Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 201

Chapter 201: Let’s Go and Conquer Them All!
“We’re here!” announced Lariette happily, only to receive a helpless chuckle from Ruediger.

The sun hung high in the sky, casting its warmth all over the rest area as Lariette pulled the truck into a quiet parking spot. It was the same one Ruediger taught her to play baseball last Thursday.

This was the fifth stop Lariette made throughout the hours of the ride from the north. On the third, she and Ruediger had a longer rest as they enjoyed the meal packed by Melissa.

Every single bite was flavorful, made from locally sourced ingredients in Moonville. They also had some refreshing fruit-infused tea made by Paul.

The journey had been long, but their lively conversation and occasional brief stops to stretch made it manageable. They might arrive in Avaloria City in another hour or so.

As Lariette unbuckled her seat belt, she glanced sideways at Ruediger with a smirk. The man eyed her grinning face suspiciously.

“Well, look at that! The legendary baseball player returns!” Lariette teased before she quickly gasped in pretend, “But, wait! He’s currently benched due to injury! What a pity!”

Ruediger snorted. As he also unlatched the seat belt, he let out an exaggerated sigh, “Tsk. Injured or not, I can still strike the balls perfectly. Wanna see?”

“Oh, sure,” Lariette jested. She pushed the door open, “I’ll leave you there if you cry in pain.”

Ruediger laughed, helpless by Lariette’s teasing, “You’re enjoying this way too much, Lettie.”

Lariette simply laughed. She slid down from the truck, the sole of her shoes touching the asphalt of the parking lot. Ruediger also got out of the vehicle.

Once again, Lariette and Ruediger did a few stretches. Their muscles were quite stiff after being in the truck for so long.

The weather of the late summer afternoon was sultry, easily making them sweat. Thankfully, the low-hanging trees around provided cool shelters.

Being the weekend, the rest area was filled with more people than on their previous brief visit. Children and adults came and went, some even running under the blazing sun.

Lariette threw her gaze to the solo-baseball track. She still remembered when Ruediger, who was full of energy, guided her for her very first baseball hit a few days ago.

He corrected her stance and grip and, of course, showed off his own skills.

Lariette shifted her eyes to Ruediger. He stood stiffly, slowly rolling his shoulders as he tried to loosen up. She caught the slight grimace flickering across his face.

“Your back still hurting?” Lariette asked softly, her voice tingeing with worry.

“Not too bad. I feel better than before,” Ruediger replied. He grinned, but his whole expression suggested otherwise.

Lariette hummed, unconvinced by Ruediger’s sad attempt at smiling, “Let’s sit there. I’ll massage your back.”

Ruediger raised a brow. His first instinct was to refuse, but he gave in after a moment of hesitation. He followed Lariette to one of the benches nearby, shaded by a tree.

“Lettie, if you make it worse, I’m going to charge you for medical expenses.”

Lariette scoffed. She lowered herself on the bench, her gaze assessing Ruediger from head to toe, “Oh, please. I should be the one charging you for my labor, Eddy.”

Ruediger smiled sheepishly. He sat beside Lariette before turning around, allowing her access to his back. He straightened his spine as he waited for her massage.

Haha… if not for his bruises, he knew she wouldn’t be this attentive to him, including even being willing to treat his injury regularly.

Lariette swept her gaze on Ruediger’s broad back. Sitting this close, she became more accustomed to his familial clean and minty scent.

His crimson locks were tied as usual in his signature bun style, a few strands strayed from the thin band.

After the past two days, she no longer felt too conscious when being this close to him, including when she had to touch his bare skin as she treated his wound.

“I’ll start now.”

Ruediger simply replied with a hum. In the next moment, Lariette placed her hands on his back, pressing gently against the sore muscles. Her movements were slow, careful around the bruise from his fall.

Lariette could feel the tension beneath her fingertips, even through the fabric of Ruediger’s shirt. She heard him exhale, seemingly relieved from the little massage.

“You should rest more these days,” Lariette said, still pressing around Ruediger’s back, “Don’t try to make any meals, especially the elaborate ones. Don’t do hard chores too.”

Ever since they began living together, Ruediger had been taking up the majority of the chores, including showing off his prowess in the culinary.

Heavy lifting, scrubbing the floor, mopping and even long hours of standing while making elaborate meals would surely strain his already injured back.

Ruediger chuckled upon hearing Lariette’s decree. Keeping his back straight, he asked jokingly, “Are you telling me to be lazy?”

“Yes, I do,” Lariette quickly nodded even though Ruediger couldn’t see her, “Don’t make your injury worsen. I’ll report to Maddie if you don’t listen to me.”

“Hahaha! I will. I will listen to you.”

Ruediger’s laughter echoed in the park. Lariette smiled in helplessness, hoping he would be true to his promise.

A momentary silence settled between them once Lariette was done with the massage. The distant chatter and the hum of passing vehicles on the highway filled the air.

“It’s a pity we couldn’t play at the game booths,” said Ruediger, breaking the silence. He looked at Lariette by his side, “At the summer festival.”

“There’s nothing we can do. It’s inevitable,” Lariette smiled. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she said, “Don’t worry. We’ll have fun on this coming harvest festival.”

Lariette remembered how much she had anticipated going from one game booth to the next with Ruediger. Unfortunately, the abrupt circumstances held them back.

Ruediger’s expression changed. He mumbled under his breath, “It’ll be a long wait.”

Blinking, Lariette arched her brows, “What did you say? I didn’t catch it.”

“I’m saying,” Ruediger hummed, telling Lariette something different altogether, “How about we go to an amusement park later? Maybe next week, or whenever we’re both free.”

“…amusement park?”

“Yup.”

Lariette stared at Ruediger, never expecting him to suggest going to an amusement park together. Under her blank gaze, he grinned before explaining.

“Let’s go and conquer all the game booths! We should play all the rides too. What do you think?”

“What? Hahaha! That’s your reason?”

Throwing her head back, Lariette laughed out loud. Her shoulders shook, giggles rolled out of her mouth. Ruediger wiggled his brows, making it funnier to her.

“Hehe, alright. Let’s go and conquer all the game booths!”

Lariette raised her right arm, striking her fist to the air. Ruediger broke into laughter, amused by her reaction.

“So, it’s a deal?”

“Deal!”

As the breeze rustled through the leaves, the man and the lady continued laughing at one another.

The playful, warm and unexpectedly sweet ambiance between them showed no traces of the truth behind the real nature of their relationship.

The trip to the north, the hours of ride, and the more time spent together inevitably blurred the lines, drawing them even closer to each other.