"Happy... Valentine's Day."
Though Sylvia's voice carried a hint of shyness, it was filled with sincerity.
But when she shoved the small wooden box into Timothy's hands, she could no longer suppress the embarrassment welling up inside her.
"Ah! I'm heading back now, see you later!
And you better not laugh when you open that box, okay? Promise me!"
With her face flushed red, Sylvia quickly turned and dashed off, leaving Timothy standing there, holding the small wooden box, a little dumbfounded.
Today was shaping up to be a perfect Valentine's Day. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a sweeter one across the entire continent of Elant.
But the question remained: what exactly did the goddess give him?
Timothy couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He vaguely remembered Sylvia agonizing over what to get him for Valentine's Day for quite some time now.
And judging by her reaction, it wasn't so much the gift itself, but more like she was too embarrassed to even hand it over.
It definitely wasn't some weird experimental cooking.
So, what could she have given him that made her so shy?
No matter how much he thought about it, Timothy couldn't figure it out.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
With a mix of curiosity and anticipation, Timothy carefully unlocked the delicate little box and slowly opened it.
But as soon as he saw what was inside, he froze.
Inside the box was...
"Ahem."
Even Timothy, who usually had no qualms about his reputation as a bit of a perv, couldn't help but feel a little awkward.
The gift from the goddess, who always seemed so aloof and untouchable, was...
A bra!
A sheer, light green bra, not only beautifully crafted but also faintly scented.
That cool, lotus-like fragrance—it was the same subtle scent that always lingered around Sylvia.
The box seemed to have some kind of insulation, too.
Holding it in his hands, Timothy could still feel a slight warmth coming from the bra.
Which meant...
Timothy felt a sudden rush of heat to his face, almost like he was about to get a nosebleed.
Which meant that Sylvia had worn this bra before putting it in the box as a Valentine's Day gift!
Who could handle something like this?!
Even Timothy, in his wildest dreams, hadn't expected Sylvia to push through her embarrassment and give him something like this.
He didn't know which perverted old sage had taught her to give this kind of gift, but this Valentine's Day was turning out to be way too good to be true!
Still, he wasn't some kind of creep. If he had a choice, he'd much rather have Sylvia herself than just her clothes...
"Ahem, ahem."
Timothy quickly put the bra back in the box, locked it up tight, and stashed it deep inside his spatial ring.
The light in the sky began to dim as the phenomenon caused by the Blessing of the Nine Dragons slowly faded away.
Even though it hadn't lasted long, Timothy felt like he'd been blessed by the heavens, gaining a significant boost in power.
"Roar!"
Nine dragon roars echoed across the sky as Azura and the other dragons transformed into their human forms and descended to the ground.
"So, how'd I do today? Pretty impressive, right?" Azura boasted, puffing out her flat chest.
"Yeah, not bad at all. I'll reward you with six Golden Scale Dragon Carp when we get back," Timothy praised her.
"Hmph, finally giving me some credit, huh?" Azura wagged her tail proudly, her face lighting up with excitement.
But suddenly, she realized something was off.
"Wait a second! You promised me ten Golden Scale Dragon Carp earlier! How did it suddenly become six?"
"Did I?" Timothy replied confidently. "I thought you did such a great job today that I decided to reward you with more. Isn't six more than ten?"
"Six is more than ten? Are you messing with me?"
Azura looked at him suspiciously, clearly not buying it. But as she started counting on her fingers, she only got more confused.
"One, two, five, four, seven... Seven should be... uh..."
"Ugh, math is so hard! Forget it, I'll figure it out later!" Azura finally gave up, shaking her head in frustration.
Watching her fumble with the numbers, Timothy couldn't help but laugh. This was exactly the outcome he had expected.
"By the way, what did the goddess give you? Why did she suddenly get so shy, and why are you acting all secretive?" Azura asked, her curiosity piqued as she leaned in closer.
"Not telling."
Timothy shut her down immediately.
"Why not? Wait... don't tell me it's... something inappropriate for kids!"
Azura's face turned red as she covered her eyes with her hands, her voice filled with mock shock. "I can't believe it! Even the goddess has gone that far. I'm just a kid, I shouldn't be hearing about this stuff!"
"A kid? You're two hundred years old!" Timothy sighed, giving her a light tap on the head.
As he turned around, he noticed one of the dragons standing nearby, looking at him with a mix of respect and awe.
"I never would've imagined... you and the goddess..." The dragon trailed off, clearly unsure of how to continue. Your next read is at m v|l-e'-NovelFire.net
"Look, this is going to be public knowledge soon, but for now, keep it to yourselves, alright?" Timothy said, glancing at the group of dragons.
"Understood. We won't breathe a word of it," the dragons replied solemnly.
It wasn't that they didn't want to gossip. It was just that the idea of Timothy, who treated the Dragon King like a pet, and Goddess Sylvia being involved in something like this... well, it was terrifying. If word got out, they might not just lose their lives—they could bring down the entire Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon!
"Oh, Azura," Timothy said, pulling two lollipops from his spatial ring and handing them to her. "These are special treats from another world. I need you to deliver them to Holy Maiden Aeliana. Tell her they're a little something to cheer her up, a mental pick-me-up."
Azura didn't seem too thrilled at first, but then Timothy added, "And as a bonus, I'll bump your Golden Scale Dragon Carp reward up to seven."
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Jackpot! Today's a total win!"
First, her reward had gone from ten to six, and now it was bumped up to seven. That meant she was getting... getting...
Well, a lot of fish!
"Hmph, I never thought you'd be so generous. I guess Valentine's Day really is a good holiday," Azura said, grinning. "Don't worry, since you're being so kind, I'll take care of delivering these treats to Holy Maiden Aeliana. She can digest all that... uh, dog food... on her own." Searᴄh the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
With that, Azura transformed back into her dragon form, grabbed the two colorful lollipops, and flew off excitedly toward the Blooming Sanctuary.
After all, once she delivered the treats, she'd get to enjoy her Golden Scale Dragon Carp. And not just a few—she was getting a whole bunch!