Chapter 212: A Villa Fit For Royalty

Reinhard stared at the notification floating before his eyes.

[Current Bond with Yuna: D.]

The letter bothered him.

He cared about Yuna, but the Akasha Investment System clearly thought their bond needed work. Perhaps the problem was that he spent so much time protecting his family and solving their problems that he sometimes forgot to simply enjoy being with them.

Across the terrace, Yuna was showing Lily their disastrous group photograph. Lily laughed so hard she nearly dropped the phone, while Yuna pointed out Reinhard’s ridiculous expression.

"Look at his face!" Lily wheezed. "He looks like someone told him this villa costs a billion credits!"

Yuna smiled. "It was a million-credit down payment."

"That makes it worse!"

Reinhard watched them for a moment. He didn’t understand why the system had chosen Yuna or why their bond rating was so low, but he wasn’t going to force an answer out of her.

For the next two days, he would spend time with his family without turning every moment into another task.

It sounded simple enough, although knowing himself, it probably wouldn’t be.

Their luggage arrived shortly afterward, carried by attendants who placed everything neatly inside the villa. One attendant then guided the family toward a silver panel beside the entrance.

"This is the villa’s service interface," the attendant explained. "You can request customized meals, refreshments, transportation, recreational equipment, garden arrangements, and numerous other services."

Reinhard’s eyes brightened. "Numerous other services?"

Emily immediately caught his arm. "No."

He gave her an innocent smile before turning back to the panel. Within minutes, he had ordered customized meals, poolside refreshments, beach equipment, evening garden arrangements, and breakfast delivered to the terrace.

Then he discovered the additional services.

"Interesting. They can arrange private boat trips," Reinhard observed.

Lily appeared beside him. "Add one!"

"Outdoor movie screenings?" Reinhard continued.

"Add that too!" Lily exclaimed.

"Magical music performances in the garden?"

"Definitely!"

Maki stepped forward to inspect the list. "Some of these services overlap. We should compare their costs and benefits before deciding."

Reinhard nodded approvingly. "Excellent idea. We’ll order everything first and compare the results afterward."

Maki stared at him. "That is the opposite of what I said!"

Lily leaned against the panel. "Maki, you’re supposed to be relaxing. You can’t turn everything into research."

"I’m preventing unnecessary expenditure," Maki replied.

Lily waved a hand dismissively. "It’s a vacation. Unnecessary expenditure is part of the experience!"

"That’s a terrible financial principle."

"It’s a wonderful vacation principle!"

Reinhard ignored their argument when another option caught his attention. "Is there a service that helps guests decide which services they actually need?"

The attendant hesitated. "Our staff can certainly offer recommendations, sir."

"Perfect. Add that."

Emily slowly turned toward him while Maki covered her face.

Lily burst out laughing. "You’re paying someone to tell you how to spend less money after ordering things you don’t need!"

Reinhard smiled. "It’s called delegating."

Emily finally pulled him away from the panel. "That’s enough. We’ll use what we’ve already selected."

Reinhard sighed dramatically. "Very well. I shall respect the wishes of my beloved wife."

He leaned over and kissed Emily’s cheek. She tried to maintain her stern expression, but the smile spreading across her face betrayed her.

Lily immediately pointed at them. "Look! He stopped spending money because Emily kissed him!"

Reinhard shook his head. "That’s not why I stopped."

"Then kiss her again. Let’s see if it works twice."

Emily gave Lily a warning look. "Lily."

Reinhard grinned. "Excellent suggestion."

Before he could turn the joke into another performance, Emily caught his face between her hands and kissed him herself.

Lily’s eyes widened. "Oh! So you can be efficient!"

Emily released Reinhard and walked away with a faint blush, leaving him looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Maki shook her head. "We’ve been here less than an hour."

Reinhard watched his wife disappear into the hallway. "And the vacation is already a success."

An hour later, Lily stood beside the infinity pool, staring at the sparkling water.

"I’m going in!" she announced.

Maki was arranging their belongings on a nearby chair. "You haven’t finished unpacking."

Lily waved her concern aside. "I unpacked the important things."

"What important things?"

"My swimsuit."

Maki looked up. "That isn’t the entire contents of your luggage."

"It’s the most important part!"

Maki sighed and opened her itinerary. "We should also review tomorrow’s attractions. Several require advance reservations."

Lily turned around. "We’re at a villa with a pool overlooking the ocean. Why are you planning tomorrow already?"

"Preparation prevents wasted time," Maki explained.

"Then prepare yourself to get wet!"

