I Became a Hotelier at the Goryeo National Hotel - Chapter 8

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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 8

Shin Yi asked Go Jang Nam indignantly, fuming with anger.

“Didn’t the head cook clearly tell us to prepare food for 20 people?”

“Ahem, that’s right. So what?”

“How can we make food for 20 people in such a short time?”

“You should have asked that before starting to cook. Just like that examinee over there.”

“!!”

All the examinees’ gazes turned toward where head cook Go Jang Nam was pointing.

Where he pointed, there was Oh Seo Rin, who had finished making all the food and even completed the cleanup.

“Except for that one examinee, not a single one of you asked me when the meal preparation should be completed. Not only that, but you didn’t ask who would be eating the food either! Aren’t these things that anyone who cooks should know as basics?”

At Go Jang Nam’s scolding, none of the other examinees could argue back or respond. There was nothing wrong with what the head cook had said.

Go Jang Nam looked at them once with disdainful eyes, then turned toward the judges.

“Now, judges, please come down and taste the food yourselves to make your evaluations.”

“Y-yes, we will.”

Following Go Jang Nam’s words, the judges came down from the waiting room.

It didn’t take very long to make the evaluations.

There were few who had completed their dishes within the time limit and for the right number of people, and even among those who had finished, most of their food didn’t meet expectations in terms of taste.

“Ugh! How could you serve something that’s not even cooked properly!”

“Blood is still seeping out of the meat, ptui! And why is the seasoning so bland!”

And finally, it was Seo Rin’s turn.

After repeated disappointments, the judges had expressions showing no particular expectations this time either.

In contrast, Go Jang Nam asked Seo Rin with a face full of anticipation.

“Could you explain what you made?”

“Ah, what I prepared is—”

“First, tell us about the whispered conversation you had earlier.”

Just then, Jeong Jun Gyeong suddenly jumped in front of Seo Rin and cut off her words.

“Ah, ah, th-that is—”

“And also why all the dishes are nothing but a field of greens!”

Jun Gyeong took another step forward, approaching even closer to her.

‘Why does he keep coming closer?’

Jun Gyeong, who was pouring out the questions he’d been curious about while waiting, didn’t realize that his face was almost touching Seo Rin’s.

‘Ahhhhh—!’

Seo Rin froze when this beast-like person brought his face right up close to hers.

At that moment, someone grabbed Jun Gyeong’s shoulder.

“Jeong Jun Gyeong.”

“…Huh? Eun Cheon?”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Huh? Me? What am I…”

Only then did Jun Gyeong notice Seo Rin’s face, which had turned pale white.

“Ah! S-sorry. I got a bit excited for a moment!”

Seo Rin looked at the face of the man who had just flustered her, recognizing the familiar name.

“Jeong, Jun Gyeong? If it’s Jeong Jun Gyeong, that famous general?!”

Jeong Jun Gyeong found Seo Rin’s appearance endearing as she looked up at him with a surprised rabbit-like expression, muttering his name.

“…Th-that’s right, I am the hero of the Yeojin conquest! Jeong Jun Gyeong.”

At that moment, Wang An Hyeok quickly stepped forward and pulled Jun Gyeong, who was suddenly introducing himself, back.

“You shouldn’t interrupt an examinee during the test.”

“R-right! Sorry about that.”

As Jeong Jun Gyeong stepped back, Seo Rin finally began to share her conversation with the cook.

The examiners nodded after hearing Seo Rin’s complete explanation.

“Oh ho, the cook was right! That’s something one must know before cooking!”

However, Shin Yi, who had been annoyed by all the attention focused on Seo Rin, spoke up accusingly.

“Why did you only tell that examinee about what ‘must be known’! If this is to evaluate ability, shouldn’t you have informed us of the basics?!”

Hearing Shin Yi’s words, Jeong Jun Gyeong slowly turned around to face her.

“What did you say?”

Shin Yi shrank back when she met Jeong Jun Gyeong’s gaze. His cold eyes, different from when he looked at Seo Rin, made her feel as if her entire body was freezing.

