Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill - Chapter 355:Live To The Fullest

Chapter 355:Live To The Fullest

A slightly frail man slid open the wooden door and stepped outside letting his bare feet touch the cool earth of the garden.

The morning air was damp and fresh.

Before him lay a small vegetable garden, neat and lovingly cared for.

Rows of green stretched across the soil. Plump tomatoes hung low on their vines. Leafy cabbages glistened with dew. Beans climbed thin wooden supports, and peppers shone in shades of red and green. The soil was dark and rich, freshly watered, and the faint smell of earth mixed with the scent of growing life.

“What a fresh harvest,” the man murmured.

A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he looked at the vegetables, his eyes filled with quiet satisfaction. He bent down slowly, his knees creaking a little, and reached out to pick a ripe tomato.

Just then, a soft voice spoke from above.

“Wow. Those look plump. Won’t you invite me for a hearty dinner?”

The man did not flinch.Instead, he smiled and lifted his head.

Ethan was sitting casually on the garden wall, one leg crossed over the other with his hands resting behind him.

“My Lord,” the old man said warmly, “can’t you appear normally?”

“Where is the fun in that?” Ethan replied with a faint grin.

The old man chuckled softly.

“Then come inside, My Lord,” he said. “Let this old couple show our skills.”

…

Ethan lifted the cup and drank deeply.

The soup was simple. Boiled fresh vegetables, lightly seasoned. Peppercorn floated on the surface, along with a hint of ketchup and soy. It was warm and gentle, spreading through his body like a quiet comfort.

“Ahhh!” Ethan sighed.

“No matter how good fried food tastes, nothing tastes better than home. As always, you are the best, Aunt Nina,” he said, smiling at the wrinkled old woman sitting across from him.

Nina laughed softly, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes kind but tired.

Oliver lifted his chin slightly and looked at Ethan for a long moment. His smile faded just a little.

“My Lord,” he said gently, “please don’t act like this. I can see it. You are hiding your sadness.”

“But why are you sad for us,” Oliver continued, his voice calm, “when we are living such a happy life?”

Ethan’s smile cracked.

Something twisted inside his chest.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His throat felt dry. A strange tightness spread through his chest, crawling up to his neck. He placed the cup down slowly, his fingers trembled as he closed his eyes.

Sad.

He was sad.

Very sad indeed.

Oliver and Nina, who once brimmed with vitality, now sat before him as frail old humans.

When Ethan married, Oliver and Nina were already in their forties. Now they were close to seventy-five.

Unlike others around him, they never practiced cultivation. Still, for many years, they held onto their youth. Potions, life-enhancing foods, and precious gifts from Ethan had kept them strong and lively.

Then came the Wyvern incident.

After that day, Oliver and Nina made a decision.

They stopped taking the potions.

What followed shocked Ethan to his core.

The two people who once looked like they were in their fifties began to age rapidly. In just one year, their backs bent further, their hair turned fully white, their hands grew thin and veined. They now looked like people in their eighties.

Ethan begged them.

He pleaded with them to take the Life Enhancement Fruit.

However…..

They refused.

How could he not feel pain?

Who was Oliver?

To others, he was just a butler.

But to Ethan, Oliver was never just a servant.

Oliver was his teacher.

He taught him noble manners, laws, rules, and etiquette. He taught him how to speak, how to stand, how to bow, and how to treat others with dignity. He was patient, caring, and always calm. A gentleman in every sense.

And Aunt Nina.

She devoted her entire life to taking care of Ethan’s children. She cooked for them, cleaned for them, scolded them, and hugged them when they cried. She was family in every way that mattered.

It was not their aging that hurt Ethan the most.

It was the fact that he had the means to let them live longer.

And they refused.

Watching the people closest to him slowly walk toward death by old age, when they could be saved, was unbearable.

Anyone would feel reluctant and helpless.

Ethan’s shoulders trembled slightly as he sat there in silence.

Oliver noticed.

He slowly extended his hand across the table, his fingers thin and trembling, and rested it gently near Ethan’s.

“My Lord…” he said softly.

The words were few, but the weight behind them was heavy.

“Don’t take the words of this foolish man seriously. Everyone has a different way of life,” Oliver said, waving his hand lightly. As he spoke, he turned to look at Nina.

Nina met his gaze and smiled gently, her eyes soft and calm.

“We have been working at this estate since we were children,” Oliver continued. “Along the way, we fell in love, but we never dared to cross the boundary because we had responsibilities.”

“We planned to retire and marry once Lady Sophia married,” Nina added quietly. “But after the demise of the previous Lord, that was no longer possible.”

Oliver nodded and went on, “We needed to make sure the future generations were stable. And now that everything is finally set, it is time for us to enjoy our remaining days.”

He paused, then spoke slowly, each word steady and firm.

“Everyone has a different pursuit in life. For me, life does not need to be long. It only needs to be large enough to hold everything that matters.”

Ethan let out a long breath.

He stared at them for a moment and then asked softly, “You won’t regret not having children, Uncle?”

Nina shook her head gently.

“We don’t need to burden ourselves with that,” she said. “We never planned to have children from the beginning and…”

Nina paused and looked at Ethan,”I might be presumptuous but you are also like a child to us.”

Ethan looked at the two of them.

His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. In the end, he chuckled weakly, his shoulders dropping.

“Haaa… you two,” he said. “As long as you are happy, that’s enough.”

He leaned back slightly and clicked his tongue trying to change the atmosphere.

“It’s just… Ray has already left, and now you too. Working alone really sucks.”

“Going through files alone is pain in the ass.”

He rubbed his face, his voice carrying a trace of bitterness hidden behind humor.

If only Sophia would help.

The thought flashed through his mind, and almost instantly he remembered Sophia glaring at him and throwing her slippers.

[Don’t even think about it.]

Ethan shook his head helplessly.

“About that,” Oliver said suddenly, his lips curling into a faint smirk, “I have already trained someone to take over.”

Ethan straightened at once.

“Who?” he asked eagerly.

No more than that when did Oliver train someone.

“That’s quite sneaky.”

Oliver only smiled and said nothing.

Ethan frowned, irritation flickering in his eyes, but he did not press further.

After a warm farewell and sincere wishes for their married life, Ethan left the small house, his chest filled with a strange mix of heaviness and peace.

The sun was already dipping low when he returned to the estate.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes widened.

His heart skipped.

“What the hell!” Ethan shouted.

His voice echoed across the courtyard as he stared at the figure standing before him with disbelief and shock.

……..