Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Awkward Atmosphere
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Arachne blinks her eyes twice. Her cheek must be stinging just as fiercely as the palm of my hand that slapped it. Unlike Amy, she even staggers for a moment after the blow.
"Ah...?"
It takes quite a while for her to process what just happened. Arachne clutches her swelling red cheek and stares blankly at me.
"Cut it out a little. Even in a battle of wills, keep it to something I can tolerate. How long are you going to keep this up?"
I meet her gaze head-on while grappling with the emotions churning inside me. There's more stifling heaviness than relief, and the discomfort radiating from the rigid atmosphere seeps into my body, stirring an unpleasant guilt.
But I don't regret slapping her. It had to be done.
"Is the kid's life a joke? You get all thrilled because I'm the one getting swayed every time you keep bringing it up like that?"
"Huh...?"
Arachne glares at me in a daze, not knowing what to do. No, she can't even glare anymore—her sharp eyes grow hazy and start quivering.
"You... you just hit me..."
"Yeah, I hit you. To knock some sense into you. How long are you going to keep threatening me with the kid's life?"
She seems pretty shocked, barely able to get the words out. Only faint breaths escape her trembling lips.
Plop—
Before she knows it, Arachne collapses to the floor. Her sturdy legs can't support her weight.
The sharp nails and legs that once severed prey's breath now just scrape uselessly against the ground. Arachne can't pull herself together—her face flushes crimson as she grinds her teeth fiercely.
Unfamiliar with this situation, she can't immediately figure out what to do. Come to think of it, has anyone ever slapped her face before in her whole life? Let alone a male...?
"J-Joo-ho, you can't do this to me...! You're the one who made me like this, and now I even have your kid...!"
That's why she drags out her usual attitude one last time. Honestly, aside from dragging the child or family into it, she has no other moves left.
In the past, Arachne might have tried to kill me or hack off my limbs by now. But against the current me, there's no opening for her fangs or claws to sink in.
"Cut that crap too. I've said it more than ten times already. That's plenty. I get it."
"What...?"
Arachne clenches and unclenches her hand absentmindedly, chewing over her own predicament. If she were truly cornered, she could slash me with those nails or subdue me quick and bolt...
But Arachne's nails will never carve into my limbs. Fear has already taken root on her face as she barely swallows a thick glob of saliva.
She's sharp-minded. She can easily picture what would happen if she dared touch me here.
Just a few days ago, she got tossed wholesale to Amy, which must be amplifying that fear. As long as there's an obstacle she can't overpower by force, Arachne won't act rashly.
And the bigger problem is my sudden attitude shift. Now her eyelids tremble as she starts peeking at my expression. Her face twists into utter distress—she never saw this coming.
"W-We’re a c-couple... husband and wife...?"
She looks almost pitiful now. It's a far cry from the tears she's shed before. More genuine, maybe.
They say women know how to cry for their own gain, and men can never tell the truth of it...
"No, wait... Wh-what's with you all of a sudden? What are you doing?"
The bewilderment on Arachne's face carries an unmistakable honesty she can't hide. Now she's even breaking out in cold sweat, looking up at me.
"Joo-ho, did you forget what you did to me? My mom and dad... even my sisters..."
"I remember it all. That's why I've held back this long. You've made concessions too, from your side. But this? This is too far."
Arachne tilts her head, eyeing me with pitiful caution. Her white, silky hair clings to her forehead and cheeks, damp with cold sweat.
It's a look that doesn't suit a woman who's been idolized her whole life. I can't even begin to guess the storm of complicated thoughts raging in her head.
Why is Joo-ho acting like this?
This isn't right. It's not part of my plan. I didn't expect him to get this mad. What happens now? This isn't how it's supposed to go...
Guilt surges up in me again as I look down at her. Watching those anxious, trembling eyes is pure torment.
But I can't run from the fight like I used to. If I really care for Arachne—if I want to steer our relationship right—I have to embrace these clashes and arguments.
"Arachne, don't get the wrong idea. It's not that I hate you or that I'm trying to cast you aside harshly."
Even after I say that, she's still teary-eyed, watching my every move. She must be deeply shaken.
"But if you keep bringing up the kid like this, I really can't hold back anymore. I can take anything else, but not this. Never."
Worried she'll suffer some irreparable wound, I carefully shape my pent-up feelings into words.
I could explode in rage or yell at her. But that's not my intent. The madder I get, the calmer I need to stay.
"Talking about killing yourself or us dying together because of our child... just don't. Every time I hear it, my blood runs cold and my head throbs. I don't even want to imagine that scene."
Arachne blinks at me, staring intently. A new flavor of confusion flickers in her eyes.
This doesn't match whatever she predicted or expected from me. Given her personality and life, persuasion without violence or threats must feel utterly alien.
"So please, can you stop saying stuff like that? You're precious to me, and so is our child. Don't even joke about it. Even if you think you could really do it, let's not go there between us. Okay?"
Truth be told, I've thrown out life-on-the-line threats a few times myself. Yeah, what card works better in a negotiation?
But those violent, extreme words have no place between spouses. They're sentences we have to avoid at all costs. Relationships like that never last.
"I'm your mate. If something about me upsets you, find another way to say it. Honestly, I feel bad about a lot toward you. That's why I want to treat you better, build something stronger. So let's cut down on these fights. Got it?"
"What?"
Arachne finally lets a dazed sound slip from those red lips. She looks like she can't wrap her head around my words.
"What are you even doing right now?"
"I'm telling you—don't do it anymore."
Her tears and sweat finally stop.
She spaces out for a moment with her messy face, then heats up so intensely that a hazy steam seems to rise, turning her into a beet-red radish.
"Huh...?"
It's a striking sight. With her already snow-white hair and porcelain skin, the flush stands out all the more.
"Is this... over?"
"For now, yeah. I don't want to stay mad. Don't want to hate you. We've got a kid now. We should get along."
If love is like the hunt,
then right now, I'm clutching the prey I barely caught and licking it tenderly, aren't I?
Arachne seems to see it that way too. Life in the wild—and her life—isn't that forgiving.
"Ah, uh-huh..."
The hand that caressed her belly while threatening me now rests near her chest. As if listening to her own heartbeat.
"Yeah..."
I can't feel that pulse,
but her unrelenting red cheeks and wavering eyes speak volumes for her pounding heart.
"Um, anyway... you're not mad anymore, right?"
"...Yeah."
She's still watching me warily, half-suspecting some trap or trick, but I give her a quick hug and pat before heading out.
"I'll come back later. Get some rest."
"Ah, uh-huh..."
The subtle awkwardness that follows a fight.
In that tense air, Arachne fidgets, toying with her teacup and spinning spider silk aimlessly.