Ch. 301..305: Forbidden Heat R18 Chapter 301-305

Chapter 301: Reiner - Too Perfect

The chirping birds notified me that morning has arrived. I stirred in bed, my body still heavy with sleep and I felt too lazy to do anything. Sleeping in bed for the day might be good. However, I knew that that wasn’t really an option.

I sighed softly to myself before forcing my eyes open. As expected, Reiner was no longer by my side. The bed next to me was empty and so was my bedroom. After all this time, I still found it amazing how he could get up so early in the morning. I hate the mornings...

The morning sunlight coming in from the window stung my eyes. Reiner must have left the curtains opened intentionally so that the sunlight would wake me up. How cruel of him. Instinctively, I brought my hand up to shade the light from my eyes as I started reaching for my mobile phone with my other hand.

Oh...wow...

Red glittery nail polish greeted me as it sparkled in the light, the golden sparkles catching my eyes. This looks so pretty. The color and the sparkle looked mesmerizing on my nails. I smiled brightly with extreme happiness before I started laughing a little.

I pulled the blanket away from my legs to reveal my beautifully painted toenails in the same matching red color. Double wow...

I laughed a little to myself as I thought about how I was right. Reiner really did have enough stamina to do my nails after what we did last night. I smiled to myself as I admired his handiwork.

Wow...he’s too perfect, seriously.

Feeling suddenly energized, I got out of bed, showered, and got dressed before heading down to the living room. I wondered where Reiner is now and what he’s doing. I didn’t have to wonder for too long, I ran into Reiner in the living room as if he had been waiting for me.

“Some cake?” He offered.

“What happened to healthy greens and beans stuff...?” I asked in confusion before biting my tongue.

Why did I have to ask about that? What if he remembers and takes away the cake?! Argh...

“You deserve a break today so that is what you’re getting,” Reiner replied smoothly.

“Wow...” I exclaimed at the pleasant surprise.

“Some cake?” Reiner asked again.

“Thank you! Oh...and thanks for doing my nails,” I thanked him with a happy smile before holding up a hand to show-off my sparkly nail polish.

Reiner just smiled at me without saying anything. However, I could tell that he felt a little proud of himself.

“When did you bake these?” I asked, although I already had a pretty good guess.

“This morning while you were peacefully sleeping in...” Reiner replied.

“No wonder...” I said, nodding my head in appreciation.

“Here you go,” Reiner said as he placed a small plate with a slice of cake on it in front of me.

I looked down at the blueberry cheesecake in front of me as I felt the corners of my mouth turning upwards into a small smile. It’s so nice just to see the cakes that he baked once again. Of course, eating it would be even better...

“What about feeding me?” I asked before turning to smile sweetly at him.

“Did you injure your arms or something?” Reiner asked and I knew that he was teasing me.

“Yes, I did. I injured my heart as well, want to see?” I teased him back.

He laughed a little before he sat down in the chair opposite from me and reached for the small plate, pulling it towards him.

“Here,” Reiner said curtly as he positioned a fork full of cake in front of my face.

What a dream come true moment...

“Dreams do come true, I guess...” I whispered softly before I opened my mouth and ate the cake.

The slightly sweet and rich taste of the cheesecake filled my mouth along with the slightly sour taste of blueberries. I’m not really a sentimental person but I had to admit that I was also brought to tears in that moment. Reiner was smiling at me as he watched me happily eat the cake. He probably had no idea how bitter-sweet that moment was for me.

“Does it taste good?” Reiner asked, needlessly.

Of course, how can it not taste good?

“Very good. I think it tastes especially good because you’re feeding me,” I replied without hesitation.

“That’s great,” Reiner said with a smile before putting the fork down.

I watched in slight confusion as he pushed the small plate across the table until it stopped in front of me. Cocking my head to the side, I wondered what he was doing.

“You’re not going to feed me anymore?” I asked, confused, and disappointed.

“If I feed you again then that bite just now wouldn’t be special, right?” Reiner said with a satisfied smile.

“What kind of logic is that...?” I asked, clearly dissatisfied.

