Welcome to the Goblin Hotel - Chapter 27

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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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Episode 27
It wasn’t possession.
Then what was that black energy?
‘If I destroy that doll, it should stop.’
“This is the root cause.”
As I picked up the doll and said so.
A notification appeared before my eyes, offering a clear answer.
【 Burn the Curse? 】
A curse.
‘So it was a curse all along.’
“Because of that doll?”
I smiled lightly at Rina, her eyes wide with shock, and replied.
“You can set your mind at ease. It’s a problem I can resolve.”
“Oh… thank you so much!”
Just as I was about to burn the curse.
Yena, still lying down, snapped her eyes open and jerked her head toward me with a cry.
“Put it down!”
“Yes, Yena? You’re awake already?”
Yena didn’t even look at Rina—only at me, her voice sharp.
“Put that down! Don’t touch it!”
Yena bolted upright and lunged forward.
Threads spilling from the doll writhed across her body like puppet strings.
“Yena! No, this isn’t right. Ma’am, can you do something about our Yena!?”
Rina threw her arms around Yena as she charged toward me, holding her back.
“Just hold on a moment longer.”
‘Burn.’
Whoosh.
Blue flames erupted from my palm, engulfing the doll.
Crackle—!
Snap, snap, snap.
The black threads snapped one by one.
【 Spiritual Energy Points +1,000 】
Thump.
With the threads severed, Yena’s body went limp and collapsed to the floor.
“…Rina?”
Rina, who had been bracing Yena’s shoulders, burst into tears.
“Yena…!? *Sob*… Are you with me?”
“I’m… so sleepy…”
Yena opened her eyes for a moment, then let them close again.
“Yena, stay with me! Yena!?”
The black energy was gone.
The spectral presence that had saturated the room had vanished as well—even the stench of decay that had burned in my nostrils was gone.
I stopped Rina from trying to shake Yena awake.
“Let her sleep. There’s nothing to worry about anymore. She’s fine.”
Rina lifted her tear-stained face.
“Really?”
“Yes. The doll was the problem.”
Rip—
Right in front of Rina, I seized the doll’s seam and tore it open.
I reached inside and pulled out the stuffing.
Soiled cotton—darkened as if dusted with ash—spilled out. Between the fibers, I found a tightly rolled sheet of yellowed paper.
‘This looks like talisman paper…’
I carefully unrolled the dried sheet.
Only the characters written on it had crumbled as if burned.
“Hm…”
A shallow breath scattered the ash dust like snow.
The talisman was burned.
My spiritual energy must have reached deep into the paper itself.
Still…
What did these characters say?
Hanging.
“Do you happen to know what this character means?”
“No, I’m not very good with Chinese characters. Oh, wait a moment.”
Rina pulled out her phone and searched for the character. After a moment.
Her hand trembled slightly.
“This is… the character for hanging, she said.”
The meaning was sinister.
“I burned the curse. But it’s not over yet.”
“What?! A curse? Who in the world would do something so horrific….”
“That’s why we need to be careful until we find out who cast it.”
Who made this curse doll, and how, and why.
There was much to uncover.
I tucked the paper bearing the curse into my pocket and spoke.
“Once Yena feels better, please come back to the hotel together.”
‘I wonder if Gang-rim would know about something like this…?’
***
Miho tilted her head at the sight of the paper inscribed with the curse.
— It really had a curse carved into it?
“Yeah, that’s right.”
— I don’t smell anything now.
“Maybe I burned it too hastily….”
Someone with enough malice to carve a curse might have left even faint traces of intent.
After a while of fingering the paper, Miho looked at me and squinted.
— That’s gonna fall apart soon. You weren’t planning to show it to the Reaper, were you?
I snapped to attention.
“Oh, that was close.”
I carefully rolled up the talisman paper bearing the curse and placed it somewhere Songi couldn’t reach.
It was already crumbling.
If it deteriorated any further here, the characters would become illegible.
‘Should I burn incense and call Gang-rim?’
I shook my head at the thought.
No.
‘Let’s wait a little longer.’
