I Became a Hotelier at the Goryeo National Hotel - Chapter 27

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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 27

‘This person is the nephew of the Empress of Daesik Kingdom and heir to the trading company, right?’

Seo Rin conveyed the next schedule to Nasim, whose eyes seemed somehow unfocused.

[Guest, a meal has been prepared, so would you follow me to the dining hall?]

[Yes? Oh, I need to go put my luggage in my lodging first…]

[Your luggage will be moved to your room by our Hyeeumwon staff.]

As soon as Seo Rin finished speaking, the Nok Sa came out and took the room keys and luggage from Nasim.

[Th, thank you. I, I will gladly fo, follow behind you!]

Nasim followed closely behind Seo Rin as she led the way.

As they stepped outside Jigaek-cheong, her fragrant scent was carried on the autumn breeze. Nasim’s gaze, which had been watching Seo Rin’s back as she walked ahead, moved to her shoulders.

‘Wow… She’s really small. Everything about her is small.’

Her face looked like it could be completely covered by his palm, and her shoulders appeared so delicate that they might break if he accidentally bumped into them.

As if enchanted, Nasim followed her and arrived at Pungwol Hall in Manhyangru. When Seo Rin opened the door for him, a separately partitioned space was revealed.

‘Hmm? It’s warm inside?’

Having had to ride through the cold wind the entire way here, Nasim felt his stiff body melting as he entered the warm space.

Nasim’s eyes took in the luxuriously decorated interior and the braziers placed throughout.

‘Hmm, to have prepared such an independent space. This place has good taste.’

But then.

Sniff, sniff—

‘…Huh? Th, this smell?! What is this? Why is this smell here? How?!’

The familiar scent of spices and the smell of fire-baked bread flowed into Nasim’s nostrils. Without realizing it, Nasim looked around.

Why was the smell of his homeland coming from this distant foreign land?

[I’ll guide you to your seat.]

Seo Rin carefully pulled out the chair next to Rashid, who had arrived earlier.

[Ah? Oh, yes, yes!]

Not knowing what to do with himself, Nasim carefully sat in the chair Seo Rin had pulled out for him.

[You’ve arrived.]

Rashid, who had been puzzled by his nephew’s dazed appearance, let out a chuckle of disbelief when he saw the look in Nasim’s eyes as he gazed at Seo Rin’s retreating figure.

[…Nasim?]

[…]

[Nasim?]

[…Ah, yes.]

[How is it, your impression of coming to Goryeo’s caravanserai?]

[Ah…]

In truth, Nasim hadn’t had much expectation from the moment he heard from his uncle that they were going to a country called Goryeo.

No, rather than lacking expectation, it would be more accurate to say he had been disappointed. To think that after suffering through such a long journey, they had come to such a small country.

Moreover, instead of staying at the famous ‘Byeokran-jeong,’ a renowned inn on Byeokran Island that he had at least heard of before, he had been inwardly hurt to learn they were staying at a place he’d never heard of (a place that even those who had sailed with his uncle several times said they’d never heard of).

However, his thoughts had changed a little now.

[Ahem, …I’ll observe more and tell you later.]

[Hehe, go ahead.]

Rashid smiled meaningfully as he waited for the food to be served.

After Nasim took his seat, completing the seating of all Al-Fairuz Trading Company members, the dining hall doors opened wide and trainees began filing in carrying dishes.

The merchant group’s eyes widened as they saw the food the trainees were setting down.

[Th, this is kofta?! This is my favorite dish!]

[Ch, there’s chorba too! Am I dreaming? Why is this here?!]

[There’s even lavash! There’s a lavash oven in a place like this?]

The merchants were all surprised and delighted by the familiar food.

While the Goryeo food they had eaten on their way here after disembarking wasn’t bad, they couldn’t help but miss their homeland’s cuisine.

However, not one of them hastily picked up their tableware to eat.

Deputy Commander Lee Jeong Ah, who was watching this scene, asked Seo Rin.

“Why aren’t they eating?”

Seeing the merchants’ behavior, Seo Rin shared what she had suspected.

