IOHH 10

“…I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you joking right now?”

“I’m not joking. I’m telling you the truth.”

“Then tell me the reason. Why would I die if I left the hotel?”

“Hm, I figured you’d already know that much.”

I don’t know anything. What is he talking about? Who would’ve predicted I’d come here to uncover my uncle’s death only to end up trapped in the same hotel?

I couldn’t even tell if what Ezekiel was saying was true or false. Considering my uncle’s mental state when he wrote that diary, there was a good chance it was just the ramblings of someone not in his right mind. Ezekiel was probably just using it to mess with me.

How could he smile so brightly while telling me I’d die if I left the hotel? There aren’t many people with a personality this twisted. And because he’s always smiling, it’s nearly impossible to tell when he’s joking and when he’s being serious.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, and in response, he flashed an infuriatingly bright smile.

“So you have no intention of explaining anything. Fine, let me rephrase the question. Are you saying I have to live here now?”

“Exactly. Miss Lindetail, you must remain in this hotel. That is, if you don’t want to die. But don’t worry—I’ll take the very best care of you.”

If you’re going to joke, at least keep it within reason.

I’d held it together even when I experienced horrifying things in a hotel full of monsters, and when I was forced to prioritize document approval over my uncle’s death. That was my limit—my last line. And yet Ezekiel just casually stepped right over it, as if he didn’t care at all about how I felt.

“…You’re speaking as if I’ve become some kind of lifelong guest at this hotel.”

“Oh, not a guest,” he said, snapping his fingers.

Just like before—when he’d made a monster disappear in front of my eyes. From within the mountain of documents, a single sheet floated up and landed neatly in his hand, as if guided by some invisible force. Another moment pulled straight out of a fantasy novel. At this point, he didn’t even seem to be trying to hide that he wasn’t human.

And then Ezekiel dropped the bombshell.

“You’re the new owner of the hotel now.”

What?!

My head was already spinning from everything else he’d said, but this… what in the world was he talking about?

“You just said I’d die if I left. And now you’re telling me I’m the hotel’s owner? I never agreed to that.”

“But you did agree. Look, we’ve got it in writing.”

He held out a document right in front of my face. I took the contract from him and examined it carefully.

Management Delegation Contract

Between Ezekiel, acting representative of Hotel Belvedere (hereafter referred to as “Party A”), and Kaina Lindetail (hereafter referred to as “Party B”), the following agreement is made regarding the delegation of management duties:

Article 1
Party A, acting as the hotel’s representative, delegates full managerial authority of Hotel Belvedere (hereafter “the hotel”) to Party B, who accepts said authority.

Article 2
Party B, as Chief Executive Officer, shall act proactively for the smooth operation of the hotel, and Party A shall provide assistance as needed.

Article 3
This contract shall take effect immediately upon signing and shall remain valid until the day of Party B’s death.

I flipped it over and back again, trying to convince myself it had to be fake. But the signature at the bottom was undeniably mine, and the handwriting matched perfectly.

The problem was—I had no memory of ever signing something like this. Sure, I’d skimmed through documents yesterday, but even I wouldn’t carelessly sign a contract this serious without noticing.

As I fidgeted with the edge of the paper, I noticed something sticky—like glue residue—at the corner. I went back to the stack where the contract had been and checked the sheet that had been lying just before it. It was thinner than the others.

Wait a second…

“You layered the real contract underneath another document so the ink from my signature bled through, didn’t you?”

“Did I?” Ezekiel replied, feigning innocence. “Strange… I wonder how those two documents ended up stacked like that. Still, you did sign it, and that’s all that matters.”

“Are you messing with me right now? This is fraud! This kind of contract wouldn’t even hold up legally!”

“If you can prove it was a fraudulent contract, then maybe so. But do you have clear evidence? I doubt it.”

I was at a loss for words in the face of Ezekiel’s shamelessness.

“…This paperwork was meticulously planned.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. I appreciate the compliment.”

“It wasn’t a compliment…!”

I let out a deep sigh. Now I understood why my uncle always referred to Ezekiel with curses. Honestly, I felt like dropping the name I gave him and replacing it with a few choice expletives of my own.

Maybe Uncle had welcomed the idea of becoming this hotel’s owner, but I had absolutely no intention of inheriting that title. I already had my hands full with the estate problems of the Lindetail family. Just thinking about all the paperwork waiting back at the townhouse made me want to faint.

And now, I was supposed to take over the hotel too? Worse, I couldn’t even leave?

As if to add fuel to the fire, Ezekiel went on.

