Chapter 423: A little surprise

Ethan stood still for a moment, eyes closed, just listening.

Arwen’s voice was truly divine.

He didn’t understand a word of that language, but he didn’t need to. Every note that left her lips seemed to untie a knot in his chest, making his heart beat slower, calmer.

High above, among the branches of the Tree of Life, the little Porcelain Serpent of Life peered out, its smooth white face poking through the leaves.

Unlike ordinary Serpents, its hearing and sight were much closer to a human’s.

Because of this, it too could appreciate the beautiful melody flowing from the High Elf’s lips, its small head swaying slowly from side to side, following the rhythm.

Arwen sang for a few more seconds, the final note lingering in the air until it gradually faded away.

Only then did her beautiful green eyes open.

At first, they were fixed on the high branches of the Tree of Life above her. Then, slowly, they drifted downward, gliding along the trunk and across the grass until they settled on Ethan.

"Hello, my love..."

A sensual smile spread across her lips as she rose to her feet, in no hurry at all, and started toward him.

Her enormous, perfect breasts bounced gently with every step. A slow, heavy rise and fall, like two obscene jelly balloons that took a fraction of a second longer to keep up with the rest of her body.

Ethan admired every jiggle, the smile never leaving his lips.

"Did you come to see me already? Did something happen?" she asked curiously, stopping right in front of him, those heavy mounds giving one last slow wobble before coming to rest.

"Yes." Ethan nodded, taking her hand and slowly running his thumb over her slender fingers. "Come on, let’s go to the palace’s inner garden. I have something to show you."

"Oh..." Curiosity sparkled in Arwen’s green eyes, and she tilted her head to one side, studying his face for any clues.

Her hubby was very good at giving her pleasant surprises.

What could it be this time?

She didn’t ask.

She simply interlaced her fingers with his and followed him in silence, the soft side of one of those huge tits brushing against his arm, the pliant flesh molding around it for an instant before rolling away again.

The inner garden of the Goldenveil Palace covered about thirty thousand square meters.

It was a space reserved solely for Ethan’s wives and concubines, and it also provided direct access to the base of the Eternal Mountain, where the entrance to the palace’s magical mine was located.

It was a generous space, and every corner of it overflowed with life.

Flower beds of every color, fruit trees with heavy branches, paths of polished stone winding between them, and even a small stream of running water, its gentle murmur mingling with the birdsong.

It was essentially a small paradise hidden in the heart of the palace, sheltered beneath the branches of the Tree of Life.

And the tree, for its part, seemed just as curious about what Ethan wanted to show.

One of its branches lowered itself a few meters with a soft rustle of leaves and hovered right above the couple, like a kitten peeking over its owner’s shoulder.

The little Porcelain Serpent soon appeared on that same branch, coiling its small white body around the wood and stretching its neck to get a better look at the two of them.

Ethan let go of Arwen’s hand and took a few steps forward, stopping right in the heart of the garden.

He opened the System’s inventory, retrieved the Queen Mother’s Sap Spring, and placed it right there in the middle of the grass.

Arwen recognized it the very same instant.

The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet, a low rumble rising from below.

A small rock formation pushed up through the earth, grass and soil parting around it, taking the shape of a bowl large enough for an adult to fit inside.

From one edge of the bowl, the rock kept rising, twisting upward until it stood over five meters tall and closed at the top like a claw with curved fingers.

From the tip of that claw, a thick white liquid began to ooze, pooling until it formed a plump drop that broke free and fell with a soft plop against the stone bottom of the bowl.

At the back of the formation, something resembling a beehive—only much larger—hung attached to the rock. It was sealed for now, but there was clearly life inside. A faint, muffled buzzing came from within.

Arwen froze for a moment.

Her lips parted slightly, her green eyes darting from the stone claw to the hive and then back to Ethan, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

In the end, all she could do was let out a graceful laugh, shaking her head slowly.

"You really..." She sighed, leaving the sentence unfinished, and stepped closer to the fountain, her heavy breasts swaying lazily with the movement.

She extended a single finger just as another drop broke free from the tip of the claw, falling toward the stone bowl.

The drop landed on her fingertip, a thin trail sliding toward her knuckle before she brought it to her lips.

Arwen closed her eyes for a second, her tongue slowly gathering the sap, savoring the rich, sweet taste that spread through her entire mouth. A soft hum of approval escaped her throat.

Her eyes then fell upon the hive.

Fortunately, unlike ordinary bees, the hives of Giant Empress Bees didn’t grow very large. They rarely exceeded fifty individuals, and the largest reached about a hundred at most.

Even so, their honey production was enormous. And that honey was so rich in mana that, for a human to consume it safely, it had to be dissolved in water first.

"What do you think?" Ethan asked, coming up behind her, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body against her back.

His hand shot toward her left buttock.

His open palm landed with a loud, sharp smack. The plump flesh flattened beneath it, bulging out around the edges of his fingers, and a pleasurable tremor rolled through the entire cheek in a quick shiver before spreading, fainter, into the other one.

Before that tremor had even faded, Ethan clenched his fingers tight, grabbing a generous handful and squeezing, the warm softness swelling up and spilling out between them.

Arwen moaned softly, arching her back slightly and thrusting her butt against his hand, the motion setting her heavy breasts into a gentle sway. A mischievous smile spread across her lips.

"It’s good..." She nodded, her voice coming out a little hoarser than before. "You know, you can even make fifth-stage wine if you use some of the sap dissolved in water... and the honey, too..."

"I know..." Ethan smiled, keeping his hand where it was, his fingers still slowly kneading that soft flesh, the cheek shifting and bulging under his grip.

"I’ve already given John a recipe for high-end wine. Soon, I’ll give him a few drops of the sap, and when the bees start producing, a little of the honey too, just to see how he adapts the recipe."

He gave another squeeze, firmer this time, drawing another low moan from her.

"He created the Green Fairy Wine, so I have high expectations for him in this regard."