Choi Il-joo’s checkout was just around the corner.
If he saw Gang-rim, it might only trouble his mind.
Anyway, Gang-rim would come without being summoned.
Just like when Jeong Yu-ri checked out, if Gang-rim showed up right after midnight this time too….
Only a few hours remained.
‘Besides, my main job comes first.’
The talisman bearing the curse would have to wait.
***
A languid afternoon.
The Lobby was quieter than usual.
Hwang Geum-i dozed in the sunlight streaming through the glass windows.
Songi and the siblings had spread a large sheet of paper across the Lobby floor and were absorbed in drawing.
And Miho contentedly gnawed on the Homemade Jerky that Minju had made.
I decided to check on the guests’ conditions — something I’d missed while visiting Yena’s home.
First, Miho.
The way her tail swished suggested she was in good spirits.
‘She seems fine….’
Still, a precise check was necessary.
【 Guest Details 】
*Room 301:
Miho
Spiritual Energy recovering
Miho remained unchanged.
Next, the Dokkaebi.
【 Guest Details 】
*Room 310:
Dokkaebi
Satiation.
Fortunately, the Dokkaebi had eaten the buckwheat cake well yesterday too.
I’d been collecting the small Gold Orbs the Dokkaebi left behind.
‘Maybe I could make a necklace for Songi with them?’
A laugh escaped me.
I’d caught myself picturing the thick pure gold necklace already hanging around Songi’s neck.
‘It might actually be cute in its own way.’
No, that wouldn’t do.
I’d collected enough Gold Orbs by now; a more meaningful gift would be far better.
Though I couldn’t exactly ask or demand it of a Dokkaebi whose face I’d never seen.
My voice was starting to give out,
‘I wish I could ask for more voice next time….’
Thanks to my Spiritual Energy, I’d never lacked the stamina to use my voice, but there were often times when the staff and guests needed it more than I did.
I soothed my throat with Buckwheat Tea so cold that droplets beaded on the glass, and my mind drifted to Choi Il-joo.
“Sigh….”
Thinking of Choi Il-joo’s impending Departure weighed heavily on my chest like a stone.
‘Just a little more, and I felt things would have gotten so much better….’
But time was running out.
I swallowed back a sigh of regret and checked Choi Il-joo’s status.
【 Guest Details 】
*Room 205:
Choi Il-joo
D-2
‘What?’
Blink, blink.
I blinked hard.
Then I rubbed my eyes and checked Choi Il-joo’s status again.
“It’s gone.”
‘When on earth did it disappear…?’
The Wandering state had vanished from Choi Il-joo’s status.
‘Ah. Could it have been then…? At the barbecue party.’
His expression had been so good that day.
Actually, when doesn’t really matter.
What matters is that Choi Il-joo’s heart has grown lighter.
The moment I realized that.
I shot to my feet and shouted loudly.
“Done. It’s done now! Hahahaha!”
A guest’s condition improving felt so much better than I’d expected.
This was no time to worry about proprietor’s dignity.
At my shout, Songi and Minju—their faces and clothes covered in paint—turned to me with bewildered expressions.
“Boss, did you win the lottery?”
“Ahahaha!”
At my loud laughter, the children’s eyes went wide.
“Huh? For real?”
“Dad, did you win?”
“First prize?”
The children’s brightly paint-splattered faces spoke with wide-eyed innocence.
“No—Choi Il-joo’s Wandering has ended.”
“Huh, really? Wow—!”
“Hehe! So that’s it! We did it!!!”
“Wow!! The mister is happy now!”
“Hurray!”
“Yes, hurray!”
The children raised both arms high and cheered.
Listening to their cheers, I could feel how deeply they too had hoped for Choi Il-joo’s spirit to be healed.
‘Thank goodness.’
Now Choi Il-joo’s Departure didn’t feel sad anymore.
***
Evening arrived.
Songi grabbed Choi Il-joo’s hand as he emerged from his room and pulled him along.
“Uncle! Come with me!”
“Huh? Where—”
“Hurry. Please hurry.”