“Eat up. You shouldn’t take a whole day to eat a slice of cake,” Reiner said as he continued to watch me.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at him before continuing with the cake on my own. He watched me with amusement as I ate the cake until I finished it.

Now that I think about it, my body has been recovering at a very fast pace. Truthfully, I felt fine already and the injuries on my arms and other parts of my body had healed up as well. Psychologically, I seemed fine as well. Although I was very scared and confused before; those feelings seemed to have disappeared completely. Perhaps it was because I had Reiner by my side. He made me feel safe and soon enough the good memories started replacing the bad ones.

It was great that I was getting better; however, I couldn’t stop this sinking feeling that had started to grow deep in my stomach. It was all because I knew that the more that I recovered, the less time I had left with Reiner. Once he’s ascertained that I’m all healed up and healthy again; I’m sure that he would leave. Just like he had promised to.

I glanced over at Reiner who was sitting opposite me at the table. He seemed content and at peace and it was such a stark contrast to the storm that was swirling around inside of me. I shoved more cake into my mouth before I would start to feel sick.

Chapter 302: Reiner - Convincing Him

A few weeks had past and I felt healthier than before the incident occurred. For me, that was a big problem and I thought endlessly about how to appear less healthy. Perhaps, I should fake some illness or condition...

What am I thinking? I sound like a crazy person...

Today was supposed to be a big day because the doctor is coming to see me from the hospital. Feeling concerned for my safety, Lucien had arranged for the doctor to come see me at home rather than for me to go to the hospital. I guess with enough money, you could order for most things to happen.

Since returning home from the hospital, which was almost a month ago, I have never left home. It wasn’t allowed. At first, I was depressed and dead bored and then I started to enjoy spending my days with Reiner. However, I was starting to yearn for my freedom once again. I mean, what will it take for me to step one foot outside of this property?

“The doctor is here to see you, Natalia,” Reiner announced as he entered my bedroom.

Just what I had been waiting for. Perhaps if the doctor says that I’m fine, I’ll have a basis for my case of going outside. Sure, that didn’t solve the safety issue but wasn’t that why Reiner is with me for?

“Let’s go,” I said as I got up and walked towards my bedroom door.

The doctor was waiting in the living room to see me. He seemed kind and helpful as always. I sucked in a deep breath and prayed that everything would go well. After asking about how I was feeling and some basic inspections, the doctor nodded with satisfaction.

“You seem well. As I can see your injuries have all healed up well as well. So far there doesn’t seem to be any problems. The nurse will now take some sample of your blood to perform some tests, if that’s ok with you?” the doctor said smoothly before smiling kindly at me.

“Yes. Thank you, doctor,” I replied obediently.

If the result of the blood tests turns out fine as well then, I should be a step closer to my freedom. If I couldn’t convince Lucien to let me out yet, at least, I could start by convincing Reiner. If I could convince him then perhaps more than half the battle would have been won already.

I looked over at Reiner who was standing a short distance away to give the doctor and nurse some space to work. He was watching me closely, and I could feel his concern.

“Do you think I’m fit enough to go outside, and you know...live life as normal now?” I asked.

“Of course. There’s nothing seriously wrong so you can go outside. Exercise is also fine but just rest if you feel you’re too tired,” the doctor said affirmatively.

I glanced over at Reiner to make sure that he had heard the doctor’s positive comments. Reiner just shook his head softly at me and refused to comment. I sighed softly as I tried not to feel depressed.

...

**Knock Knock**

That evening, I knocked on his door as I stood in front of it. Before I could knock for the third time, the door flew open, and Reiner was standing in front of me. I guess that I’ve visited his room in the evening so often over the past month that he was probably half expecting me to knock on his door.

“You’re here again...” he stated flatly.

“Yea...” I mumbled in reply.

“What’s wrong?” Reiner asked.

Reiner stepped aside so that I could enter his room. I walked in slowly before sitting down on his bed. It was easy for him to ask me what was wrong, but it wasn’t easy for me to give him an answer. Why did life have to be so complicated? I pulled my knees up and hugged them as I sat on his bed and looked at him.

