Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 62

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 62.

A contract bearing the name of friendship.
A conversation shared as equals.

It was undoubtedly a sweet temptation, yet it simultaneously exposed the ‘void’ that dwelt within the master of this castle.

‘How peculiar.’

If he were truly Belmarés, there would be no reason to engage in such tedious machinations. He need only reign supreme, and crush what displeased him—that was the natural order. A single surge of blood-wrought fury would reduce every discourtesy at the table to ash.

Then why?

‘Why show me taste, promise me comfort, and offer me an equal place called friendship? There are no gifts without reason—not unless one possesses a soul pure enough to exchange flower rings.’

And a soul in such a place could never be so innocent. No, never so innocent….

“….”

…At minimum, it was an entity possessed of intellect too tainted to be clean.

‘A soul so utterly blank could never have succeeded in Belmarés consciousness to begin with.’

Moreover, a perfected Belmarés would harbor no sentiment for ‘gifts without reason.’ There must be a reason, then. What cause could possibly demand such effort expended upon Riedmar alone?

“….”

Let me retrace my steps.

‘First: he is not arrogant.’
‘That is not the bearing of Belmarés.’
‘He lacks the pride that should be his due.’
‘Perhaps it simply goes unseen.’
‘Perhaps he is practiced at playing human.’
‘But remember this.’

And second.

‘He didn’t seem accustomed to receiving such treatment.’
‘Rather, he appeared to be avoiding it.’
‘Then perhaps it’s simply a personal preference?’
‘It could be. Or it couldn’t.’
‘If not, that too would be strange.’
‘Who would ever slight Belmarés?’
‘Before success or after.’

And third.

‘His ideology is decidedly human.’
‘The language he uses is human as well.’
‘Eastern appearance paired with an Eastern tongue….’
‘There would be no need to cling to imitation so desperately, would there?’
‘Perhaps it isn’t imitation at all.’
‘As a Hotel General Manager.’
‘And as a person….’

And finally.

“…rejection.”
‘Could such a thing occur?’
‘Belmarés, who has already achieved consciousness—experiencing rejection?’
“No one knows what a successful Belmarés actually looks like.”
‘What its capabilities are, or what side effects it might have.’
‘If there were side effects, it couldn’t become such a perfect Belmarés in the first place.’
“So what if it’s rejection.”

Even a “perfect Belmarés” could experience that. It was an internal matter, not an external one.

“Blood vomiting is a typical side effect for a Blood Mage. But it’s far too periodic to be merely a side effect. More than that….”

His eyes rolled deliberately.

“No Blood Mage hesitates before blood they can rightfully consume.”

I remember Lee Yeon-woo standing motionless before the blood he had expelled. The way he smiled and ate only when I pestered him about taking it—in that moment, I discerned a fundamental revulsion toward vampirism itself.

Ah, yes, but what if all of that were merely an act?

‘The gain would be far too meager.’
‘To catch a single ant?’
‘Insulting one’s own divinity in the process….’
‘Revealing a sickly facade.’
‘Performing human sentimentality?’

It made no sense.

‘Even if it were a jest, a being of divine stature could not justify such conduct.’
‘There would be no pleasure in such trivial amusement.’
‘A single contradiction might be coincidence, but if all these contradictions existed simultaneously….’

Only one conclusion remained.

“….”

Belmarés did not become what he was by choice.

‘Was such a thing even possible?’
‘If the very pillar of desire sustaining consciousness was absent from the beginning?’

No—it was possible. Theoretically.

“Mind and will can be forced.”

Through brainwashing or hostages. Dragging worthless vermin from that filthy, vulgar place, and considering the sanctity he harbored within himself—the methods of coercion were endless.

‘But such attempts were not without precedent.’
‘Forced indoctrination and threats alone could never sustain such a consciousness….’
“Unless he himself gained something by becoming Belmarés.”

For instance.

