Chapter 59
Chapter 59
Isaac walked silently, not wanting to be disturbed by the sound of his own footsteps. Even if he called, Arietta wouldn’t answer. He decided to forgo the futile gesture.
Standing in the hallway, he listened intently. His night vision and hearing were keen. Suddenly, the sound of splashing water reached him. A sense of foreboding gripped his heart.
He remembered her trembling voice, “When you arrived, was my mother still alive?” It was the first time Isaac had seen Arietta shaken. The ever-confident, almost devilish girl had only become comprehensible to him after the loss of her parents.
“She was dead. Her head was submerged in a water bucket.”
That memory had bothered him. The girl who held me captive and controlled my life was just a person after all. I would have preferred her to be a monster. And so, he hadn’t missed the opportunity to torment her. Arietta had responded with a bright, yet wounded, laugh.
He’d thought it would feel good to see her hurt, to retaliate for all the times she’d toyed with him. But seeing her face stained with hurt and guilt hadn’t brought him the satisfaction he’d expected. What was that contradiction?
No, this wasn’t the time to dwell on such thoughts. Isaac hurried towards the bathroom. He opened the door to find Arietta slumped over in the bathtub, her head submerged. In the darkness, only her body seemed to glow. The image of Seia, whom he had seen long ago, overlapped with Arietta’s form.
***
Slap!
Her cheek stung. Water streamed down her neck and into the hollow of her chest. Air rushed into her lungs. Arietta realized she was alive again. Her consciousness had faded, feeling distant and dark. She thought she could die. Her mother had been waiting.
Submerging her head had been strangely comforting, perhaps because the true death she longed for had seemed so close. It was even the same manner of death as her mother’s.
But now, a strong hand gripped her hair. “What are you doing?” Isaac growled.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Arietta’s dark hair, clinging to her white back like seaweed, swayed as she coughed and sputtered, expelling the water from her nose and throat. Only now did her nose and throat burn.
“What if someone had seen you?” Isaac quickly checked Arietta’s appearance, seemingly concerned that her clothes might have ridden up. He hadn’t expected a reply, and when Arietta remained silent, he scooped her up into his arms.
“Does it matter who sees me now?” Arietta finally asked, exasperated. To her surprise, he glared at her with a sharp, intense gaze.
Long ago, she might have found it merely endearing, but having been on the receiving end of that murderous look multiple times, a primal fear gripped her. Arietta averted her eyes. Only after he had subdued her did Isaac’s venomous gaze soften.
He carried her back to the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. The crisp, freshly laundered white sheets became soaked. Her damp hair, a tangled mess, spread across the fabric.
“Why are you doing this? What do you want?” Isaac glared at her. “If you want something, put on a show where everyone can see. Don’t resort to these twisted methods.”
“I want death. That’s why I’m doing this.”
“Why?”
A hollow laugh escaped her. After her second attempt had failed and Isaac had discovered everything, this was the question she’d expected. Yet, hearing it now, she was dumbfounded.
“You wouldn’t understand, even if I told you.”
While there was a reason for her actions, explaining it to Isaac now would be pointless.
“Are you joking with me?” Isaac’s eyes were bloodshot. As he flexed his fingers, black fur crept across the back of his hand. His body began to swell. Arietta froze.
Just before he fully transformed into his beast form, Isaac managed to suppress his rage. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.
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