Chapter 1

My cousin, Hazel Peyton, and I got tossed into this world together, and a mysterious system appeared out of nowhere. Without hesitation, Hazel seized the golden light of Peerless Splendor and left me the silver light of Timeless Beauty, convinced she had secured the upper hand.

She conquered the entire Vaelthyr with her beauty, while I stayed in a rundown courtyard, exploring my farming system, watching it turn dead branches green and make flowers explode everywhere.

Everyone mocked me for choosing what seemed the lesser prize, unaware that my Timeless Beauty was never merely surface beauty. It could mend fatal wounds, restore life, and alter the course of fate. When the supreme ruler himself showed up to water my flower fields, Hazel finally realized just how terribly wrong she had been.

*****

I died. Then I woke up again.

After a car crash, I found myself inside some random novel about the Aurelian Dynasty with my cousin Hazel Peyton.

Before I could even process what was happening, two orbs of light appeared out of thin air, one radiating golden brilliance, the other shimmering with a chilly silver glow.

A flat, mechanical voice rang out in my head.

[Two time-traveler souls detected. Activating the "Fate's Chosen System." Please choose your Blessings.

[Blessing One: Peerless Splendor. Upon binding, the host gains an otherworldly beauty that captivates every soul and commands unrivaled attention wherever she goes.

[Blessing Two: Timeless Beauty. Upon binding, the host gains an overwhelming bond with all plant life, able to awaken flora and nurture every living thing.]

I was still trying to process everything, but Hazel's eyes were already sparkling with excitement.

She practically threw herself at the golden light, hugging it tightly to her chest as if terrified I'd try to take it from her.

"I choose Peerless Splendor!" Hazel shrieked, her voice overflowing with pure joy and smug satisfaction.

The golden light instantly merged into her body.

I watched as her once soft, ordinary features transformed before my eyes into something strikingly refined and breathtakingly beautiful. Her skin turned smooth and radiant, with a flawless milky sheen, and her eyes settled into a perfectly captivating shape, warm and hypnotic, brimming with effortless allure with every shift of her gaze.

She ran her fingers over her face and couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction.

Then she turned her head and looked at me with the air of a victor, chin tilted slightly upward. "Sorry, Octavia, but opportunities like this go to the quickest. Timeless Beauty? Sounds utterly plain and completely insignificant to me. You can have it."

The silver light just floated there in front of me, looking all lonely and unwanted.

Just then, Hazel's parents gathered around her.

Her mother, Meredith Peyton, grabbed Hazel's hand, her face splitting into a huge grin as she stared at Hazel's transformed features. "Oh my, Hazel, did you get blessed by the gods or something?

"How did you get so beautiful all of a sudden! Now you're sure to win the palace beauty contest and bring glory to our family!"

Hazel's father, Bernard Peyton, stroked his beard, nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad. With looks like that, you'll have no trouble making your way in the world."

The three of them were having the time of their lives, while I, the orphan who'd just lost my parents and was now living under their roof, was completely ignored, left forgotten in the corner.

I calmly reached out and touched the silver light.

The glow seeped into me, but unlike Hazel's earth-shattering change, all I felt was a soothing warmth that quickly faded away.

Only then did Meredith glance at me, her tone full of patronizing sympathy. "Octavia, you picked something too? Timeless Beauty... Well, that's fine. It's good for a girl to know how to tend flowers and plants. When you get married, you can at least add a bit of decoration to your household."

She implied that my Blessing was just a pastime, nothing practical, certainly not like her daughter's Peerless Splendor, which could actually turn a profit.

Hazel covered her mouth and giggled. "Yeah, Octavia, you should just stick to gardening in the courtyard. That way, you won't have to show your face in public, get compared to me, and end up feeling inferior."

I didn't say anything.

I knew I was just an outsider in this family. After my parents died unexpectedly, I got shipped off to my Uncle Bernard's place in Vaelthyr, supposedly so they could look after me, but in truth, they only saw me as a burden.

Now, even the Blessing that came with my time travel was being picked over and doled out to me like charity, right in front of my eyes.

I lowered my eyes, masking all the emotions in them.

It was fine.

Farming was fine by me.

At the very least, plants would not judge me.

I was assigned to the most remote and dilapidated wing of the estate, the Fragrance Bower.

The name was a joke. It had nothing to do with "Fragrance." The walls were crumbling, weeds choked the ground, and the house was so old it groaned every time the wind blew.

Even the servants refused to live here.

The maid who brought me over curled her lip and said, "Octavia, you'll just have to settle for this. The whole household had been in a flurry lately, so there's really no better courtyard available."

I nodded and thanked her.

She seemed a little taken aback by how agreeable I was, blinked in surprise, then turned and left.

I stepped into the courtyard and took in my surroundings.

Calling it a courtyard was generous. It was basically a pile of ruins. The only thing it had going for it was a big patch of open ground, though right now it was just a jungle of weeds.

[System Notification: Host has acquired independent land. The Timeless Beauty system is now officially activated.

[Starter pack received: 3 Moonshade Blossom seeds, 1 drop of Spirit Spring Water.

[Moonshade Blossom: A common spirit herb that blooms at night. Its fragrance calms the mind and eases fatigue.

[Spirit Spring Water: When diluted, it greatly accelerates plant growth and improves soil quality.]

I looked at the system interface in my mind and finally felt reassured.