Reiner had closed the door and was looking at me as if he was still waiting for me to reply to his question. There were many things that were wrong. So many things needed to be unraveled that I wasn’t sure where to start. They say that we need to take small steps towards victory and that every single small step count as progress. So, I guess, starting off with a small step towards a small victory is the way to go for now...

“I’m bored out of my mind. I don’t want to be stuck under house arrest forever. Can I please go outside?” I said, sounding extremely childish and selfish even to my own ears.

“I understand,” Reiner replied simply.

I blinked in surprise at this unexpected reply. Reiner pulled a chair over and sat facing me. I stared into his beautiful blue eyes, and I felt like he truly understood me, and he wasn’t just saying it.

“Is that a yes?” I asked, hopefully.

Reiner nodded firmly.

“Really? I can finally go outside?” I asked in disbelief.

I hadn’t expected it to be this easy. Was it because the doctor had given the green light that I would be ok? Was that it?

“I’ll talk to Lucien for you. I’m sure he’ll be ok with it...” Reiner said before smiling a little at me.

“Really?” I asked in excitement and disbelief.

“Yes. Stop asking the same thing over and over, Natalia,” Reiner reaffirmed.

“Ok...thank you, Reiner. I really mean it. Thank you so much,” I said, feeling so thankful.

“Sure,” Reiner replied in short.

“Where can we go?” I asked.

“Somewhere safe,” he replied bluntly.

Somewhere...safe? I wondered where that was? I wasn’t sure what the definition of safe meant anymore. Where was considered safe on his standards, I had no idea. Truthfully, I didn’t mind where we went as long as I got to go outside. It was a bonus that Reiner would be there with me.

“Let’s go on a date?” I asked with a big smile.

I don’t think I’ve ever had to ask a guy on a date before in my life. However, I’ve asked Reiner on date countless times before. I guess I’ve only succeeded only once before...strictly speaking...

“It’s good that you no longer look so depressed,” he said as he placed a large and warm hand on top of my head.

I stared up into his handsome face before I got up from the bed and hugged him tightly. He’s so close...why does he have to go away?

Chapter 303: Reiner – Somewhere Safe

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Somewhere safe...” Reiner replied emotionlessly.

“That’s what you said before...but where is that?” I asked again, feeling a little annoyed at how he’s evading my question.

“You’ll see. Now, stop asking,” Reiner replied without a care.

We were in the car together and Reiner was driving. After waking me up super early in the morning, right at the break of dawn, we got in the car and was on our way on our date. Although, I had no idea where we were going, I was glad to be outside the mansion. Not surprisingly, Reiner had packed up everything into the car and all I needed to do was dress up and get in.

I’ve asked him countless times regarding our destination, but he had evaded all my questions. Since I knew that he probably won’t tell me, I decided to turn our conversation to discuss other things instead. I didn’t know where we were going but what I knew was that it seemed to be somewhere far away. We’ve been in the car for almost an hour, and it didn’t seem that the destination was near.

“I want to go to the beach...” I said wistfully.

“This is your first trip outside in around a month and you’re already thinking of future trips?” Reiner said with a low laugh.

“Of course. I want to go to the beach. We can play in the water and sunbathe together while we read books and chat...” I said dreamily as I pictured my sun-soaked date with Reiner on the beach.

“Sounds good...” Reiner murmured in reply.

I laughed a little as I pictured so many more future dates that I wanted to have with him. In that moment, I didn’t want to admit that my dream dates with him would probably end up as nothing but dreams. We chatted and we laughed all the way until we reached our destination.

I was right. Our date spot was very far from the city. To be accurate, it was around a three-hour drive from the city, and I wouldn’t call it a standard date spot, for sure. When Reiner parked the car, he walked to my side of the car and opened the door for me. I looked around and was confused to say the least.

We were in the middle of a forest deep in the mountains. I’ve never been to a place like this before. We were in the mountains and were surrounded by other taller mountains on all sides. Sensing that I was feeling a little scared, Reiner took my hand in his to comfort me before smiling a little my way. It wasn’t like I was scared out of my mind, but I was more curious about why we were here.

