Daldal: Main story

Chapter 17

The winter sun quickly disappeared, leaving no trace. As time passed, the snowfall heavier, and the cold became more fiercer.

Chae Yoon-sa remained in his room until the afternoon. Although there were endless entertainment options to enjoy without knowing the time, he was not very interested in gambling, drinking, singing, or dancing, so he did not go out of the estate unless there was something important to do.

He remains uninterested even in courtesan affairs, avoiding places where men with vulgar interests gather. Occasionally, those feigning friendship attempted to force women upon him, but he never accepted, as no interest sparked. So there were speculations about his engagement in sodomy, and when an attractive man was brought, the same held true.

Perhaps it's because he embraced the act of taking a life as his livelihood. He didn't harbor significant interest in living humans. Rather than engaging in sexual relations involving the sharing of bodies, he finds more worth in playing the hunting game, where he watches others gasp for breath.

Due to this, among the upper class, rumors spread, reaching even as far-fetched as suggesting Chae Yoon-sa, the Young Master of the prestigious residence, was a eunuch.

Would there be another reason for his indifference to sex with his face, body, and age? It couldn't be explained otherwise.

The fact that he refrained from marriage, despite his abundant honor and wealth, only fueled the credibility of these speculations.

In any case, his afternoon was, once again, leisurely without any work.

The square sky confined within the window frame was on the verge of being tainted by twilight. Chae Yoon-sa, who had dozed off while reading, opened his eyes at the servant's voice, suggesting lifting the curtain. Putting aside the book covering his face, he rose, massaging his neck with his hand as he turned to look beside him.

There, Eun-oh was still sound asleep.

"......."

Chae Yoon-sa stared at Eun-oh with tired eyes. It was understandable. He hadn't gotten up once from last night until now. Sleeping like a dead frog, he would have been considered a corpse if not for his regular breaths and the sprawled posture. It was a deep and long slumber, enough to tire Chae Yoon-sa, indifference to the matters of others.

The servants, tray in hand, exchanged knowing glances, their expressions subtly conveying a shared sentiment upon finding Eun-oh lost in sleep. It was an expression that anyone could interpret as saying, 'he must be crazy. He's still like that.'

A lavish spread of food, as opulent as the day before, unfolded before Chae Yoon-sa. Once the servants withdrew, he casually picked up the chopsticks. In reality, he wasn't good at savoring the taste; his sense of taste had dulled after indulging in alcohol. Of course, he wasn't bothered by this change, as he wasn't particularly fixated on the pleasures of eating and drinking.

The leisurely meal ended within a matter of minutes, modest in comparison to the effort invested in its preparation. Following the brief meal, as a habitual ritual, he reached for the tobacco pouch. Smoking stood as his preferred dessert, trumping fruits or tea in his preferences.

That's when it happened. Eun-oh's rhythmic breathing, which had been regular, changed.

Chae Yoon-sa, with a hint of smoke in his eyes, narrowed them as he checked Eun-oh's face. His eyelids flickered. There was a scent as if he was sniffing, with his nose twitching and sniffling. Soon, his eyelids parted.

Eun-oh, with a dazed look, opened his eyes for a moment, gazing blankly at the ceiling before turning his head.

Toward Chae Yoon-sa...