“Besides, that contract isn’t something a human law can touch. Even if you take it to court, it won’t get you anywhere. It operates under what humans would call ‘magical’ authority.”

So it’s basically a demon’s contract, then. I turned the plain-looking document over and over in my hands, but no matter how I looked at it, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Still, he was right about one thing—I didn’t have any solid proof. Even if the ink had bled through from the document underneath, that would just be my word against his. There was no definitive evidence. And while the contract’s wording was suspicious, the terms weren’t necessarily bad for me. I’d inherited management rights and nearly 50 acres of land. To an outsider, the contract might even seem in my favor.

Bottom line, even if I went the legal route, there was no way to invalidate this contract.

“Not that you’ll make it to court anyway. You’ll die the moment you step outside the hotel.”

“Ugh, for the last time… what exactly is the reason I can’t leave? It’s not even mentioned in this contract.”

“Really? You have no idea? That’s surprising.”

Ezekiel paused, stroking his chin as if he were seriously considering something, then offered a suggestion as if it were the most reasonable idea in the world.

“If you’re that curious, test it for yourself. Step off hotel grounds. See if you die or not.”

“Do you even hear yourself right now?”

“I don’t think there’s a more definitive method. Sure, if you die, it’s over… but still. Ahaha.”

This bastard’s insane.

I swallowed a curse and forced myself to calm down, trying to reason through the situation. Why would I die if I left the hotel?

The most likely explanation was this:

The hotel itself wants to kill me.

Belvedere devours things the way people eat food. I don’t know how it works, but it’s alive—or at least alive enough. If that’s the case, then it could probably chase after me and retaliate. This hotel defies logic in every way.

Other possibilities include that lunatic manager coming after me like, “How dare you abandon your position as owner!” and destroying me on the spot. Or maybe, like Uncle, I’ll be tricked somehow and end up taking my own life. There are too many ways this could end badly.

It’s honestly impressive how many death scenarios I can come up with. What a delightful hotel.

“Living in this hotel for the rest of your life might sound dull, but it’s not all bad. The hotel grounds include forests, a lake, and even parts of a river. You could spend your whole life exploring and never get bored. Assuming you live a long life, maybe you’ve got another seventy years? Then again, most humans don’t even last that long.”

Ezekiel spoke as if seventy years were a blink of an eye. I didn’t know how old he truly was, but I was sure he’d been alive a long time. That youthful appearance was clearly just a facade.

After casually listing the hotel’s features, he looked at me again, this time with a more serious tone.

“Don’t leave the hotel. That’s the best choice you can make for yourself. I guarantee it.”

Like hell I was going to accept that. Right before coming here, I was still fighting my relatives over succession rights to the title of Count. I never wanted to be a Count, but as the last surviving heir, it was my rightful claim. If I couldn’t leave this hotel, that title would go to my relatives by default.

I came here after hearing about my uncle’s death, only to be nearly killed by some bizarre creature. Then I found out he had taken his own life. And now, I’m expected to take his place.

All this in just two days? Seriously?

Actually, ever since the manor burned down, I hadn’t had a proper break. Not once. The pressure of the work piled up so high, I barely slept just to keep from being crushed by it.

And now, it felt like my brain had finally given up trying to process everything.

“What’s the matter, Miss Lindetail? You don’t look so well. Ah, my mistake—guess I should say ‘Director’ now.”

The blue-eyed monster looked at me with a smile. I felt like an insect trapped in a spider’s web. No matter how much I struggled, there was no escaping.

My vision spun. The headache that had started that morning hadn’t let up, and now even my sight was fading.

“Would you like a copy of the contract, Director? I figured it might be useful if you’re going to follow the terms properly. I made a duplicate just in case.”

My ears began to ring. I couldn’t make out his words anymore. My hand went limp, dropping the pen I was holding. I heard the manager shout something and rush toward me.

And then the world went black.

That was how I became the owner of a hotel full of monsters.

***

A man placed his hand gently on the sleeping woman’s forehead. The warmth radiating from her skin contrasted with the chill of his fingertips. Her brows had been furrowed in discomfort, but the cool touch seemed to soothe her, and her expression relaxed slightly. He gazed at her in silence for a moment before pulling his hand away.

“I wonder how long she’ll last. I thought this time might be different… after all, you are ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■.”

A slight smile tugged at his lips. He blew out the flame on the candlestick he was holding and stepped out of the room. Just before closing the door completely, he turned back to look at her one last time.

“Please… hang in there as long as you can. Sweet dreams, Madam Owner.”