Thick woods surrounded us, and dried leaves covered the floor under our feet. After removing our bags from the car and hoisting it on his shoulders, Reiner led me behind him deeper into the woods. Perhaps, if I asked him now, he would answer some of my questions.

“R...where are we going so deep in the woods?” I asked as I watched his broad back in front of me.

“A very safe and isolated place,” Reiner replied without looking at me.

“Which is?” I probed further.

“You’ll see. You’ve waited hours, a few more minutes won’t kill you...” he replied.

“I guess...” I mumbled.

In a few more minutes, I could see our destination. My eyes widened in wonder and amazement. How could there be such a thing in the middle of an isolated mountain like this?

“Don’t just stand there. Let’s go inside,” Reiner said as he tugged on my hand.

I was frozen in place as I stared up at the huge wooden structure of a building that was in front of me. A cabin in the woods would be an understatement. This structure was much larger than a cabin. It could be a small mansion in its own right. The space surrounding the wooden building was clear and seemed well maintained. I guess, someone lives here or was taking care of it.

We stood in front of a large door that was probably made of steel and I watched as Reiner took out a large key and started unlocking the door. For some strange reason, I felt very nervous about entering the place. It felt like I was entering a secret or sacred place. The door opened and while I was hesitating, Reiner pulled me inside after him.

It was dark inside and completely quiet. No lights came in from the outside because all the windows were closed. Orange warm light lit up the room when Reiner turned on the light. I blinked rapidly at the sight before me. The room was large and almost empty apart from a few pieces of furniture. A set of sofas, a dining table, and some chairs. The place had absolutely nothing that could be called decoration.

“Is this your place?” I asked dubiously.

“No...” Reiner replied.

“Then...is this a hotel or resort of some kind? You know, nature escape type of thing?” I asked curiously.

“No...” Reiner said.

“Then...?” I asked, getting impatient.

“This is a training camp,” Reiner stated flatly.

“Huh?” I said in confusion.

Training...for what? The hair at the base of my neck stood up and suddenly, I felt like it was a bad idea to be here in this place.

“This used to be a secret base for training. Men and some women train here for combat and such...” Reiner explained.

“I see. Did you...train here as well?” I asked, my mind filled with interest.

“I did. A long time ago...” Reiner replied.

“It’s not in use anymore?” I asked as I looked around the very empty place.

“Nope. Otherwise, I won’t be able to bring you here. Now this place is just used for storage and stuff...” Reiner replied as he put our bags down on the sofa and gestured for me to sit down.

“I see. So, what will we do here?” I said, sitting down where he had indicated.

“That’s up to you. There’s many things that we can do here. I’ll show you soon,” Reiner said while smiling.

Chapter 304: Reiner – Simple Happiness

“Are you sure that it’s ok for us to be here?” I asked, still feeling unsure.

“Of course. We’re not trespassing. I know the owner of this place. He’s...a good friend,” Reiner said to reassure me.

Now that he mentioned it. I thought that someone must be living here to keep the place so well maintained.

“Does he live here?” I asked, referring to his friend.

“Why do you think so?” Reiner asked, cocking his head to the side as he looked at me.

“The place seems very well maintained...” I replied softly.

“Good observation. He doesn’t live here but I guess he’s nearby. If you’re lucky...or unlucky...you might run into him,” Reiner said, and I couldn’t tell what he meant by that.

“I see...” I murmured.

“Want to get changed? We’re going outside,” Reiner said.

I looked down at the flowy dress that I was wearing, and I got his point immediately. I guess something more suitable for walking around in the forest might be better for the day that Reiner had planned ahead for us.

“Ok. Please wait a moment...” I said as I rummaged through the bag to find something that would work.

“No rush...” Reiner said.

I smiled at him. It was good to see him relax a little like this. He’s always a little too uptight and serious while we were in the mansion together. Plus, today Reiner was in his casual clothes, and I couldn’t even begin to describe how well it suited him. Jeans and a simple shirt looked amazing on him and gave him such a homey vibe that felt so different from when he was in his butler uniform.

