Daldal: Main story

Chapter 86

"Hooaah!"

Stepping out from his room, Eun-oh stretched and yawned, groggy from oversleeping. His head felt fuzzy, likely due to sleeping late at night. Lost in thought, his absent gaze fixated outside, only to feel a gentle touch beneath his feet. Upon looking down, Yeoul met his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?"

Yeoul yawned in response, indicating that he had indeed slept well. Eun-oh lifted Yeoul into his arms and settled on the porch.

"The rain has stopped."

After a day of continuous downpour, the sky was clear today. Moreover, the breeze was refreshing. In contrast to his usual enthusiasm for going to the river during scorching weather,
Yeoul seemed to enjoy the weather, behaving calmly.

While gently stroking Yeoul's fur for a while, Eun-oh sat in a daze. Eventually, he went to the well to wash his face. Upon his return to the porch, Yeoul lay sprawled comfortably, half-closed eyes exuding contentment, seemingly at peace with the world.

It seems the cool weather made the idea of going to the river less appealing.

Eun-oh sat beside him, gazing up at the sky. After a while, he murmured softly.

"Where might Young Master be?"

Two days ago, in the early hours of the dawn, Young Master suddenly went on a journey without a word. He didn't share where he was going, what he was doing, or when he would return. Of course, Eun-oh didn't feel any sense of disappointment; it was more a matter of curiosity. Moreover, Young Master absence brought a sense of relief to him.

Ongoing pain in his head had caused a constant unease in his heart from spring until now. Despite the pain, he couldn't openly express it, and he refrained from casually touching his head in front of Young Master, perhaps fearing he might seem odd.

Nightmares each night followed a similar pattern. Horns growing on his forehead and his eyes turning yellow, like when he was young. The dream's abrupt end coincided with locking eyes with Young Master in that form. Right after waking up, the presence of Young Master next to him was terrifying, and tremors would course through him.

As a result, sleeping without him felt surprisingly comfortable. Without the nightmares, he could sleep deeply, and even when the head pain came, the lack of anxiety made it more bearable. Thanks to this, for the first time in a while, his state of mind was genuinely tranquil.

"I'm so bored...."

When the mind is too comfortable, the resulting problem is often boredom. While Young Master was around, there were various tasks and errands to run, not to mention the daily chores.

There was never a moment to feel bored.

"No, no."

Staring blankly at the sky, Eun-oh suddenly realized that this could be an opportunity.
A time when he didn't need to worry about Young Master's presence might be the most suitable to address the problem.

Looking around cautiously and confirming that there were no prying eyes among the people working in the yard, Eun-oh swallowed nervously and gently touched his forehead.

"As expected..."

Eun-oh's expression darkened subtly. It was a very slight change, but he could sense that the bump had become more pronounced compared to a few days ago.

The reason why he no longer visited the library, a place he used to frequent in spring, was now clear. There was no need to explore further. He had discovered what he wanted to know.

The answer to whether the horns, once removed, could grow back was an affirmative 'Yes'. The horns were growing back. He became aware of this not through numerous books but through his own body.

The horn, which had only been trimmed like a child's fingernail, was removed when he was seven years old. After that, he lived without it.

For years, there were no visible signs of its return. Yet, unexpectedly this year, it happened. Perhaps it wasn't an abrupt occurrence; it might have been growing subtly, only catching his attention now.

Regardless, the crucial point was that he had to get rid of it. Fortunately, it was currently tiny, resembling a bud, and with his thick hair, it wasn't noticeable. Judging by the growth rate, he could leave it for a while, but he couldn't ignore it forever. He already knew how to remove it since he had tried before. Scraping the horn with a knife after grinding the body with a whetstone was the method. However, it was easier said than done.

Removing the horn was somewhat like pulling out a deeply embedded tooth, or rather, much more painful. Why wouldn't it be? Even though the whetstone grinding might be bearable, trimming the root required cutting into the scalp, similar to slicing off a piece of raw skin.

"Ugh... darn it."

Remembering that moment sent shivers down his spine. Truth be told, the pain experienced when changing eye color with the black poison was more excruciating. Thus, the memory of the horn-trimming pain was less vivid in comparison. However, it was evident that it wasn't an ordinary pain, considering he had passed out.

Nevertheless, there was no other choice. It had to be done. In fact, he had resolved to remove it a long time ago. Ever since realizing it was growing back, he had been eager to get rid of it. He just hadn't had the opportunity to attempt it while alone. Therefore, with the absence of Chae Yoon-sa, now was the opportune moment.

Yes, let's get it done today.

With determination, Eun-oh clenched his fist and rose to his feet.