Lariette was more excited than Ruediger, much to his delight and helplessness. She immediately dragged him to his room, wanting to help move things to hers.

"Lettie, we can just do it later," Ruediger said as he swept his gaze across the bedroom.

"It's fine. Let's complete it today," Lariette beamed, happy with his suggestion, "Come on! Time to work!"

Thus, the pair began another session of labor. Aside from a few items, the pair relocated all to her bedroom.

Her spacious wardrobe was filled with his clothes, his skincare items were lined next to hers on the vanity table, and his books were piled on the bedside table.

Lariette and Ruediger didn't take too much time transferring the items to her bedroom. They stopped halfway at eight to have dinner before finishing the rest.

By eleven, the exhausted pair lay on the bed, but with wide smiles on their lips. Instead of going to sleep immediately, they were still awake to chat.

The lights were already switched off, aside from the tulip lamp on one of the bedside tables. Soft, orange glow illuminated the bedroom.

Nuzzling his nose on her face, Ruediger whispered, "You're that excited, huh? I should bring it up sooner."

Delight washed over his heart when she fussed about where to put his belongings in the room. He resisted kissing her over and over because of how adorable she looked to him.

"Hehe, of course," Lariette laughed. Holding his face, she pecked his cheeks and lips, "It's good you don't snore when sleeping. If not, I won't agree."

He grinned, and his gaze softened, "You can kick me out of bed if I snore."

She rolled her eyes while he laughed.

Rather than going back and forth from her room to his, it was better to share one like most couples. She didn't have even an ounce of reluctance because of how good her man was.

Ever since she limited her contact with her maiden family a few months ago, life had become so much better. And her happiness intensified the longer she spent time with him.

He was great, even from the very beginning. She also discovered more of his charms day by day. At the same time, she strived to offer him the same love and compassion.

"Lettie, sleep. Aren't you tired enough? We did quite a labor today."

Ruediger pulled the blanket, covering Lariette from her feet to her chest. He had already decided to spoil her with more delicious food tomorrow.

"I'm not sleepy yet."

Narrowing her eyes, Lariette had a mischievous smile on her lips. She sneakily slipped her hand under Ruediger's pajama before tracing her fingers on his abdominal muscles.

His figure was well-maintained. She giggled when she felt them tighten under her touch. He quickly grasped her hand, his voice slightly hoarse when he called her name.

"Lettie..."

She leaned closer, whispering into his ear, "How about... some kind of exercise?"

He wasted no time. After all, his lady was quite a temptress right now. With a few swift movements, he tossed the blanket and their clothes aside.

The satiated Lariette and Ruediger went to bed after midnight, clinging tightly as they hugged each other. Before sleeping, she lightly hammered his chest to complain, but he replied innocently that she lit the fire first.

The relaxing weekend ended after two days.

The week following the final exam felt slower than usual, but not any less tiring for Lariette and her fellow colleagues.

Grading papers and compiling yearly evaluations took up most of their hours at school. To make it in time, some of them brought their work home.

At the same time, the students happily decorated the school with Christmas decorations, most of which were handmade.

Principal Smith announced that he would reward the most beautiful class for each grade. This flamed the students' competitive spirit to do their best.

"Haa... This is the part no one warns you about when you dream of becoming a teacher," Phoebe exhaled a sigh on Wednesday afternoon. She flipped through a stack of papers.

Nora, scribbling notes beside her, added, "I've seen more than ten students write 'their going to the park' instead of 'they're'."

Lariette chuckled as she listened to her colleagues' sighing. Putting her pen down, she rubbed her temples, "We're almost there. Just this week and the next, and we'll be free until January."

The winter break began on December 20th and ended on January 3rd. Not only the students, but also the teachers had been waiting for the two-week holiday.

When Lariette resumed grading the essays, her phone buzzed with two messages. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her beloved's name. She quickly opened them.

[Ruediger: It's almost three. Have you eaten?]

[Ruediger: Don't forget the snack I packed for you. It's in the bag]

Lariette grinned despite her exhaustion. Her fingers swiftly typed replies.

[Lariette: I did! The oat crumble was delicious!]

[Lariette: We have more at home, right?]

Ruediger packed some cherry and chia oat crumble as snacks. He made it last night, saying it should help to keep her mood light because of how tasty it was.

Lariette shared it with Nora and Phoebe. As always, both of them sang high praises, making her laugh. They said in envy how great to have a capable cook and baker as a partner.

When his responses arrived seconds later, she swore she could hear him laugh.

[Ruediger: Of course. Need to keep you fed through this grading apocalypse]

[Ruediger: See you at five, sweetheart. Stay warm]

Lariette smiled. After sending 'OK', she continued her work. She hoped to clock out at five as planned. Some of her colleagues stayed at school until seven.

One of them was Mr. Eastwood, Lariette's new neighbor. Today, he invited the teachers to his apartment for a housewarming party this Saturday. Most of them agreed to attend.

Every day, Ruediger welcomed Lariette home with warm meals. Creamy stews, roasted vegetables, soft bread, meat dishes and desserts.

That Wednesday evening, different yet equally delicious and fulfilling dishes awaited her.

"Eddy, you're spoiling me rotten," Lariette teased as Ruediger served her chicken soup with root vegetables, "I feel like I've gained some weight. There's more flesh at my waist."

She discovered some of her skirts and pants felt tighter. When she pinched her waist, she felt it was more fleshy, even though she didn't look much different in the mirror.

Still, she didn't dare to stand on the weight scale.

Out of sight, out of mind.

"Your weight is healthy," Ruediger said, kissing her cheek before he sat across from her, "And busy minds need fuel. Don't worry too much. It's better to eat more in winter."

What he didn't tell her was, it felt better whenever he held her recently. She felt softer with the extra flesh. And he also liked rubbing her belly pooch.

At first, she was quite insecure and talked about limiting her food intake, but he reassured her time and again that she was perfect enough as she was. There was no need to starve herself.

Of course, they still had to pay attention to have a balanced diet. More proteins, vegetables and fruits. Despite always making desserts, he regularly opted for the healthier versions.

Lariette grinned before digging in. She knew that Ruediger cared for her. Still, she felt great.