Reiner showed me to a bedroom with an attached bathroom and that was where I changed into my new set of clothes. When I was done, we went out of the mansion together. It was late in the morning by this time and the sun was brighter than in the morning. The leaves and branches of the large trees gave us decent shade though. The wind was strong, and the atmosphere felt pleasant. It was like the air was clean and I could breathe deeper than when I was in the city.

Reiner held my hand as we walked side-by-side, just enjoying each other’s company in silence. I looked around at the nature around me and then at the man by my side. I guess, this is what they mean when they refer to peace bringing you happiness. I mean, we weren’t doing anything and we weren’t even talking and yet, I felt so happy just being by his side like this. I didn’t know where he was taking me and truthfully, I didn’t care.

Perhaps, happiness was that simple.

“I’m surprised that Lucien agreed to this,” I said while I walked by his side.

“He didn’t,” Reiner said curtly.

“What?! You brought me out without telling him?” I said in shock. This didn’t seem like something that Reiner would do at all.

“I told him that I’ll be taking you out. I didn’t tell him about this place, though. As far as he’s concerned, you’re at some hot spring place that’s supposed to help heal your injuries and relax your muscles,” Reiner explained like it was no big deal.

“Oh...I see. I’m still surprised that he let me out though,” I said softly.

“I was surprised too...” Reine admitted.

We both ended up laughing a little at that. I guessed I should have a talk with Lucien when I returned from this trip. I knew that he was just being protective of me, but I was sure that continuing this way wasn’t going to be healthy for him, for me or for anyone. Somehow, we’ll need to get over the incident and move on with our lives.

It has been around a month since I was allowed to leave the house, so I fully intended to enjoy this trip outside. I never knew that freedom tasted so sweet until it was taken away from me.

After a while of walking and a part of that was uphill, we arrived at a waterfall and a stream. I mouthed the word ‘wow’ and I guessed my eyes sparkled at the sight before me. This must be nature at its best. I’ve never been an outdoor person as far as I remembered and getting up close to nature like this wasn’t really my thing. However, I had to say that the small waterfall and stream in front of me felt relaxing to the eyes and ears.

“It’s a pleasant surprise, isn’t it?” Reiner asked and I could feel his presence close behind me.

“Definitely. I never expected that there would be a waterfall and a stream here,” I agreed.

“Do you know how to fish?” Reiner asked.

I think I’ve had a conversation similar to this one with him before. It was probably when he took me to row a boat. If I recalled correctly, back then he asked if I could swim. My lips curved into a smile as I recalled the events of that day.

“Do I look like I know how to fish?” I asked.

“No...I was just asking in case I’d get lucky,” Reiner replied with a wry smile.

“Guess this just taught you not to rely too much on your luck,” I said before laughing at him.

“I never rely on my luck...” Reine replied, sounding very serious.

“Aha...so are we going to fish?” I asked.

I could see that there were fishes in the stream but catching them was a different issue all together. Can’t we just eat normal food? Now that I think about it, I wasn’t sure if Reine packed food from the mansion and clearly there were no restaurants around here either.

“Yes, but since you just told me that you can’t fish. I’ll have to teach you first,” Reiner stated matter-of-factly.

“Is this part of my training?” I asked curiously. After all, we are at some type of training ground and a very large one at that.

“I guess...” he said with a shrug.

I watched him unpacking stuff from a bag that he had carried along with us on our walk. I didn’t know anything about fishing, but I could tell that those were probably fishing tools.

Chapter 305: Reiner - Payback

“What are we going to do with the fish? Will we eat them?” I asked, having mixed feelings about this.

“I’ve packed lunch so the fish will be for dinner,” Reine replied as he busied himself preparing the fishing rods.

I looked down at the clear water in the stream and I could see a few fishes swimming by. Seriously, I’m having very mixed feeling about fishing for them and then killing them for dinner. It’s true that I’m not vegan and I’ve eaten fish before many times in my life but I guess fishing for them and eating them feels a little different than if they were just served to me cooked on a plate.

“Pay attention, Natalia. I’m going to teach you how to fish,” Reiner said as he came to stand next to my side.

“Ok...” I murmured softly in response.

...

