IOHH 2

“This is as far as I can take you, miss. No one from the village—not just me—can go past this point. We mustn’t. Even if you offered me a fortune, I still wouldn’t go any farther.”

I argued with the coachman for a while, trying to convince him. Was this just a ploy to squeeze more money out of me? Or maybe an unnecessary display of suspicion toward outsiders? I couldn’t tell exactly why he was acting this way, but one thing was clear—I couldn’t bring myself to get out of the carriage.

There’s a good chance I’ve arrived before the letter did. And even if the letter made it first, there’s no way to know when the hotel might send a carriage. If I get left here, I might have to carry all this luggage and walk to the hotel myself…

But the longer we spoke, the clearer it became—he had no intention of changing his mind no matter what I offered. There was something odd about him. He avoided looking beyond the fog, keeping his eyes fixed on me instead, clearly trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Almost like he was scared.

When I asked why no one could go past this point, he gave the same answer every time.

“Because that’s the rule around here, miss. And the rules are absolute.”

In the end, the carriage left, and I was stranded alone in the middle of a fog-covered road. This feels like the beginning of a mystery novel…

I steadied my nerves and looked ahead, into the mist. I had to find a way to get to the hotel on my own. From the moment the carriage disappeared, I gave up any hope that someone would come out to meet me.

Sighing, I fiddled with the necklace my uncle had once given me as a gift.

Should I wait for another carriage to pass by? No, that’s not an option. A hotel tucked away in the western mountains isn’t going to have carriages just randomly passing through. And even if one did come, odds are that coachman would refuse to go any farther too.

Maybe I should leave all the luggage here and walk to the hotel. Better that than freezing to death in this fog. The only problem is… I have absolutely no idea where I am.

I was halfway through calculating my odds of being eaten by wild animals or dying of shock after running into a monster from one of the legends I heard as a child—when I heard the sound of hooves. A dark shape began to emerge from the mist.

It stopped right in front of me. That’s when I could finally tell it was a carriage.

A coachman stepped down from the sleek black vehicle and greeted me with a bright smile.

“Hello! I’m here to escort you from Belvedere. I’m so sorry we’re late.”

Late? By my count, I hadn’t even been here for five minutes. And how did the hotel know I’d be arriving at this exact time?

The boy looked no older than fifteen, with soft blond hair, a cheerful smile, and freckles across the bridge of his nose. He was a cute kid. Still, he seemed awfully small to be driving a carriage. Is that even safe? Questions kept popping up, but I asked the one I was most curious about.

“Did my letter to the hotel already arrive? It’s just… I’m surprised at how perfectly timed your arrival is.”

“My letter? …Oh! I think our manager must’ve gotten it and sent me out right away.”

When I gave him a skeptical look, he added with a laugh, “Trains don’t come through Grimsworth very often, so I guess the manager looked up the train schedule and figured out when to send me.”

It was a reasonable explanation. I gave a small nod.

Despite his size, the boy carried all of my heavy luggage in one go and loaded it into the carriage without so much as a grunt. I climbed in after giving the surroundings a quick glance. The carriage was black, with delicate silver detailing—more elegant than anything I’d expect from even the highest-ranking noble families. The two white horses pulling it were striking, too.

A black carriage with white horses… Kind of odd. It almost feels like a funeral procession. Creepy.

Still, I was relieved I wouldn’t have to wander a foreign land like a vagrant. Just as I let out a breath of relief, the boy closed the carriage door and spoke again, almost as an afterthought.

“Oh, one more thing, miss. If you can help it, try not to look out the carriage windows.”

“Why not?”

“The forest path is narrow. If you stick your head out, you might get scratched by the trees. It’s best to be careful.”

Soon, the carriage moved forward along the narrow forest trail. Following the boy’s advice, I didn’t look out the window. It’s never a good idea to ignore warnings in an unfamiliar place. Besides, with all this thick fog, there wasn’t much to see out there anyway.

