Chapter 447: I thought you were going to…
The soft morning sunlight gently spread across the land.
Before long, Timothy had neatly dug a series of small holes in the barren soil.
Although this little plot had been abandoned for quite some time, the soil quality was surprisingly good.
So, after a bit of hard work clearing the weeds, the land was now ready for planting.
Timothy reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of translucent green seeds.
Following the rule of placing three or four seeds in each hole, he carefully dropped them in and covered them with a layer of soil.
This was the wisdom passed down by generations of farmers.
Not every seed would sprout, but by planting three or four in each hole, you could pretty much guarantee at least one seedling would grow strong.
As the holes were gradually filled in, the mounds of soil formed neat, uniform rows.
Beneath the earth lay the seeds, with the soft sunlight gently shining down on them.
It was a scene that gave a real sense of accomplishment.
There were no life-or-death battles with Holy Emperor-level warriors, no thrilling treasure hunts in secret realms.
This simple, peaceful life was unexpectedly satisfying.
Timothy leaned on his hoe, resting his elbow on the wooden handle.
The morning breeze brushed past him, and he felt pretty good.
But just then, he suddenly realized that Sylvia, who had been sitting nearby knitting, was nowhere to be seen.
He had been so focused on the planting that he hadn't noticed her absence.
"Damn, where did Sylvia go?"
He quickly prepared to use his spiritual sense to scan the area.
But just as he released his energy, a chill ran down his spine.
It turned out Sylvia had hidden her presence and hadn't gone anywhere—she was right behind him the whole time.
Timothy immediately remembered how he had teased her earlier, sucking on the wound on her finger under the pretense of helping her avoid infection.
He figured the grudge-holding, "petty" goddess was probably planning some kind of revenge.
He hurriedly turned around, trying to explain, "Ahem, honey, that was really just to help you avoid an infection, I swear! I wasn't trying to—"
But the moment he turned, his words caught in his throat.
Because Sylvia's expression and actions were nothing like what he had imagined.
"You've been working for a while now. You must be tired.
Here… have some water."
A gentle breeze swept by, causing her simple gray dress to flutter slightly.
Sylvia's long, beautiful hair swayed softly in the wind, and there was a tender, indescribable emotion in her eyes.
As she shyly handed him a bowl of water, she turned her head slightly, a bit embarrassed.
"I wanted to make you some lemon tea, but the house is so bare. There's no ingredients or tools at all.
So… I could only bring you this bowl of water."
Her voice was soft, with a hint of self-reproach.
Even though Timothy had seen plenty of Sylvia's cute moments before and had a pretty steady heart by now, he still felt like his chest had been hit by something.
The simplicity of her clothes and her bare face, without a trace of makeup, only made her pure, snow-like beauty stand out even more.
Especially now, with the slight shyness and warmth in her expression as she offered him the water…
Without hesitation, Timothy took the bowl and drank it all in one go.
"Mmm, this water tastes amazing!"
The water seemed to have just been drawn from the well.
It was the purest, most natural well water, and its taste was unexpectedly refreshing.
Timothy immediately gave her a thumbs-up in praise.
"Hmph, glad you liked it.
Now hurry up and get back to work. I still need to mend your clothes.
Otherwise, it's not exactly proper for you to keep walking around with your shirt off."
Who would've thought that a Holy Emperor-level warrior would be out here, shirtless, working the fields in some remote little town?
Sylvia couldn't help but smile softly as her cool fingers brushed across Timothy's skin.
The firm muscles felt surprisingly good under her touch, and she couldn't resist pressing them a few times.
But just as she was about to leave, the icy sensation on his skin made Timothy's mind heat up, and before he knew it, he instinctively grabbed her soft, smooth hand.
"What are you doing?" Sylvia asked, a hint of panic flashing across her face.
"I'm a little tired. I need a break," Timothy replied with a grin.
"A break? Didn't drinking water count as a break?"
"That was just physical rest. I need a little something for the soul too, don't you think?"
With a playful smile, Timothy gently pulled Sylvia into his arms.
Her soft body, cool like ice after his hard work, was a stark contrast to the heat radiating from him.
The feeling of holding her was nothing short of perfect.
"Hey, it's broad daylight!" Sylvia's heart raced, completely caught off guard by Timothy's sudden move.
She wanted to pull away, but for some reason, her body wouldn't respond. In fact, she found herself oddly curious about what Timothy was planning to do.
"Muah."
At that moment, Timothy leaned down and planted a light kiss on her snow-white forehead.
Like a dragonfly skimming the surface of water, the kiss was brief, and he quickly pulled back, releasing her from his embrace.
"Huh? That's… it?" Sylvia stood there, stunned for a moment.
"What else were you expecting?"
"I thought you were going to…"
Halfway through her sentence, Sylvia realized she had said too much. Flustered, she quickly covered her mouth, trying to pretend she hadn't said anything at all.
But Timothy had already caught the whole thing.
"Whoa, Sylvia was thinking that? She was just lecturing me about it being daytime, and now she's the one with the bold thoughts!"
"No, I wasn't thinking anything like that! I swear!
It's just that…
Ahhh!"
After all, with the recent battles and everything going on, Sylvia hadn't had much time alone with Timothy. She hadn't expected her wandering thoughts to slip out like that.
Her face flushed a deep pink, and in her embarrassment, she grabbed the shirt she had been mending and tried to hide behind it, avoiding Timothy's gaze.
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Timothy couldn't help but laugh. He cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, honestly, I didn't mean anything by it.
I just think that, you know, working when the sun's up and resting when it's down… well, nighttime is better for… making love."
"La la la, I'm not listening!
Get back to work, or you won't get dinner tonight! And you're not allowed in bed either!"
Sylvia had already covered her ears, refusing to hear any more of Timothy's teasing.
Flustered and embarrassed, she grabbed her needle and thread and hurried behind a tree to continue mending the clothes, pretending to ignore him.
Her clear autumn eyes, however, were filled with a mix of frustration and affection, like ripples on a pond stirred by a gentle breeze.
In the old, rundown courtyard, the air was thick with a sweet, tender atmosphere.
"Uh… sir?"
Outside the courtyard, Eldric and his students, who had witnessed the entire scene, stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded.