The Invincible Arthur Gardner

Chapter 29 - A Taste of the Good Life

The female hotel maid excitedly said to her colleague, "Hey, did you hear? Mr. Gardner just requested

that I deliver some women's sleepwear to his room!"

"Do you mean to tell me that those clothes are for Ms. Edna? Are they really living and sleeping

together every night?" her friend asked incredulously.

"Are you crazy?" the other exclaimed. "Ms. Edna isn't here; she's been out of town for a while now. So,

does that mean Mr. Gardner is taking someone else? Have you seen the girl?"

"Do you think I have the nerve?" she asked. "I only peeked in for a moment before hurrying away. I'm

so curious to know who Mr. Gardner will be spending the night with; he's very attractive and I'm sure he

attracts a lot of admirers."

"Hey, do you think it's possible that Mr. Gardner is having a threesome with Ms. Edna and another

girl?" the other asked, an expression of disbelief on their face. "I mean, I can't get that thought out of

my mind."

"What?" Someone exclaimed, their eyes widening in shock. "No, that can't be true! Mr. Gardner and

Ms. Edna are both respectable people, there's no way they'd do something like that!"

"No way," the other replied with a shake of their head. "I was just thinking out loud. It's a crazy thought."

"Yeah, definitely crazy," the other agreed with a hint of a laugh. "But still, it's a bit hard to get out of my

head!"

At the same time, Bob, the former General Manager at the Golden Park Restaurant, shouted at them.

Edna still employed him there, and he clearly wasn't happy that they were discussing their boss during

working hours.

"Have you folks gone mad? Talking about the big boss during working hours! Now get back to work!"

"Yes, Mr Bob," they replied.

***

Arthur stepped into his luxurious bathroom, took off his clothes, and tossed them into the laundry bin.

He gazed at his reflection in the large mirror in the room, finding his appearance somewhat unfamiliar -

his body had completely transformed in just a few days.

Arthur now presented a picture of health and vitality, his toned muscles standing out from his glowing

complexion.

"This is incredible," he exclaimed in awe as he stepped into the hot tub, submerging himself in its

warm, therapeutic waters. Instantly, he felt all the exhaustion and stress from his body melting away.

It was winter, and the chill in the air was palpable, especially after all the thrilling escapades he had

endured - fighting dozens of individuals, evading police as he chased cars, and narrowly avoiding

sniper fire.

Arthur inhaled deeply, the steamy air from his exhale a testament to the scorching heat around him.

[You're really impressive with all your stunts, Host.]

[You even managed to get away with a car chase with the police. Do you think you do this kind of thing

well?]

"I did my best," Arthur replied, his expression mischievous as he winked. "And I can safely say I'm quite

good at it!"

He added, "I can do all of this because of the magic you gave me, right, System?"

[The system only gives you driving skills, but courage comes from within yourself, Host.]

[Everyone can work hard to become good at driving or fighting, but not everyone can do dangerous

things, especially to save others. That is your special thing.]

"Why do I feel suspicious when you praise me like this?" Arthur asked slowly, his eyes narrowed in

suspicion. "I'm sure you have something sarcastic prepared for me after this." novelbin

[You sure are brave, Host! But why are you still.... ]

[I don't think I need to continue what I was about to say.]

"Thanks! System!" Arthur said, with a subtle hint of sarcasm in his voice.

He leaned back further, savoring the comforting warmth of the hot spring tub and closing his eyes. He

stayed there for an extended period of time, gradually drifting off to sleep as the relaxing atmosphere of

the hot spring enveloped him.

"Mr. Arthur..."

Arthur spun around, startled by the sound of his name, and realized with a sinking heart that he had

forgotten to lock the bathroom door. Peering out cautiously, he could just make out Claudina's voice,

though he couldn't see her.

"I apologize... Your bedroom door was open, and I was concerned because you'd been in here for two

hours. Are you alright? Are you injured?"

Claudina's gentle, melodic voice filled the bathroom.

"No," Arthur replied in a low tone. "I'm alright. I just dozed off."

"Good, that's a relief," Claudina responded softly. "Oh, I made some hot beef soup...," she trailed off,

then added, "If you still want to take a bath, I can heat it up when you're ready to eat."

"No, it's okay, I'll catch up to the dinner table shortly," Arthur responded quietly.

A few minutes later, Arthur had finished getting ready and donned a white nightgown. His body felt

completely refreshed as if he had just taken a hot bath.

He walked towards the dining table and noticed Claudina sitting there wearing a gray sleeveless

nightgown paired with gray shorts.

She had a noticeably different look, not wearing any makeup, but her face and skin were still as white

as snow, and her eyes were still gentle. Claudina smiled as Arthur approached, and then he took a seat

at the dining table opposite her.

"You sure look refreshed, Mr. Arthur," Claudina said with a chuckle. "You must have really enjoyed your

two hour bath, right?"

"Yes, indeed!" Arthur exclaimed with a laugh. "It was two hours of absolute bliss!"

Claudina then carefully poured the steaming soup into a bowl, handing it to Arthur. "Luckily," she

whispered, "you don't have to wait for me to finish this dish. I hope you don't hate it."

Arthur inhaled the tantalizing aroma of Claudina's soup, and he was amazed that she had managed to

finish cooking it while he was luxuriating in a hot bath.

His mouth began to water, and he quickly dipped his spoon into the soup, eager to taste it. Upon his

first taste, the warmth of the soup and the flavors that filled his mouth filled him with delight, and a smile

spread across his face.

"This is incredible!" he exclaimed.

"You're so multi-talented, Claudina," Arthur said, a warm smile spreading over his face.

Claudina gave him a shy grin in response. "You're not just trying to flatter me, are you?" she asked, her

voice laced with amusement.

Arthur let out a hearty laugh. "I believe this might be the priciest meal I've ever had," he said

thoughtfully.

Claudina pondered for a moment before understanding Arthur's meaning. She couldn't help but stifle a

laugh and cast her gaze downward, lightly pressing the back of her hand to her lips.

When she looked up again, Arthur's face was upturned.

"But don't worry," she said, "let's just consider this a bonus from me. I'm still looking forward to the best

dinner we'll have together afterwards, Mr. Arthur."

Arthur noticed something different about Claudina that night; she was smiling and even chuckling,

something he hadn't seen during the auction. He couldn't deny that her beauty and grace grew

exponentially when her face lit up with a smile or chuckle.

Arthur continued to eat the meat soup, savoring the tenderness of each piece of meat on his tongue

and the unique blend of seasonings in the soup. He knew that this was the most special dinner he had

ever experienced in his life.