Doberman

DM

Posted by Sid, Released on January 17, 2024

Chapter 6

He licked his fingertips and caught a faint whiff of whiskey. A peculiar excitement surged in him as he thought of her eyes, unable to look away from the alcohol flowing between his fingers. As Yuri said, if it’s going to harm him, he could handle it well.

There are more people who are good at acting than you think.

Although he liked the woman’s eyes, it wasn’t enough reason not to kill. Owen’s way of dealing with things he liked was just that.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

The clothes she had washed hadn’t dried properly. It didn’t make sense to go out in a shower robe, so she blow-dried her damp clothes, but they were still wet.

To go out the door, Sarin had to gather courage that she didn’t have. She hesitated a few times before turning the doorknob, resisting the urge to lie down and pretend nothing had happened.

Despite summoning courage, the surroundings were eerily silent.

It was midday, but the sky outside the window was dark as night. The ashy world seemed ready to cover itself in snow again. Nervously, she wondered if she could find her passport somewhere and leave without anyone knowing.

“Shall we prepare a meal?”

There were people in the quiet room. The hotel maids, quietly tidying the surroundings, turned to Sarin as someone asked in a hushed voice.

Several pairs of eyes briefly looked at her and then quickly looked away as if they hadn’t seen anything, focusing on their cleaning tasks. It was only then that Sarin realized she was hungry. Hearing the word “meal,” she remembered when she last ate.

“Where is … I mean, where’s your boss?”

The person who asked Sarin if she would have a meal just smiled as if she did not understand her words. Perhaps they didn’t know Owen’s schedule or couldn’t tell her because she seemed suspicious.

No answer came back.

Unable to ask more questions in the face of their smiles, Sarin stepped into the parlor, and the three Dobermans on the couch in the same position as yesterday lifted their heads to look at her. The heads of the three, closely observing the new figure, turned in the same direction with every movement she made.

As she confidently entered what seemed to be Owen’s room, there were too many eyes watching her. A sigh escaped her in the midst of her headache.

“About the meal…”

Just as Sarin was about to respond to the person mechanically asking about the meal, she instinctively realized Owen had returned as she saw the frozen face of the person who had mocked her.

At that moment, a large palm pressed lightly against the top of her head. Goosebumps ran from behind her ears to the nape of her neck as she felt the warm sensation instantly.

“Good morning.”

As he removed his hand and walked past Sarin to the couch, a soft scent emanated from him. He was wearing light workout clothes drenched in sweat, and his upper body jerked dangerously with each deep breath. A strange smell mixed with the man’s sweat and woody scent seemed to emanate from his touch.

The subtle smell wafting in the air seemed raw and strange enough that she felt an instinctive repulsion for some reason.

As he stretched out his hand, one of the maids quickly took out a bottle of cold carbonated water from the minibar and offered it to him. Owen, familiarly drinking it, wiped the water that had dripped from his lips with the back of his hand, then turned his gaze to Sarin, who was standing in the same spot with a calm demeanor.

She couldn’t help but notice that he looked like he’d just had sex, not a workout.

Suddenly, the thought crossed her mind that if it were this man, he might really have done something like that. His physical appearance was impeccable, and she had the feeling that he was just as comfortable doing whatever he wanted during the day as he was at night.

As she came to her senses, Sarin found herself thinking about someone else’s sex life and blinked.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He pointed at himself with his chin and asked.

“I was just wondering when you would give me my passport.”

“Oh.”

“I have some luggage left at the hostel, and I need my passport to retrieve it.”

“Don’t worry, my assistant will find it for you.”

“You don’t even know where I’m staying.”

He laughed, downing the rest of his carbonated water in one gulp without batting an eye.

“Do you think I wouldn’t know that much?”

When Owen’s tongue smoothly rolled, he used a certain level of formality, and when his voice lowered, his words became concise, sounding intimidating.

The fact that he’d already figured out where she was staying made Sarin a little more nervous. Would he be able to figure out her situation in Korea, or should she assume he wasn’t that curious yet?

“Hmm?”

