Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: First Guest
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As the banquet wound down, guests began to depart one by one.
I was both the host of the evening and the hotel's owner, so I stood at the entrance to see them off.
"Hahaha, thank you for inviting me!"
"Until next time, when another chance arises."
"I have a feeling we'll be seeing young master for a long time to come."
I made especially sure to watch the heavyweights leave until the very end.
Only a handful of people remained in the banquet hall.
The sisters who had won the stay voucher were already gone, as I'd asked Sion to guide them.
"Good work."
Most of the guest greetings had been my responsibility, but even as the son of a count, I couldn't be entirely free.
Father looked tired from showing his face at such an event for the first time in ages and offered a brief word.
"You too, Dad."
Mother, standing beside him, still seemed full of energy and vibrant.
What was it? We had all eaten the same things.
"I hope hosting this didn't tire you out too much. Are you alright?"
"Hee hee, of course. It's a banquet my son thoughtfully held for us. See? I raised my boy right."
She hooked her arm through Father's with a 'Right, dear?' and looked so satisfied that I relaxed.
No matter what anyone said, it was also a banquet to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
"If you're tired, feel free to stay the night."
"Mm, but home is more comfortable for Mom. Right, dear?"
"...Yeah. Nothing beats home."
"Come anytime you like. We'll always have a room ready for you two."
I waved goodbye to Father, who was practically dragged away by the ever-energetic Mother.
"Wrap things up well!"
As their carriage pulled away, I finally loosened my tie and caught my breath.
Night had deepened, and the moon shone brightly.
I waved off the remaining stragglers while waiting for the person I'd planned to meet today.
How much time passed?
She might be too busy to make it, so maybe I should head in...
"Oh no, am I too late...?"
A carriage came racing up and screeched to a halt before me. The door flew open, revealing a familiar face.
She must have rushed, as the horses snorted and stamped roughly.
"Kyaa...!"
I caught her as she stumbled while hurrying down and said,
"Not at all. Thank you for coming, Miss Arselia."
In catching her mid-fall, I'd spun her into my arms, leaving her cheeks flushed red.
She was lighter than expected, so I'd meant to just steady her, but it ended up looking like an embrace. Oh well...
She wasn't heavy—in fact, she was soft and plush, which was nice.
A faint pleasant scent wafted from her, as if she'd quickly freshened up.
"They say haste makes waste. You've carved out precious time to come, so it'd pain me if you got hurt."
"Yes..."
I gently set her down, and she cleared her throat awkwardly, hastily straightening her clothes.
Even disheveled, her natural beauty shone through, which suited her perfectly.
Seeing her like that was so cute I couldn't help but chuckle.
She was a bit late, but as the key person handling operations for my hotel—no, my entire business—it was right to look after her.
"Shall we head in, sis?"
I bowed politely and offered my hand as if escorting her.
"I look forward to working with you, young master."
Arselia smiled brightly and took my hand.
"Wow!"
It was called a 'room,' but this was no ordinary one—it was a suite.
The living room and bedroom were separate, and the furnishings screamed top-grade quality at a glance.
The younger sister sparkled with excitement, darting around with doot-doot-doot steps, exclaiming in awe everywhere she looked, while her older sister gave a wry smile.
"All the facilities inside are free to use."
Guiding them was the cat beastkin woman called Sion.
Black pants and a white dress shirt.
With a red tie and vest for a neat look, she appeared utterly reliable to anyone.
Her black hair, tipped with red at the ends, was tied back in a single ponytail, and she introduced the room without a flicker of expression.
"Sis, look at this! You can see everything outside!"
The younger sister was entranced by the night view through the opened curtains.
"If you need anything else, please use the communication artifact in the living room. Any other questions?"
Unlike them, who'd only enjoyed the banquet, she'd been constantly at the 'president's' side assisting amid the bustle—yet not a hair was out of place.
"No, this should be fine. Thank you for the explanation."
"Thanks, pretty sis!"
"Then, enjoy your stay."
