Chapter 2: Or rather, do you really... love me that much?
"The moonlight falls, yet it's not even one ten-thousandth as beautiful as you. Everything in this world only serves to highlight your beauty.
I may be just another plain backdrop, but I'm willing to give my all to pursue you."
"To hold your hand, to grow old with you, yes, I'm talking about you, Goddess Sylvia~."
"..."
These lines, though incredibly cheesy and even a bit childish, allowed Sylvia to feel an unmistakable sincerity within them.
The title of Supreme Goddess was an honor, but also a burden.
For years, Sylvia had been seen as a lofty figure, unapproachable by anyone.
For years, she spent her nights alone.
But how many noticed that she was just a 600-year-old young girl at heart, longing for emotions beyond mere reverence from others?
But in the past, that was all just wishful thinking.
Until this letter arrived.
She had been confessed to!
Previously, Goddess Sylvia, devoted to her spiritual practices and revered by all as the Supreme Goddess, never imagined she could have such a day.
But the confessor was a disciple of the Demonic Sect. How could she easily accept?
Sylvia's thoughts were turbulent as she pursed her lips: "You dared to come alone to Sky Sanctuary to deliver this letter, knowing what might happen?"
"Of course, I know."
How could Timothy not know?
A disciple of the Demonic Sect venturing into the stronghold of righteousness to issue a challenge could expect nothing but death.
He knew the consequences, yet he still came.
Unconsciously, Sylvia's defenses began to relax.
Even though it was her first confession, her reason was not easily overwhelmed.
However, Timothy's honesty and boldness indeed moved her.
At least it proved that, despite being in the Demonic Sect, Timothy was not tainted by its worst aspects.
"So, have you considered that you might fail?" Sylvia asked again, parting her lips slightly.
Fail?
Did she mean she intended to ignore his challenge?
Timothy was puzzled, but quickly found an opportunity to flatter her, and with a touch of tragic bravado, he said: "I've considered that I might fail, but just being able to see Goddess Sylvia in person makes this trip worthwhile."
After saying this, he looked off into the distance with a sorrowful gaze.
These words, ordinary and somewhat polite, took on a different meaning when they reached Sylvia's ears.
Knowing almost certainly that he would fail, he still came alone to Sky Sanctuary as a disciple of the Demonic Sect, just to deliver a love letter to me...
Suddenly, her heart wavered.
Having risen to her position as a goddess, Sylvia had seen much of the world's vicissitudes.
She had thought that if she were ever to entrust her life to someone, they didn't need to be incredibly powerful or have high spiritual attainment.
All that mattered was the sincerity of their heart.
And at this moment, Timothy's actions had clearly exceeded her expectations.
"Strange, why does Goddess Sylvia look a bit off?"
Lifting his head, Timothy suddenly noticed that Sylvia's usually serene and ethereal face now bore a hint of conflict, and her clear, autumn-water-like eyes were swirling with unusual emotions.
This was clearly not normal.
"One last question, is everything written in this letter true? Or rather, do you really... love me that much?"
A blush crept unbidden across Sylvia's cheeks, making her shyly turn her head away.
Meanwhile, the letter finally came into Timothy's view.
"People call you a goddess, but I just wish you were the moon. Because the moonlight will eventually fall into my heart, making everything about you mine forever."
"..."
As he read the content, Timothy felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his heart.
"What the hell is this?
Didn't I send a challenge letter? When did it turn into a love letter?"
What's more outrageous was the cringe-worthy level of cheesiness in the letter, some lines even resembling something a domineering CEO might awkwardly say in a bad romance novel. Just reading it made Timothy's skin crawl.
This kind of letter, you'd have to be seriously disturbed to write it, wasn't sending this to a goddess practically a death wish?
Wait a minute!
Watching Sylvia's expression, Timothy suddenly realized a more serious fact.
The mighty Goddess Sylvia, seen by countless as a figure to be admired from afar but never trifled with, seemed not only unangry but actually... somewhat bashful?
"Hey, system, is this what you called a system assist feature?" Timothy immediately called out to his system in his mind.
"Ding, congratulations host for guessing correctly. Indeed, the system has converted the challenge letter into a love letter to help the host successfully complete the conquest mission."
"You're telling me this is conquest? Wait, this actually might be conquest!"
Timothy suddenly realized a problem he had overlooked.
Previously, he had assumed the system's mention of 'conquest' meant overcoming through force.
But in reality, conquest didn't just mean to defeat.
Noticing Goddess Sylvia's expression, Timothy's gaze momentarily froze.
Because she was just too beautiful.
Goddess Sylvia's beauty was well-known, but seeing her in person, he realized.
Compared to the somewhat exaggerated rumors, Sylvia's appearance was not only not inferior but even more breathtaking than described.
And he never imagined that a mix-up would make Goddess Sylvia show such an expression.
"What if I say now that the love letter wasn't written by me, and everything said was a misunderstanding, what would happen?" Timothy wondered to himself.
"Ding, after a system big data assessment, if the host utters the above sentences, there is a high probability that it will provoke Goddess Sylvia's wrath, resulting in the host being beaten to a pulp."
"That's harsh..." Timothy couldn't help but swallow.
Indeed, women are never as simple as they appear.
Goddess Sylvia's fleeting shy demeanor almost made him lower his guard and see her as a typical fragile woman.
Good thing he caught himself in time, or his life would definitely be forfeit here.
That means, he was thoroughly on board the thief ship now.
Timothy steeled his heart, at this moment, if he didn't speak, it was a sure path to doom.
But if he declared his love decisively, perhaps he could win a slim chance of survival.
Timothy's expression became resolute, looking directly into Sylvia's eyes: "Yes, even though I am a disciple of the Demonic Sect. My love for the goddess is utterly sincere, without a trace of falsehood. I swear, my love is like the sun in the clear sky, utterly transparent. Like the relentless river, it will never cease to flow.
If the goddess truly believes I have ulterior motives, she is free to open my heart and see if I am lying."
Knowing that Goddess Sylvia couldn't resist romantic declarations, Timothy immediately launched a barrage of them.
"Snap."
Finally, the envelope fell from Sylvia's hands to the ground.