“Th-that is, what I meant was—”

Jun Gyeong looked her over and let out a sneer.

“Ah! You’re that one from earlier. The one who copied number 11 during the interview.”

“Though it was a complete disaster,” Jun Gyeong added.

“…Excuse me?”

Shocked by his blunt words, Shin Yi couldn’t continue speaking, so Jeong Jun Gyeong mocked her.

“So, who told you not to ask about those ‘basics’?”

When Shin Yi couldn’t respond to Jeong Jun Gyeong’s cutting words, Wang An Hyeok stopped him.

“Now, now, at this rate all the food will get cold. I want to taste it quickly, so please hold back.”

Only then did Jun Gyeong relax his expression and turn toward Seo Rin.

“Right! We haven’t talked about why you only prepared vegetables yet. Answer that first!”

Go Jang Nam stepped forward on Seo Rin’s behalf and spoke.

“Once Hyeeumwon is established, we can’t know what kind of people will visit. Therefore, those who make food should naturally be curious about who will eat that food first.”

Go Jang Nam looked at Seo Rin as if telling her to explain the rest herself.

“Yes, so I asked the cook about what kind of people would be eating the food, and he answered that they were monks. I heard that monks cannot consume meat and the five pungent roots, so there were restrictions in choosing ingredients.”

Seo Rin opened the lids of the five tang-gi placed on the cooking counter.

Inside the tang-gi, vegetables were neatly arranged and filled with vegetable broth.

What Seo Rin had prepared was ‘mushroom vegetable hot pot.’

“There wasn’t enough time to prepare food for twenty people in such a short time, and I wanted to serve warm soup to those who had crossed Hyeeum Pass in this chilly weather, so I prepared hot pot.”

“But why are there only five tang-gi? There are twenty people.”

‘Tang-gi is what— Ah?! A pot!’

Watching historical dramas really helps at times like this.

“I’ll place one tang-gi for every five people. During my free time earlier, I went to see the space where the guests would eat, and the dining table was too small to place all the tang-gi, so I did it this way. I’ve prepared individual bowls separately so they can place it in the center and serve themselves.”

“Oh!”

“I see!”

“You even went to check out the dining hall beforehand?”

The examiners didn’t spare their admiration for each and every word Seo Rin spoke. The head cook added more praise as if it were his own accomplishment.

“That’s not all. She asked me how much budget was allocated for food!”

At Go Jang Nam’s words, monk Hye Gwang, who managed Hyeeumwon’s budget, brightened up.

“Oh my, is that so! How thoughtful of her!”

While everyone was admiring the food Seo Rin had prepared, one examiner raised an objection.

“Just because she finished cooking within the time limit doesn’t necessarily mean it tastes good.”

The one who spoke in a gruff voice was assistant cook Dok Su, the very man who was supposedly Shin Yi’s maternal uncle.

Assistant cook Dok Su.

True to his name, he was a man with a venomous appearance. The other examiners frowned at the assistant cook’s words.

It was understandable since Dok Su had been continuously evaluating the examinees unfairly from the interview onwards.

He blatantly gave all the points to his niece Shin Yi alone, and picked faults with well-performing examinees to deduct their scores, so the examiners had their own accumulated grievances.

However, Dok Su was a person of Lee Ja Seong, who was the emperor’s father-in-law and a power broker of Goryeo. Though the examiners found him disagreeable, clearing their throats to show displeasure was all they could manage.

“Haha! Well, you’re not wrong. Let’s taste it as the assistant cook suggests.”

As Hye Gwang broke the chilled atmosphere and stepped forward, Seo Rin quickly ladled a generous portion of the hot pot and offered it to him.

From the broth contained in the brownish earthenware, white steam rose along with a delicious aroma.

Gulp—

Hye Gwang involuntarily swallowed his saliva.

“It certainly looks delicious. The aroma is also good.”

Hye Gwang carefully picked up his spoon and took a sip of the broth.

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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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