Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 281

275. Please bring it, boss! 

 

“I left a hint in my own way, you know?” 

 

As I watched Merlin Grey grinning and teasing people, I realized something.

 

What should I say? This human… no, this reptile.

 

It feels like a mix of Uncle Junsoo and Geumdong, half and half.

 

‘Well, I guess that’s why he thought of giving his daughter a quest like this to teach her about running a hotel in the first place.’

 

“So, the reason you were able to give this hotel special powers is because you gave power to that woman, Juliette Delphie?” 

 

“Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.” 

 

“This isn’t a chat window. Speak properly.”

 

I almost grabbed Merlin by the collar out of frustration, but soon realized that Alex was watching all of this, so I returned to my seat. 

 

“But the other side is the world inside the dungeon, and this is the world outside the dungeon, right? How did you expect the two to be connected?” 

 

I asked the question, but as I looked at Merlin’s expression, I quickly realized.

 

That I had asked a stupid question.

 

“Memories. This isn’t the real past, it’s a memory.”

 

“That’s right. So, if there exists someone with the same memories, like Juliette Delphie, then both worlds were created by the corrupted human king, which is why their powers are connected.” 

 

So, you anticipated that and passed on the power of running a hotel to Juliette, a figure from the past, long before the great disaster occurred. 

 

“…I owe you a favor.”

 

I had no choice but to admit it. This reptile was always one step ahead of me. 

 

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to save Dad.” 

 

“It was you who saved us. I never expected you to come in here or end up running a hotel. The plan to give power to Juliette Delphie was made by Lee Semyung.”

 

“Yes?” 

 

“You were definitely going to jump into this place to save Lee Semyung, and you were going to run a hotel anywhere, because that’s what Lee Semyung told me, so I tried it.” 

 

Merlin Grey’s thin lips curved into a long, mischievous smile. 

 

“The first Grey Hotel really seems to have found its place.” 

 

Merlin Grey’s hand landed on my shoulder, almost as if to say he was proud of me. 

 

I looked at Merlin Grey’s hand for a moment, then said softly— 

 

“…You’ve got scales now.” 

 

“Ah… sorry. I do like humans, but this is the first time I’ve actually touched one like this. Wow, human skin is warm. It’s clean, right? I mean it—I really don’t have any prejudice. Please don’t get the wrong idea.” 

 

“….”

 

Ah, seriously… what a weird personality.

 

“Just let go of my hand.”

 

I let go of Merlin’s hand and said.

 

“So, how do we get out of this world? And how long is that ‘under settlement’ message going to stay up?” 

 

I pointed to the annoying window floating above my vision.

 

That Demon King brat.

 

He’s been hiding, just leaving that up the whole time. 

 

‘Sympathizing with someone is one thing, but a promise is still a promise.’

 

I was dumbfounded and glared at the window during the settlement.

 

“It’s simple.”

 

Merlin ended my anger in one go.

 

Exit the game

 

When Merlin’s fingers swiped the empty space next to the “Settling…” message, this kind of window appeared. 

 

‘….?’

 

What is this? 

 

It was this simple!

 

“You really deserve to be king.”

 

Merlin smiled brightly as I swept my hair.

 

“Right. The Demon King is really a kid. A kid.”

 

Not the Demon King, but you. You.

 

* * *

 

“Huh? You’re awake.”

 

Behind the rambling Merlin Gray, a young boy stood quietly on the stairs.

 

‘When did he get here?’

 

Times like this really show how alike they are, moving around without a trace.

 

I got up from my seat and walked over to the young Han Woohyun.

 

Then, standing at the bottom of the stairs, I looked up at Han Woohyun above and reached out to his chubby cheek.

 

‘Soft.’

 

As expected, he was soft.

 

Even Han Woohyun, at this age, really isn’t all that different from Hyeyu.

 

I smiled softly and said to Han Woohyun.

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

“….”

 

But Han Woohyun just stared at me quietly without saying a word.

 

And then, he gently cupped his own cheek. 

 

His brown eyes looked as if he had just been hit with a wave of shock.

 

“….?”

 

Do you hate that I touched your cheek?

