DOMINIC

EPISODE 5 : The Goddess' Dog (2)

The sound of clinking glasses echoed as the frothy alcohol spilled over the rim when served on the table. No one cared, continuing their boisterous conversations about work, women, and s*x. A few of them, already heavily drunk, began causing a ruckus, oblivious to their surroundings. They were quickly escorted out by the bar guards, dumped onto the side of the road. At the same time, a group of scantily dressed women entered, selling their bodies to anyone who glanced their way. The guards allowed them to advertise and opened a door at the far end of the room, leading to a darker part of the establishment. From there, a few people emerged, looking satisfied, albeit a bit drowsy. They sat at the bar, asking for a cigarette and a glass of whiskey. The bartender quickly poured the golden liquid while making small talk, mostly about the s*x they had just had. The patrons nodded in agreement as they lit their cigarettes, exhaling the smoke between conversations.

“You came in reeking of blood, but now it’s somewhat masked,” the bartender remarked. He had been cleaning glasses and preparing the bar when Aiden arrived, drenched in sweat and smelling strongly of blood.

Aiden took another drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke to the side. “Did the mission go well?” Aiden only nodded, sipping the whiskey that had been served. If the mission hadn’t gone well, he wouldn’t have needed to get intimate with a woman to mask the stench. “I thought you only touched your master.” Aiden’s eyes flashed with a warning, That’s none of your business. All he needed from the bartender was information about the location of the miner, a few drinks, and maybe some s*x on the side.

The bartender shrugged, focusing instead on the group of rowdy villagers entering the bar. They seemed furious, some of them armed with sickles and pitchforks. The guards had already confiscated their torches, fearing they might accidentally set the place on fire. The bar fell silent as the villagers made a scene, searching for someone.

A burly man with one eye covered by a patch slammed his fist on the table, instantly quieting the bar. His heavy voice commanded the villagers to leave. Since they hadn’t found anything suspicious, despite causing a disturbance, they quickly left, their anger dissipating.

“You owe me again,” the one-eyed man growled.

Aiden didn’t even know what the previous favor was. Was it when he was nearly beaten to death by bandits at the edge of town? Not quite—the bandits had ended up dead, not him. Or was it when a madam threw a bag of makeup at him a few weeks ago, suspecting him of something? Of course, that wasn’t his fault either. “That madam is still keeping an eye on you,” the man warned. Aiden wasn’t the least bit concerned. If the madam kept snooping around, she wouldn’t live long.

“You’ve become the dog of the Goddess Princess Rebecca, haven’t you?”

“And so have you,” Aiden replied.

The man was a retired miner. He had stopped working after an incident at the royal mines, a project that killed nearly half of the workers. He wasn’t an idealist who demanded justice for the victims—he had also been involved in the “theft” carried out by the kingdom. But after being abandoned by the royals in his crippled state without any compensation, his loyalty crumbled. He turned to the Grahams for help, exposing the kingdom’s dirty secrets and offering to atone for his sins, as long as justice was served for himself and his fallen comrades.

“Yet you haven’t found your remaining comrades, useless dog.” Aiden unfolded a small note written by his master and handed it to the miner. Aiden inhaled deeply from his cigarette, looking away. The miner suddenly felt uneasy, as if he might share the fate of the recently murdered family. Hastily, he pulled out something useful from his bag: a pair of tattered sandals, a few bullets, and two pouches filled with muddy gold nuggets, hoping to explain their origins and the whereabouts of his still-living comrades.

They had survived the incident, but unlike the disheveled miner before him, they chose to remain silent. It was their best chance to avoid detection by the kingdom, which was still hunting for them.

Suddenly, more commotion erupted near the bar’s entrance. Two scrawny guards struggled to hold back someone trying to force their way in. This time, however, they managed to restrain the person, unlike the group of angry villagers earlier. But the individual didn’t give up, waving a gray handkerchief in the air. The bartender leaned over to Aiden and whispered, “Your target has arrived.” The miner looked confused as Aiden walked toward the door, his thoughts racing between life and death. Aiden paid him no mind, instead gesturing for the girl to enter the bar with a wave of his hand. For a moment, the girl wondered if the man was mute.

