I am the most noble Phoenix Princess. The dragon I choose will become the next Dragon King. In my past life, I chose Aldric—my childhood sweetheart. I risked my life to help him survive the lethal Storm Trial and personally supported him as he ascended the throne. But on the day of his coronation, he tore my Soulstone from my chest—all for a Magpie. "If it weren't for getting my hands on your Soulstone to help Lysara become the Phoenix Princess—" "Why else would I wed a bitch like you!" I collapsed in a pool of my own blood and watched him kneel on one knee, offering my Soulstone to Lysara. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn—back to the night of the Choosing. Dragon King Fenric was asking for my decision. Then Aldric cut in: "Father, I know Seraphina is fond of me. But my heart belongs only to Lysara. I want Lysara to become my Queen!" The hall erupted. Every eye stabbed into me like a needle. But I simply looked at Fenric and answered calmly: "Your Majesty, I've already made my choice." Our gazes met, and I saw it—the certainty, the smugness in Aldric's eyes. I knew then: he had been reborn too. He thought I would cling to him again, just like before. But on my wedding night in this life, it was Aldric who knelt through the entire night. Begging me to come back to him. …… …… The agony of having my Soulstone ripped from my chest nearly tore me in two. But just as I thought it was all over, the pain vanished. My eyes flew open. The clothes on my back were drenched in cold sweat. "Seraphina?" "Have you decided? Who will you choose as your husband?" That voice. This scene. I had been reborn—back to the night of the Dragon Clan's Choosing Ceremony. "Your Majesty, I'd like to—" Before I could finish, another voice cut in ahead of me. "Father." Aldric stepped forward from the ranks of Princes and dropped to one knee. "I know Seraphina is fond of me. But my heart belongs only to Lysara. I have sworn before the gods—if I betray her, my soul will twist into a demon, never to find peace!" Gasps nearly blew the roof off the great hall. King Fenric's expression darkened like the sky before a tempest. The Princes who had been enjoying the show from the sidelines all whipped their heads around to stare at Aldric. Everyone knew: whomever the Phoenix Princess chose would receive her full support through the Storm Trial. Pass the trial, and you become the next King. What Aldric had just said was tantamount to publicly renouncing the throne. In an instant, every other candidate stirred with barely concealed ambition. But then Aldric spoke again. "However—I know Seraphina can't live without me. I can marry her, so long as Lysara stands beside her as my wife. They will both be my Queens." "Enough!" King Fenric roared, and in the next heartbeat Aldric was flung to the ground. "Lysara? A Magpie dares stand as equal to the Phoenix Princess? If she had the audacity to manipulate you into swearing before the gods—then I'll kill her, and the oath dies with her!" A flash of resentment crossed Aldric's eyes. He turned to me immediately. There was no plea in his gaze, no guilt—only impatience, looking down at me as though I were beneath him. "Why are you just standing there? Haven't you always wanted to marry me? Here's your chance!" "You've taken so much from Lysara. If she weren't generous enough to overlook it, I'd never have agreed to let you share the title of Queen. You should be on your knees in gratitude!" That condescension, that certainty—it told me everything in an instant. He had been reborn too. He thought I would be just as before. That I would endure any humiliation, pay any price—even my life. How funny. Lysara. A Magpie. Daring to provoke a phoenix. The year I was born, the God-War erupted. The Phoenix Clan suffered devastating losses, and every egg was scattered. Our people searched desperately, and in their haste, they brought back the infant Lysara by mistake, raising her as one of our own blood. For a hundred years, she enjoyed everything that should have been mine. It wasn't until the day we could reveal our true forms that my Father and Mother discovered they had been nurturing an imposter. Mother was merciful. She didn't banish Lysara—instead, she allowed her to remain in the kingdom, enjoying privileges far above her bloodline. But Lysara was never satisfied. She even manipulated Aldric into making a public spectacle on her behalf. Now, the dragon clan's Elderblood had been dwindling for generations. Because of this, every Dragon King opened succession beyond direct lineage. Wyrms, Serpents, Drakes, Wyverns—these lesser branches of Dragonkin could all compete alongside the King's own children, the Princes. Anyone who could withstand the Nine Divine Thunders on the Storm Altar would inherit the throne. And bonding with the Phoenix Princess didn't just guarantee survival through that near-fatal trial—it would vastly elevate the purity of their descendants' bloodline. Only the King knew these details. To the outside world, the rule was simple: whomever the Phoenix Princess chose would be the next King. Aldric's words today amounted to a public insult against the entire Phoenix Clan. If the Phoenix Clan severed ties with the dragons over this, the dragon bloodline would be doomed. King Fenric clearly understood this. His cold gaze swept over Aldric before turning to me, his tone softening in a rare display of consideration. "Seraphina, you can do whatever you want with him—so long as it eases your anger." "King Fenric." I lifted my gaze to meet his. "I've already decided who I'll marry."