 

Even young children have their own preferences.

 

Feeling like I’d overstepped because of the one-sided sense of closeness I’d built last night, I stepped back slightly and said,  

 

“Sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable by touching you without asking?”

 

As I stepped up one stair and bent my knees to bring my face closer to Han Woohyun, he instinctively stepped back. 

 

Then, he almost tripped over his own chin, but I managed to catch him just in time. 

 

“You have to be careful.”

 

“…!”

 

Han Woohyun pressed his lips tightly together as he snugly nestled into me. Beneath his soft skin, I could feel a warmth radiating, as if he was burning up. 

 

“Are you feeling sick?”

 

“N, no… no… no…” 

 

What are you saying?

 

Han Woohyun stammered a few more times, then, as if giving up, relaxed his stiff posture and nestled his head into my neck, mumbling softly. 

 

“I was going to say… I don’t mind you touching me like that.”

 

Cute.

 

I treasured the permission I’d been given and gently tousled his hair a few times.

 

Han Woohyun let out a small whimper and sank deeply into my arms.

 

I explained as I sat him down at the table. 

 

“I’ll make you some jjajang rice. Just wait a bit.”

 

Merlin Grey, seeing me about to fold a napkin and drape it over Han Woohyun’s neck, subtly approached and asked. 

 

“What, you’re not gonna hit ‘Exit Game’?”

 

Seeing Merlin Grey subtly cling to me, Han Woohyun let the fork he was holding fall to the floor with a soft clatter. 

 

?

 

Are your hands weak?

 

I said as I headed to the kitchen to bring Han Woohyun a new fork. 

 

“Just wait a little bit, okay?”

 

“A little? Until when? Once the settlement’s over, that damn snake is gonna totally lose it.” 

 

I hesitated and looked at Merlin.

 

What should I say to convince him to finish breakfast and go?

 

I hesitated for a moment and then opened my mouth.

 

“…Let’s at least finish breakfast before we go. We have guests, after all.”

 

Come to think of it, as someone in the same hotel business, there probably wasn’t a more convincing argument for Merlin than that. 

 

And my prediction was right.

 

Merlin glanced at Han Woohyun, who was swinging his feet restlessly above the floor while waiting for his jjajang rice.

 

Then he coughed in vain and went to the kitchen.

 

“You said jjajang rice, right?”

 

As expected, he was convinced right away.

 

I watched as Merlin, having taken off his coat and washed his hands thoroughly, began chopping the ingredients just as I had taught him in the recipe.

 

10

 

20

 

50

 

100

 

He seemed genuinely excited at the thought of cooking food for the guests.

 

‘The spirits’ workaholic tendencies must have definitely come from Merlin.’

 

While I was thinking that, Dad came down from upstairs.

 

His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was a complete mess—it was the face of someone who hadn’t slept a wink. 

 

I knew the reason.

 

It was because of the guest in room 301.

 

Even I, with only faint memories of Mom, feel unsettled—so how much more heartache must Dad be feeling, remembering everything about her?

 

Last night, Dad stayed by Mom’s side the entire time, while I couldn’t bring myself to enter that room—and instead, continued my conversation with Merlin Gray.  

 

Because if a ‘stranger’ was sitting nearby while the two were having a private conversation, the guest in Room 301 would find it strange. 

 

At least to my mother now, I was a complete stranger.

 

“Jiyoung… asked about Junghyo, so I told her she’s safely evacuated somewhere.” 

 

The phrase “about Junghyo” was said with the upstairs guest from Room 301 in mind, who was on their way down.

 

I understood what he meant. To Mom as she is now, I’m still just a “stranger.” 

 

I wasn’t particularly upset. It was just a little strange.

 

“Yes. Would you like room service for your meal?”

 

“Oh, no… If it’s alright, I’d like to have my meal in the first-floor lounge.”

 

Dad looked at me quietly. It seemed like he still wanted to eat where I was.

 

I hesitated and nodded.

 

Then I went into the kitchen where Merlin Grey was preparing ingredients. 

 

After prepping vegetables like onions, potatoes, and zucchini, I began finely dicing the pork into pieces small enough for a child to eat.

