Yours, Until Needed
Chapter 81: Vacation

Chapter 81: Vacation

After I demolished the snacks I had bought from the car, Lucian stopped me from touching the ones we had just bought.

"If you run out of snacks, that’s on you. The stores are pretty far from that villa."

"What?! Why didn’t you say so?! I could have rationed them then!" I smacked him in the arm in protest.

"Who would have thought you’d inhale everything by the time I look again."

My snack issue was interrupted by the change in scenery.

This particular villa was really out of the way. Nestled in a serene countryside. The fact that there wasn’t any snow here should tell how far we traveled.

No wonder we couldn’t just fly here.

The place was a stark contrast to the city’s towering buildings. It was rustic and lush, with a garden covering much of the area.

Lily ran around excitedly, and Rina even looked nostalgic as she went in.

The place was clearly beloved. Unlike my first time at the Penthouse, where I was greeted with such minimalism, this place had warm interiors and a lot of personal memorabilia.

There were photos everywhere I looked, and the living space looked and felt cozy, especially considering how cold it was despite the lack of snow.

"I can’t believe it’s still the same after all those years," Rina said as she touched the wall where different height markers were located.

Imagine my shock upon seeing a small nick on the wall that said "Eli."

"Do you have other relatives named Eli?" I asked Rina, curious about this nick that barely reached my knee.

"That’s you, dear." Aunt Serena said from behind us.

"You’ve been here before. You probably just don’t remember. I think you’ve been here twice?" She tried to remember.

I must’ve been really young because this height was just too small.

"It was just that after a while, you’ve had to celebrate with your paternal family, so you haven’t gone since then."

Mom had always been close to the Sinclairs, so it wasn’t surprising to find photos of her here.

Then, I saw a large photo of a smiling older woman. She was sitting on a chair surrounded by two kids. That’s Rina and Lucian, and that’s their Grandma.

We did not get to meet often, especially when she had to leave for treatment abroad. But it wasn’t to the extent of Grandpa, whom I only recently met.

I eventually found out that Grandpa traveled so much to find a cure for Grandma. Then, when her condition worsened, she also had to go abroad.

My musings were interrupted when Lily pulled me over to admire the patio where some housekeepers arranged meals for our late lunch.

And boy, I was still very excited to eat, even after all the snacks I inhaled.

I could feel Lucian’s judging eyes but ignored them, eating heartily. This was much to the joy of the housekeepers who prepared food for us.

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"Why were you even hating on this kind of vacation?" I finally asked Lucian, who was also reading a book.

He put his book down before explaining, "You’re seeing the calm before the storm. Unless Grandpa specifically told the vultures not to come. Also, this is too much lull time when there’s still so much work."

"Vultures?"

"Yeah, these long holidays reach the noses of those from the branch families, and they rush towards us like scouting vultures, trying to push their agendas."

"Is that how you got saddled with looking for a wife?" I asked as I wiggled my legs, which were on his lap.

"That and so much more. Grandpa’s much more lenient during this season, so they come in droves."

"Should I prepare answers about when we plan on having kids?"

"Highly likely, but we still have immunity because Windham just started."

"True, and I had school on top of us being just newlyweds. We should be good for now." I agreed with him.

We’d been immersed in reading for a while before Lily came barging in, looking for people to play with. I guess this happens when the age gap is too big and no other children exist.

Rina was knocked out in her room while we tried playing with Lily—or I tried, because Lucian just opted to cook instead.

The grill was out, and the man was nice enough to grace us with his cooking for our dinner.

Lily and I prepared some s’mores in advance and several sticks with hotdogs and vegetables for grilling. This much I can do for sure.

I was finishing up when I heard a voice from behind.

"What do you think about this type of vacation?" It was Grandpa who joined me at the outdoor table.

I followed his line of sight only to see him looking at Lucian and Lily, who had run over to watch the grilling up close.

"I like it. Grandpa. I enjoy eating and peace." All of that was the absolute truth. A vacation without someone attempting to kill me in my sleep or defaming me at every turn sure felt great.

"It’s been so long since I’ve had a relaxing vacation." I grinned back.

He laughed at my implication before continuing, "I see that Lucian isn’t as irritable. By now, he’d have sneaked in his work by tinkering with his phone."

"He’s done that before?" I asked in surprise.

"I prohibited him from bringing his laptop and work documents, only to find him working on his phone. Such a crazy guy." Grandpa said in exasperation.

"But he seems to be doing better now. Has anything changed?" He asked me, and I wasn’t really sure how to answer him.

So I pursed my lips and thought about it, "Hmm. I’m not sure, Grandpa, it’s just Lucian being Lucian. He’s still as acerbic as ever, just slightly more considerate." I demonstrated my version of "slightly" with my fingers, earning me another round of laughter.

"It’s probably because you see him all the time. But for us who only see him every now and then, this Lucian is rather unfamiliar." Grandpa smiled softly as he glanced at Lucian, who was concentrating on grilling.

"But more than unfamiliar, it’s probably just nostalgic. You’d probably know more than me. After all, I rarely had the chance to see him when he was very young."

Was he talking about Lucian as a young boy?

"He was much cuter when he was younger, right?" Grandpa whispered as if it was a secret, and I nodded like a woodpecker because it was true.

"Definitely!" I giggled in agreement.

"Even now, I’m not sure what happened for Lucian to change so much." I suddenly remembered how that scared me back then. It was like facing an entirely different person.

"Ah. Maybe that’s something I could tell you about."

"I think you deserve to know."

Woah. So, there really was a reason for all this?

"Would that be okay, Grandpa?" I asked hesitantly. Lucian hadn’t told me over the years. Maybe it wasn’t my place to know.

"Even if you ask him, he wouldn’t be able to tell you himself. He’s probably not even aware."

How could Lucian not be aware?

"He was just an innocent victim. This was all my fault." Grandpa looked wistful, and my heart couldn’t help but seize.