I Became a Hotelier at the Goryeo National Hotel - Chapter 12
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 12
‘That insane beauty. It definitely wasn’t within the realm of human…’
“…Seo Rin? Are you hungry?”
Da Sim, who had been brushing her hair while looking at the mirror stand, asked with a puzzled expression.
“I am, but why?”
“Well, you’re making the same face I make when meat dishes come out.”
“…Wh, what?”
I was making such a hideous expression?
“I’ll give you one of mine when the meat dishes come out later.”
“Huh? Oh, okay, thanks.”
* * *
As instructed the day before, when the hour of Jin arrived, all the examinees gathered in one place.
Nok Sa guided the gathered examinees to Hyangjeoktang, the dining hall used by the clerks, had them finish their breakfast, then immediately led them to the central courtyard of the main building.
The second practical exam was overseen by the deputy who assisted Lee Eun Cheon, the general manager of Hyeeum-won. He still looked tired and announced the exam content in a voice lacking energy.
“I am Gwak Il Beon, deputy of Hyeeum-sa. This exam concerns guest reception and service. Now, everyone follow me.”
The location for the second exam was Jigaek-cheong, which served as both the face and first gateway of Hyeeum-won.
Upon reaching the exam location, Gwak Il Beon briefly explained the guest room grades of Hyeeum-won.
“Hyeeum-won’s guest rooms are divided into three main grades: Anbin-gak for basic rooms, Yeongwol-gak for mid-level, and Bohwa-gak for distinguished guests. Each building also has rooms for special purposes, so keep that in mind.”
When Gwak Il Beon finished speaking, the Nok Sa standing behind came forward carrying boxes with holes and stood beside him.
“Now, everyone come forward one by one and draw a wooden plaque. You will take the exam in the order you drew.”
The examinees lined up and drew wooden plaques from the box. The wooden plaque Seo Rin drew had the number ‘2’ written on it.
“I’ll call numbers in pairs. The first number will follow me inside immediately, and the second number will wait outside the Jigaek-cheong door. Now, numbers 1 and 2, come forward!”
“Yes!”
Number 1 was Shin Yi.
Gwak Il Beon first led Shin Yi inside Jigaek-cheong.
He positioned her in front of the spacious desk where guests were received, then stepped back without saying anything else.
Shin Yi just stood there blankly, not knowing what to do.
‘What, what? Shouldn’t you explain the exam?’
After a moment, a man and woman who appeared to be playing the role of guests opened the door and entered.
“…”
As Shin Yi just stood there blankly with a tense expression, the male guest had no choice but to speak first.
“Is accommodation available today? We are officials carrying out official duties.”
“Ah? Yes, yes! Are there two of you?”
Shin Yi came to her senses and began attending to the two guests.
The woman nodded.
Shin Yi glanced over the shabbily dressed guests, then went to where the key tags for ‘Anbin-gak’ rooms hung and casually picked any key to hand to the guests.
The guest who saw the key tag snatched it with a displeased expression and asked.
“What about the accommodation fees?”
“Ac, accommodation fees?”
Flustered, Shin Yi quickly looked around the desk, but it wasn’t written anywhere.
“I’ll, I’ll check when you go to the Guest Rooms and let you know.”
“Sigh… Then, where is the nearest Restroom from here?”
“The, the nearest Restroom?”
Shin Yi looked around with a flustered expression. The only restrooms she had been to were at Manhyangru and Anbin-gak, so there was no way she would know.
“Well… if you go outside and look around, there should be one.”
“I looked before coming in but couldn’t find one.”
“I’ll, I’ll find out about that too and let you know everything in a moment.”
Shin Yi cursed at the man and woman in front of her inwardly.
‘What kind of practical exam is this?! And why are they asking about the Restroom location!’
Gwak Il Beon, who had been watching Shin Yi’s flustered state, frowned.
‘…Pathetic.’
Similarly, the man and woman playing customers also left with dissatisfied faces after receiving the Room Keys.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
As soon as the man and woman left, a woman with a stern-looking face immediately entered without giving her a moment’s rest.
The woman who stood before Shin Yi with an expressionless gaze was none other than the examiner she had seen at the interview, Lee Jeong Ah, the deputy director of Hyeeumwon.
“I’d like to order dinner.”
Only after hearing the dry tone did Shin Yi realize who she was.
“How, how many people will be dining?”
“…”
When Lee Jeong Ah didn’t answer, Shin Yi felt her insides burning up.
‘What am I supposed to do?!’
When Shin Yi failed to provide the reaction she wanted, Lee Jeong Ah sighed and answered.
“…Three people.”
“Yes, understood.”
The examiner looked at Shin Yi with disapproving eyes, then turned around sharply and left.
‘Is it over?’
It wasn’t.
As soon as the examiner left, this time Nok Sa came in urgently and said.
“The guests have left! We need to clean the room quickly, so hurry and follow me!”
“What? Yes!”
Shin Yi immediately tried to leave the desk and follow Nok Sa.
“Stop!”
As soon as Shin Yi left the desk, the official announced the end of the practical exam.
Shin Yi, who instinctively knew she had failed, burst out the door with an expression ready to cry and made eye contact with Seo Rin, who was waiting outside.
Seeing her, Shin Yi gritted her teeth with a grinding sound.
This time, Seo Rin didn’t acknowledge her. And as she passed by, she whispered softly.
“Did you fail spectacularly again?”
“Eek!”
The moment Shin Yi whipped her body around, Gwak Il Beon happened to call for Seo Rin.
“Next, number 2.”
“Yes.”
Shin Yi had no choice but to return to her seat.
Following Gwak Il Beon into the Jigaek-cheong, Seo Rin unconsciously let out a gasp of admiration.
“Wow…”
Between the ancient wooden pillars supporting the ceiling, a fairly large desk that seemed to be made of ebony occupied the center of the Jigaek-cheong.
‘Is that the front desk?’
On the wall behind the desk hung a large banner bearing the emblem of Hyeeumwon, and on either side stood massive wooden storage cabinets densely hung with guest room key tags, overwhelming the viewer’s gaze.
Gwak Il Beon positioned Seo Rin behind the desk just as he had done with Shin Yi earlier, then stepped back.
After a moment of confusion, Seo Rin realized the test had already begun and quickly started scanning her surroundings.
Seo Rin first examined the guest room key tags hanging on the wall behind the desk. Then she discovered an empty spot where a key tag was missing.
‘A key is missing from an inn that hasn’t even opened yet! Specifically, Room 40 of Anbin-gak.’
Seo Rin quickly retraced the events from when she stayed at Anbin-gak yesterday.
‘Room 40 of Anbin-gak… that’s a room for group guests! Could it be that they made us stay at Anbin-gak yesterday for this reason? To scout it out in advance?’
Strangely, the assigned rooms weren’t adjacent but scattered throughout Anbin-gak, so the trainees had to wander around the vast Anbin-gak area searching for their rooms last night.
Finding it somewhat suspicious that the rooms were scattered like that, Seo Rin had told Gap-i and Da Sim to remember the locations and characteristics of Anbin-gak’s guest rooms.
‘Indeed, it was good that I scouted ahead!’
After checking the key tag storage cabinet, Seo Rin now opened the ledger.
‘…Here it is! The checkout date for Room 40 is… tomorrow.’
Moreover, at the beginning of the opened ledger, the accommodation fees for each pavilion of the inn and important precautions to be aware of were clearly written in large letters so that anyone could see them.
‘As if telling us to read it, right on the front page.’
Seo Rin quickly scanned through the written content.
The content written in the ledger was as follows:
Guest meals are provided at Manhyangru, and meal costs are included in the accommodation fee for one meal only. If guests wish, meals can be served in their guest rooms.
For officials performing official duties, guest rooms at Bongmyeong-jae in the Yeongwol-gak area and meals must be provided free of charge. Chapter 12
‘That insane beauty. It definitely wasn’t within the realm of humanity…’
“…Seo Rin? Are you hungry?”
Da Sim, who was brushing her hair while looking at the mirror stand, asked with a puzzled expression.
“I am, but why?”
“Well, you’re making the same face I make when meat dishes come out.”
“…Wh-what?”
I was making such a vulgar expression?
“I’ll give you one of mine when the meat dishes come out later.”
“Huh? Oh, okay, thanks.”
* * *
As instructed the day before, when the hour of Jin arrived, all the examinees gathered in one place.
The Nok Sa guided the assembled examinees to Hyangjeoktang, the dining hall used by the clerks, had them finish their breakfast, then immediately led them to the central courtyard of the main building.
The second practical exam was overseen by the deputy administrator who assisted Lee Eun Cheon, the general manager of Hyeeum-won. He still looked tired and announced the exam content in a voice lacking energy.
“I am Gwak Il Beon, deputy administrator of Hyeeum-sa. This exam concerns guest reception and service. Now, everyone follow me.”
The location for the second exam was Jigaek-cheong, the face and first gateway of Hyeeum-won.
Upon reaching the exam location, Gwak Il Beon briefly explained the guest room grades of Hyeeum-won.
“Hyeeum-won’s guest rooms are divided into three main grades: Anbin-gak for basic rooms, Yeongwol-gak for mid-level rooms, and Bohwa-gak for distinguished guests. Each building also has areas for special purposes, so keep that in mind.”
When Gwak Il Beon finished speaking, the Nok Sa standing behind came forward carrying boxes with holes and stood beside him.
“Now, everyone come forward one by one and draw a wooden plaque. You will take the exam in the order you drew.”
The examinees lined up and drew wooden plaques from the box. The wooden plaque Seo Rin drew had the number ‘2’ written on it.
“I will call numbers in pairs. The first number should follow me inside immediately, and the second number should wait outside the Jigaek-cheong door. Now, numbers 1 and 2, come forward!”
“Yes!”
Number 1 was Shin Yi.
Gwak Il Beon first led Shin Yi inside Jigaek-cheong.
He positioned her in front of the spacious desk where guests were received, then stepped back without saying anything else.
Shin Yi just stood there blankly, not knowing what to do or how to proceed.
‘What, what is this? Shouldn’t he explain the exam?’
After a moment, a man and woman who appeared to be playing the role of guests opened the door and entered.
“….”
As Shin Yi just stood there blankly with a tense expression, the male guest had no choice but to speak first.
“Is accommodation available today? We are officials on official business.”
“Ah? Yes, yes! Are there two of you?”
Shin Yi came to her senses and began attending to the two guests.
The woman nodded her head.
Shin Yi quickly looked over the shabbily dressed guests, then went to where the key tags for ‘Anbin-gak’ rooms were hanging and casually picked any key to hand to the guests.
The guest who saw the key tag snatched it with a displeased expression and asked.
“What about the accommodation fee?”
“Ac, accommodation fee?”
Flustered, Shin Yi quickly looked around the desk area, but it wasn’t written anywhere.
“If you go to your room, I’ll check and let you know.”
“Sigh… Then, where is the nearest restroom?”
“The, the nearest restroom?”
Shin Yi looked around with a flustered expression. The only restrooms she had seen were those at Manhyangru and Anbin-gak, so she had no way of knowing.
“Um… if you go outside and look around, there should be one.”
“We looked before coming in but couldn’t find one.”
“I’ll, I’ll find out about that too and let you know… shortly.”
Shin Yi internally cursed at the man and woman before her.
‘What kind of practical exam is this?! And why are they asking about restroom locations!’
Gwak Il Beon, who had been watching Shin Yi’s flustered behavior, frowned.
‘…Terrible.’
Similarly, the man and woman playing the role of guests also left with dissatisfied faces after receiving the room keys.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
As soon as the couple left, a stern-looking woman immediately entered without giving any time to rest.
The woman who stood before Shin Yi with an expressionless gaze was none other than the examiner from the interview, Lee Jeong Ah, the deputy director of Hyeeumwon.
“I’d like to order dinner.”
Only after hearing the dry tone did Shin Yi realize who she was.
“H-how, how many people will be dining?”
“…”
When Lee Jeong Ah gave no response, Shin Yi’s insides burned with anxiety.
‘What does she want me to do?!’
When Shin Yi failed to produce the desired reaction, Lee Jeong Ah sighed and answered.
“…Three people.”
“Yes, understood.”
The examiner looked at Shin Yi with disapproving eyes, then turned around sharply and left.
‘Is it over?’
It wasn’t.
As soon as the examiner left, this time Nok Sa rushed in urgently and said.
“The guests have left! We need to clean the room quickly, so hurry and follow me!”
“What? Yes!”
Shin Yi immediately tried to leave the desk and follow Nok Sa.
“Stop!”
As soon as Shin Yi left the desk, the official announced the end of the practical exam.
Realizing intuitively that she had failed, Shin Yi burst through the door with an expression ready to cry and made eye contact with Seo Rin, who was waiting outside.
Seeing her, Shin Yi gritted her teeth with a grinding sound.
This time, Seo Rin didn’t respond. And as she passed by, she whispered quietly.
“Did you fail spectacularly again?”
“Ugh!”
Just as Shin Yi was about to turn around sharply, Gwak Il Beon called for Seo Rin.
“Next, number 2.”
“Yes.”
Shin Yi had no choice but to return to her seat.
Following Gwak Il Beon into Jigaek-cheong, Seo Rin unconsciously let out an exclamation of admiration.
“Wow…”
Between the ancient wooden pillars supporting the ceiling, a fairly large desk that seemed to be made of ebony occupied the center of Jigaek-cheong.
‘Is that the front desk?’
On the wall behind the desk hung a large banner with the emblem symbolizing Hyeeumwon, and on both sides stood massive wooden storage cabinets densely hung with room key tags, overwhelming the viewer’s gaze.
Gwak Il Beon positioned Seo Rin behind the desk just as he had done with Shin Yi earlier, then stepped back.
After a moment of confusion, Seo Rin realized the test had already begun and started quickly scanning her surroundings.
Seo Rin first examined the room key tags hanging on the wall behind the desk. Then she noticed empty spaces where key tags were missing.
‘A key is missing from an inn that hasn’t even opened yet! Specifically, Room 40 of Anbin-gak.’
Seo Rin quickly retraced the events from when she stayed at Anbin-gak yesterday.
‘Room 40 of Anbin-gak… that’s a room for group guests! …Could it be that they made us stay at Anbin-gak yesterday for this reason? To scout it out in advance?’
Strangely, the assigned rooms weren’t adjacent but scattered throughout Anbin-gak, so last night the trainees had to wander around the vast Anbin-gak area searching for their rooms.
Finding it somewhat suspicious that the rooms were scattered like that, Seo Rin had told Gap-i and Da Sim to remember the locations and characteristics of Anbin-gak’s guest rooms.
‘Indeed, it was good that I looked around in advance!’
After checking the key tag storage cabinet, Seo Rin now opened the ledger.
‘…Here it is! The checkout date for Room 40 is… tomorrow.’
Moreover, at the beginning of the opened ledger, the accommodation fees for each pavilion of the inn and important precautions to be aware of were clearly written in large letters for anyone to notice.
‘And it’s on the very first page, as if telling us to read it.’
Seo Rin quickly scanned through the written content with her eyes.
The content written in the ledger was as follows.
Guest meals are provided at Manhyangru, and meal costs are included in the accommodation fee for one meal only. If guests desire, meals can be served in their guest rooms.
For officials performing official duties, guest rooms at Bongmyeong-jae in the Yeongwol-gak area and meals must be provided free of charge.
Footnotes
1) Isok : Clerks stationed at each government office during the Goryeo and Joseon periods
2) Jungjeong : A courtyard or yard enclosed within a building.
3) Byeoljwa : An official title used until the early Goryeo and Joseon periods, referring to central government office practical managers and assistant executives.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
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