Peacock Egg RebirthChapter 3

Back at the palace, Father erupted in a furious rage. He demanded to know why Mother and I had deceived him. Just as I was about to tell him that while I wasn't a Green Peacock, I was certainly not a Black Peacock, Father waved his hand dismissively. “From today forward, I have no daughter named Willow. After Seraphina’s wedding next month, you are to leave the palace.” Father not only banished me but also placed Mother under house arrest.

The news spread like wildfire, further solidifying my identity as a Black Peacock. In just one day, I went from being universally adored to universally scorned. My reputation plummeted, and naturally, no man would ever want to marry me.

I accepted everything calmly. My days were spent either in my room or in the royal library. That afternoon, the weather was clear, the sun shining brightly. I called for a handmaiden and asked her to watch from below. I transformed into my true form and flew into the sky, momentarily eclipsing the sun. A few moments later, I landed and resumed my human form.

“Princess, it’s just as you said! When you spread your wings, your entire body is a rainbow of colors, absolutely stunning!” The handmaiden praised profusely. “You truly are the most beautiful Black Peacock I’ve ever seen.” I smiled faintly. The handmaiden’s words confirmed my suspicion. Just as I was about to ask her to draw my true form, I heard a scoff.

“A Black Peacock is still a Black Peacock. No matter how pretty, it’s still the lowest of the Peacock clan.” After the incident, my palace quarters were exceptionally quiet. Only she, it seemed, would bother to come and mock me. I looked up to see Seraphina, resplendent in elegant attire, standing at the doorway. Having caught the eye of Carbonell, the Peacock Kingdom’s foremost gentleman, Seraphina was basking in glory lately. Her clothing and daily provisions were even more luxurious than mine, the once-favored princess. She finally held her head high, parading her authority throughout the palace. I heard several handmaidens from her palace had mysteriously disappeared.

“Little sister, how can you still have the nerve to stay in the palace? Father gave you a month’s grace out of respect for Mother. If you were sensible, you’d leave quickly and stop disgracing our royal family.” Seraphina had never liked me, even when I was a child. Only because she envied my favor. I sneered. “Why has my second sister come to my quarters? Are you looking for your handmaidens? Then you’ve come to the wrong place. They’re probably in the maw of the beasts in the back mountains. Aren’t you afraid their spirits will come to take you away if you wander carelessly?”

Seraphina’s face paled, and she gritted her teeth. “What are you so proud of? You’re merely a cast-off of the royal family now, while I’m about to marry Carbonell. He’s the most noble Green Peacock, and he said that our union might produce an incredibly noble Violet Peacock.”

I gave her a cold glance. “Is that so? Congratulations, congratulations. Then why don’t you hurry and go make babies with Carbonell? Though I should warn you, Carbonell doesn’t look like he can have children.”

“How dare you slander my husband? You’re asking for death!” Seraphina raised her hand, aiming to strike me. But she had never been able to beat me in a fight since childhood. This time, she only managed to get hit. Before I could land a few blows, I was pulled away by a great force. Carbonell had appeared. “Who allowed you to bully Seraphina?”

Seeing Carbonell, Seraphina instantly transformed into a delicate damsel, leaning into him, pointing at me and saying in a sickly sweet voice, “Carbonell, you’re finally here. She cursed me, saying I wouldn’t be able to bear your child.”

“How could that be? You will definitely bear me a perfect Violet Peacock.” Carbonell gently caressed her face. “As for her, I doubt she’ll ever bear even a White Peacock in this lifetime.” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but let out a cynical “Ha!”

“I wonder who won’t be able to bear children.” Carbonell’s face turned cold.

Carbonell had a secret, known only to me. He was infertile. In my past life, when I learned this, I had wanted to say that having no children was fine; as long as we loved each other, nothing else mattered. Carbonell, however, didn’t see it that way. To secure the throne, he begged me to take the fertility herb, a plant that induces childbirth. That herb, once ingested, would consume one’s inner essence, draining all vital energy. That was why I revealed my true form during childbirth. Not only that, using this herb had severe side effects. Headaches and nausea were minor; the most unbearable symptom was an itch deep in the bones, no matter how much you scratched, it wouldn't go away.

Perhaps fearing I would reveal more, Carbonell quickly led Seraphina away. After they left, the handmaiden came out with the finished drawing. The moment I saw the portrait, my pupils dilated. This painting completely confirmed my suspicions. I had spent these past days in the royal library, poring over ancient texts. Old records stated that Obsidian Peacocks were inherently dark in color, but under sunlight, they displayed a rainbow of hues. An Obsidian Peacock, after consuming the fertility herb, would lay a white egg, and upon hatching, a violet phoenix would emerge.

So, I was not a Black Peacock at all. I was the legendary Obsidian Peacock. And my egg was not a White Peacock, but a high-grade Violet Peacock. Because no one had ever seen an Obsidian Peacock, Carbonell simply didn’t recognize its true value. Knowing this, I told no one. Now, everyone condemned me, and even if I spoke, no one would believe me. To prove myself, I would have to lay an egg and hatch it.

Who could I find to lay an egg with? My reputation was ruined; no decent peacock would ever mate with me. There was no choice. I had to buy a husband from the black market. After some careful choosing, I finally picked one that was pleasing to the eye. His appearance was remarkably striking, though he was, unfortunately, a multi-colored rooster. No matter. Ancient texts stated that an Obsidian Peacock could mate with any bird and still produce an auspicious offspring of Violet Peacock or higher. As long as my genes were involved, the child would be perfect.

The first day I brought the man home, I started stripping his clothes. His ears were beet-red, and he clutched the ties of his clothes tightly. “Pr-princess, don’t we need to… cultivate some feelings before… doing this?” Cultivate feelings? How troublesome. I released my grip, smiling at him. “How do you think we should cultivate them?”

“At-at least we should get to know each other first.”

“Oh.” I sat back down. “My name is Willow. What’s yours?”

“Zach.”

Alright. Done getting to know each other, I immediately pounced. Time for business.