I Became a Hotelier at the Goryeo National Hotel - Chapter 21

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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 21

 

“You’ll need to stay by the fire once you start cooking, so why don’t you wet your throat first?”

 

Dok Su held out a tea cup that seemed to have cooled to just the right temperature.

 

“Oh, yes, thank you.”

 

Go Jang Nam, who had been sweating profusely from battling with the lamb meat, gulped down the tea Dok Su offered in one go. As soon as Go Jang Nam finished the tea, Dok Su quickly took the tea pot and tea cup and left.

 

‘He could have given us a sip too.’

 

Seo Rin, whose throat was parched, looked at Dok Su’s retreating figure with a disappointed expression.

 

Once the meat was somewhat prepared, Go Jang Nam went to the kitchen storage and brought out metal skewers.

 

‘As I thought! He was planning to make shashlik (grilled meat skewer dish)!’

 

Go Jang Nam called over a few more trainees and demonstrated with the metal skewers and the cut lamb meat.

 

“Now, like this, put five pieces of cut lamb meat per skewer… and apply seasoning on top… ugh.”

 

Thud—

 

Go Jang Nam’s complexion turned pale, then he suddenly clutched his stomach and collapsed to the floor.

 

“Master Cook?!”

 

The pain seemed so severe that he couldn’t even moan properly, lying face down on the floor and breathing with difficulty.

 

“Guh… huk…”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“Master Cook!”

 

Dok Su, who had gone out with the tea pot, quickly ran back into the kitchen and supported the collapsed cook. And at that moment, Seo Rin saw it.

 

‘What’s with this guy?! Did he just… smile…?’

 

Seo Rin definitely saw it. When he lowered his head to support Go Jang Nam, Dok Su smiled so widely that all his molars were visible.

 

But Dok Su’s face, as he held and lifted the cook, had already changed to one full of worry as if nothing had happened.

 

“Are you alright?! Oh no, this won’t do!”

 

Dok Su quickly carried Go Jang Nam on his back and rushed to the medical office.

 

Hye Gwang, who had been sorting medicinal herbs in the medical office, was shocked to see Go Jang Nam’s complexion as he was carried in on the cook’s back.

 

“Cook?! What on earth happened?!”

 

“I, I don’t know. He suddenly collapsed.”

 

Dok Su quickly laid Go Jang Nam down on the medical bed.

 

While Hye Gwang was checking Go Jang Nam’s pulse, Dok Su hesitated before asking.

 

“Um… Will the cook be able to get up soon?”

 

However, Hye Gwang, who had checked his pulse, shook his head.

 

“…It seems difficult right now. It looks like he ate something wrong.”

 

“…Then I should at least go to the kitchen. Time is running short.”

 

At those words, Hye Gwang’s expression darkened.

 

Soon, the people from Dashi Kingdom, Hyeeumwon’s first guests, would arrive. If they couldn’t properly serve these people who had traveled such a long way, it was obvious what kind of stories would spread about Hyeeumwon.

 

“Yes, don’t worry about this place and hurry back.”

 

Dok Su left a message asking Hye Gwang to take good care of him and turned around. That same smile from before was hanging on Dok Su’s lips as he left the medical office.

 

* * *

 

After Dok Su helped Go Jang Nam out, chaos erupted in the kitchen.

 

“Why did the Head Cook suddenly collapse?”

 

“Who’s going to prepare the food now?”

 

With the person who should be commanding the kitchen suddenly gone, the trainees were in confusion, not knowing what to do.

 

At that moment, Deputy Director Lee Jeong Ah, who had rushed over after hearing the news, stepped forward in front of the trainees.

 

“Don’t make such a fuss. It’s probably nothing serious. Until the Head Cook returns, everyone just continue with the tasks you were assigned—”

 

“The Head Cook won’t be able to return.”

 

Interrupting Lee Jeong Ah’s words, Assistant Head Cook Dok Su returned to the kitchen.

 

“What do you mean? He can’t return?!”

 

Lee Jeong Ah asked with a surprised expression.

 

“Master Hye Gwang said it seems he ate something wrong. So right now, he’s not in a condition to return. It looks like I’ll have to take charge of the kitchen.”

 

At those words, Seo Rin recalled the tea that Dok Su had given to the Head Cook earlier.

 

‘Could it be… in that tea earlier…?’

 

The Head Cook collapsed not long after drinking the tea the Assistant Head Cook had given him. And the smile the Assistant Head Cook wore when looking at the collapsed Head Cook.

 

Seo Rin felt somehow uneasy. Then she shook her head.

 

‘Nah, no way. I’ve been watching too many makjang dramas.’

 

Whether historical or modern dramas, these kinds of shocking incidents and accidents had to happen for the story to progress.

 

Lee Jeong Ah also had no other choice, so she granted the Assistant Head Cook’s request.

 

“Do that then. There’s no time, so hurry up.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

‘Still, with the Assistant Head Cook here, the kitchen should be fine. Let me hurry and finish skewering.’

 

Seo Rin tried to continue the work the Head Cook had instructed earlier.

 

However.

 

“You all.”

 

Dok Su looked at Seo Rin and the trainees who were skewering lamb meat and gave an incomprehensible instruction.

 

“Get rid of all that meat.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

Dok Su didn’t even glance at the lamb meat and went to the food storage, bringing back a large chunk of pork.

 

‘P-pork? Don’t tell me he’s planning to feed pork to Muslims right now?!’

 

Muslims are forbidden from eating pork according to their religious laws.

 

And cooking had already started and much time had passed. In a situation where every minute and second was urgent, despite having prepared ingredients ready, he deliberately brought out different main ingredients? And this from someone who’s an Assistant Head Cook?!

 

But no! That’s not it! Ah! Ugh, I don’t know anymore!

 

“A-Assistant Head Cook! You can’t use the pork!”

 

In the end, she blurted it out.

 

When Seo Rin rushed forward and shouted loudly, everyone’s attention focused on her.

 

“…Seo Rin?”

 

“…Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

 

Da Sim and Gap-i looked at Seo Rin with surprised eyes.

 

Assistant Head Cook Dok Su whipped his head toward Seo Rin.

 

“…Did you just say that to me?”

 

When Dok Su looked at her with a gaze dripping with venom on his withered, dried tree-like face, Seo Rin involuntarily gulped.

 

‘I think I know why his name has “dok” (poison) in it.’

 

Dok Su’s Chinese character name used the “dok” meaning “to supervise,” not the “poison” that Seo Rin was thinking of, but there was no way for her to know this.

 

“Y-Yes!”

 

“What do you mean it won’t do?”

 

“The meat that you brought just now, Assistant Head Cook. You can’t use that meat!”

 

Dok Su’s gaze became razor-sharp.

 

“How dare a mere trainee act like she knows something. Shut up and get out of the kitchen.”

 

“P-Please at least listen to my reason!”

 

When Seo Rin refused to back down despite her fear, Dok Su thrust the sword he had been using to cut meat into the cutting board with a thunk and approached Seo Rin, pushing her shoulder hard.

 

Thud—

 

“Ow!”

 

Seo Rin tumbled to the floor.

 

“Seo Rin!”

 

Gap-i and Da Sim quickly helped Seo Rin up.

 

“Assistant Head Cook! What do you think you’re doing!”

 

Lee Jeong Ah raised her voice upon seeing Seo Rin fall.

 

“This is not something for the Deputy Director to interfere with.”

 

“What?! Didn’t you just use violence against this trainee!”

 

Lee Jeong Ah scolded the Assistant Head Cook while checking if Seo Rin was hurt.

 

“Since a mere trainee was spouting nonsense—”

 

“Violence cannot be tolerated for any reason!”

 

Lee Jeong Ah cut off Dok Su’s words and asked Seo Rin in her characteristic businesslike tone.

 

“What on earth is this about? Tell me yourself.”

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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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