Clearly fishing wasn’t a thing for me and I had never expected that I would excel at such an activity. Not surprisingly, I was right. It was just boring, and I didn’t quite know what to do. Soon, I lost interest in fishing all together. How am I supposed to pay attention to fishing when all I’m interested in is the man next to me?

Everything he did caught my attention and I found every single detail mesmerizing. The way the sun shone on his red hair from above. His blue eyes as they focused on the task at hand. The way his hands moved about. The way his brows creased slightly in concentration. I couldn’t keep my eyes, or my mind off him.

“R...what are you plans for the future?” I asked while I watched him fish.

“You’re not paying any attention, are you?” Reiner asked rhetorically.

“Just answer my question...” I said.

“I don’t have any,” Reiner replied blankly.

“How can that be?” I questioned.

“What about you?” He asked instead of replying to my question.

“Umm...I’m not sure to be honest. Getting a job that is interesting would be a good start. I want to feel like I’m making progress in life and not just depending on other people for help all the time...” I replied after thinking for a bit.

“Sounds tough. Good luck, Natalia...” Reiner said encouragingly.

“I want to be more independent...and have a normal life...” I said seriously.

“You’ll be fine...” he said before turning to smile a little my way.

“Why did you...choose the job that you chose?” I asked, obviously not referring to his job as my butler.

Reiner was silent for a while as he seemed to ponder his answer. I waited patiently as I stared up at his face. I really wanted to know why someone would choose a profession like his...

“I’m good at it,” Reiner replied matter-of-factly.

“That’s it?” I asked in disbelief. There’s got to be something more to it, right?

“My family...they all have the same job...” Reiner said softly.

What did he just say? His family...

I knew that he had just told me that his whole family were in the same profession but what I really cared about was the fact that he had finally told me something about himself. That’s a first.

If I recalled correctly, he told me that he had normal parents and no siblings before. Now I guess I knew a little more about them.

“So, you basically decided to follow in your parent’s footsteps?” I asked, curiously.

It was hard to imagine that his entire family were trained soldiers or mercenaries. Well, I guess these families really do exist...

“I’m just good at it...” Reiner repeated.

“If you have children, will they have to take up the same profession?” I asked, fully interested to hear his answer.

“I don’t know...” Reiner replied passively.

“But you do want to have children, right?” I asked, further pressing the matter.

“I don’t know...” he replied once again with the same response.

“I do. I want to have a few kids. Maybe one that’ll look like me and one that’ll look like his or her father...” I said dreamily.

“Then you should start by getting a job first and then finding a suitable husband for yourself,” Reiner said, sounding very serious.

I looked at Reiner with wide eyes before blinking rapidly in disbelief. Did I hear him right just now? Is this man really clueless or is he just trying to piss me off?!

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a very funny guy?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him.

“No...” Reiner replied cluelessly.

I should have known that dropping hints like that wasn’t going to work on this solid brick wall. Now that our conversation came to a pause, Reiner returned his attention to the fishing rods. He still has completely no idea about what he just said. I watched him silently as I started getting more annoyed at his carefree behavior.

I bent down and dipped my hand into the stream, feeling the slightly cold water run through my fingers. I smirked as a slightly mischievous thought entered my mind. Payback should be sweet...

“R...look this way please,” I said sweetly.

“What is it?” Reiner asked as he turned to look my way.

At the same time, I scooped up water with both of my hand and splashed it on him. His eyes widened in shock at my action and the water that had splashed onto his face and shirt. I couldn’t hold it in anymore and started laughing loudly. His surprised expression was absolutely adorable. It’s so fun to see the usually calm and stern Reiner so stunned.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Reiner asked in confusion as he stood up.

“Splashing water on you...” I replied while still laughing.

“Stop playing around like a kid, Natalia...” Reiner said before he sighed.

“Why? It’s so fun!” I said while still laughing.

I reached into the water and started splashing more water onto Reiner while I laughed. He brought his hands up to block the water from getting onto him. It wasn’t every day that I could act carefree like this. Being in the mansion or being outside, I had to always live up to the Rosenhall name. Splashing water around in the middle of the mountain like this wouldn’t quite fit the image.