Every eye in the hall converged on me. But I didn't look at any of them. I walked straight to King Fenric and, using a private cipher, whispered the name—and my entire plan. Surprise flickered in Fenric's eyes. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "If you've made your decision… very well. I'll arrange everything." Then he turned to Aldric, his voice ice-cold once more: "You will remain in confinement until you've reflected on your actions. Before the wedding, I don't want to hear of any more incidents." A slow, satisfied smile crept across Aldric's face. The look he gave me said it plainly—I knew it. You'd give in eventually.. I didn't bother with him. My gaze drifted to the far corner of the hall. There, half-hidden in shadow, stood a man dressed in black. The two horns on his head were slight and dark—nothing like the blood-soaked man who had fought to avenge me in my previous life. King Fenric kept me behind for a few private words. By the time I emerged from the great hall, Aldric was still there. And beside him stood a woman in white. Lysara. When she saw me, her eyes reddened just so, and she stepped forward. "Seraphina… thank you. If my parents were still alive… they'd be so happy for us." She reached up and dabbed at the corner of her eye. The performance was pitch-perfect—just enough sorrow to tug at one's heartstrings without tipping into melodrama. Aldric immediately pulled her into his arms. "Why are you thanking her?" He looked down at Lysara, voice gentle. "You're the only one I want to marry. She's the one who should be grateful. If it weren't for your kindness, I'd never have agreed to let her share the title of Queen." But the moment he turned to me, his eyes held nothing but ice. "Lysara's parents died because of you. She's been gracious enough to accept you—don't you think you owe her some Sacred Crystals as compensation?" Years ago, Lysara's parents had found me and raised me as their own, caring for me with nothing but love—until an outing when a monstrous beast attacked, killing them both. The shock had ignited the phoenix fire dormant within me, and ultimately led the Phoenix Clan to find me. In my previous life, I had always carried crushing guilt toward Lysara over this. I yielded to her at every turn. It wasn't until the moment before my death that she finally smiled and told me the truth—she had lured that beast there herself. To kill me, she had murdered her own parents. I stared at them in silence, then let out a cold laugh. "You've given her plenty of Sacred Crystals already. That wasn't enough?" Back when I loved him, I always wanted to give him the best of everything. Every Sacred Crystal I carefully selected and placed in his hands would inevitably appear in Lysara's chambers the very next day. He clearly remembered this too. But there wasn't a shred of guilt in his eyes—only self-righteous indignation. "Those were nothing." "Give your Soulstone to Lysara." In that instant, the memory of him prying open my chest in my past life crashed over me like a tidal wave— "Do you have any idea what it means to surrender a Soulstone?" My voice dropped low. "Without my Soulstone, my spirit will wither completely. I could die." Aldric's gaze darkened. "Don't be so dramatic. Besides, we're about to be married—what's yours is mine. Hand the Soulstone to Lysara, and I guarantee nothing will happen to you. If you refuse, then don't expect me to marry you!" I fixed him with a stare. Killing intent surged through my veins, and my fingertips began to burn. Phoenix fire stirred beneath my skin, straining to break free. Lysara's face drained of color, inch by inch. She began to tremble, her knees threatening to buckle. Even Aldric's expression was going rigid. He straightened his spine, trying to resist, but fine beads of sweat gathered at his temples. If I wanted, I could reduce him and that Magpie to ash in a single heartbeat. But at the last moment, I forced the fire back down. Death would be too easy for him. I wanted him to watch himself lose everything. "Seraphina!" Aldric recovered and lunged at me in a surge of humiliated fury, reaching for my throat. "How dare you—" And then. "Princess, King Fenric has sent me to escort you."
