Daldal: Main story

Chapter 39

"Have a drink."

Kang Hee handed over a steaming tea cup, filled with warmth emanating from the rising steam. Eun-oh, receiving it with both hands, expressed gratitude with a mumbled thanks.

The warmth transferred through his palms was quite comforting. As he took a sip, the warm liquid seemed to ease the chill within him, trickling down his throat.

"Thank you......."

Due to lingering traces of sobbing, his sniffles echoed. Perhaps finding it funny to himself, Eun-oh wiped his nose.

"Feeling a bit better?"

"Yeah."

Carefully examining Eun-oh's complexion, Kang Hee gently suggested, "Then, how about going to have dinner?"

Eun-oh shook his head. Maybe he was still too shocked. He didn't feel hungry at all. Not a bit.

His stomach continued to churn, and introducing something into it now would likely lead to another layer of discomfort.

"Even if you're okay now, you might get hungry later. Let's have a drink at least."

Since fleeing from the main court after a chaotic morning, he had been crouched in a corner like this, shivering. The fear lingered, rendering him unable to do anything.

Kang Hee didn't ask anything. Even if he did, he wouldn't get a coherent explanation. Eun-oh was too overwhelmed by fear. Now, his face, which had been pale, showed a slight flush as he finally began to recover.

"But if I go out and happen to run into the master... He told me to leave..."

Eun-oh murmured with a trembling voice. The haunting gaze of those sharp, piercing eyes lingered in his mind, along with the vivid image of the sword slashing toward him.

"It's okay. The Young master is in the main house. I even checked that he was entering the dining room just now. You won't run into him."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. I'll take you. Come with me."

Tears welled up in Eun-oh's eyes. Perhaps, after facing such a terrifying ordeal, Kang Hee's kindness felt even more comforting than usual.

"Th-thank you."

"Don't mention it. Get up. Let's go."

Kang Hee, already on his feet, reached out his hand towards Eun-oh. After a moment of hesitation, Eun-oh took his hand and stood up. It might be his first time holding someone's hand other than his mother. Despite appearing delicate, Kang Hee's hand felt rugged to the touch. Yet, the grip was as tender as his mother's hand.

As Eun-oh looked at Kang Hee's hand, providing support, he thought with a melancholic expression.

How wonderful it would be if the Young master were as kind as Kang Hee...

As Kang Hee assured, the unfortunate encounter with the Young master did not happen. The courtyard was bustling with servants having their meals in the half-covered area. Eun-oh climbed up to a relatively empty spot on the platform and waited, soon seeing Seo Hwa approaching with a tray.

"Eun-oh, what happened? I heard you rushed out in a panic after causing chaos in the main house."

Seo Hwa, who wasn't present there moments ago, was aware of it? It meant that rumors had already spread like wildfire.

Recalling the incident, Eun-oh felt a lump in his throat. His pitiful appearance was enough to pique Seo Hwa's curiosity.

"What happened? Huh?"