“You better get some sleep. Call Laura if you need anything,” Reiner said before turning to leave again.
“What about you?” I asked, clearly confused.
We’re finally back home, doesn’t he want to spend more time with me or anything? I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time and it wasn’t playing out the way that I had expected.
“I’m going to my room. I have work to do. You rest up and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Reiner said, sounding extremely strict.
He was out the door before I could protest or say anything more.
Great. He’s gone.
I wondered what work he had to do that was so urgent…
…
It was late at night and the mansion was dead quiet. Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t go to sleep. I lay there in my bed wide-eyed, and I didn’t even bother to count sheep, knowing that it would be useless. After tossing and turning for what felt like an eternity, I sat up on the bed. Without thinking, I swung my legs off the bed and before I knew what I was doing, my feet were already taking me out of the door.
**Knock Knock Knock**
I knocked on the door and waited for the owner of the room to open the door for me. Holding my breath, I counted down from three and just when I was about to count one, the closed door in front of me opened.
“Why are you here, My Lady?” Reiner asked, sounding very suspicious of me.
Good question. Why am I here?
“I can’t sleep…” I replied, honestly.
“And?” Reiner asked for me to go on.
“And…my feet just brought me here…” I replied, still very honest.
Reiner sighed loudly before looking down the empty hallway. I felt like we had a conversation like this before way back and it made me want to laugh.
“Aren’t you going to let me in?” I asked, putting a hand on my waist, and tapping my foot.
“No…” Reiner replied flatly.
The door in front of me began closing.
“Wait!” I cried out as I grabbed the doorknob and started pulling.
“What do you want, Natalia?” Reiner asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Let me in…” I demanded.
“Why?” he asked bluntly.
“Why are you being so mean? It’s so cold out here in the hallway and I’m not wearing much. I’m still recovering you know…I could get sick…” I said in a small voice before faking a few small coughs.
I peered at him from under my eyelashes as I kept up my sweet and sick girl act.
Reiner just rolled his eyes at me. However, he did step aside so that I could go into his room, so I guess that that was a win for me, right?
I smiled happily at him once I was inside his room. Surprisingly, the lights were still on and there were paper scatted all over his worktable. I guess he really was still working.
“What are you working on?” I asked as I started looking at the paper scattered on the table.
“Go to sleep,” Reiner replied as he pointed to the bed.
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