I turned my head. It was the black Jiao. He hadn't yet become a true dragon, and yet even as I released my pressure, his expression remained perfectly composed. At the same time, his form of address reminded everyone present exactly who I was. Watching Aldric force down his rage, I withdrew my power and offered him a thin smile. "Let's go." "Wait." Aldric stepped forward, blocking the path, completely ignoring Lysara who was nearly collapsing beside him. His eyes fixed on us with undisguised displeasure. "What could you possibly have to say to this low-born black serpent??" He was the man I had chosen—my future husband. Naturally, we had more to discuss than I could count. But I only spared Aldric a cold glance: "If you're so idle, perhaps you should spend your time preparing for the Storm Trial in five days." Five days from now, the Storm Altar Trial would commence. Every Lesser Dragonkin who aspired to become a true dragon could ascend the altar. Withstand the Nine Divine Thunders, and you would be transformed in a single moment. But the force of the Divine Thunders was terrifying beyond measure. The slightest misstep, and the challenger would be annihilated on the spot. Because of this, the vast majority of Lesser Dragonkin chose to undergo the trial in stages, across multiple attempts. In my previous life, with my Soulstone and protection, Aldric had become the first being in ten thousand years to pass all nine Divine Thunders in a single attempt. His name had resounded throughout the divine realms. And now, he displayed a confidence wholly disproportionate to his actual abilities. "A few bolts of lightning—nothing more. None of the Lesser Dragonkin this time are a match for me." He paused, then added: "In five days, just sit tight and wait for me to come claim you as my bride." A flash of bitter jealousy slid through Lysara's eyes. But I merely watched them with cold detachment, then turned and walked away beside Kael. Only when Aldric's voice had faded entirely behind us did I stop. "Kael. Fenric told you everything?" He raised his head to look at me. In those pitch-black eyes, something close to obsession was burning. The next moment, he pressed his right hand to his chest and bowed his head with solemn gravity. "Princess Seraphina." "I swear upon my soul—if I ever betray you in this life, let me be cast into demonhood, never to know peace." A soul oath. Once forged, the gods would shred the soul of anyone who broke it. No one made such a vow lightly—unless he were willing to die for you. My heartbeat stumbled. I reached up and unclasped the Phoenix Sigil from my neck—the token a Phoenix Princess bestows upon her husband. Then I leaned forward and fastened it against his chest. "I believe you." He looked down at the sigil. His throat bobbed once. When he raised his eyes again, they blazed with an intensity that startled me. I turned and continued walking. Before I even reached the door of my quarters, Finch came rushing out. "Princess! They're cutting down your Ash Tree!" My head snapped up. I hurried into the inner courtyard—and froze. The Ash Tree had been severed at its roots. The trunk lay on the ground, its leaves still green. My mother had given me this tree when I left the Phoenix Clan. She told me that as long as I could see the Ash Tree, I was home. One hundred years. I had spent a hundred years nurturing it with my own hands, watering it day after day, coaxing it into a towering giant. And destroying it had taken only a moment. Aldric stood beside the shattered stump, fragments of leaves still clinging to the hem of his robes. "What gave you the right to cut down my tree?" My voice shook with fury. "It's just a tree. It's done." Aldric's face was pure contempt. "Lysara likes Bloodvine. From today on, only Bloodvine will be planted here." "This is my home." I laughed coldly. "I'll plant whatever I damn well please. Who are you to dictate what grows in my space?" He glared at me with venom. "What's yours is mine! I was simply making arrangements ahead of time! Seraphina, if you keep up this arrogance, then even if you got on your knees and begged, I would never consider marrying you!" After saying this, he searched my face for a flicker of panic or softening. He found nothing. His tone immediately shifted, smoothing itself out: "Of course, as long as you behave, I'll live with you after the wedding—and you'll bear the first pure-blooded heir for the dragon clan! That's the highest honor there is!" I finally lost all patience. I clenched my fist, gathered my power, and in the next instant he went staggering out of my quarters. "Aldric, stop dreaming. My husband will never be you!" He didn't believe me, of course. In the instant before the door closed, the triumphant smile on his face was identical to the one from my past life: "If not me, who? Father said he'd be arranging a wedding!" He didn't know. The wedding King Fenric had mentioned was indeed his. Only…the bride would be a Magpie. Five days later. The Storm Altar. Everyone participating in the trial had gathered here. And this time, Lysara had come along as well. Actually, a Magpie of negligible power had no business being a spectator. Every gaze in attendance flickered between us. Aldric spotted me from across the grounds and strode over immediately. "Seraphina, you've prepared to shield me, I assume." "Lysara will be at my side today. And afterward, I'll take good care of you too." I said nothing. He didn't seem to care, his gaze sweeping over the nervous candidates with unconcealed disdain. But the next second, his expression shifted from arrogance to fury. He marched toward Kael, chest heaving. "The Phoenix Sigil—why is it on you?!"
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