Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 172: Anxiety

The noise snapped Melissa out of her meditation, drawing her emotionless gaze to its source. That wasn’t her first time witnessing it, and she wasn’t new to the painful training some martial arts demanded, so she readied herself to refocus on her circulation technique.

Yet, Liam didn’t miss the event and knew that it would be his only chance of warning Melissa about his imminent plans.

"Senior Sister," Liam called, hitting the slab again. "I’ll probably go into seclusion tonight."

Melissa’s gaze returned to Liam. She knew exactly what that implied. She would do it herself if the nutrients her core required weren’t so problematic to come by. Even trading her findings in the ruins had fallen short of that.

"I don’t think it will take long," Liam calculated, his attention still on the slab, "Probably a week or two, but I worry Senior Brother Simon might do something."

Melissa’s emotionless face almost faltered at how effortlessly Liam confirmed her feelings. Even with something as dangerous as the breakthrough to face, Liam continued to have Melissa’s safety in mind.

And, if Melissa had to be honest, she was also on the verge of exploding.

Melissa’s strategy was simple. Liam was so clueless that words couldn’t suffice. He would abide by any rule Melissa set, but that just wasn’t enough for her.

Just like Melissa had vowed herself to Liam, he had to vow himself to her. He had to belong to her, with forever as the only acceptable time span.

Of course, Liam would never say those words. He probably didn’t know them, but there were other ways to achieve the same result.

Melissa could edge Liam until he became so crazy about her that he would acknowledge and pursue the attraction and affection she knew he felt. The matter had to be so undeniable in his brain that no cluelessness could suppress it.

Melissa didn’t only want to make Liam understand love. She had to own that feeling, forever binding it to her figure, marking him so deeply that nothing would ever erase it.

When Liam thought of women, Melissa had to be the first image in his mind. Whenever Liam wanted company, Melissa had to be the main choice.

If Liam ever felt horny, Melissa had to make sure he only sought her. That very desire had to belong to her, created and existing solely for her, so that Liam never ever considered touching, holding, or even wanting anyone but her.

That was nothing short of manipulation, but Melissa didn’t care. Her opponent didn’t give her much of a choice, and she was no good woman anyway.

If anything, Liam had been the one to awaken Melissa’s impure, possessive, and almost evil traits, so it was only normal that he took responsibility.

Still, Liam possessed an advantage Melissa didn’t have, creating a flaw in her strategy. His cluelessness helped him withstand that assault, while Melissa knew exactly what she wanted to do.

Melissa had lost count of the times her resolve had almost crumbled. She desperately wanted Liam in ways that were too embarrassing to voice. She had come close to kissing him so often her sanity had started to suffer.

However, Melissa had miraculously managed not to ruin her progress, but something that might had arrived. It was unclear how much of her work the seclusion would undo, so it was time to deliver the finishing blow.

When Liam was about to hit the metal slab once more, the unusual movement from his left caught his gaze. Melissa always sat until the Alchemy Elder arrived, but she stood up that time.

Liam watched as Melissa approached him, throwing an emotionless glance at the bow on his shoulder, before sitting on her knees on his right, close enough to lean on his arm.

Fireworks exploded in Liam’s mind at the sensations spreading through his arm. His synapses lit up and fired nonstop, filling him with joy that nothing else in his life had been able to match.

Liam’s mind went blank while also overloading with primal desires that had long since gained clearer shape. He wanted to hold Melissa, savor her softness, kiss her until his lips cracked, and even that fell short of the all-devouring urge that had invaded him.

Yet, Liam held back. Part of that came from cluelessness, but most stemmed from pristine worry. As much as Melissa had authorized him, he feared what he could do. He was genuinely scared that nothing would be left of Melissa if he gave in even once.

Truth was, part of Liam even wanted to consume Melissa, as if he were a hungry beast that had been starving since birth, and that terrified him into voicing that worry.

"Senior Sister, I feel I’m going crazy," Liam said, diverting his gaze to avoid looking at that beautiful face and way-too-close, inviting lips. "I’m even having dreams about you."

Melissa suppressed any excitement or embarrassment. It turned out she could be quite confident and resolute when she employed her evil side. That admission marked Liam’s ripeness, and it was time to push him over the edge.

A soft, graceful hand reached for Liam’s face, turning it to Melissa. She left it there, ensuring that Liam looked at her, only delivering the occasional caress.

Melissa would usually voice a request at that point. She had done so earlier that day, but she just stood there now, her detached green eyes looking straight into Liam’s.

"I ...I ...," Liam muttered, his gaze falling on those velvety lips. "I want to kiss you as lovers do."

It took the entirety of Melissa’s self-control to hide the explosion in her brain and the urge to jump forward. She even stayed silent.

As predicted, Liam didn’t consider asking Melissa to be his lover. The two had to speak through actions. Actually, for the idea to settle in his brain, he had to, and it had to come entirely from him.

So, Melissa leaned past Liam’s shoulder so that her face could be even closer to his. Yet, she stopped there, looking up at him, only placing a hand on his leg for support.

That silence was killing Liam. He truly didn’t know what to do, but Melissa’s face was right under his, calling him, filling him with nothing but unfulfilled curiosity for her taste.

Obviously, Liam wasn’t thinking straight, or at all. He instinctively defaulted to what he had been authorized to do and had already done.

Liam wrapped his right arm behind Melissa’s back and placed his left hand on her golden hair tied in a bun, but she still didn’t react, and that little was far from enough for him.

Next, Liam leaned forward, kissing Melissa’s left cheek, only for her to remain motionless, like a soft statue that followed his every gesture through empty eyes.

Still, there was no interruption now, no shout from outside the cave, no knocking, and no slipping away. Things always ended there, preventing Liam from seeing or seeking where they led, but not that day.

So, Liam leaned down again, following his desire, kissing Melissa right beside her lips. He was about to pull back when something inside him stopped him, keeping his face right before hers.

And Liam didn’t know what stopped him. Maybe his curiosity had finally gotten the better of him. Perhaps his desire had overridden any trace of reason, creating delusions that could justify what he truly wanted.

After all, Melissa’s lips were right there, not even a centimeter away from where Liam’s previous kiss had landed. There couldn’t be that much difference in such a short distance. Melissa had to be fine with him tasting them.

Even if Melissa wasn’t, Liam didn’t believe it would be too unforgivable. That, or the situation’s emotional and physical assault had finally driven him crazy, turning him into a beast.

That craziness would even be justified. Liam felt utmost joy whenever his kiss landed, only for bottomless dread to unfold at Melissa’s lack of reaction. His emotions ricocheted between opposite extremes that knew no middle ground, and things somehow worsened.

Something squeezed Liam’s heart as his face leaned forward. That advance was instinctive, not planned or decided at all, only crossing mere millimeters in what felt like eternities.

Bottomless anxiety filled Liam. He felt as if that simple gesture was the most meaningful event in his life, affecting something innocent, profound, and brittle inside him.

But Melissa’s mouth had never been far to begin with, and what felt like eons in Liam’s mind took less than a second, culminating in their lips finally touching.