Before Maki could respond, Lily jumped into the pool.

Water splashed over the edge and soaked Maki’s clothes. For several seconds, she simply stared at her damp sleeves while Lily surfaced with a triumphant smile.

"Refreshing, isn’t it?" Lily asked.

Maki quietly set her itinerary aside, removed her sandals, and stepped into the shallow end.

Lily’s smile faltered. "Wait. What are you doing?"

Maki approached her with a calm expression. "Participating in the vacation."

She flicked water directly into Lily’s face.

Lily gasped. "You planned that!"

"I adapted to the situation."

The water fight quickly escalated. Lily attacked with enthusiasm, splashing water in every direction, while Maki responded with surprising accuracy. Yuna eventually joined them at the pool’s edge, sitting with her feet in the water and watching the sisters compete.

When Lily called for reinforcements, Yuna quietly splashed Maki.

Maki turned toward her in disbelief. "Yuna, I thought you were the reasonable one."

Yuna smiled. "I am."

"Then why did you help her?"

"Because I wanted to."

Lily immediately cheered, delighted to have Yuna on her side. Maki shook her head, although the smile on her face made it clear she wasn’t genuinely upset.

Reinhard watched them from a lounge chair. "My investment in this pool is paying excellent dividends."

Emily settled beside him and took his hand. "You rented a villa. You didn’t invest in a pool."

"Details."

She leaned against his shoulder. "You could join them instead of congratulating yourself."

Reinhard rested comfortably against his chair. "I have an important responsibility."

Emily looked at him. "What’s that?"

"Supervising the family."

She gave him a disbelieving look before standing and pulling him to his feet. "Your responsibilities have changed. You’re coming with me."

"Where?" Reinhard asked, already suspecting the answer.

"Into the pool."

"Emily, I’m a responsible husband."

She smiled sweetly. "And I’m your wife. I outrank you."

Before he could protest, Emily led him down the steps and splashed him directly in the chest.

Reinhard stared at her, and she returned his gaze with an innocent smile.

"Refreshing, isn’t it?" Emily asked.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I concede. I cannot defeat my wife."

"Smart answer," Emily replied before kissing him.

Reinhard returned the kiss, only for Lily to let out an exaggerated gasp from across the pool.

"Some of us are trying to swim here!" Lily complained. "You two should at least give us a warning!"

Maki pushed wet hair away from her face. "Perhaps we should establish a schedule for public displays of affection."

Reinhard looked toward her. "Wonderful. I’ll reserve the entire afternoon."

Emily immediately splashed him again, making Lily burst into laughter.

For the next several minutes, nobody cared about schedules, reservations, or the activities waiting outside the villa. They simply enjoyed the pool together, and Reinhard found himself laughing as much as anyone.

That evening, the family gathered around a table overlooking the ocean. Golden lanterns floated above the terrace, reflecting on the water while the villa’s chef served a dinner tailored to their preferences.

Lily took one bite and immediately reached for another. "This is amazing!"

The chef bowed politely. "I’m pleased you enjoy it."

Maki examined her plate with interest. "What herbs did you use in the sauce? The flavor changes slightly after each bite."

The chef explained that he had combined a local coastal herb with a mountain-grown spice. Maki immediately began asking about preparation times and magical preservation, looking increasingly interested in how the ingredients interacted.

Lily stared at her. "Are you interviewing the chef or eating dinner?"

Maki continued examining her meal. "Both."

"You’ve asked him six questions!"

"And learned six useful things."

Lily sighed. "Can you learn something useful about dessert instead?"

Maki considered the suggestion. "That is a reasonable idea."

Reinhard laughed before turning toward the chef. "Could you prepare something even more elaborate tomorrow?"

Emily placed a piece of seafood on his plate. "Eat what’s in front of you first."

He looked at the food, then at her. "Are you feeding me now?"

Emily smiled. "You’ve spent the entire evening arranging tomorrow’s dinner. I’m making sure you remember tonight’s."

She offered him another bite, which Reinhard accepted without hesitation.

Lily slowly lowered her fork. "Oh, this is wonderful. Reinhard can afford an entire villa, but Emily still has to feed him."

Emily glanced at her. "Would you like me to feed you too?"

Lily immediately sat up straight. "I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself."

"Then stop watching us and eat."

Reinhard leaned toward Emily. "I think she’s jealous."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"

"My excellent marriage."

Emily rolled her eyes, but she still brushed a crumb from the corner of his mouth. Reinhard caught her hand and kissed her palm, earning a faint blush.

Lily made a strangled noise. "I’m going to need a separate table."

