Chapter 129: Our Heart

The moment Maeve no longer had to deal with the heat inside her body, she was finally able to take a proper look around the Sylvara Settlement.

After the Mother Tree blessed the land with rich, fertile soil and covered it with lush green plants, the Sylvara Settlement looked like a piece of heaven that had descended upon the mortal world.

Colorful flowers bloomed along every path, their sweet fragrance drifting through the gentle breeze.

Crystal-clear streams wound peacefully between the wooden houses, while towering ancient trees spread their branches overhead, providing cool shade from the sun.

Birds with bright, colorful feathers perched on the branches, filling the air with cheerful songs. Butterflies fluttered from flower to flower, and small woodland creatures wandered around without the slightest fear of people.

"How could this settlement change so much in such a short time?" Maeve murmured in disbelief.

Elthira, who was leading her toward the place where everyone had breakfast together, smiled gently. "It’s because of you, Maeve."

"Your ability helped the Mother Tree bring life back to this mountain," Elthira explained. "That’s why... you’ve been feeling so passionate these past few days."

"But... what does that have to do with it?" Maeve asked, her face burning red. She was so embarrassed that she couldn’t even bring herself to look Elthira in the eyes.

She knew Elthira had said that her connection with the Mother Tree could fill her with desire. But she still didn’t fully understand why it had made her act that way.

Elthira chuckled softly and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "It’s alright. That’s actually normal for someone who has become the Mother Tree’s Heart."

A moment later, she continued, "It’s because whenever you make plants grow, you also pour your love into them, and love is difficult to separate from desire. The more plants you grow, the stronger your desire becomes."

Maeve pressed her lips into a thin line as she listened. After a brief silence, she asked softly, "Will... this keep happening?"

Elthira smiled at her. "Yes, it will. That’s why it would be best if you don’t use your ability to grow plants unless at least one of your husbands is with you."

Maeve glanced over her shoulder at Axan and Ikarus, who were walking a few steps behind them. She knew they had heard every word of Elthira’s explanation, yet both of them acted as if they hadn’t heard a thing.

She narrowed her eyes when she caught the small smiles on their faces. They looked almost... excited, as if they couldn’t wait for her to experience that kind of heat again.

Oh, typical men.

[Host, it’s not like you didn’t enjoy it either!] Pinky teased. [Your body felt amazing too! Don’t tell me you don’t want something that feels that good to happen again?]

Maeve’s face turned even redder. ’Shut up.’

Too embarrassed to deal with any of that thought, she quickly picked up her pace and headed toward the place where everyone was having breakfast.

By the time Maeve reached the open dining area, dozens of Sylvara villagers were already gathered around long wooden tables.

The moment they saw her, they quickly stood up.

"That’s our heart!"

"Good morning!"

"Please, come sit here!"

Maeve instantly became flustered the moment they called her their Heart, a title she didn’t expect to hear.

"N-No, please don’t call me that..." she said awkwardly, waving both hands. "And you don’t have to stand up because of me."

The villagers only laughed warmly.

"But you are our Heart!"

"You’re the one who saved the Mother Tree!"

"You saved all of us!"

Maeve could only smile awkwardly. Back in the Azuryn Tribe, everyone called her their Goddess. Here in the Sylvara Tribe, they called her their Heart.

No matter how much she tried to get used to being treated like a priceless treasure, it was still incredibly difficult.

She had grown up as an ordinary person. Even after arriving in this world, there were still times when she forgot that so many people now relied on her.

"Everyone..." she said softly. "I really didn’t do it alone."

She turned to look at the towering Mother Tree behind the settlement.

"If the Mother Tree hadn’t accepted me... if my husbands hadn’t protected me... and if all of you hadn’t continued believing in the Mother Tree until the very end..." She smiled gently. "None of this would have happened."

The villagers exchanged glances before smiling even more warmly.

"Our Heart is so humble."

"She really is."

Maeve let out a helpless sigh. ’They’re not listening at all...’

A moment later, a young woman with deep green skin hurried over with a bright smile.

"Maeve! Come, come! Let’s have breakfast together." She pointed toward an empty seat beside her. "By the way, my name is Anna. After breakfast, I can show you around our mountain."