‘He could have saved someone.’
‘Perhaps it was the only path toward greater gain, or the lesser evil.’
‘If his original will were abnormally resolute….’

It was possible.

‘I’ve never actually seen it happen, though.’

If I imagined it, then that’s what it meant.

“But if that were to occur….”
‘I could hunt.’
‘I could devour.’
‘That blood is weak.’
“Yes, weak.”

Not in terms of their inherent abilities, but rather the opponent’s sense of ‘self’ as a Belmarés.

“And historically, Blood Magic has always been a battle won by those with an inflated sense of self.”

The Tasteless Guest was a prime example.

“….”

My mind grew quiet.

I took in the sight of the Lodging filled with tranquility. What those crimson eyes beheld was none other than the petits fours that Lee Yeon-woo had given me as a gift.

How much time had passed before I rose to my feet.

‘This isn’t a matter to be decided by mere conjecture.’

…There was something I needed to verify.

* * *

The situation had certainly grown complicated.

“….”
“Having enjoyed a proper meal for the first time in ages, the desire to reclaim an ordinary human palate would naturally intensify. And following that logic, one might well arrive at the conclusion of wanting to consume a Belmarés.”

I could fully understand what kind of heart harbored such thoughts, what kind of mind entertained such ideas.

‘I enjoy delicious food too, after all.’

Rationally speaking, it made sense to curry favor with the goose that laid golden eggs. After all, it would directly affect my peace and reputation. The Tasteless Guest was surely tapping away at that same calculator.

“Providing a meal is only possible under the premise that both parties maintain courtesy.”
“Indeed.”
“If they attempt to devour me, we wouldn’t simply prepare a meal for them either—they’d understand that much.”
“Indeed.”

But if my opponent abandoned compromise and rushed at me determined to split open my belly and become a “complete god,” I had no immediate answer. Now everything hinged on what choice they would make.

“….”

So in the end, it all came down to gambling once more.

“How bitter.”
“Ugh.”
“Like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.”

After finishing the reception, I had withdrawn from the hall and now stood in the Staff-Only Safe Zone.

“Isn’t that right? There’s no physical way to stop a rampage, no clever means of persuasion. Simply bowing and serving won’t guarantee safety against an opponent like that.”
“It’s regrettable.”
“Yes, regrettable indeed.”

I had already done everything I could.

“All I can do now is wait for them to either reach their own ‘conviction’ or choose to ‘compromise’ willingly.”
“Ugh….”
“….”

Lee Yeon-woo removed his gloves, muttering softly.

“…Depending on that choice, the difficulty of conquering the Central Control Room will vary drastically.”
“Yes.”
“How regrettable.”

With the hand that had been manipulating the system, I pressed firmly against my lips. I could feel the cold body temperature from the water affinity penalty.

“I wish the Monster would be moved by our sincerity and accept our offer of friendship outright.”
“Is that so?”
“I concur. A creature that maintains its reason even in such circumstances won’t be swayed so easily. Since arriving at the Facility, our fortune has been decidedly poor—it troubles me.”

The Monster Guest was no ordinary adversary—a being skilled enough to lie convincingly to preserve its honor and form. We could never underestimate it.

“Of course, had we not taken this approach, we wouldn’t have bought even minimal time. If we’d launched the 14th Floor assault without hospitality….”
“Chaos!”
“Precisely. Yes, that’s exactly what would have happened.”

Hadn’t I already experienced it during the Room 14 event? The creature would surely have intruded midway and reveled in its mad festival, leaving me as the sacrifice to its celebration.

‘So it’s fine. There’s no problem.’

I had been handling this well thus far.

“There’s much more I’d like to say… but we truly cannot delay the assault any longer.”
“Yes.”
“How much time has this preparation stolen from us.”

I closed the cover of the completed ‘small book’ and opened the system window.