Owen asked softly, snapping his fingers at her to come closer. There was a naturalness in his behavior, as if calling an obedient dog. Calling a person like a dog may have a sense of humiliation, but all of his actions were more natural than breathing, apart from the discomfort.

“Don’t call me like a dog.”

“A dog? My dog walker.”

She felt weird because she felt like he was referring to a possession. An arrogant man. He treats people with a deep sense of arrogance, like his words have never been unfulfilled.

She wondered if there were things that didn’t go his way. But she doubts she’ll ever find out.

Owen slowly tilted his head, looking into Sarin’s eyes. The subtly shining color still captivated him. Maintaining a vigilant stance from a suitable distance, she seemed like a hedgehog armed with thorns.

The maids were diligently setting the food on the table, following his usual routine. The smell of food being brought in on trays made Sarin’s stomach growl.

“Shall we sit down and eat?”

In front of him lay a rare steak with blood oozing out. Owen deftly turned the knife, slicing through the thick meat.

He chewed, savoring the natural taste of the ingredients without seasoning. Grasping the remaining chunk with his hand, he fed the waiting Dobermans on the sofa, as if they were eagerly waiting for their share. The next piece was for the ones below.

Wiping his fingers stained with blood on a napkin, he leaned back against the backrest.

Sarin looked down at the food in front of her. When the color of her eyes, lying low beneath her eyelashes, was barely visible, he clicked his tongue briefly.

“…I had a sister.”

He smiled kindly, gesturing for her to continue. Sarin realized she had to speak first before he discovered more. He was a man who could become poisonous if deceived. She couldn’t wait for him to dig deeply into her secrets. So she had no choice but to obediently reveal why she had come here.

“She used to work here, but she died not long ago.”

Sarin’s voice trembled as she spoke, her gaze fixed on the hand that slowly ran through Doberman’s head.

“Here?”

“She was a casino dealer.”

His long fingers caressed the Doberman’s forehead. Only then did she notice a silver ring on his left index finger. Many people from abroad came to work for hotel chains, even overseas. Especially in Eden City, where the foreigner ratio approached 90%.

“…I’m here to honor my sister.”

Throughout her words, Sarin’s eyes dimmed. The man before her was someone her sister had loved. Why would she love a man like that? Why would she love someone so dangerous when she has always sought stability?

“You can’t lie.”

“What?”

“You’re a fucking bad liar.”

He chuckled with his head slightly tilted.

“It’s true. My sister… my sister…”

“Look it up.”

Owen said this to his assistant, standing behind Sarin. She bowed and left the room. Up to this point, it wasn’t a lie. However, the man seemed to sense that he was about to hear lies. Unconsciously, Sarin bit her lip due to the tension.

“Well, then, eat and wait until she comes. You’ll need to be in good shape to take my dogs for a walk.”

He motioned for her to take a seat. Noticing that there were no chairs except where he was sitting, Sarin scooted over and took a seat under the table opposite him. In front of her on the floor was a steak, just like his. Just the sight of it made her stomach churn as she felt the taste of blood in her mouth.

But under his scrutinizing gaze, she eventually had no choice but to pick up the fork and knife. Cold sweat gathered in her hands. She could count on one hand the number of times she had cut a steak. When the meat became a mess due to her clumsy cutting, he leaned over the table and skillfully sliced the meat for her.

“You seem far too interested in me for someone who came to honor her sister.”

As she blankly watched the neatly cut meat on the plate without making a sound, he asked while offering her a piece of meat.

“I… “

Before she could open her mouth to respond, her voice choked up. It was because a piece of meat had entered her mouth. Contrary to what it looked like, the meat didn’t smell bloody; it tasted rich and juicy and was actually quite edible. Only then did she realize that the man’s earlier words weren’t a question.

“Don’t stand out like a sore thumb.”

He said she stood out because this place was full of boring things. But she couldn’t tell whether he was referring to her or talking about her behavior at the casino.

As Sarin consciously swallowed what was in her mouth, the next piece entered her open mouth without waiting for her to speak.

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Translator Note: