Daldal: Main story

Chapter 154

Chae Yoon-sa, who had been lost in thought even after the confrontation, returned to the guest house after two hours.

During this time, Eun-oh remained unconscious, sprawled out like one who had fainted, and Chae Yoon-sa stood by the door, silently looking down at him.

The distance sometimes reveals more, and indeed, Eun-oh's condition was a mess. His face was bruised, lips parched, and his body was covered in bruises, with only a few parts retaining their original color. Moreover, within a few days, he had lost a significant amount of weight, and his bones protruded visibly.

Chae Yoon-sa had created this state intentionally, yet he felt no remorse or sympathy.

He merely found it visually discomforting.

Later, a servant brought the dinner, and Chae Yoon-sa deliberately woke Eun-oh, seating him at the table.

"I'm not hungry..."

Eun-oh showed no enthusiasm for eating, a stark contrast to the times in Chae Ga-won when he would eat without leaving anything behind, claiming it was unfair to waste food even if he felt full. His reluctance to eat now indicated his deteriorating condition.

Chae Yoon-sa was aware of this, yet he insisted that Eun-oh eat. Despite having ignored Eun-oh's eating habits just yesterday, the sight of his excessively thin body compelled Chae Yoon-sa to intervene.

Unable to refuse the command, Eun-oh reluctantly picked up the utensils. His eating pace was notably slow, clearly displaying a forced effort. Chae Yoon-sa waited, arm crossed, until Eun-oh emptied the entire bowl.

Barely halfway through the meal, Eun-oh discreetly raised his gaze. It was an indirect way of expressing his desire to stop eating, yet it wasn't accepted. Cha Yoon-sa sternly insisted

"Keep eating."

Eun-oh, who didn't have the energy to say anything, took about an hour to empty his bowl, then collapsed and fell asleep again. His labored breaths sounded overwhelmingly weary. From then on, he couldn't stay awake deep into the night. Even his sleep seemed agonizing, resembling someone afflicted by a grave illness.

Chae Yoon-sa looked at Eun-oh and thought over the name of his emotion that other had defined for him several times.

The eerie intensity of the night deepened as time passed.

"Ugh!"

Chae Yoon-sa, in a shallow sleep, abruptly opened his eyes. Eun-oh had awakened him. Like a startled mouse, he suddenly stood up, clamped his mouth shut, and darted away. It happened so fast that there was no chance to catch him.

Chae Yoon-sa rose slowly and followed Eun-oh.

The night was dark, but catching someone with poor vision in the dark was like taking candy from a baby. Of course, Chae Yoon-sa didn't consider Eun-oh's sudden dash into the night as mere escape; he suspected something was wrong with him.

And his suspicion proved correct.

"Ugh...! Woop!"

What he saw outside was Eun-oh crouched in a dark corner of the yard, retching violently. The pungent smell indicated he was emptying everything he had eaten, probably forced during the day.

"Uwack! Huuk..."

Eun-oh, chest pounding, continued intense vomiting. Watching silently, Chae Yoon-sa sighed and approached. It was when he hesitated, gently tapping Eun-oh's back.

"Hikk...!"

Startled, Eun-oh trembled.

"Wh-who's there? Are you... the Young Master?"