Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 181

Chapter 181: The Missed Chance of Bonfire Dancing
As Lariette cycled the bike, Ruediger sat behind with his long legs awkwardly bent. He grasped the side of his denim pants, unsure of where to put them.

The breeze was cooler at this time of the night, gently tousling Lariette’s hair. Ruediger darted his gaze away several times, a hint of a blush spread on his cheeks.

Never once did Ruediger imagine he would be carried by Lariette—by the bicycle.

They had left the festival ground five minutes ago, halfway back to the cottage. The liveliness of the summer festival had long faded behind them, replaced by the rustling leaves and chirping of crickets.

Ruediger parted his lips, wanting to say something to break the silence, “You’re good, Lettie.”

Lariette raised her brows, slightly surprised. Without glancing behind her shoulder, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“It’s not easy to carry me,” Ruediger replied, his voice having a hint of laughter, “I’m so heavy. You’re surprisingly stable.”

Ruediger believed Lariette’s upper body strength was good enough to allow this. The bicycle didn’t wobble even a little as she pedaled forward, bringing them away from the riverside.

Lariette huffed, rolling her eyes. She asked, “What? Did you think I was so weak?”

“Not weak,” Ruediger chuckled, his laughter being carried by the wind, “Just, I’m amazed even though I know it’s a given. Archery and darts require a steady hand and strong arms, after all.”

Lariette burst out laughing, never thinking that Ruediger would bring up her fondness toward the two sports. She shot him a smug glance over her shoulder.

“Of course! I’m used to handling pressure!”

Ruediger grinned, amusement flickering in his emerald eyes. He loved hearing the evident confidence in Lariette’s voice as she boasted about her skills.

Soon, Lariette and Ruediger arrived back at the cottage. She parked the bicycle under the roofed porch, intending to return it to Paul tomorrow.

“I’ll look for something for a cold compress,” Lariette mentioned as she headed to the kitchen, throwing a warning look at Ruediger, “Sit on the couch. Don’t suddenly jump or something.”

“Haha… okay.”

Ruediger settled on the three-seater couch, his long legs stretched out. He rested his forearm over his knee while he tried rubbing the sore spot on his upper back.

Clenching his jaw, Ruediger sensed more pain from the bruised area. This was better than what he had experienced before but still unpleasant and troublesome.

‘What’s she doing?’

Ruediger’s eyes wandered to the kitchen. He heard Lariette moving around there. Smiling faintly, he tried to endure the throbbing pain in his back.

Lariette reappeared in the next second, carrying two things in her hands. Once she saw Ruediger, she exclaimed, “Why are you rubbing your back? I told you to wait.”

“Just checking,” replied Ruediger with a sheepish smile.

Lariette exhaled a sigh. She sat on the coffee table opposite the couch, placing the items on the wooden surface. They were a bag of frozen peas and a clean towel.

“That…” Lariette glanced from the table to Ruediger, her sapphire eyes flickering with hesitation as she cautiously said, “Take off your shirt and lie on your tummy.”

Ruediger blinked. A brief silence followed as he processed the simple instruction from Lariette. Nodding absentmindedly, he did as he was told.

Lariette shifted her eyes from Ruediger once he started unbuttoning his shirt. She pretended to be busy wrapping the pea bag with the towel but… her gaze did peek at him.

As Ruediger unfastened the last of the buttons, the smooth lines of his muscles came into view—sculpted shoulders, toned arms and sturdy chest.

When Ruediger turned around before lying on his stomach, it was as if he subtly flexed his broad back.

Lariette swallowed, feeling the heat radiating from her cheeks. She had seen Ruediger’s toned physique a few times before during their island trip but… somehow, she became more self-conscious.

Ahem.

Lariette moved from the coffee table to kneeling beside the couch. Her eyes lingered on the bruised area of Ruediger’s back. His crimson strands spilled under his neck, slightly above the swelling spot.

The area bloomed with red color, slightly swollen from the impact of Ruediger’s fall. Lariette guessed it might turn deep purple soon. She twitched, suddenly afraid of worsening his pain if she wasn’t careful enough.

“I’ll put it now,” Lariette exhaled while grabbing the frozen pea bag, “We don’t have a proper cold compress. This will do.”

“It’s fine,” replied Ruediger, looking behind his shoulder. A faint smile tugged on his lips, “It’s better than nothing.”

Lariette gently placed the towel-wrapped frozen pea bag on Ruediger’s bruised back. He flinched slightly at the cold sensation.

“Damn… That’s freezing.”

“You’ll live,” Lariette murmured, trying to lighten the atmosphere with a joke, “Didn’t you survive a much harsher cold temperature when you trekked at the Annapurna before?”

“Haha… I did.”

“I’ll leave this here for twenty minutes,” said Lariette, taking her hands away from the frozen pea bag, “Luckily, your bruise isn’t that big. The bag covers it fully.”

If Ruediger’s bruised area was much bigger, Lariette needed to move the frozen pea bag around to give it an even cooling. For now, she just had to leave it on his back.

Lariette returned to sitting on the coffee table. Worry glinted in her eyes as she assessed Ruediger’s back. Suddenly, his sigh echoed in the living room.

“Haa… I guess they’ve started dancing around the bonfire, huh?” Ruediger mumbled, regretting the missed chance to experience the summer festival more.

A chuckle slipped out of Lariette’s mouth. She didn’t expect Ruediger to be fixated on the bonfire dance. He had mentioned it a few times already.

“I didn’t know you like dancing,” Lariette arched her brows, her voice softening with laughter.

“I don’t particularly like to dance, but,” Ruediger shifted his head and arms, staring at Lariette on the table, “I want to dance with you.”

“…”

Lariette said nothing, slightly surprised by Ruediger’s claim, and also the tenderness lacing his voice. As their eyes locked into one another, she felt something warm and unspoken blooming in her chest.

“W-well… We can dance once you’re better,” Lariette spoke, almost stuttering, “We can play a video of a bonfire and dance. If… that’s enough with you.”

“Of course! Let’s do that!”

Ruediger laughed out loud, unbothered by the pain flaring on his back. His emerald eyes softened as his mood brightened by Lariette’s suggestion.