Chapter 360 -: 359 Seventy years is too short.

Chapter 360: Chapter: 359 Seventy years is too short.

The festival continued for a while longer, with the villagers gradually becoming more relaxed as the night deepened.

The ladies of the village eventually finished preparing the food and joined their husbands around the large fire, carrying bowls and wooden cups with them as they settled down beside their families.

The warm glow of the flames illuminated their faces while laughter continued to spread through the gathering, mixing with the occasional clinking of cups and the cheerful voices of the villagers as they exchanged stories about the harvest, their families, and the small events that had happened throughout the year.

It was nothing grand, nothing that would be remembered by the outside world, yet for these people, this simple night was enough to make them smile as they sat together beneath the open sky.

Destiny had eventually sat down beside Ian, and the moment she did, several of the villagers couldn’t help but glance toward the couple.

There was something almost amusing about the way people looked at them, as though they were admiring a painting that had somehow come to life in front of them.

Destiny was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen, and even after spending months around her, the villagers still found themselves captivated whenever she smiled.

Her appearance tonight only made that difference more obvious, with her pink robe and long pink hair making her seem almost unreal beneath the warm light of the fire.

Whenever she smiled, it felt as though thousands of lilies had bloomed beneath the night sky at once, and the villagers could only admire her without realizing that the woman they were looking at was far beyond anything they could imagine.

Ian, although he could not be compared to Destiny’s overwhelming beauty, was hardly ordinary himself.

His face still carried the youthful charm of a young man, yet there was a certain firmness to his features that prevented him from looking delicate.

Even before he had begun working in the fields, the muscles developed through his previous life had given his body a naturally masculine appearance, and the months of farming had only made him look healthier and stronger.

Sitting beside Destiny, the two of them formed a strangely harmonious pair, beautiful in completely different ways.

It was enough to make some of the younger villagers, especially those who had yet to marry, quietly glance at them with hopeful expressions, wondering whether they too would one day find a wife or husband as beautiful as the person sitting beside them.

As the festival continued, however, Ian gradually began to feel the effects of the rice wine.

He had drunk considerably more than he usually would, and although his body was fully capable of neutralizing the alcohol and returning his mind to its usual clarity, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it tonight.

There was something strangely pleasant about allowing himself to become slightly drunk, perhaps because for once he didn’t have to remain completely alert or worry about what might happen around him.

His cheeks had become faintly flushed, and his usual composed expression had loosened considerably as he leaned back and occasionally mumbled something that neither Destiny nor the villagers could properly understand.

Whenever someone asked him a question, he would sometimes stare at them for several seconds before giving an answer that had very little to do with what they had asked, causing the people around him to burst into laughter.

Destiny remained beside him for a little longer, speaking with the villagers and occasionally joining the women in their conversations.

She ate with Ian as well, sharing the food that the ladies had prepared for everyone, and for a while she simply enjoyed the atmosphere without thinking about anything beyond the present moment.

The warmth of the fire, the sound of laughter, the smell of freshly prepared food, and Ian sitting quietly beside her created a strangely peaceful feeling that she had not expected to experience.

Eventually, however, the festival began to settle down, and Destiny decided that it was time for them to return home.

By then, Ian was already far too drunk to walk properly.

Destiny supported him with one arm around his body as they left the gathering, allowing him to lean against her shoulder while they slowly made their way through the quiet paths of the village.

The voices of the villagers gradually faded behind them as the distance increased, replaced by the gentle sounds of the night.

The lanterns hanging outside the houses cast patches of warm light across the ground, while the cool breeze moved through the trees and carried the faint scent of the fields.

Ian occasionally muttered something against her shoulder, but his words were too slurred for Destiny to understand, and whenever she looked at him, his eyes were already half closed.

A few minutes later, he completely lost the remaining battle against his sleep.

Destiny stopped when she felt his weight suddenly become heavier against her.

She looked down at him and found that he had already fallen asleep.

For a moment, she simply stared at his peaceful expression before letting out a quiet sigh. She had countless ways of getting him home without any effort whatsoever, but none of them seemed appropriate tonight.

She could have carried him effortlessly, teleported him directly into their house, or even removed the effects of the wine from his body, yet she chose none of those options.

Instead, she simply lowered herself slightly, took hold of him, and began dragging him along the path like an ordinary mortal woman dealing with a drunken husband.

