Chapter 321: The Last Time She Saw Him
Lariette paused as she tried to rearrange her thoughts to fit the pieces properly. She was quite absentminded as she kept pressing Ruediger’s fingers, her gaze distant.
Somehow, the act seemed to lessen her uneasiness.
Ruediger just let Lariette play with his hand. He also needed the touch for he had held his breath a few times due to dread spiraling within him. His stomach churned with a lurking sense of unrest.
Fear flickered in his emerald eyes, their clarity now darkened with worry. He swallowed, wondering what she truly felt about the story she would soon tell him.
"One day... I sneaked out to meet him after I returned from school. I think it’s the third or fourth month after their family’s arrival."
Lariette finally resumed, her tone akin to a whisper. Uncertainty laced her voice, but she pushed herself to go through with what she had begun.
Ruediger pursed his lips, once again unknowingly holding his breath. As he searched Lariette’s face, he quietly told himself to stay calm.
Her voice continued to resonate in the living room.
"That day... the forest, the area near his house was so strangely quiet. You know the saying? When a predator of some sort is nearby, the forest can be deathly still. I think I thought a tiger or a bear was there."
Wrinkling her brows, Lariette took a deep breath. She gave Ruediger a tiny smile when he squeezed her hand as if trying to calm her. She returned the same gesture.
"It was so unnerving, Eddy. I never felt that way before even when I played in the forest alone. I wanted to run, but... I couldn’t. I thought of him."