was certain I'd miss my chance at bearing the first half-beast child.

But she had no idea how difficult it was for humans and beastfolk to conceive. Nor did she know how obsessed Max was with having an heir.

When I didn't show signs of pregnancy after six months, he began taking out his frustration on me, tormenting me day and night.

Only after I used a secret technique to conceive and gave birth to Charles, securing the dragon clan's claim to power, did Max finally relent.

I offered Alice a calm smile. "You needn't worry about me, dear sister. Since I've chosen my husband, I'll live with my decision without regret."

"What's there to be proud of? You're marrying a penniless nobody!" Infuriated by my composure, Alice slammed the table, scattering the pastries across the floor. "I'll be the first one to get pregnant. My child will definitely be the next ruler of the alliance!"

I ignored her tantrum and went off to prepare for my wedding in three days.

In one thing, she wasn't wrong—the peacock clan was indeed very poor. I worried they might not even have the money for a proper gown, so I planned to prepare one myself.

To my surprise, that very evening, David came in person to deliver my wedding dress.

It was the first time I truly saw his face.

His skin was pale, almost bloodless. His long, narrow eyes carried a quiet authority, and the emerald green of his irises held a mysterious depth. Yet the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye lent a subtle grace to his otherwise austere expression.

Inside the box lay a floor-length gown of deep green tulle. The bodice shimmered faintly with scales—diamonds—stitched into the fabric.

I had never seen such a beautiful dress. For a moment, I was completely captivated.

"Ella," David said calmly, "this gown was hand-stitched by our peacock clan's finest seamstresses. Each diamond was a blessing offered by our people."

His gaze carried a deliberate detachment, as if the person marrying me wasn't him at all.

"This is the first time our peacock clan has ever wed a human. If anything has been done poorly, you're welcome to tell me."

"Thank you," I replied. "I truly love it."

Just as I was about to put the dress away, Alice strolled in, arm-in-arm with Max, smug and beaming.

"Ella, don't tell me this is the only gown you got? Max had twenty dresses made for me. Twenty!"

Max looked down at Alice with affection in his eyes.

Alice only knew of the dragon clan's famous loyalty, but she didn't understand it was rooted in their biological instincts—and their intense obsession with offspring.

If she failed to conceive, would Max still treat her with such tenderness?

David's grip on his peacock staff tightened slightly before he raised his eyes to meet mine.

"If the peacock clan has caused you any grievance, Ella, I can promise you this—I, David, will never betray you in this lifetime."

Alice snorted. "Anyone can talk sweet. Let's see if you can actually produce a child!"

Now, all she ever talked about was children. Her infertility in her past life had become a thorn in her heart, and now she was fixated on getting pregnant. Even before marrying Max, she had already moved into his home.

In that sense, she and Max were a perfect match—both obsessively fixated on heirs.

"Alice, perhaps you should focus on your own wedding. People might start to think you've set your sights on my fiancé instead."

I smiled faintly, and under the sour expressions of Alice and Max, I took David's hand and walked away.

Behind me, I could still hear Alice's shrill voice clinging to Max, her words faint but unmistakable: "pregnancy," "child," "next ruler."

Oh, my foolish sister! Even after a second chance at life, she still believed that a child was her only path to power.

David's cool voice sounded beside my ear.

"Ella, I know you chose me because you had no other option. But I promise, within my power, I will never let you suffer."

I turned instinctively at the sound of his voice and accidentally stumbled into his chest.

A strange yet pleasant scent drifted into my nose.

I looked up at him and said slowly, with deliberate clarity, "David, I chose you willingly."

A flicker of something unreadable passed through David's eyes. "…Alright. Ella."

Three days later, the wedding arrived as scheduled.

Both ceremonies were held in the same grand restaurant.

The dragon clan's wedding was even more extravagant than in my previous life. They had gone so far as to invite the reclusive sea serpent clan to perform, and all the major noble houses attended in full force.

Meanwhile, the peacock clan's celebration was quieter, with no distinguished guests, yet the clan members beamed with genuine joy. After all, this was their first marriage to a human—a sign they might finally have a chance at producing the next ruler of the alliance.

After the ceremony, I ran into Alice face-to-face. She deliberately tilted her chin, making sure I noticed the marks on her neck.

"Ella, I didn't know dragon men had such… stamina. At this rate, I'll be giving them an heir in no time."