Songi hopped from foot to foot, her whole body screaming urgency.
“Oh…? Oh, yes. All right, all right, Songi. Just slow down a little—”
I had no time for conversation with Choi Il-joo; I only managed a hurried nod as we passed.
‘Why is Songi suddenly acting like this?’
Our last night at the Hotel.
I’d planned to let him rest easy today, but the moment Choi Il-joo stepped out of his room, Songi dragged him away.
I tilted my head and moved to follow them.
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
A message from Rina.
I glanced after Songi and Choi Il-joo for a moment, then shook my head.
‘They can’t have gone far anyway.’
I tapped my smartphone to read the message.
[ Boss, Yena’s awake! ]
[ Thank goodness. ]
[ We should probably take her to the hospital for some tests tomorrow… Would it be all right if we came to the Hotel the day after? ]
Given how abnormal her condition had been, running tests would certainly give us peace of mind.
I sent a reply at once.
[ That sounds good. I have no objection. ]
[ Thank you for being so considerate. Yes! Then we’ll come see you with Yena in two days!!^^ ]
***
At that very moment.
Before the Buckwheat Field, Songi held up her index finger and traced it through the air with a firm voice.
“Uncle, you can’t do it like that. It has to go long and smooth~! Like this, you see?”
“I’m sorry, Songi. I’ve never done this before, so I’m embarrassed.”
Songi planted her small hands on her hips and let out a long sigh.
“Sigh…. Uncle. You have to learn this well if you’re going to make new friends and all.”
“Ha ha. I see.”
Songi kept her hands on her hips as she spoke in a coaxing tone.
“This is all for your own good, Uncle.”
“Yes, yes. Thank you.”
As Choi Il-joo listened to Songi’s scolding, a quiet smile never left his lips.
“Let me explain one more time.”
Choi Il-joo nodded at her and answered.
“Ha ha, thank you.”
“Now try again. Make it long and smooth~!”
“Long and smooth~?”
“Uncle, that’s not it. You have to stick your bottom out like I do.”
“Like… stick it out?”
Songi squinted at Choi Il-joo and nodded.
“Yes, like that.”
“Ha ha ha, so what do I do next?”
“Move your arms like this—like a butterfly!”
Choi Il-joo tilted his head in confusion and mimicked Songi’s movements.
“Like this—like a butterfly? Fluttering?”
Songi frowned slightly and murmured under her breath.
“Oh goodness…. That’s not it….”
Choi Il-joo, not hearing Songi’s small voice, laughed loudly and called out to her.
“Ha ha ha ha! Songi, what do you think? Your uncle’s getting pretty good at this, isn’t he?”
Choi Il-joo stuck out his rear and flapped his arms, laughing.
Watching him, Songi’s face grew brighter and brighter. Her eyes curved like a crescent moon.
“Yes!!! Uncle, you’re the best!”
Songi laughed back at Choi Il-joo.
“Ha ha ha ha ha! Flower, bloom~! Flower, bloom~~!”
Choi Il-joo sang along with the song Songi had been humming and danced.
“Hee hee…! Uncle’s laughing…!”
What did it matter if the dance was good or clumsy?
This joy was enough.
That’s what Songi believed.
That the man’s new friends would surely like him too.
That there would only be joy ahead for him.
Songi stood beside Choi Il-joo, spinning in circles as they danced together.
“Flowers, bloom~! Flowers, bloom~!”
Beneath the moonlight, smiles bloomed on both their faces.
Inherited the Dokkaebi Hotel
Author
: Why So Grumpy
Production Date
: August 25, 2026
Publisher
: Acesmedia Co., Ltd.
Editor
: Acesmedia Editorial Team
Address
: 10F, Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Email
: [email protected]
※ This work has been published by Acesmedia Co., Ltd. in accordance with the copyright holder’s contract.
Without permission from the company and author, the content may not be used in any form or by any means.
This e-book is protected by copyright law, and unauthorized reproduction or copying may result in legal liability.
UCI
: G720:N+A129-20260730113

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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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