“They don’t know if the food served follows their religious laws, so they seem hesitant to eat rashly.”

Lee Jeong Ah spoke as if frustrated by Seo Rin’s words.

“It was none other than you who led the kitchen in place of the Assistant Head Cook and prepared those dishes. Couldn’t you just explain it to them?”

Remembering how Seo Rin had been so particular about food preparation, saying no pork dishes and insisting on using only new cooking utensils like knives, Lee Jeong Ah’s words made Seo Rin look troubled.

“I’m just one of the trainees to them. Even if I spoke, my words wouldn’t carry weight. But if you were to speak and I conveyed your words to them, they would eat with peace of mind.”

Lee Jeong Ah was surprised by Seo Rin’s thoughtfulness. Seo Rin was right. In situations like this, someone in a position of responsibility needed to step forward for words to carry weight.

“Understood. Then translate my words into their language. Tell them this food was made with utmost care according to their laws, so they can eat with confidence.”

Seo Rin appropriately supplemented the lacking parts of Lee Jeong Ah’s words and interpreted them into Dashi Language.

[There are no dishes using ingredients forbidden to Muslims. These dishes were made to meet ‘halal’ standards as much as possible, so please eat with confidence.]

The merchants, including Rashid and Nasim, were startled and began murmuring.

[Halal? How do these people know about that?]

[Do they properly understand what ‘halal’ means when they say it?]

Seo Rin translated their words exactly and conveyed them to Lee Jeong Ah.

“Me? I naturally don’t know about that.”

But since she couldn’t translate this literally, when Seo Rin looked at her awkwardly, Lee Jeong Ah winked and said.

“I suppose I don’t know about such matters. Regardless of what I say, you handle conveying it well on your own.”

“Yes.”

Just then, Eun Cheon and Jun Gyeong entered Pungwol Hall.

Since this was the first meal for foreign merchants who had traveled far, they came to observe their reactions.

As the two crossed the threshold, they could hear the conversation between Deputy Merchant Leader Rashid and Seo Rin amid the bustling noise of the Dashi merchants.

From what they could gather, the atmosphere seemed quite good.

[Yes, you are precious customers visiting for the first time, so it’s only natural. However, if there’s one regrettable point, it’s that we couldn’t make it with meat slaughtered according to ‘dhabihah’.]

Eun Cheon was startled when the word ‘dhabihah’ came from Seo Rin’s mouth, but soon thought it must be something she heard from the Head Cook.

Though Jun Gyeong beside him whined for him to explain their conversation, Eun Cheon focused on the dialogue they were having.

In Eun Cheon’s view, he could see Seo Rin finishing her words with a regretful expression.

Rashid laughed heartily and waved his hand.

[Hahaha. If you know about ‘dhabihah’, there’s no need to say more about halal. Don’t worry. When unavoidable, we’re allowed to consume other meats, so don’t be too concerned about that.]

When Seo Rin interpreted and conveyed Rashid’s words, Lee Jeong Ah inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Seo Rin, you’ve worked hard in many ways.”

Seo Rin tactfully changed these words and conveyed them as follows.

[Thank you for understanding. Please enjoy your meal.]

However, they were still saying things like “You first,” and “You next, then me,” with no one picking up their spoon and chopsticks first.

Just then, Lee Jeong Ah spotted Eun Cheon and Jun Gyeong entering.

“General Manager, Middle General.”

The Deputy Merchant Leader also saw the two men and rose from his seat.

[Please remain seated. We simply wanted to confirm that the food prepared by Hyeeumwon meets your expectations.]

[Ah, yes, with such thoughtful care put into preparing this meal, how could we not be pleased?]

Seeing the merchants still hesitating despite Rashid’s words, Nasim glanced toward Seo Rin, then suddenly took a large spoonful of kofta, put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

Footnote

1) Dabiha: Islamic slaughter method. In principle, Muslims can only eat meat slaughtered using this method, and other meats are not permitted except in emergencies. Meat slaughtered using this method is recognized as halal food.

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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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