Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Why Did the Mood Suddenly Turned Flirty?

Lariette and Ruediger didn’t rush to finish breakfast. They took their time eating each dish while chatting over the meal.

The gentleman and the lady might be a pair of newlyweds but, they were still practically strangers. There were still so many things they didn’t know about each other.

If not for Lariette’s impulsive desire to rebel against the Elsher family and Ruediger’s willingness to play a part in this act, their names wouldn’t be registered as a married couple.

Having a pleasant chat over a delicious meal was a good way to get to know each other better. Being the weekend, their schedule was generally free.

Ruediger was telling Lariette of the time he lived abroad with Madeline and her mother when she suddenly exclaimed.

“Oh, yes. Maddie told me you lived with her and Aunt Felicia during middle and high school. She said you’re so popular with the girls. You got many Valentine’s chocolates and gifts, right?”

Lariette nodded softly, acknowledging what Ruediger had just told her. She also brought up the story of how most female students in school were eager to give him Valentine’s gifts.

Ruediger blinked, never expecting Madeline to pass that information to Lariette. Sighing inwardly, he couldn’t help but wonder what else his younger cousin relayed to his wife.

Tsk tsk, did Maddie share any embarrassing stories about him too? If she did, he had to settle these scores with her sooner or later.

“It was nothing, really,” Ruediger smiled in helplessness. He poured more tea into Lariette’s cup, “She just exaggerated. Other male students were more popular than me.”

Lariette forked another piece of pancake. A mischievous glint flickered in her sapphire eyes as she took in Ruediger’s helpless smile.

Madeline was four years younger than Ruediger. Despite the age difference, they attended a private academy where middle graders and high schoolers studied in the same compound.

“Lari! You don’t know! They always approached me because they wanted to know more about Rudy. Urgh. That was so annoying.”

Lariette remembered Madeline saying how her fellow classmates and even the female upperclassmen often asked her about Ruediger.

More often than not, the students gave Madeline gifts and letters to be passed to her popular cousin.

Humming softly, Lariette asked, “Are you sure, Eddy? With your looks alone, you could be one of the most popular male students. I heard your grades were good and you excelled in sports so, those were bonuses.”

Ruediger was slightly stunned, his emerald eyes veiled with haze. What Lariette had just mentioned was true. He studied hard and practiced relentlessly to have stellar records.

But…

Ruediger was not surprised because Lariette knew about his performance at school, rather…

“Does it mean you think I’m handsome, Lettie?” asked Ruediger, unconsciously lowering his husky voice.

It was Lariette’s turn to freeze. Blinking her eyes, she felt heat emanating from her cheeks. Ruediger’s question cast a pink tint on her cheeks.

“Y-yes. Even a baby will think you’re handsome.”

Instead of backing down or making excuses, Lariette cemented her stance by agreeing. Her remark earned laughter from Ruediger.

“I’m honored if you think I’m handsome, Lettie,” Ruediger raised one of his brows, his eyes curving into crescent moon shapes, “Lest I’ll just embarrass my beautiful wife whenever we go out together.”

“…”

Lariette had nothing else to say. Her cheeks gained another deeper shade of pink. She quickly pushed the piece of pancake into her mouth, pretending to be busy eating to reply.

Why did the mood suddenly turn flirty?

Seeing the shy look on Lariette’s face carved an amused smile on Ruediger’s lips. He held back from teasing Lariette further despite thinking she had become more adorable with her pinkened cheeks.

“Lettie, I forgot to ask you,” Ruediger swiftly changed the topic. He reached out for a bowl of berry yogurt parfait, “I know you’re not busy during summer break but, won’t you have days you need to go to school?”

Ruediger knew Lariette was a language teacher at a middle school nearby. He was also aware that teachers still worked during summer break but, he wanted to hear more from Lariette about her life.

Putting the fork down, Lariette’s mind wandered to Blossom Phoenix Middle School. She had been teaching there for over two years.

Lariette informed the school about her being hospitalized two weeks ago. The principal and her colleagues reminded her to focus on recovering for the time being.

“We usually have some meetings,” said Lariette before explaining further, “Between staff and the departments. We also have curriculum planning sessions for the upcoming school term.”

Ruediger smilingly listened to Lariette narrating about her work life. She mentioned how she and a few other language teachers were responsible in their department.

Madeline often shared some stories about Lariette with Ruediger even without him asking for them.

But, hearing the stories directly from Lariette herself felt different. Ruediger appreciated her attempt to allow him to get to know her better.

Even though he couldn’t be fully truthful with her yet.

Lariette’s voice continued resonating in the dining room as Ruediger became an avid listener. She was inwardly happy to have someone to talk to about her career.

Aside from Madeline and Chairman Delaney, the others in the Elsher family thought Lariette’s job as a teacher was embarrassing.

Samantha, Stephanie and Alaric were the vocal ones in showing their disdain. They often pushed Lariette to change careers but, she never listened to them.

“Sometimes, we’re required to attend workshops or any training sessions. We take turns teaching for summer school if there’s any.”

Lariette paused, thinking of what else she usually did during summer break. She took a few sips of the tea before resuming talking.

“Setting up classrooms, preparing materials and organizing lesson plans… Oh! Selected teachers will assist with the new student registrations or orientation too.”

Ruediger’s smile was dripped with honey the more he listened to Lariette. The flicker of delight in her sapphire eyes told him she was enjoying this moment.

“Well, I was supposed to attend a few meetings but, the principal told me to recover first. The school knew about my accident. I’ll start going in two weeks.”

Lariette was touched by the principal and her colleagues’ compassion but, she didn’t want to extend her leave more than necessary. She would join the meetings once she returned from attending Stephanie and Matthias’ wedding.

“The school did well by letting you recover.”

Ruediger nodded, agreeing with the principal’s action. Something crossed his mind the instant he recalled Lariette’s previous accident.

“Speaking of… when is your next checkup? Can I accompany you?”

Lariette blinked. She didn’t foresee Ruediger to be interested in accompanying her to the hospital.

Still, his question made her heart flutter.

“This coming Tuesday,” Lariette chuckled, expressing her inner joy, “Sure. My appointment is at nine. Thank you…”

Ding dong! Ding dong!

Ding dong!

Stunned by the incessant doorbell ringing, Lariette and Ruediger stared at each other before they slowly looked in the direction of the entryway.

“Who…”

Lariette’s curiosity was answered in the next second. A familiar yet unpleasant voice blared from the intercom system’s speaker.

“LARIETTE! Open the door! Lariette Elsher!”

Frowning, Lariette was in disbelief. Ruediger also wore the same expression as her.

It was Damien!