Maeve smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you, Anna."

Anna’s eyes lit up the moment Maeve said her name. "You remembered it!"

"Of course I did." Maeve laughed softly. "You just introduced yourself."

Anna rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. "I know... I know... I’m sorry. I just feel nervous. After all, it’s been so long since we found our Heart!"

Before Maeve could respond, Anna gently took her hand and led her toward one of the tables. "Come on! Sit next to me!"

Without waiting for an answer, she happily pulled Maeve into the empty seat beside her.

Axan and Ikarus exchanged glances before quietly taking seats across from them with a few other Sylvara villagers.

Neither of them seemed bothered. After all, they had already noticed that the women of the Sylvara Tribe were especially eager to spend time with Maeve.

"Eat as much as you like," Anna said as she filled Maeve’s wooden bowl with warm mushroom soup. She then added roasted vegetables, fresh berries, and a piece of soft flatbread onto her plate.

Maeve stared at the growing pile of food. "Anna... I don’t think I can finish all of this."

"You can!" Anna replied confidently.

Another woman sitting nearby nodded.

"Our Heart needs to eat well."

"That’s right."

"You’ve worked so hard for us."

The words worked hard instantly brought back memories of every lewd things she had done with Ikarus and Axan before.

Her cheeks slowly turned pink again, but fortunately, no one seemed to notice what she was thinking.

"Well?" Anna asked curiously. "Is something wrong?"

"N-Nothing!" Maeve replied a little too quickly.

Anna blinked before smiling. "I’m glad."

Since her stomach had been growling for a while, Maeve decided to stop thinking about it and focus on the food instead.

She picked up a piece of flatbread, dipped it into the warm mushroom soup, and took a bite.

The bread was soft, and the soup was rich and comforting. The roasted vegetables were sweet, while the fresh berries added just the right amount of freshness.

Before she realized it, she had finished her entire plate.

"Do you need more?!" Anna asked eagerly.

Maeve blinked several times, still unable to believe she had finished everything on her plate.

She looked down at the empty bowl for a moment before nodding. "Yes, please."

Anna gasped dramatically, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Our Heart likes my cooking!"

"It wasn’t just yours," another woman laughed as she carried over another bowl of soup. "We all made breakfast together."

"That makes it even better," Maeve replied with a smile.

A few minutes later, Maeve found herself finishing a second, smaller serving. By the time she set her spoon down, she leaned back in her chair with a satisfied sigh.

"I... I’m full."

Anna laughed. "Good!"

Maeve gently rubbed her stomach.

"I think I ate a little too much."

"You deserve it," Anna said. "You’ve been through a lot these since you came here."

Maeve smiled awkwardly but didn’t argue. After sitting for another minute, she slowly stood up. "If I keep sitting after eating this much, my stomach might start hurting."

She stretched her arms above her head before turning to Anna. "I’ll take a short walk first."

Anna looked around at the tables covered with empty bowls and wooden plates. "I still have to help everyone clean up," she said apologetically. "Will you be alright?"

"Of course."

Anna smiled with relief. "Then I’ll come find you as soon as we’re done. After that, I’ll show you around the mountain like I promised."

"Alright," Maeve replied with a smile.

Anna hurried off to help the other villagers collect the dishes. Meanwhile, Axan and Ikarus, who had also finished breakfast, stood up and walked over to Maeve.

"So," Ikarus said with a teasing smile, "my Heart, would you like to go for a walk with us instead?"

Maeve puffed out her cheeks. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Don’t start calling me my Heart too."

Ikarus smiled but didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached over and gently pinched her soft cheek.

"Hey!"

Maeve glared at him, but there wasn’t any real anger in her eyes.

"You’re too cute," Ikarus said simply.

Before Maeve could complain again, Ikarus naturally slipped an arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer as they walked side by side.

Maeve glanced up at him for a moment before giving up with a small, helpless smile. She let herself lean against him as they continued down the stone path together.

Axan walked beside them. He took a deep breath before saying, "The air feels so much fresher now. You can really tell how much the mountain has changed."