Chapter 229: Tonight… come to my chambers
"Wait, Timothy, what exactly are you trying to say?" The elders were completely dumbfounded.
None of them could have imagined that the "extremely important matter" Timothy had mentioned would turn out to be... this.
"Hold on, how does Timothy even know about this stuff?!"
Even the elders who had served in the Sky Sanctuary for centuries had no clue about these things. These were private matters concerning the Goddess—how on earth did Timothy know?
Timothy shrugged casually and said, "What I mean is, I hope the Goddess takes care of her health.
No matter how important other things are, nothing is more important than staying healthy.
When you have a stomachache, make sure to drink plenty of warm water. And no matter what you're dealing with, try to get to bed early.
Always prioritize your own safety in any situation.
Yeah, that's about it."
He thought for a moment, then smiled, clearly satisfied with himself.
But what followed was an overwhelming sense of awkwardness that filled the entire Sky Sanctuary.
There was nothing wrong with Timothy's advice, per se.
But the way he said it, and the tone he used—it was like a father worrying about his daughter, or a husband doting on his wife. It was so sweet it could give you cavities.
Many of the elders had lived their entire lives in the Sky Sanctuary, and not once had they ever seen anyone dare to speak to the Goddess like this.
Had Timothy lost his mind?
"Wh-why are you saying all this…?"
Just then, a slightly flustered voice came from behind the misty clouds.
Everyone could clearly hear that the usually cold and distant voice now carried a faint tremble—and, unbelievably, a hint of shyness.
Yes, there was definitely a trace of shyness in her voice!
It was barely noticeable, but the difference from her usual aloof and proud tone was so stark that no one could miss it.
Timothy chuckled. "Well, I was worried that if I told Goddess Sylvia directly, she wouldn't listen. So I had no choice but to report it formally like this."
"You… we can talk about this later. Don't bring up these things here!"
Sylvia's voice sounded even more flustered now.
"No way. I'm too worried about the Goddess's health to delay even for a second."
"But you can't just—"
"I don't care if I'm criticized in front of all the elders. As long as the Goddess stays healthy, nothing else matters."
"You're so... cheesy!"
"Cheesy or not, I can't help it. I care too much about the Goddess."
"…"
The elders stood on either side of the grand hall, listening to this back-and-forth that sounded suspiciously like playful banter between lovers.
They were all frozen in place, utterly speechless.
The scene before them had completely shattered their understanding of reality.
If this wasn't happening between Timothy and the Goddess, anyone would have thought it was a couple flirting with each other. And not just any couple—one of those disgustingly sweet ones.
Was this really Goddess Sylvia?
No, wait…
Thinking back to how decisively the Goddess had handled things just moments ago, the elders knew one thing for sure: she was still the same Goddess.
But when it came to Timothy, something was clearly different.
If the kiss she had given him during the Holy Emperors' attack on the Sky Sanctuary could be explained as an act of desperation, what was happening now was much harder to rationalize.
At a time when the entire world had no clue about what was happening, the elders, who held such high status, were left reeling from the "sweet" exchange between the Goddess and Timothy. Their minds were buzzing, and they had no idea what to say.
"Fine, fine, I'll agree to it, okay?"
From within the mist, Sylvia's voice came through, tinged with a mix of embarrassment and helplessness.
"Wise decision, Goddess!" Timothy said with a grin, bowing slightly.
"Wise decision, Goddess!"
The elders, almost instinctively, followed Timothy's lead and bowed as well.
It wasn't until after they had bowed that they realized something felt off.
Wait a minute—what did any of this have to do with them?
Sylvia cleared her throat, trying to regain her usual cold and distant demeanor, and announced, "Today's meeting is adjourned. If there are any major issues, you can bring them to me later."
As her voice faded, her graceful figure disappeared into the mist.
The elders stood there, dazed, exchanging confused and awkward glances. Their faces were a mix of embarrassment, bewilderment, and sheer confusion. No matter how hard they tried to wrap their heads around it, they simply couldn't make sense of what had just happened.
Meanwhile, on the hillside behind the Sky Sanctuary…
Under the shade of a tree, Timothy slowly approached the figure sitting on the grass. Her flowing dress swayed gently in the breeze, and her silhouette was as graceful as ever. He sat down beside Sylvia.
Before long, Sylvia turned her head, her stunning face showing a hint of playful annoyance.
"Haha, what can I say? The council meetings are the only time I get a chance to one-up you, my dear wife," Timothy teased, clearly amused by her expression.
Sylvia huffed, but there was a trace of a smile on her lips. "Hmph, fine. Your suggestions weren't completely unreasonable, so I'll let it slide this time."
Though she still sounded a bit sulky, there was a softness in her tone.
A gentle breeze swept through, causing her to shift slightly closer to Timothy. The flowers and grass beneath her feet swayed, tickling her and making her squirm a little.
"And about last night… I let it go the first time, but how did you manage to… a second time…"
Recalling the events of the previous night, Sylvia's cheeks flushed slightly. She had somehow ended up on the losing side again in that strange situation!
How frustrating!
Still, Timothy had fallen asleep afterward, so maybe she could've regained the upper hand if she'd had more time.
"Hmph, now you know who's in charge," Timothy said with a smug grin.
After all, making the mighty Goddess Sylvia admit defeat—there wasn't another person in the world who could claim that achievement.
"Beast… you're such a beast…" Sylvia muttered softly, scooting a little further away from him. Her smooth, pale legs instinctively pressed together.
"Haha, who would've thought the Goddess could actually be scared?" Timothy teased, laughing.
"Scared? Me? Impossible!" Sylvia immediately tried to defend herself.
Timothy smiled knowingly. "Oh, not scared of me, but scared of what happened last night…"
"That was just… temporary! If you hadn't fallen asleep, I would've definitely…"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
The sun was slowly setting behind the western mountains.
Seeing the disbelief on Timothy's face, Sylvia suddenly leaned in, grabbing him by the collar. Her face was slightly flushed, and she hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Tonight… come to my chambers."
"Tonight?" Timothy's smug expression froze instantly.
The confidence he'd had just moments ago vanished completely.
Because he knew the truth—last night, he'd only managed to hold his own thanks to the system's reward, [Same Old Trick]. That was the only reason he'd been able to keep the upper hand, and even then, he'd had to pretend to fall asleep to avoid further trouble.
But now… [Same Old Trick] had already been used!