I leaned back against the surprisingly plush seat and dozed off for about an hour.

At some point, I noticed the carriage slowing down. Curious, I peeked out the window and saw that the fog had lifted. Under a clear sky stood a massive white mansion. Trees and flowers were beautifully arranged around the building, and even from the outside, it looked more like a palace than a hotel.

Is this really just a hotel? It looks much bigger than the Lindetail estate.

Before I could fully process how such a grand building ended up in this secluded retreat, the carriage came to a complete stop. I straightened my dress and stood up. Outside the carriage, the boy was waiting with his hand extended.

I took his hand and stepped down. Just like before, he easily lifted my heavy luggage and said he’d carry it to my room. After sending the coach boy off, I turned to face the hotel entrance directly.

A large fountain stood at the center, adorned with a statue of a goddess. Around it, blue roses bloomed in neat, symmetrical rows. The garden clearly received meticulous care. The odd thing was, despite the vibrant blooms, there was no scent of flowers at all.

Just then, I locked eyes with a refined woman standing at the entrance. She had soft, pink hair. Is she another guest? Her beauty was so striking, she was the kind of person who would make anyone turn around for a second glance. As our eyes met, she began to approach me.

Why is she coming this way? Does she need to talk to me? I’m not great at chatting with strangers… As I hesitated, the woman surprised me by saying,

“You must be tired from the long journey. My sincerest apologies for the delay in greeting you. I’m Titania, the hotel’s concierge. The general manager is currently away, so I’ll be escorting you to your room. While you’re staying at Belvedere, we’ll make sure you receive the finest service possible.”

She wasn’t a guest—she was a staff member. Upon closer inspection, her outfit wasn’t a regular dress but a neatly tailored uniform, and her hair was styled without a single accessory, tightly swept up. A woman who looks like a noble is the hotel’s concierge?

“…Hello. I’m Kaina Lindetail. I sent a letter ahead. I came on short notice after receiving a message from my uncle. I look forward to my stay here.”

Titania received my greeting with polite grace and led me cheerfully toward the lobby. Even when I mentioned my deceased uncle, her smile didn’t waver. As the concierge, she must have seen my uncle often, since he’s the general manager… Still, I guess keeping a composed face in front of guests is part of being a professional.

Once we entered the lobby, I saw a few staff members stationed at the front desk. There weren’t many guests or employees, which only made the hotel seem more exclusive. Every staff member I passed gave me a polite nod. After months of being treated coldly by others, such respectful behavior felt oddly unfamiliar.

“Your room is in the east wing, on the third floor, toward the end of the corridor,” Titania said. “You’ll be able to relax without worrying about other guests.”

Following her lead, we soon arrived at the farthest room on the third floor. When she opened the door, a spacious suite came into view. The furniture—sofas and tables—looked like something royalty or capital nobility would use. Thick velvet curtains and what appeared to be imported carpets immediately caught my attention.

That was all, though. Since my uncle owns this hotel, I thought there might be something special about the room… but it’s just a luxurious suite. If anything stands out, it’s that the room feels a bit chilly. Given that the hotel was located at the edge of Shetland and likely exposed to sea winds, it wasn’t exactly unusual.

Rather than explore the room right away, I decided to take care of the most pressing matter first.

“This is a lovely room. Thank you for showing me the way. By the way, when will I be able to meet the general manager? I’d like to talk about my uncle as soon as possible.”

“He’ll be back very soon. Shall I tell him to come see you here in your room as soon as he returns?”

“Yes, please. I’d appreciate that.”

“Of course. Please rest well.”

With a gentle smile, Titania carefully closed the door behind her. If he’s coming back soon, maybe he’ll be here in thirty minutes or so. Just as I turned to head farther into the room, someone knocked on the door.

At first, I thought Titania had forgotten something or needed to share additional instructions.

But then a strange male voice spoke from outside.

“Excuse me, miss. I’m the general manager of Belvedere. May I come in for a moment?”

…Already? She left less than ten seconds ago.