Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Ace stepped into the garden.

Lily was seated in a lotus position atop a smooth stone.

But the moment she sensed his presence, she shot up.

"Master!" she beamed, already reaching for the kettle and cups. "What brings you here?" Her voice was sweet and innocent.

"Look at me," Ace said.

She paused, teacup halfway to being poured. Then turned, her bright blue eyes locking onto his cold blue ones.

"Did you do anything after I left?"

"I… I did a lot," she admitted, voice soft.

Ace blinked. "A lot?"

She nodded, hands now nervously fiddling with the teacup. "I—I made the villagers earn their food! Not slaves! Definitely not slaves!" she added quickly, as if the words had been rehearsed.

Ace raised an eyebrow.

"I pay them in gold!" she blurted. "And with that, they buy food, shelter, protection, the essentials! See? It's a fair system!"

"Lily," Ace said her name, low and firm.

She froze.

Then her expression softened into a sad, almost pleading look. "Master… I'm telling you, it's a waste of resources. Feeding people who don't contribute? It's not sustainable. Even spirit chickens stop laying if they're overfed for nothing. It's a waste of resources... A waste."

Ace stared at her, expression unreadable.

Seconds passed.

"Alright," he finally said, exhaling. "Pour me some tea first."

Relief flooded her face.

"Yes, Master!" she chirped, instantly back to her usual cheer as she knelt to fill his cup with practiced grace, her motions smooth, precise.

As the steam rose between them, Ace took the cup and gave her a flat look. "Don't overwork them though and atleast take care of the elderly."

"Yes, Master!" Lily said brightly. Then, as casually as one might comment on the weather, she added, "Oh, and how are the slaves—ahem, I mean, the residents in the system space doing?"

Ace gave her a long, slow look. One of his eyebrow arched up a bit.

She smiled innocently, tilting her head. "Slip of the tongue? Hehe"

He didn't press.

"Only the humans survived in the end," Ace said, settling back slightly. "And they've… begun the Stone Age."

Lily blinked. "Stone Age? What's that, Master?"

Ace didn't answer.

Instead, he took a long, deliberate sip of tea.

"Master," Lily pouted, trying to draw sympathy with a wobble in her voice.

Before Ace could reply, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Oh! Wait right here!" she exclaimed and darted off into another room, her robes fluttering behind her.

Ace blinked once.

Then shrugged, raising the cup to his lips again.

He took another sip.

"This is… tasty," he muttered.

A soft ding echoed in his mind.

[Divine Garden Analysis: Activated]

A translucent system window appeared before his eyes.

Mermaid's Tea:

Ingredients: Moonstone leaf, a pinch of soul stone powder, pink ginger.

[Host… yes, there is water. The tea also includes sugar. And yes, it was indeed heated with fire.]

Ace gave a slow nod, calmly reading on.

Then the next line popped up.

[Effects:]

+1 Energy

-1 Mental Clarity

+2… Arousal.

His mind went blank.

"…Oh hell nah," he muttered, setting the cup down right away.

Ace placed the cup down with a slow, deliberate motion.

Then, without a word, he turned toward the door.

He opened it, stepped out, and with a single motion, leapt into the sky.

Gone.

A streak of motion heading due north, wind trailing in his wake.

Moments later, he arrived at the seclusion cave, cold, quiet, and tucked into the mountainside.

He reached for the formation seal, but to his dissapointment it was sadly occupied.

He narrowed his eyes.

A flicker of spiritual sense actually confirmed it: someone was already inside, cultivating in total silence.

Ace sighed. "Right… Ruby did say she was going to be in seclusion."

Without another thought, he raised a hand and vanished.

* * *

Lily stepped out of her room, now dressed in a pristine maid outfit, white frills sharp against the rich black fabric, her golden curls bouncing slightly with each step.

Her bright blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she looked around the quiet garden.

But the bench was empty.

"Huh?" She tilted her head. "Master?"

She glanced left, then right, lips puffing into a pout. "He left… without even saying goodbye?"

Sighing dramatically, she took the seat where Ace had just been moments ago.

Her eyes landed on the teacup.

Still half full.

"...He didn't even finish it?" she whispered, offended.

She picked up the cup delicately, then smiled mischievously. "Hehe~ an indirect kiss~"

Without a moment's hesitation, she downed the rest of the tea.

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Her smile faltered.

"This… tastes funny."

She stared at the cup.

Then her expression darkened.

"Mati..." she growled under her breath. "I'll get back at you for this—!"

Thud.

Lily collapsed sideways onto the floor, frilly skirt puffing slightly as she hit the ground with dramatic flair.

Lily's eyes fluttered half-open, her vision swimming. She grit her teeth and pushed herself up on trembling arms.

"Damn it…" she muttered, her face flushed as she forced her soul energy to circulate through her meridians.

A pale blue glow wrapped around her skin, pulsing with effort as she tried to expel the foreign effects from her body.

She could feel the tea's influence crawling through her veins, subtle at first, but unmistakably real.

Her breath hitched.

Her legs squeezed together involuntarily.

"No…" she whispered, horrified. "You've got to be kidding me…"

A burning heat began to build beneath her navel, trickling downward like fire made of silk.

She clenched her fists, soul energy flaring in resistance, only to feel her body betray her as warmth pooled in places she absolutely did not want it to.

Her whole face turned crimson, even her ears glowing red.

"W-what kind of tea is this?!" she hissed, practically vibrating with a mix of mortification and outrage.

She staggered to her feet, one hand gripping the windowsill to stay upright as the garden swirled before her vision.

"Mati…" she growled, voice trembling with barely contained fury. "You luminous, bald-headed menace…"

Then, through clenched teeth, she vowed:

"I swear on every strand of hair on your headless scalp, I'll polish that shiny dome of yours so hard it reflects the sun itself into oblivion!"

The wind stirred around her as if reacting to her wrath.

Still red-faced, Lily wobbled back into the room with a trembling fist raised high.