 

Since this would be their last meal here, I wanted to treat them properly—so I put more effort into every cut of the knife.

 

“Should I take his place?”

 

Geumdong, who was making coffee nearby, walked toward me, wandering around.

 

He looked like a puppy that was waiting for something.

 

“No problem. But that doesn’t mean I can go and sit at that table.”

 

“…!”

 

Geumdong shrank like a deflated balloon at my words.

 

“If you put it that way… I feel really sorry…”

 

I looked over at the table where Room 301’s guest and my dad had somehow ended up sitting together.

 

The woman with the calm eyes had a side profile that looked somewhat like mine.

 

On top of that, her face looked more at ease now, as if the cold had finally lifted.

 

As I couldn’t take my eyes off that profile, Merlin Gray quietly sidled up to me and said, 

 

“I did something. She looked cold.”

 

“…Thank you.”

 

No matter what I did, I couldn’t bring my mother back to life, but I was truly grateful.

 

“You. I don’t know if you’re grateful or not with that expression…”

 

System

 

Shut up. Dad.

 

“Mhm.”

 

It was a quick answer.

 

I focused back on chopping, trying to clear my mind before it got too tangled in confusion.

 

With seven guests and three staff members, there was quite a lot to chop.

 

I gathered the mountain of chopped ingredients neatly into bowls and coated the wok with oil. 

 

I added the pork, then tossed in a bit of onion to keep the meat from sticking, and began to stir-fry it almost like deep-frying. 

 

Swish—.

 

As the delicious smell gradually spread through the air, the woman sitting at the table turned to look in my direction. 

 

When I met her pitch-black eyes, I smiled reflexively. The woman also looked at me and lowered her head slightly.

 

But soon, she turned her gaze back to Dad, and the two of them quietly chatted as they held hands across the table.

 

After adding the remaining ingredients, I added ginger and soy sauce and continued to stir-fry. Then, I added the black bean powder and water, mixing everything well. Soon, the sauce that would go on top of the jjajang rice was nearly complete.

 

“I’ll fry an egg.”

 

“Yes.”

 

I answered while watching Merlin fry an egg next to me.

 

I’d been standing in front of the heat for a long time, cooking a considerable amount, so sweat started to trickle down my forehead—but I didn’t stop stirring the sauce.  

 

Soon, the rich dark brown sauce I wanted was ready. I tapped the ladle a couple of times and called out for Geumdong. 

 

“Put the rice on a plate and hand it to me.”

 

“…Ah, yes.” 

 

Geumdong scooped the rice into a bowl, shaping it into a round form, then placed it onto a slightly curved plate and handed it over to me, saying,

 

“Hoho… You’re getting better and better. As expected of the boss.”

 

“So your boss is this one now?”

 

When Merlin cut in and spoke as if resentful, Geumdong’s face deflated again like a balloon losing air.

 

“Uuuuuuuuuung… It’s mean to tease the bellboy… You’re both bad bosses…”

 

“That’s right. Stop teasing.”

 

I smiled and put the jjajang sauce on the rice, and then I put a brown, crispy-fried egg on top of it to make it look like a shape.

 

When I made two plates and placed them on a plate, Geumdong stood still with the plate and looked at me.

 

“Aren’t you going to serve?”

 

“The boss should do it.”

 

“I have to make another bowl. The other guests should come down too….”

 

…They’re not coming?

 

I tilted my head as I looked at the empty lounge.

 

It’s time for everyone to get up, so why aren’t they coming down?

 

Even the little Han Woohyun who was sitting at the table earlier had disappeared.

 

“They all said they’ll be having their meals a bit later today. The little guest was shy and said he’d eat upstairs. So, um…”

 

Geumdong’s green eyes sparkled.

 

“Boss, bring it to that table!”

 

Geumdong smiled proudly and lifted his chin.

 

If he were in the form of a puppy, he would’ve definitely dropped the prey he’d caught in front of me, tongue out, eyes sparkling as he looked up at me with pride—that kind of expression was clearly glowing with satisfaction. 

 

100

 

The satisfaction level proved it.