Daldal: Main story

Chapter 41

The lodging used by the main courtyard servants is adjacent to the main gate, and between the spacious courtyard and the lodgings, there stands a massive inner gate.

Eun-oh is currently hiding behind that inner gate. He needs to cross the large courtyard, but he can't gather the courage due to the young master.

Pressed against the wall, Eun-oh tilted his head slightly toward the inner gate. As the door opened, a head popped out, startling a servant walking nearby who hastily swept his chest.

"Oh my, you scared me! What are you doing there?"

"Sorry."

Following an awkward apology, Eun-oh busily scanned the surroundings with his eyes, carefully looking at the large yard.

"...Is he not here?"

It seemed only servants wearing similar clothes to him were in sight. Nonetheless, Eun-oh meticulously examined, fearing the unexpected.

The previous night, Eun-oh had sought a favor from Kang-hee, requesting to sleep in the servant lodge. He couldn't bring himself to go to the main house. Even a day later, he found himself unable to summon the courage to face the young master. The fear of their encounter loomed so heavily that the mere thought threatened to induce faintness.

Understanding his feelings, Kang-hee spoke this morning 'I'll handle the cleaning of the Young master's room again. It seems like, for a while, Eun-oh, you should try not to attract the young master's attention'

It was truly a grateful consideration. However, with responsibilities to fulfill, Eun-oh volunteered to clean the servant lodge.
As a result, as lunchtime approached, his stomach decided to send a straightforward signal - growling loudly. Perhaps because he skipped breakfast, the sound was unusually loud, impossible to ignore.

The issue was that to reach the restroom, he had to cross the large courtyard. Unluckily, there was a chance of encountering the young master along the way.

Fortunately, at the moment, the young master was nowhere in sight.

"Alright. Let's go."

Eun-oh gained confidence and stealthily crossed the doorway.

At that moment, the servants nearby, who were busy sweeping, all turned their heads and respectfully bowed.

In this place, there was only one person who would receive such a greeting.

With a yelp, frightened Eun-oh jumped like a startled rabbit, waving his arms awkwardly as he took a few steps back. While his intention was not to gain the attention of those around, his movements were fast. Eun-oh safely hid behind the wall, holding his breath and freezing in place. However, whether it was due to excessive tension or the distance being too far, he couldn't detect any significant signs.

Eun-oh soon pressed his ear against the wall, hoping to catch any sound. Of course, there was nothing to hear.

Eventually, giving up on sensing the young master's presence, he settled into a crouched position. Perhaps thinking the young master wouldn't continue to stay in the courtyard, so he simply decided to wait it out.

After waiting for a while, he cautiously peered beyond the gate once again. Witnessing his puzzled posture, a male servant who had been sweeping in the yard chuckled and gestured with his tongue.

"Young Master has gone inside. You can relax now."

"Oh, really? Thank you."

With this information, Eun-oh visibly sighed in relief and rushed through the partially open gate.