Daldal: Main story

Chapter 18

"Young Master!"

Chae Yoon-sa opened his eyes at the familiar voice.

"Master Yoon-sa?"

"......."

Silent, his gaze towards the ceiling unfocused, exuding a languid energy.

Caught between unconsciousness and reality, he wandered in an unusual state, struggling to emerge from the haze that clung to his mind.

"Are you okay?"

It was the servant's voice that brought him back to reality from his lethargy.

Finally, Chae Yoon-sa slowly rose and sat up. Something dropped below. It was a blanket, an unfamiliar one. In Chae Yoon-sa's puzzled gaze, something strange caught his attention.

Inside the blanket, a hand and a foot had slipped in.

"What's this?"

He looked down at the guy lying next to him and muttered.

Eun-oh, who was lying on his side, had a book spread under his head, and his hands and feet were under Chae Yoon-sa's blanket. It looked like he had unconsciously put them there while sleeping.

Late to notice, Chae Yoon-sa felt warmth subtly touching his thigh. He lifted the blanket, and Eun-oh, who groaned as if feeling the cold, curled his toes.

Chae Yoon-sa absentmindedly stared at the guy's leg tickling his thigh. Was a part of his consciousness still locked away? Confirming the servant's impolite behavior, Chae Yoon-sa felt no particular reaction. Instead, the hazy sensation of his head pressing heavily troubled him.

Pressing his temples with his fingers, he turned to look at the side. There, Kang-hee lay on the floor as if waiting and said, "I apologize. It's time for you to bath, and I didn't hear any sound. I waited for a while and, as there was no sign, I entered just in case."

Hasn't it been a while since it was time to bath?

Chae Yoon-sa glanced outside the window at Kang-hee's words.

Even at a glance, it was bright outside. If he didn't recognize that it was winter when the sun rises late, it was clear that it was much later than his usual waking time. In other words, he had overslept. He blinked slowly, then used his palm to sweep aside the disheveled hair.

"The prepared hot water has cooled; I'm reheating it. If you wait a bit..."

"Never mind."

Chae Yoon-sa waved his hand and stood up. The heavy energy didn't seem to dissipate at all; he needed a bath or something similar

Rising to his full height, the blanket slid off suddenly, leaving Eun-oh, who had been curled up, to sniffle as the blanket left him. Observing Eun-oh in that state, Chae Yoon-sa lifted the blanket and tossed it over him. The thick blanket covered Eun-oh entirely. Once his face was covered, the rhythmic breathing, indicating he was getting used to the blanket, suddenly turned heavy.

Naturally, Chae Yoon-sa paid no mind.

Without tidying his disheveled appearance, Chae Yoon-sa left the room.

"Have you come out, young master? You're late today."

Yohwan, with a worried expression, greeted him in the morning. Chae Yoon-sa, glancing at the clear sky unlike yesterday, casually responded.

"I know."

Looking at the direction of the sun and shadows, it was close to noon. It was a remarkable and mysterious event to have slept without realizing when he fell asleep, and until now, he had been immersed in sleep for three full hours.