Daldal: Main story

Chapter 20

He was prepared, but the distance from the main courtyard to the outer courtyard was considerable.

As if to prove that the claim that it was carved out of a large mountain is not a lie. Despite leaving in the bright daylight, by the time he reached the outer courtyard, the sun was inclined enough to touch the outer court's tall gate.

The outer courtyard was bustling. Perhaps due to the rare good weather, the servants were bustling with activity. Some were cleaning, others carrying items. Of course, there were a few idlers taking a break.

As Eun-oh wandered through the now familiar scenery of the outer garden, a soon-to-be recognized face caught his eye.

It was Ae.

She was briskly walking somewhere, wiping her hands on her apron. Eun-oh hurriedly approached her.

"Excuse me."

"Oh, my goodness! You startled me!"

Startled by the sudden call, Ae pounded her chest and looked at Eun-oh.

"Oh? What's going on here? When did you arrive?"

"Just now."

"Did the young master send you? Asking to return here?"

"Yes."

Technically, it was Kang-hee who said that, but it amounted to the same thing anyway.
Ae showed an unexpected reaction, as if she hadn't expected Eun-oh to return.

"I thought you'd stay at the main courtyard for a few days since I haven't seen you."

As she spoke, a subtle light began to mix in Ae's eyes.

"By the way, you seem to have been comfortable for a few days. Your complexion has improved, hasn't it? It's as clean and fragrant as those in the inner chamber... You look handsome."

Is that so?

Eun-oh scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly. It was evident that he had taken good care of himself-clean, well-fed, and well-rested, even if it had only been a couple of days.

Anyway, he felt good because it was his first time hearing a compliment.

"But what about Mr. Cho?"

Now that he had returned, there was work to be done, but Mr Cho was nowhere in sight. When Eun-oh inquired about his whereabouts, the response he received was far from optimistic.

"Oh, don't even ask. After getting scolded by the young master, he fell ill. Well, who wouldn't? His arm is practically useless."

Arm... Eun-oh's mind instantly recalled the vivid memory of that day. The young master brutally injuring Mr Cho's arm with a knife, and then Mr Cho lying on the ground, clutching his injured arm in agony. Even the lifeless body of Gak-sae who lost his eyes.

A shiver ran down Eun-oh's spine at the brutal memory. Unconsciously, he crossed his arms and trembled.

"I heard that it was because that Gak-sae guy conspired against you? So the young master punished both Mr Cho and Gak-sae. Is that right?"

"Yes......."

"No wonder it seemed strange! Yes, that's it. It didn't seem like you would do such a thing. If that Gak-sae guy had harassed the girl, it would have made sense."

Eun-oh smiled bitterly. Although it seemed like he wouldn't do such things, he distinctly remembered Ae entirely avoiding him at that time. However, he had no intention of blaming her. It was an atmosphere where everyone believed Gak-sae's words. Ae probably couldn't help but be swept away by it.

"Still, it's fortunate that Mr Cho stopped. After all, he narrowly escaped death. That Gak-sae guy paid with his life."

Indeed, compared to Gak-sae, that was true.

"It seems like seeing Mr Cho's face will be difficult for a while. So, don't go looking for him, just work as you did before. It's late today, so take a break for now."

Ae, who patted Eun-oh's shoulder, briskly walked away. Eun-oh watched her retreating figure with his eyes and then turned toward his quarters.

"Huh!"

It was when he opened the door to his quarters, where he had originally been staying.

Eun-oh looked at the surprised face of a man who was raising himself up. It was no surprise; the man had stripped off his pants, clutching at his private parts.

"What, what, suddenly!"

The man, his face flushed with embarrassment, shouted again.

Despite shrugging his shoulders at the commotion, Eun-oh couldn't help but cast a puzzled glance. Why on earth was he displaying his private parts in the room?
Maybe snoring isn't enough, and now he's even trying to relieve himself in the room.

The man, realizing that Eun-oh's eyes were on his crotch, abruptly stood up, pulling up his pants while muttering curses.

"If you want to come in, give a signal, Okay? Not like barging in suddenly!"

"...I'm sorry."

Although Eun-oh wasn't sure if an apology was warranted, the man was angry, so he opted for an apology.

Eun-oh started laying a blanket in his usual spot inside the room. Before lying down, he hesitated for a moment, then turned towards the man.

"Hey, by the way."

It's been a month since they shared a room. However, Eun-oh still didn't know snorer's name. The man also doesn't know Eun-oh's name. So he had no choice but to use ambiguous titles such as 'Hey'

"What! What is it!"

The man, who seemed startled as if he got caught, grumbled with annoyance. Despite his dejected demeanor, Eun-oh delicately brought up what he wanted to say.

"I can tolerate even you snoring around the room, but, um... doing your business here is a bit much."

"What?"

"I mean, it's dirty. So, please don't use this place for peeing."

Certainly, he couldn't help if the man wanted to sniff around, so Eun-oh never complained about it. However, it seemed like he couldn't bear to sleep in this room even if it was dark.
The smell would linger, and the blanket might get wet. It was uncomfortable enough to see the man's private parts, and the idea of his urine touching his body was repulsive. Just imagining it was enough to make him cringe.

"I'm sorry. Please understand."

After nodding apologetically, Eun-oh lay down in his spot. The man, unable to say anything to Eun-oh, continued to huff and puff in frustration.

Lying on his back, facing the man, Eun-oh crossed his arms, tucked his hands under his armpits, and sniffled. This room had never been particularly comfortable, but somehow, it felt even more uncomfortable now. Perhaps it was because he had gotten used to a better place.

In a way, both the young master's room and this one had equally hard floors. But everything else was different. This cramped room filled with a pungent odor and the young master's room, which exuded a spacious and subtle fragrance, were so distinctly different that it felt almost embarrassing to compare.

I'm complaining because i only had two days of luxury. Eun-oh found the irony amusing and chuckled faintly at the absurdity of his own body feeling out of place.