Emily gave her a look. "No, you’re not."

Yuna laughed softly into her glass, clearly enjoying the exchange.

The teasing continued until she set down her fork and looked toward Reinhard. "Could we decide tomorrow’s meal tomorrow? Maybe we could find something interesting while exploring the coast."

Reinhard turned toward her. "That’s a good idea. We’ll see what everyone wants afterward."

Yuna nodded, looking pleased with his answer.

Emily noticed something interesting. Reinhard hadn’t immediately proposed a better route, ordered another service, or turned Yuna’s suggestion into a complicated plan.

He had simply listened.

After dinner, the family lingered on the terrace. Lily tried persuading the chef to reveal the secret behind the dessert, while Maki asked whether the villa could arrange a cooking lesson.

Emily leaned against Reinhard’s shoulder. "You really did think of everything."

Reinhard considered that for a moment. "Not everything. I forgot to ask whether the pool could be heated."

Emily immediately looked up. "Don’t you dare."

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her before kissing the top of her head. "I just wanted everyone to be comfortable."

"I know," Emily replied, turning toward him.

She kissed him again, lingering long enough that Reinhard forgot what he had been about to say. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his.

"Thank you for bringing us here," Emily whispered.

Reinhard smiled. "You don’t need to thank me for wanting to spoil you."

"Then I’ll thank you for staying here with us instead of arranging another hundred things."

For once, Reinhard had no clever response.

He simply held her closer.

The following morning, sunlight spilled across the breakfast terrace.

Reinhard sat beside Emily, enjoying the ocean view while their breakfast waited between them. The waves rolled gently toward the shore, and the morning air carried a pleasant breeze through the open terrace.

Emily picked up a piece of fruit and held it toward him. "Open your mouth."

Reinhard obeyed, letting her feed him before she stole a quick kiss while he was still smiling.

"I could get used to this," he remarked.

Emily brushed her thumb across his cheek. "You’d better. You’re on vacation."

"Perhaps I should extend it."

"Perhaps you should finish breakfast before making financial decisions."

He laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Emily caught his face and kissed him properly, and for several moments, neither paid much attention to the food.

Then Lily appeared in the doorway.

"Breakfast looks delicious," Lily announced with a grin. "Especially whatever you two are eating."

Emily pulled away, her cheeks turning pink.

Lily looked delighted. "Should I come back after you’ve finished kissing, or will that take the entire morning?"

Emily smiled sweetly. "Come here. I’ll feed you too."

Lily immediately retreated. "I’m not hungry anymore!"

Reinhard laughed so hard that Emily had to steady his cup.

Once Lily had escaped, Emily settled against his side again. "You don’t have to turn every quiet moment into preparation for the next crisis."

Reinhard looked at her. "I know."

Emily studied him. "Do you?"

He smiled faintly. "I’m learning."

She squeezed his hand. "I can choose my own activities, Reinhard. You don’t have to arrange everything for me."

He understood what she meant. He had spent so long trying to give Emily the best life possible that he sometimes forgot she didn’t need him to make every decision.

"I’ll try to remember," Reinhard promised.

Emily nodded approvingly. "Good. Start by asking me what I want to do today."

He turned toward her. "What do you want to do today?"

Emily smiled. "I’ll decide after breakfast."

Reinhard stared at her for a moment before laughing. "You’re becoming dangerous."

"You married me."

"And it remains my greatest achievement."

She kissed him again, smiling against his lips.

A moment later, Yuna stepped onto the terrace. "Good morning."

Reinhard turned toward her. "Morning. Have you decided what you’d like to do today?"

Yuna glanced toward the coastline. "I’d like to explore it. Not rush from one attraction to another. We could walk along the shore and see what we find."

Reinhard smiled. "Sounds perfect."

Yuna looked at him, apparently waiting for the inevitable suggestion that would improve her plan.

It never came.

She tilted her head slightly. "You’re not going to arrange a private yacht?"

Reinhard raised an eyebrow. "Would you like one?"

"No. I just thought you’d suggest it."

"Then I’ll save the yacht for another day. Today, we’re following your idea."

Yuna studied him for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face. "Then let’s make sure you don’t secretly arrange a guide to follow us."

Reinhard placed a hand over his chest. "I would never do such a thing."

Emily gave him a look.

He sighed. "I would consider it. But apparently, my wife doesn’t trust me."

Yuna smiled. "Because we’ve met you."

Reinhard stared at her before breaking into a grin. "You’re getting bolder."

"Maybe I’m on vacation," Yuna replied.

"Then I approve of this vacation already."