I smiled politely. "Then I sincerely wish you the best of luck."

Alice was grossly underestimating the difficulty of pregnancy between humans and beastkin. Our species was fundamentally different. Even in the best conditions, natural conception took at least two years.

She assumed I got pregnant easily in our past life, and so she believed the same would come just as easily to her. She even boasted to the dragon clan that she'd be pregnant within eight months. Word had spread quickly.

Seeing how confident she was, Max hadn't even questioned it.

But to Alice, my composure looked like a personal challenge.

"Forget it. It's not like you'd understand anyway. You've married into a beggar's den."

She shot a disdainful glance at the peacock clan members nearby, lifted her skirt, and walked past me.

I grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Alice, apologize. Apologize to the peacock clan."

Her expression darkened. She yanked her arm free and yelled, "Ella, have you lost your mind?!"

The remaining guests in the hall stopped to watch as we argued, eager for the drama.

In the end, our father had to step in. Once he understood what had happened, he forced Alice to apologize to the peacock clan.

Though the peacock clan ranked lowest among the beastkin, they would still unite against human humiliation.

Before leaving, Alice shot me a vicious glare and muttered under her breath, "Ella, I'm going to win this life. Just you wait."

On our wedding night, I stared at David's bare body, frozen in place.

No one had ever told me peacock had two...

Seeing me motionless on the bed, David misunderstood. With a pale expression, he bent down to gather his clothes and began dressing.

"What do you think you're doing?" I snatched the fabric from his hands, my displeasure written all over my face.

"I… I thought you didn't want to…" he stammered, standing awkwardly by the bed, the emerald in his eyes dimming.

If he wouldn't make the first move, then I would.

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down onto the bed. As our bodies touched, that subtle, familiar scent surrounded me again.

"David… you smell really nice," I murmured without thinking.

He froze for a moment, then the tips of his ears turned faintly pink. The next moment, his kiss deepened, trailing from my forehead all the way down.

Fingers interlaced, we shared a night of wild pleasure.

I had once believed the dragon clan's strength made them the best choice in bed.

But the peacock clan had their own… unique qualities. David didn't stop until dawn lit the sky, and I practically begged for rest.

Two months later, news broke: Alice was pregnant.

I was stunned. In thousands of years, no human had ever conceived with a beastkin in just two months.

Had I not seen her swollen belly with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.

The dragon clan threw a grand celebration for the unborn child, inviting all the noble families to share their joy.

"Our ancestors must be watching over us! A child in just two months—what a miracle!" Max raised his cup high, pride written all over his face.

Many guests approached to flatter him, eager to earn the dragon clan's favor. Everyone agreed: the next ruler of the alliance would undoubtedly come from the dragon clan. Now was the perfect time to curry favor.

By status, I should have been seated with David at the end of the banquet hall.

But Alice had insisted to Max that I be placed beside her. She couldn't pass up a chance to show off.

As she stroked her belly, she cast me a smug look. "Ella, two months and still no news from your belly? Seems like you're really lacking. Your womb doesn't even try."

Half-beasts matured rapidly. One months was enough for them to be born. Based on her size, her child would arrive this month.

But she had no idea how large half-beast infants were. Without managing her diet, she'd suffer greatly during labor.

I had carefully controlled my weight in my past life, yet childbirth still took two full days and nights, and the pain nearly made me wish for death.

But the moment I saw my child safely born, sleeping peacefully in my arms, I knew I had no regrets.

I took a sip of wine and said flatly, "Historically, the quickest conception between human and beastkin took two full years. But you took only two months. Whatever methods you used, only you know."

Alice whipped her head toward me, her eyes darting in guilty panic. "Ella, what are you implying?"

She couldn't even withstand the slightest probing. Alice still couldn't keep her composure.

"May you have a safe delivery, Alice." I raised my glass to toast her, then left the banquet with David by my side.

Twenty days later, Alice endured five full days and nights of labor before finally giving birth.

But seven days passed, and the dragon clan still hadn't announced the child's arrival. Even when Father tried to visit, they refused him entry.

There was no doubt—something was wrong with the child.

Half a month later, Father summoned me home.

Seeing the worry in David's eyes before I left, I finally relented and asked him to come with me.

In the living room, Alice sat on the floor sobbing, clutching a half-beast green dragon pup in her arms.