Daldal: Main story

Chapter 16

In the world, morning unfailingly emerges, as sunlight streams through the window frames, casting a radiant glow.

Chae Yoon-sa, awakened by the gentle touch of light, opened his eyes. His pupils, cloaked in the remnants of slumber, scanned the familiar ceiling. He blinked faintly, repeating the process of opening and closing his eyes several times.

It didn't take a long time for his consciousness and body to fully awaken. Since he usually didn't indulge in deep sleep, the lingering effects were relatively short-lived. He briskly got up and casually glanced beside him.

There lay a fellow servant on his back.

"......."

The closed-eyed figure lay there, seemingly asleep like the dead. Perhaps still in a state of unconsciousness. In any case, judging by the faint, sluggish breaths emanating, he hadn't met his demise. Not only was he emitting breath sounds through slightly parted lips, but thin strands of saliva were dribbling out as well. Chae Yoon-sa, observing the saliva connecting from the corner of the mouth to the floor with a sense of disgust, couldn't help but stifle a chuckle. It seemed this guy was susceptible to tears, urine, and saliva alike.

"Young Master. This is Kang-hee. Can I bring in the breakfast?"

He lifted the blanket covering his body, sat up, and just as the voice of a servant requesting permission to enter echoed through the door, he responded nonchalantly

"Come in."

As soon as he granted permission, the door swung open, and the servant entered. The chilly wind rushed in as well. Eun-oh, sensing the cold, sneezed while bowing deeply.

"Ah Choo!"

As always, Kang-hee, intending to politely greet his Young master, was taken aback, tilting his head in surprise. It was only now that he noticed Eun-oh lying in the center of the room.

Why is that guy here? Could he have spent the night here? Confusion painted Kang-hee's face, and the bewilderment in his expression revealed the questioning thoughts swirling in his mind. Anyone could read the uncertainty in Kang-hee's head. The current situation left him feeling thoroughly perplexed.

"I think it's time to stop looking around."

Kang-hee, who suddenly came to his senses from the Young Master's poisonous words, quickly calmed down his expression.

"I apologize, Young Master."

A sad smile appears on Kang-hee's face as he apologizes. It was a kind of mask, one always worn in front of the Young master. No matter what lay beneath.

Passing Eun-oh, Kang-hee approached Chae Yoon-sa and placed a basin of water and a towel in front of him.

Chae Yoon-sa, finishing the brief wash, stood up. After putting on the robe he wore yesterday over the saliva-stained one, he stepped outside. Kang-hee followed like a tail.

"Have you come out?"

A servant awaited outside the door. His name was Yohwan, the man who had been serving Chae Yoon-sa since his time at the royal palace. After briefly scanning the familiar face with an indifferent gaze, Chae Yoon-sa confirmed the view beyond the main hall.

Everything outside was blanketed in white. The snow, which had started falling yesterday, continued to descend. The sunlight filtering through the windows was weaker than usual, accounting for the subdued atmosphere.

The snowfall had intensified, but it wasn't inconvenient for activities. Having made his decision, Chae Yoon-sa put on the shoes neatly arranged under the veranda. His destination was the training ground, a part of Chae Yoon-sa's morning routine.