Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 264

Chapter 264: Her Boundaries and Expectations
That midnight, Lariette lay awake on her bed, still recalling the moments she shared with Ruediger today—especially in the maze garden. Her eyes traced the ceiling where soft lights from the outside left shimmers on its surface.

‘We’re dating now, right?’

Blinking, the heat radiated from Lariette’s cheeks while her heartbeat sped up. She patted her face, trying to keep her composure instead of being carried away by the excitement.

After sharing the heartfelt embrace, Ruediger and Lariette shyly smiled at each other. She held back from teasing him despite thinking how adorable his flustered look was.

The autumn breeze slightly tousled his crimson locks. She took the liberty of trying to smooth them, earning a soft smile from him. His emerald eyes gleamed with something more tender, filled with joy and hope.

Ruediger’s promise, which was chanted earlier, rang in Lariette’s mind.

“I’ll follow your pace, Lettie. I won’t force you to do anything you refuse. Also, please tell me if I cross your boundaries. I think I have a good grasp on them by now, but I’m afraid our new relationship might blur the lines.”

His voice, laced with reassurance for her yet conflicted with his fear, rang softly in the heart of the maze garden.

Lariette replied by thanking Ruediger for his consideration, before adding that she would be fine with holding hands and hugging for now. As for the more intimate acts, they would eventually reach there.

His shy look, which contrasted with his rough features, made him look more adorable in her eyes.

Lariette didn’t want to rush anything despite knowing Ruediger had liked her far longer than she was aware of. She would take slow yet decisive steps as she tried to get to know him better.

More about his likes and dislikes, more about his thoughts, more about himself as a whole.

As for the secrets that made him fearful of her rejections, she couldn’t deny that she was intrigued to know. Nevertheless, her stance remained.

Only if he wanted to, and only if he had trusted her fully. Not every secret was meant to be revealed.

After exiting the maze garden with their hands linked together, Lariette and Ruediger wandered the light show area again. Then, they headed home, leaving the place that changed the course of their relationship tonight.

During the entire ride home, Lariette and Ruediger didn’t talk much, but the silence was more comforting than before despite the light awkwardness and shyness lingering in the air,

‘I wonder… Can he sleep?’

Blinking, Lariette shifted her gaze from the ceiling to the closed door of her bedroom, thinking about Ruediger who occupied the chamber across the hallway.

How many nights did he spend weighing whether to profess his feelings for her or not?

Before Lariette disappeared behind her bedroom door, she thanked Ruediger again for the enjoyable day they spent together. He seemed so relieved before promising to make a hearty breakfast spread to commemorate.

“Hehe, what do you mean a hearty breakfast spread?”

The curious Lariette quickly asked, which Ruediger sheepishly answered.

“Well… it might look corny, but I hope you’ll still like it.”

Lariette held back from teasing Ruediger further. The dreamy look in his eyes, followed by his flushed cheeks, amazed her because in her mind, he was always someone calm and collected.

‘I better sleep. I wonder what he’ll make tomorrow.’

Lariette’s lips still curved softly as she closed her eyes. She hugged a strawberry pillow close, relishing in the comfort of the cushy plushie. The tranquility of the night quietly embraced her.

As her consciousness drifted to sleep, a certain someone was still wide awake.

Ruediger, clad in a dark-colored thin sweater and long pajama pants, sat on the chair by the window. The wide neckline slightly exposed his collarbone, where his crimson locks draped messily on his broad shoulders.

The moonlight streamed in through the glass panels, only to fade under the bright lights of the lamps. The city outside was still alive, but not as bustling as in the earlier hours.

Neon lights flashed from the towering buildings, the street lampposts and the passing vehicles. The breeze carried its quiet and distant hum.

Holding his sleek smartphone in one hand, Ruediger smilingly looked at the photos he had taken tonight with Lariette. He was still caught in the haze of reality and dream.

She accepted his confession. She wished to give their relationship a chance.

“I need to work harder now,” Ruediger murmured, tenderness gleaming in his emerald eyes.

Ruediger held each of Lariette’s words close to heart. The previous uncertainty and fear vanished as he recalled the unyielding belief in her voice and the clarity in her eyes.

What she said after he released her from his embrace echoed in his mind.

“Let’s get to know each other more, Eddy. You want to see how far our relationship will bring us, don’t you? I wish for the same.”

Despite Lariette having accepted his confession, Ruediger was aware they were still on the starting line. She decisively stepped beyond the line of friendship but with clear boundaries and expectations.

There was no use wooing her with grand declarations of love. Her previous heartbreak and the situation with her maiden family had taught her to cherish herself.

Illusions blinded her no more.

Placing the phone on his lap, Ruediger tilted his chin up, his eyes gazing at the ceiling. He still remembered that he had roughly nine months before the end of their marriage contract.

“Where will we be by this time next year?” he whispered, his voice ringing softly in the quiet bedroom, “I wonder, Lettie.”

Would he still be by her side?

Would they be even closer than now?

Would she finally learn his other secrets?

Only time could answer him.

Ruediger stood up from the chair, moving to the bed as he remotely switched off the lights. As he lay on his side, his gaze wandered to the windows, partially concealed by the curtains.

Tomorrow’s sun would shine brighter to him, and also hopefully to her.