Becoming a Monster

Chapter 440: Chapter 440: Different Hearts, Same Path

The silence lingered longer than it should have.

Noah finally shifted, resting his forearms against his knees. "If you’re going to stand there," he said calmly, "you might as well sit."

Arachne flinched.

She had become so lost in her fears that she didn’t realize that she hadn’t said anything yet.

Slowly, she brought herself to his side as he sat at the edge of the bed, but she didn’t sit down. Not because there wasn’t enough space, but because the act of sitting on the bed with him made her feel even more uneasy in a way that she couldn’t quite understand.

Noah didn’t comment on it. He noticed, of course, but as he sensed her unease, he knew that asking to sit down again would only make it harder for her to speak her mind.

Instead, Noah fought through his grogginess and stood up to face her. The act elicited a strong response, one where Arachne’s first instinct was to step back. However, the weight on her back foot paused, and the act of backing down spurred the pride of the Queen in her.

Her eyes focused more than before. She remained uneasy, but her gaze was no longer that of someone who didn’t know what they wanted.

"That’s the Queen that I remember." Noah’s uncovered face showed an endearing smile at the sight. His hand swept softly across her cheek, removing a strand of her hair. A jolt of emotions erupted within her and a touch of red filling the paleness of her cheeks.

Even before Noah heard her answer, he already knew what her decision was. If she were another one of his companions, or if she entered into his life later than what she did, he doubted if he could accept her feelings.

Not because he didn’t care for her, but because he already struggled when it came to being attentive to Ailetta’s affection and reciprocating them in a timely manner.

If he were to add another person within his love circle, he worried that the relationship would demand more affection than what he knew how to give. And doing so would ruin the relationship that they had painstakingly built.

But with Arachne, he was willing to take that risk.

Ailetta had already shown him that this was what she also wanted, and most importantly, Arachne was placed at a position in his heart that was comparable to even Ailetta’s. Because it was Arachne who stood by him, fought with him, sacrificed for him, and kept him sane when he trudged this new world alone.

Arachne’s shoulders eased while under his warm smile. The fear that anchored her from speaking had finally lifted.

"Emotions are...complicated." She started off, although with difficulty in finding the right words to say.

"I still don’t know what love is. I don’t understand why my chest hurts the way it does... Even now..." Her voice was softer than it had ever been before as she grabbed Noah’s hand, placing it right above her breastplate that revealed her skin.

"My heart, it’s going so fast. It’s always this way. And it only happens with you. When you give others attention, when I think about you, when I feel weak, when I let you down, and when I... see you with Aile-Le.."

She finished the name quietly. Noah could sense that she was embarrassed to say the name. But more than anything, he understood the implication of Arachne using Ailetta’s nickname that he gave her.

"I won’t pretend I’m fine anymore. And I won’t act like I don’t want what you and L-Le have." She looked away for half a second, then back again.

"I want to stand beside you."

With each word, her eyes were steadily assessing Noah’s expression. And seeing that the warmth in his eyes hadn’t lessened at all, the confidence in her stance became more pronounced.

Noah didn’t speak right away. His eyes were piercing through hers, as if digging deep into her soul. Her soul spoke more than her words ever could. And what he felt made him regret allowing Arachne to go through this for so long.

"You’re still the same silly Queen." Noah let out a soft chuckle. However, his response elicited a reaction that was the complete opposite from his.

Noah didn’t hesitate this time. Before he allowed Arachne to misunderstand, he stepped closer, resting his forehead lightly against hers.

"You are no one else but Arachne. There’s no reason to want what Le and I have, because our

His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek. "Those things don’t cancel each other out. I don’t expect you to fight for attention. And I don’t want you measuring yourself against anyone else. That was never what I wanted from you."

Arachne felt her chest thrumming more violently than before, her face releasing enough heat to give off imaginary steam, but she didn’t look away.

"I won’t promise to be perfect," Noah said. "I already know I’m not. I miss things. I’m slow. I don’t always notice when I should." His lips curved faintly. "You’ve suffered because of that." He lifted his head just enough to look at her properly.

"But I won’t let you feel like you’re standing alone while I walk forward ever again."

Arachne wasn’t sure what to expect next. What she was given was already enough to keep her daydreaming for the rest of the day. But if it wasn’t enough, she sensed Noah’s face grow even closer. Then, her lips felt the soft impression of his.

Her eyes widened inexplicably. She recognized what this was, not because of the feeling, but because this was what she had witnessed Noah and Ailetta doing before, and also what she had been thinking about doing since the moment Noah had stopped her.

When Noah finally pulled back, it was then that Arachne realized she was so focused on the distant memory that she couldn’t savor the moment. Her face instinctively leaned towards Noah’s. Her tongue wiped across her lips as if it would allow her to relive the experience.

Noah couldn’t stop himself from smiling from the sight. The proud Queen looked away from embarrassment.

He didn’t give her time to retreat into it.

He leaned in again, slower this time, giving her just enough space to pull away if she wanted to. She didn’t. Her hesitation melted the moment his lips met hers again.

"You don’t need to hold yourself back with me," he said quietly. There was no teasing in his voice this time. "Not your pride, not your jealousy, let it all out."

Her eyes flickered as if weighing his words against her instinct.

For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then her grip tightened again, chin lifting just slightly. A crazed glint surfaced in her eyes.

The pressing against his lips became more aggressive than before.

Suddenly, Noah felt Arachne pressing into him, pushing him down onto the bed, where she continued to fill the longing that built up without her knowing.

__________________

Meanwhile, outside the home, Ailetta and Eve were both entertaining themselves with the cats and dogs. Ailetta, who was allowed to pet Alexandria the third’s fur, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

A dangerous pressure leaked out before she could stop it, causing the nearby creatures’ furs to stiffen. Alexandria found herself in a horrifying predicament. Wanting to distance herself, but also too close to the source to feel secure enough to move.

And just as quickly as that pressure converged on them, it washed away.

No matter how much Ailetta rooted for Arachne’s success, her obsessive nature knew no bounds. In the end, she used the connection she had with Noah to stay aware of everything.

The entire time, Ailetta was happy for her. Even when they kissed, she felt that Arachne was finally getting what she deserved.

It was what happened afterwards that caused her emotions to run amok.

Arachne was able to go further than she had. The passionate love session should’ve been hers first!

Ailetta blinked, her hand lowering slowly as if nothing had happened. Her expression shifted, surprise giving way to something faintly amused.

"Letta?" Ailetta caught herself as she heard the curious voice across from her.

She saw Eve tilting her head, looking her way. Within the vampire’s arms, she was tightly clinging onto Dog, whose uncomfortable expression indicated that he didn’t know what he should do.

Ailetta smiled again, the warmth returning to her eyes as she resumed stroking Alexandria’s fur as though nothing had interrupted her at all.

"It’s nothing," she said lightly. "I just remembered something that Noah promised me that he hasn’t given me yet."

Her words seemed like too much to say to a naive girl such as Eve. But between the two, Eve would oftentimes reveal her true self. A naive, but psychotic vampire.

Eve seemed to ponder over what Ailetta could mean. Instantly, she thought about how Noah had allowed her to drink his blood only once and never again. She could relate to how Ailetta was feeling because even she felt a little annoyed just thinking about it.

Dog, on the other hand, was forced to bear the unneeded tightening of her hold.