CHAPTER 55: IN HIS ROOM

In His Room

“You're right, | wouldn't have told you. There is no need for you to know where my room is. If you need

me, you can just call’ Reiner replied, and | knew

that logically he was right.

“Well, there seems to be a need for all the maids in the mansion to know where you room is. How

come |’m the only one without the need to know?” |

countered. I had my logic too.

Reiner sighed loudly as he seemed to have given up.

“Now that you know where my room is, what are you going to do with that information? By the way, all

the maids know where my room is so that they

can find me in case of emergencies and I’m not picking up my phone. They don’t know where my room

is so that they can come inside and play,”

Reiner questioned with challenge in his voice.

Hmm...so he's clearly not going to let me in.

| guess the fact that he wouldn't let me in made me more curious about what his room is like. | just want

to see more of his private space to learn

more about his on a more...personal level? After all, they say that you can learn a lot about the

personality of a person by taking a look at his or her

room.

“Hahaha! You're so on guard around me now. Don't worry, I'll give up for now, but in no time at all, you'll

willingly let me inside your room...” | stated with

certainty, a smile on my lips. The one who will win this challenge will be me. You'll be letting me inside

in no time...

| had no idea when | said that that the time would come much sooner than | thought and for a very

different reason...

“RI...RE..Reiner!” | yelled his name so loudly that my throat hurts as | pounded hard on his door. My

hands hurt from the effort of my pounding, but

nothing beats the throbbing pain in my head.

I don’t remember how I got here but if he doesn’t open this door soon...they’re going to get me! They’re

going to find me! My

body was wet with sweat and my face was wet with tears. Please, you have to open the door!

“Natalia...” Reiner whispered in shock when he saw me standing in front of his door.

The moment I saw him, I threw myself into his arms as I hugged him tightly to me.

“Help me...R...” I sobbed into his hard chest. My voice was so cracked that I could barely recognize that

as my own voice. I was

panting hard and finding it difficult to speak and stay on my feet.

Natalia is crying. Something is very wrong about her right now. She looks scared out of her mind,

hopefully, of something that

doesn’t truly exist. She’s still crying hard and her frail body is shaking in my arms. Judging from the fact

that she is wearing

only her night gown and is barefoot, she most likely ran straight to my room from her bedroom. I hope

no one saw her in this

state running around this late at night.

I stroked her messy hair softly as I held her tighter in my arms. I need to calm her down before I can

find out what is

bothering her. She’s about to lose her ability to stand as she leaned even more of her weight on me.

Seems like I have no

choice, I looked behind her on both sides of the corridor to check that no one saw us before pulling her This belongs to : ©.

gently into my room,

closing the door behind us and locking it.

This is so ironic. True to her words this afternoon, I did let her into my room in no time at all...

The moment I heard the door of Reiner’s room close behind us, I felt a little safer as if whoever that

was chasing me wouldn’t

reach me here. I knew deep down that there was absolutely no one and nothing chasing me in this

mansion, but my fear

wouldn’t subside. My head was still throbbing, and I focused all of my energy to control my irregular

breathing. I leaned my

body on Reiner as my legs gave out and he supported me as we slowly slid together to the floor. I hate

how I’m feeling right

now, and I hate that he has to see me like this. I'm always showing him my worst and never my best.

I was still unable to stop the sobs that were wrecking my body as I hugged Reiner tighter to me, my

nails digging into his back.

I closed my eyes and focus on steadying my breathing as I inhaled Reiner’s calming scent. It reminded

me that I was not

alone, Reiner was with me. Reiner hugged me tighter as he continued to stroke my hair and then my

back. He’s so warm and

comforting. I want to be in his arms like this forever.

“Natalia...can you get up?” Reiner whispered softly in a calm voice into my ear after a while has

passed.

I shook my head in reply, not trusting the sound of my own voice and my ability to speak.

“Can you put your arms around my neck?” Reiner asked softly. I slowly moved my arm upwards a little

so that my arms were

around his neck.

I felt his arm under my knees and around my back before my body was lifted princess-style into his

strong arms. How he

carried me seemed so effortless and yet he handled me with such care as he slowly walked towards

his bed. I felt the softness

of the pillow behind my head and the touch of the bed on my body as he slowly laid me down. I’m

sleeping in Reiner’s bed, I

thought to myself, as he pulled his blanket over me. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent; this bed

smells like him. It feels so

safe and so warm.

His footsteps were silent as always, so I felt rather than heard him walking away.

--To be continued...