There was something strangely amusing about it.

The woman who possessed enough power to stand above countless beings was currently dragging a sleeping man through a small village because he had drunk too much rice wine.

After several minutes, the odd couple finally reached their home.

Destiny opened the door and guided Ian inside before lighting the lamp. The soft glow immediately filled the small room, revealing the familiar simplicity of their home.

There was nothing luxurious about it, nothing that could compare to the places Destiny had known throughout her existence.

Destiny dragged Ian toward the bed and carefully placed him on it before pulling the blanket over his shoulders. Once she was certain that he was comfortable, she finally straightened her back and released a small sigh.

"I should get some rest too..."

The thought came naturally, even though sleep wasn’t something she actually needed.

Unlike Ian, Destiny still possessed her full divine nature beneath the seal she had placed upon herself.

She did not need food, sleep, or even the ordinary necessities that governed mortal life, yet after coming to this village, she had deliberately suppressed those powers and sealed herself down to the level of an ordinary human woman.

She could lift the seal at any moment if she wished, and nothing in this world could truly prevent her from doing so, but there had never been a reason to remove it.

If she had chosen to live here as a mortal, then there was little point in constantly reminding herself that she was something far greater.

For now, she simply wanted to live.

Destiny turned toward her room, intending to leave Ian to sleep peacefully, but before she could take another step, she felt something tug at her robe.

She stopped.

Looking down, she saw Ian’s hand gripping the hem of her pink robe.

There was hardly any strength behind his fingers, certainly not enough to actually pull her backward, yet Destiny still stopped as though he had called out to her.

She slowly turned around and looked at him.

Ian was still asleep, his brows slightly furrowed as though he were troubled by some dream. His fingers remained tightly wrapped around the fabric of her robe, refusing to let go even in his sleep.

Destiny stared at his hand for several seconds before her expression softened.

She walked back toward the bed and slowly lowered herself to the floor, bringing her face level with his. For several moments, she simply watched him, taking in the peaceful expression he rarely wore while awake.

Then she lifted her hand and gently ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing the strands that had become messy during the walk home.

Her movements were slow and careful, almost as though she were afraid that moving too quickly might wake him.

"Are you slowly falling for me?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Ian didn’t answer. He only continued sleeping, his hand still holding onto her robe.

Destiny’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Well, I suppose it is your destiny, and mine as well, isn’t it?"

A quiet chuckle escaped her lips, but the amusement in her voice gradually faded as she continued looking at him.

There were moments when Destiny wondered what would happen if things were different.

What if they had truly been mortals?

What if she had never possessed the power of a goddess, and Ian had never lived the long life that had separated him so completely from ordinary humans?

What if they were simply two people who had met by chance in a small village, married because they cared for each other, and spent their lives growing old together without ever having to think about the vastness of existence beyond their little world?

The thought sounded almost childish when she considered who they truly were.

"Sometimes I think..." Destiny whispered, her fingers gently passing through his hair once more, "wouldn’t it be better if we were truly mortals?"

Her eyes lowered slightly.

"Seventy years is like an eternity to them, but to you and me..."

She paused.

"To you and me, it’s only a fleeting breath."

Her voice carried no sadness at first, only a realization, but the longer she looked at Ian, the softer her expression became.

She had existed for so long that the passing of years had lost much of its meaning.

Countless events had risen and disappeared before her eyes, civilizations had flourished and vanished, and beings who once believed themselves eternal had eventually become nothing more than distant memories. Time had never frightened her because there had always been more of it.

But now, for the first time, Destiny found herself wishing that time could be different.

She wished that seventy years could feel like eternity.

She wished that the life they were slowly building here could somehow continue without an ending.

Her hand stopped in his hair.

Destiny quietly stared at his sleeping face for a long moment before a faint smile returned to her lips, though there was something tender and almost wistful hidden within it.

"Sometimes I think seventy years is so short..."

She leaned closer.

"I wish my destiny could hold an eternity of you."

Her pink eyes softened as she lowered her head, and her lips gently touched Ian’s forehead.

The kiss lasted only a moment.

Then Destiny slowly pulled away, remaining beside him in silence while her fingers continued resting lightly against his hair.

Outside, the village had finally fallen quiet.

The festival lights were beginning to fade one by one, the laughter of the villagers had disappeared, and only the gentle sound of the night breeze remained.