“It’s not merely a matter of my condition. Coco, do you see? The number of guests is steadily increasing as operations stabilize.”
“Oh.”
“Whether it’s my imagination or not, they seem quite satisfied.”
“Satisfied.”
“That wasn’t the point of what I was saying, was it?”
“Mmm.”

Coco’s eyes swept across the expanded system window. The number of Monster Guests using the Hotel had noticeably increased.

“This won’t do.”

There were still too few automated areas. Problems would inevitably arise without direct user intervention. Remote control alone couldn’t manage all these events.

‘And the Tasteless Guest as well….’

After organizing my thoughts, I spoke.

“Even if he refuses the proposal, there’s nothing we can do about it. Regardless of the outcome, we should proceed with taking control of the Central Control Room to gain authority. We need to finish this before he has time to collect his thoughts.”
“Yes!”
“We should handle this quickly while The Human Guest isn’t around.”

If we succeed, we can proceed with physical enhancement research and become nearly completely safe from that guest. We’d gain power and prestige beyond what he possesses.

“….”
“Hello?”
“…No, just for a moment, my stomach….”

Lee Yeon-woo pressed his hand against his solar plexus. When he thought of physical enhancement research, he felt a nauseating sensation in his blood.

“….”

A faint will made itself known.

‘Is it fear, or anticipation?’

The New Resident within his body stirred weakly before settling back into sleep. It had opened its eyes back in the Kitchen, but it seemed unwilling to wake unless there was an emergency.

Lee Yeon-woo removed his hand from his solar plexus and opened his mouth.

“Then shall we wrap things up here for now?”
“Yes.”
“I hope everything can be resolved as peacefully as possible.”
“Yes.”
“It would be nice if we could become friends.”

Was that too optimistic a thought?

* * *

“May I eat this?”

That was far too optimistic a thought.

‘Resolving things through conversation means…’
“May I eat this?”
“Ha ha….”

I laughed as though addressing a child throwing a difficult tantrum.

“No.”

Negotiations had collapsed.

I would have to finish conquering the 14th Floor after all.

* * *

A pristine white foot descended like a phantom onto the small book with its cover label in the Kitchen.

“….”
『…Therefore, the second course must inevitably relate to temperature.』
『In summary, desire announces deficiency, while body heat announces life.』
『Now that the awareness of deprivation has begun, what comes next is ultimately…』
“…warmth….”

White fabric brushed across it.

“Warmth, fragrance….”

That was all.

* * *

[Card Inscribed with Wordless Warmth]

* * *

Winter at the Hunting Ground was merciless.

The Boy gazed down at his fingertips, frostbitten and crimson. They resembled shards of frozen glass. The sensation had numbed until only a biting cold remained, and each breath drawn through his throat felt like an ice blade scraping relentlessly against his windpipe.

Moments after returning home frozen solid, before he could even shed his heavy coat laden with layers of snow, The Caretaker led the stiffened Boy to an enormous hearth.

“….”

The crackling firelight licked at the darkness of the Living Room, yet the bitter chill embedded deep within his bones refused to dissipate. It was as the Boy’s delicate hands trembled before the flames.

“Come here.”

As he knelt on one knee, the Boy approached. He cradled the Boy’s pale hand between both of his own, holding it with a steady, deliberate warmth.

“Are you feeling better?”

The Boy nodded instead of answering.

“Good, that’s how it should be….”

There was no rebuke for the failed hunt, no flustered concern.

Only the palms of the Caretaker’s hands—enveloping the Boy—burned with an almost searing heat. A heavy, intense warmth as if he had transferred a ball of fire itself, seeping through each joint of the frozen fingers.

The faint pain from the frozen blood vessels being forcibly awakened soon faded. That sharp sting melted into a drowsy sense of relief.

The Boy gazed out the window in this warm silence. The murky sky still churned with blizzards. He knew well how cold, how parched, how cruel that world beyond truly was.

Yet as long as this searing warmth remained, the world would never crumble away.

He simply… harbored such a foolish thought….

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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