Chapter 378: A real man!
"Here, I made this lemon tea myself. It's really hot today, so... drink up."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone around them, Sylvia handed the bowl of lemon tea to Timothy.
With Timothy's level of cultivation, he wouldn't sweat even under the blazing sun. But despite that, Sylvia still gently wiped his forehead with her cool hand, her eyes filled with a tender concern that was hard to ignore.
As the setting sun bathed everything in a warm glow, even Timothy couldn't tell if the blush on Sylvia's beautiful face was from her shyness or the golden light of the sunset.
For a moment, Timothy stood there, completely stunned. He hadn't expected the goddess to give him lemon tea in front of everyone. After all, not too long ago, she had been so shy about their relationship, doing everything she could to keep it hidden from others.
The first people to find out, the Sect Leader of Themyscira and Holy Maiden Aeliana, had almost been silenced to keep the secret.
But now, here she was, setting aside her busy work to personally bring him lemon tea. Her lashes lowered slightly, and her eyes held a hint of bashfulness she couldn't quite hide.
In that instant, even Timothy felt his heart skip a beat. After all, with how adorable she looked right now, who could possibly resist?
"Wait a second, something's off with this lemon tea!"
Just as Timothy, feeling a bit dazed, reached out to take the tea, he suddenly noticed something strange about the liquid in the white and yellow porcelain bowl. The thick liquid had turned a dark purple, and the lemon slices were scattered in a bizarre pattern.
Some of the lemon slices looked like noses, others like gaping mouths, forming what appeared to be the face of a terrifying demon. The face seemed to open its mouth wider and wider, as if laughing coldly: "Hahaha, drink me! Just one sip, and I'll send you straight to the afterlife. You'll reach paradise in no time, hahaha!"
Timothy: "..."
Suddenly, he remembered Sylvia's cooking skills.
As brilliant as she was, cooking was her one fatal flaw.
If he actually drank this bowl of lemon tea, even with his Holy Emperor-level cultivation, he might just ascend to the heavens on the spot!
"Uh, I think I'll pass," Timothy said, waving his hands frantically.
As he refused the tea, the male disciples around them could no longer hide their emotions. Their gazes converged on Timothy, filled with jealousy, anger, helplessness, and a whole mix of other feelings.
Even the disciples who had been grateful to Timothy just moments ago now looked at him with obvious envy. The resentment was so deep it practically made their teeth itch.
They couldn't believe it. The goddess, who was always so cold and distant, someone they didn't even dare to look at directly, had just given Timothy lemon tea.
"Why him? Why not me?!"
"Timothy again? Seriously?!"
"Ahem, the reason I'm here is because I made a bet with Holy Maiden Aeliana. I randomly picked a disciple to give this lemon tea to," Sylvia said, clearing her throat as if she had sensed the thoughts of the disciples around her.
But her explanation, along with the way she had personally handed the tea to Timothy, didn't convince anyone.
Especially Felix, who had thought for a moment that the goddess was going to give the tea to him. His jealousy was so intense he nearly ground his teeth to dust, and he was on the verge of tears.
"Damn it, why is it always Timothy?
There are so many disciples here, why does it have to be him?
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Is it just because he's the most talented and has the highest cultivation?
Oh heavens, why are you so unfair?!"
Felix's nose twitched, and he almost burst into tears right then and there.
"You... you should hurry up and drink it. I need to get going," Sylvia urged, clearly sensing the strange atmosphere among the disciples.
After all, even someone as experienced as Elder Turner, who had served as High Priest for years, had never witnessed such a scene: Sylvia personally making lemon tea and handing it to Timothy in front of everyone.
Despite mentally preparing herself for this, Sylvia still felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment. She turned her back to the crowd, her head slightly lowered, trying to hide her discomfort.
The excuse she had made up earlier was full of holes, and she knew she needed to wrap this up quickly.
Noticing Timothy's hesitation, Sylvia spoke more seriously, "This lemon tea... I made it myself, you know~"
Cough "I know you mean well, but the thing is..." Timothy raised an eyebrow, unable to hide his concern.
Just looking at the color and texture of the tea, it was obvious this was Sylvia's handiwork. Who else in the world could brew a lemon tea so potent it could probably poison a Holy Emperor-level cultivator?
"Yeah, I think I'll pass..." Timothy tried to push the bowl away.
As sweet as it was that Sylvia had personally brought him the tea, his survival instincts kicked in. Faced with a life-or-death situation, Timothy had no choice but to refuse.
But just as he resolutely pushed the yellow-and-white porcelain bowl halfway back, he noticed a change in Sylvia's expression.
"You... don't want to drink it?"
Her bright eyes shimmered, filled with a heartbreaking vulnerability. She didn't say much, but the slight disappointment on her beautiful face was enough to tug at anyone's heartstrings.
Even Timothy found himself frozen for a moment.
Sylvia, looking dejected, began to reach for the bowl, as if to take it back.
"Haha, of course not! How could I not drink the lemon tea you made for me, my goddess?" Timothy's demeanor shifted dramatically in an instant.
What could he do? If he didn't pamper his own wife, who would?
Timothy let out a hearty laugh, though there was a faint trace of resignation in it. Without hesitation, he took the yellow-and-white porcelain bowl back from Sylvia's hands.
Staring down at the demon-like lemon tea, he steeled himself and took a small sip.
"A real man!"
Even though it was just a tiny sip, Timothy couldn't help but silently praise himself for his bravery.
But as soon as that minuscule amount of tea hit his stomach, it felt like a storm was raging inside him, as if a laughing demon was wreaking havoc in his gut.
"Just one sip?" Sylvia asked, a bit puzzled. She was confident in her cooking, but seeing Timothy take only the tiniest sip and then immediately set the bowl down made her a little suspicious.
"Yeah, I'll finish the rest... later. Thanks, honey. It tastes... great," Timothy said, giving her a thumbs-up in approval.
But as he smiled, a thin trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth...