Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 169

Chapter 169: His Misadventures
The navy blue truck glided smoothly along the expressway, the city now a distant memory behind as beautiful open fields stretched on both sides. The sun rose higher in the sky, bathing the road in golden light.

Lariette’s gaze still remained on Ruediger’s side profile, curiosity flickering in her sapphire eyes. He hadn’t said anything, but it seemed like he was thinking about where to begin.

In the rare times Madeline talked about Ruediger, she used to mention that the man was an avid traveler during his school break. Felicia was often worried because he usually only packed a few things before setting off.

Ruediger hummed thoughtfully, still tapping one finger on the steering wheel in a slow rhythm. After a moment of pondering, he said, “Well… I haven’t told you the time I got chased by an ostrich, right?”

Blinking, Lariette was dumbfounded, “Excuse me? Chased… by an ostrich?”

Seriously? Where did this happen?

Ruediger glanced at Lariette, laughing at the sight of the funny look on her face. He returned his eyes to the road, a grin tugging at his lips as he explained.

“It was in South Africa. I visited a wildlife reserve. Someone told me ostriches were harmless if you didn’t provoke them.”

Narrowing her eyes, Lariette asked suspiciously, “Did you bother the bird, Eddy?”

Who knew? The much younger and spirited Ruediger perhaps thought it was a good idea to touch the ostrich. Or, did another thing happen?

“Hahaha, no!” Ruediger shook his head, his crimson fringes swaying on his forehead, “I did absolutely nothing. I swear, the bird just looked at me and was offended. It started charging out of nowhere.”

Lariette gasped before she burst into laughter, “You ran? Tell me that you ran.”

“Of course, I ran!”

Ruediger guffawed, entertained by the memory from a few years ago. His laughter drowned out the music played by the speakers.

“Lettie, have you seen an ostrich up close? Urgh… They’re like feathered dinosaurs with killer legs. Humans can’t outrun them. I almost tripped over my feet and became its victim. Luckily, a guide distracted it.”

Shuddering, Ruediger let out an exasperated sigh. The memory made him laugh now, but he still remembered how nerve-wracking the situation was.

Lariette blinked her eyes a few times. She didn’t know whether to continue laughing or not. Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but say jokingly, “That’s ridiculous. Eddy, you offended an ostrich!”

“Tell me about it,” Ruediger groaned, smiling helplessly, “That’s not the first and last time I have the worst luck with animals.”

“Oh? What else happened?”

Lariette’s interest was fully piqued. Without looking away from Ruediger, she waited for him to tell her more stories about his travels.

“I got stalked by a particularly aggressive fish when I went diving in Australia,” said Ruediger after thinking.

“…a fish?” Lariette tilted her head. She unconsciously lowered her voice, “What kind? Don’t tell me… it’s a shark?”

Lariette had never encountered sharks before, but she often heard about the dangerous ocean carnivores from the news. Some of the attacks were fatal, while the others left the victims with missing limbs or heavy injuries.

“A titan triggerfish,” Ruediger muttered with a hiss as if still holding a grudge, “Looks innocent until it decides to hate you.”

Lariette pursed her lips, trying not to bother Ruediger with questions before he finished his story. Still, her interest reached another level.

A titan triggerfish? What did it look like?

She should search for it on the Internet soon.

Immersed in his memory, Ruediger continued, “I was just minding my own business, admiring the coral. Then, this thing started circling me like some underwater mob boss.”

Lariette gasped. Her eyes widened slightly.

“I tried to swim away, but it only got closer and closer,” Ruediger let out another sigh, as if still annoyed by the fish’s relentless pursuit, “Then, it started charging at me with its teeth bared.”

Lariette covered her mouth, shocked and frightened, “It attacked you? Did you get hurt?”

“I barely dodged. I had to zigzag my way back to the boat,” Ruediger shrugged, “The dive instructor told me later that I must’ve wandered too close to its nesting area. They guard their turf like maniacs, apparently.”

Shaking her head, once again Lariette didn’t know whether to laugh or not. She pointed out, her voice helpless, “You’ve been chased by an ostrich and a fish. What’s next? Did a yak or a bull do that too?”

Lariette’s words enticed Ruediger to laugh. Smirking, he said, “Enough with my worst luck with the animals. Oh! Did I ever tell you about that time I got lost in a Moroccan market and accidentally ended up in someone’s house?”

“You broke into someone’s home?”

“Not on purpose!” Ruediger defended himself, laughter still lacing his voice, “The winding streets confused me. I thought I was entering a shop but, suddenly, I was in someone’s courtyard.”

Lariette covered her face, laughing again, “What did they do? I hope you didn’t get chased with a baton or something.”

“They just stared at me, stunned,” Ruediger admitted, “I thought I’d get yelled at, seriously. Then, the elderly lady inside just waved me in and offered me tea.”

Lariette’s jaw dropped, “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. She must’ve taken pity on me,” said Ruediger, chuckling, “Her grandson spoke English well. He helped me find my way back. But, not before his grandma stuffed me with delicious pastries and mint tea.”

Lariette shook her head in disbelief. She ran her palm across her forehead, staring at Ruediger, who threw her a playful grin.

“Eddy… How do you always end up in these situations? I don’t know whether to be impressed or terrified for your safety.”

Arching his brows, Ruediger smirked, “Probably both. But, hey, now I have good stories to tell.”

Amused, Lariette’s laughter softened into a warm smile, “That’s undeniable. I bet Aunt Felicia nags at you whenever you tell her about your misadventures.”

“…yeah, I can’t rebut that. My ears will bleed, but what can I do? Aunt won’t let me go easily.”

“Hahaha!”

As the pair shared some laughter over the man’s misadventures, the truck continued rolling down the road. The summer morning was bright and endless ahead of them.