The bathroom was very spacious, but Julian couldn't breathe properly. He felt suffocated by the chain around his neck. He was being pulled around and treated like a pet without mercy.
This time, his body slammed to the floor. Julian was trembling violently. Each pulse felt like a terrifying stab. His breathing became labored, visible in the heaving of his chest.
"What else do you want from me, Gilas?" Julian shouted. He rose from the cold marble floor, but he still stepped back from Gilas, who was getting closer and staring at him sharply.
Gilas stood firmly before Julian, who was sweating profusely from the growing fear that was creeping up on him. The man was like a demon whose rage was awakening. His gaze was cold and alien, and the entire bathroom seemed to freeze, even the blood flowing through Julian's body.
"Let go!" said Gilas.
"What?" Julian screamed, his voice hoarse. His eyes widened. He backed away until his body hit the frozen wall.
"Take off your clothes, Julian!" Gilas repeated. His expression, which was almost tearing Julian apart, remained unchanged.
Julian felt déjà vu with Gilas's orders. How many times would Gilas insult him? How deep would the insults envelop him?
"I'm not a dirty bastard like you, Gilas," Julian gritted his teeth. "Don't use my body as your wild fantasy!" Julian said.
Gilas didn't say a word. He waited for the warm water to fill the bathtub. He poured soap, whose scent filled the bathroom. A scent that would remind Julian of Gilas's scent.
"Since you disobeyed me, I'll force you." Gilas pulled on the chain he still held. The distance between them narrowed. He was able to touch Julian's chin, forcing him to look him in the eye from a very close distance. "Don't forget your position, Julian," Gilas whispered.
Julian remained motionless. The taste of Gilas' lips, which had been devouring hers a moment ago, still lingered. She felt even more disgusted by the man. Her insides felt like they were being torn apart.
With one swift movement, Gilas ripped Julian's shirt off. He grinned in satisfaction as his eyes feasted on Julian's features.
"Because you disobeyed, as your Master, I will punish you!" said Gilas.
"Akhhh!" Julian screamed.
Gilas pushed his helpless body into the bathtub, which was already filled with warm water. The soap made the tub slippery. Julian couldn't hold on.
"You!" Julian shouted.
"You're dirty! I have to clean you," Gilas said. "I won't allow mine to carry any stains from outside," he continued.
"You're the dirty bastard! Before you destroyed my family, I had a life of my own!" Julian said.
Gilas pressed Julian's shoulders to keep him still in the submerged bathtub. Julian struggled, struggling, but not even the tips of his nails could scratch Gilas's skin.
"Your life? You mean, the woman named Sikeilla?" Gilas said, deliberately dropping a name. "You think that woman loves you? Julian, I thought you were just naive, but it turns out you're truly stupid," he continued.
"Don't insult Keilla!" Julian said angrily.
"Why? Because you really like touching that dirty woman? Or do you like dirtier hands touching you?" Gilas asked, frowning.
Silence...
Julian no longer rebelled. He just looked away. He was fed up with the humiliation he had suffered. He longed for freedom.
"Let me go, Gilas. I want to go back home," Julian said softly.
"You're already home. What do you mean by a house that will harm you?" Gilas asked.
"I don't understand why you're saying such ambiguous phrases. This is the second time. If you're just boasting, you'd better stop saying things you don't know," Julian said.
"Save your energy, Julian."
Julian gasped. Gilas's hands were so bold as to remove the pants that still covered his lower body. He tried to hold the man's hands back, but his efforts were in vain.
"I must cleanse you of the filthy hands that dare touch what's mine," Gilas said. His voice sounded thunderous, as if something was holding him back.
"I'm not yours!" Julian said firmly.
"Shut up and obey if you don't want me to do anything more than strip you naked," Gilas threatened.
A feeling of shame struck Julian. He was considered dirty just because Jove touched his shoulder. He was stripped naked under Gilas's piercing gaze, which stared at him with a hunger that would never be satisfied.
"Don't!" Julian pleaded pitifully.
One word wasn't enough to appease Gilas's anger. The man wanted Julian to beg him in the most degrading of circumstances. His hands began to touch every inch of Julian's body fondly. His eyes focused on the part of Julian that caught his attention.
"Why are you doing this to me? You're the one who's dirty, not me!" Julian said.
"Shut up! Or…" Gilas brought his lips close to Julian's ear. "Do you want me to make you unable to walk tomorrow?" he whispered. "Beg me," he continued, a triumphant smile crowning his lips.
"I should have just accepted that man's offer to be his pet. At least he would have gotten bored and killed me sooner than I would have to live here looking at your face," Julian said.
Julian threw a bait that perfectly triggered Gilas's anger. The man pressed Julian's shoulders even harder.
"Heuh!" Gilas grinned. "I have to clean you of that bastard's stain!"
Gilas took a sponge. He scrubbed Julian's skin roughly. He wasn't trying to clean it. The stinging sensation Julian felt was as if the man were skinning him alive.
"It hurts, Gilas! Are you crazy?" Julian screamed, struggling.
"You must feel pain, Julian. This way, you will realize that your life is in my hands," Gilas said firmly. "You must remember! You, your soul, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, everything belongs to me!" he continued.
Julian curled up, allowing Gilas to roughly clean his body. He didn't resist, remaining silent as Gilas removed the traces of someone else's hand. His tears flowed, mixing with the warm, soapy water.
Julian began to rinse the soap carefully. As the foam slid off Julian's skin, the lingering redness and the lingering bluish bruises were clearly visible.
"As long as you obey, I won't hurt you," said Gilas.
Silence gripped Julian. He was completely speechless. His silk pajamas covered his body. Gilas was carrying a medical kit. He knelt before Julian, grabbed his legs, rolled up his pants, and treated the wounds on every inch of his skin.
Julian no longer saw the devil in Gilas, but he could never erase the memory of how the hand that was treating him used a Yakuza weapon to behead his family in one fell swoop.
Gilas kissed Julian's knee slowly and gently. "Does it still hurt?" Gilas asked.
"You're the one who hurt me. Why are you asking me something I don't need an answer for?" Julian snapped.
Gilas stood in front of Julian, who was sitting on the sofa. He arched his back slightly. He held a soft white towel in his hand and dried Julian's hair.
"What do you mean by you saving me from my family? What do you mean by Keilla? What do you mean by me being a pawn?" Julian asked.
Julian couldn't contain his curiosity. He knew he'd probably be disappointed not to get an answer from Gilas, but somehow, the sentence, which hadn't been properly structured, just slipped out.
"You want to know? Then obey. Trust me just once," Gilas said nonsensically.
"How can I trust you, who is the sword that has pierced my heart?" Julian asked resignedly.
"By staying by my side," Gilas replied.
Julian smiled bitterly. "I hate you, Gilas. I hate you so much."
"Go to sleep. Tomorrow you will need a lot of energy to see something," said Gilas.
Tomorrow? What will happen tomorrow?