Just as Aiden had expected, the girl had come to him. She was the one who had witnessed the m******e he had carried out earlier. Whether it was fear of sharing her family’s fate or a desire for revenge, Aiden couldn’t tell. The girl wasn’t part of his master’s initial list of targets. But the remaining miners had been on the list for a long time. He wasn’t foolish enough to let any thieves live. Once the kingdom could no longer deny its crimes, the witnesses would have to be silenced—including the girl.

Rebecca wanted Aiden to fetch the bones she had thrown, like an obedient dog. Aiden hoped that once he completed his mission, his master would reward him with a gentle stroke through his hair. But to earn that warmth, Aiden had to finish his task quickly. He took the girl to help the miner. He didn’t have much time to babysit the miner, as there were many more people on his kill list.

“Help him,” he ordered, pointing to the miner. The man immediately understood and led the girl away from the crowd, explaining her duties. Meanwhile, Aiden took another drag from his cigarette, placing the butt in the ashtray.

His goddess was waiting for him. He had to return quickly.

He left a piece of paper on the bar counter, and the bartender bowed respectfully as Aiden turned and walked out of the room.

"Another horse you can feast on," the bartender mused. He enjoyed Aiden’s visits because it meant his family could dine on horse meat, just like the nobles. He didn’t care about the blood on the saddle or the fact that the horse had been a witness to his master’s cruelty.

***

In the darkness, someone stirred from their sleep as the bedroom door creaked open.

“Aiden, say my name.”

“Rebecca.”

“Again.”

“Rebecca.”

“Again.”

“Rebecca, Rebecca, Becca, my goddess, my master.”

Rebecca rose from her bed, and Aiden immediately draped a blanket over her, as she wore nothing to cover her body. The night grew colder, but Rebecca’s habits hadn’t changed. She would wait for Aiden in that state, allowing her “dog” to help her dress.

“I never thought you enjoyed something like this,” Rebecca remarked, watching as Aiden knelt, gently lifting one of her legs to slip it into her trousers. The fabric slid up to her waist, and Aiden tied the strings on either side of the pants while occasionally glancing into his master’s eyes. Then he raised both of Rebecca’s arms in the air, asking her to keep them there so he could easily help her put on a light, delicate gown.

“I don’t like it when Rebecca wears a corset.”

“Because I look like I’m in pain?”

Aiden nodded, his face showing concern.

“Well then, I’ll stay like this.”

They silently counted the full moon until the prophesied war, foretold by the bandits, would begin. This was how the war would start and end. Rebecca knew exactly what role Aiden would play in the war. Initially, she didn’t care whether the kingdom was attacked, won, or lost. The Grahams had no business with the kingdom. Their land existed under the kingdom’s name only due to an ancient agreement. From thousands of years past to thousands of years in the future, the land will always belong to the Grahams. The territory was larger than the capital, with wealth surpassing that of the kingdom. During the last war, when the bandits attacked, the kingdom hadn’t lifted a finger to help, let alone show compassion. So why would the Grahams care about the upcoming war? That question constantly nagged Aiden. He knew how hard his master had worked to handle the issue alone—all by herself.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m going to die or anything.”

Perhaps Rebecca would get angry, feeling insulted if Aiden voiced his concerns. He knew his master was strong. Stronger than anyone, stronger than him, and certainly stronger than those bandits. But death was always approaching. How could he stop it when the gates of Hades’ palace were wide open?

“If I die, then I die,” Rebecca chuckled, as if telling a joke.

“If Rebecca dies, then Aiden dies too.”

Rebecca squinted her eyes. “If I tell you to live, then you’ll live.”

That night, Aiden didn’t touch Rebecca any further, despite his initial intention. He simply sat there, resting his head on her lap,

And cried.

***