Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 258

Chapter 258: Blurring the Lines
After the quiet and tender moment in the backyard, Ruediger invited Lariette back inside the studio. Slight awkwardness lingered in the air as they exchanged soft, shy smiles.

“You wanna nap now, Lettie?”

Ruediger asked as they stepped inside the studio.

“I’m not that sleepy. Anything you wanna do, Eddy?”

“Want to see me playing keyboard?”

Intrigued, Lariette agreed. She quickly followed Ruediger to the recording room.

Instead of taking a nap, Lariette stayed by Ruediger’s side when he began playing the keyboard. The soft lights cast a golden hue over them as they shared the same bench.

Lariette watched in awe at how smooth Ruediger’s fingers danced across the keys. A gentle melody resonated in the air, its tenderness stirred something in her heart, eventually relaxing her.

“I learned a bit, but… Haha,” Lariette laughed dryly, “My skill is so rusty now.”

Ruediger glanced at Lariette, a teasing smile tugging on her lips before chuckles slipped out, “Want me to teach you? I’m not just a skilled baseball coach, you know?”

Lariette laughed, amused by Ruediger’s boasting. Shrugging, she stared back at him, “Mr. All Rounder has offered to teach me so, why should I decline?”

Shaking his head, Ruediger laughed more. He scooted a little closer before reaching for her hands. He guided them gently to the keys as his fingers wrapped lightly over hers.

Lariette held her breath for a second when Ruediger leaned closer, his warmth almost enveloping her in a cocoon. His voice slowed into a murmur as he spoke.

“Relax your fingers, Lettie. Ah, yeah, like that. Now try this chord.”

A sweet, familiar sound echoed in the room once Lariette pressed the keys. Under Ruediger’s guidance, she tried playing more, their hands no longer intertwined over the keys.

“See? That’s perfect,” Ruediger showered Lariette with praise when she eventually stopped, his features softening, “You haven’t lost your skill. Should we get a keyboard for our home?”

“Hehe, that sounds quite tempting.”

Lariette replied with a cheeky smile, her cheeks flushed. Ruediger answered with more chuckles before he played another melody.

“My mom taught me piano. She’s very good with it. She could play other instruments too, but piano was her favorite.”

Lariette quietly listened to Ruediger talking about his late mother. She smiled softly upon realizing he recalled the past memories with fondness instead of with sorrow.

“You must have had fun playing with her, right?” Lariette guessed, her voice softer yet laced with mischief, “Hehe, a little Eddy whose legs barely reached the floor, playing the piano.”

Helpless chuckles slipped out Ruediger’s lips. Lariette’s remarks amused him for how true it was. He still remembered complaining to his mother about why his short legs dangled from the bench.

Glancing at Lariette, Ruediger smiled teasingly, “But now I can reach items on the tall shelves easily. Unlike a certain someone.”

Lariette huffed, knowing that Ruediger made fun of her. She didn’t back down without a little retaliation. She quickly jabbed the man’s waist. But to her dismay, only to hear more laughter from him.

The playful melody continued to echo in the recording room, showing not even the slightest trace of sorrow from earlier. The man and the lady sat side by side, their arms and thighs nearly touching.

Not long after, Ruediger shooed the drowsy Lariette to the break room. The sun had dipped lower than the peak as the time approached the late afternoon. He insisted she get some sleep while he did some work at the editing bay.

“Is the temperature okay? Don’t kick off the blanket. I’ll wake you up in one hour or two.”

“Two? That’s too much!”

Lariette exclaimed in disbelief as she sat on the sofa bed. She stared at Ruediger who adjusted the AC temperature. He still looked as fresh as the early morning.

“Okay, okay, maybe one hour,” Ruediger threw Lariette a knowing look, followed by a smirk on his lips, “You better wake up hungry. I’ll treat you to the best dinner tonight.”

Lariette laughed in helplessness, amused by Ruediger’s declaration. She lay on the sofa bed with a pillow and a throw blanket. The cushion sank under her weight.

“I’ll just be outside,” Ruediger said while standing at the threshold of the room, one hand holding the door handle, “Sleep well, Lettie.”

“Okay.”

They exchanged another smile before Ruediger finally closed the door. Lariette lay on her side, her gaze wandering to the windows. A gentle, faint sunlight slipped through the gap between the curtain.

‘I hope he feels a little bit better now… At least.’

As Lariette’s eyelids gradually closed, her mind reminded her of the little moment she shared with Ruediger in the backyard. That was the first time he opened up about his late mother after the horrifying encounter with Chairman Alvord.

He was still a very young boy when he lost his mother to the tragedy. Unfortunately, his father was too blinded by grief as he misdirected his rage to the helpless boy.

‘…warm… so warm…’

Lariette’s eyes were closed when her fingertips, the ones she caressed Ruediger’s face tenderly earlier, slightly twitched. A quiet, comforting slumber enveloped her.

Without her ever realizing it, he was still outside the door. As if he was caught in a daze, he stared blankly at the floor while his mind rewound the tender moment they shared in the backyard, and also when he played the keyboard earlier.

Raising one hand, Ruediger slowly placed it on the side of his head where Lariette stroked. A slow, small smile was carved on his lips as warmth overflowed from his heart.

He sincerely wished the tenderness would remain even after his confession later tonight. He was afraid of shattering the peace between them, but his mind and heart were already set.

‘Some of my actions… She might think I lead her on. I don’t want that. I want to be truthful to her.’

The longer they stayed together and the closer they got, Ruediger found it hard to keep up his charade. Instead of being like a friend, his ardent feelings for her laced most of his recent actions, blurring the lines of where their relationship stood.