Sion nodded and silently closed the door behind her. The two blinked at each other for a moment before pinching each other's cheeks.
"Ow-ow-ow, sis, that hurts!"
The stinging sensation on her cheek.
"It's not a dream."
Sitting in the spacious living room, they finally grasped that they were in the 'suite' the president had mentioned.
"To think we'd end up in a place like this..."
"Sis! Sis, lie down here! It's huge! We could sleep together!"
"Delpi, you still need to wash up first."
"I'm clean!"
"We came straight from the banquet hall."
Watching her sister roll around on the bed, reveling in its fluffiness, Lydia smiled faintly.
"Alright then? Let's wash up together for old times' sake!"
"Together?"
"Yeah! The bathroom was massive! Plenty of room for both of us!"
"Really? Then shall we?"
"Hee hee, I'll go first!"
Lydia sighed helplessly as Delpi bolted from the bed to the bathroom.
Even as she said it, the unconscious smile on her face showed just how much she loved this room.
Rising, she approached the window carefully.
"Beautiful..."
Reaching out, she felt the cool touch of the full reinforced glass wall offering a clear view outside.
From up high, the orange streetlights lining the roads twinkled like stars.
"Ah, sis! Why haven't you come yet!"
"Eek, I told you not to come out naked!"
"What's wrong? It's just us here!"
Absorbed in the night view, she'd stuck close to the glass—until her impatient sister dragged her to the bathroom.
The warm bath water Delpi had drawn.
"Like this? Ugh, eek! It's cold!"
"Hee hee, I set it to lukewarm. You're such a dummy."
After carefully undressing and rinsing off with the nearby handheld sprayer, Lydia slipped into the wide tub.
"Haah..."
"Feels amazing, right?"
"Yeah..."
The tub was so spacious that even submerging fully left room to spare.
With shoulders submerged, Lydia melted away, her built-up fatigue dissolving.
"Lucky we won, huh?"
"Totally. What great luck."
"Good thing you listened when I said not to sell the invitation, right?"
"...Yeah. You're the best, sis."
As Delpi leaned in, resting her head on Lydia's shoulder, Lydia felt true happiness for the first time in ages.
How hard had the two, with nothing but each other after their family's fall, fought to survive?
They say even ruined wealth lasts three generations, but sadly, theirs hadn't been that affluent.
Their parents, hearing of a good opportunity, had taken all the servants and left—only to die tragically. All that remained was a hollow title and mansion.
Lydia, then 14, had somehow leveraged her parents' connections to secure succession and barely stabilize things.
Suddenly family head, she sold the too-large mansion for two people.
Many had eyed them hungrily—young, powerless, but titled.
With both sisters beautiful, proposals poured in, but she rejected them all, saving marriage as a last resort.
It was just a year ago that they'd paid off debts with the proceeds, scraped together rent, and found some breathing room.
Then, treating themselves to a rare meal out, they'd won Julian's event.
"Feels so good washing together after so long."
Lydia nodded, hugging her sister's nuzzling head.
"Yaaawn."
After washing and drying her yawning, exhausted sister's hair with the bathroom amenities, Lydia dressed her in a robe and sent her out first.
"Dry your hair and lie down. You'll catch a cold."
Peeking from the bathroom, Lydia got a reply.
"Hee hee, it's so warm here, I think it'll be fine?"
With a towel on her head, Delpi flopped onto the bed and soon succumbed to heavy eyelids.
After her own wash, Lydia donned a robe, toweled her hair, and gently dried her sister's.
"Does it automatically adjust the temperature?"
Noticing it had grown a bit warmer since entry, she murmured.
"No worries about colds, then."
Until Delpi's damp hair dried, Lydia sat by the window, silently watching the view.
The capital's night, where streetlights and buildings glowed like fireflies.
Her reflection in the glass sparkled as if holding stars.
"What's this?"
Finally rising to sleep, she picked up the paper on the table.
"Hotel guest exclusive: free laundry service...?"
Even if their clothes were dirty, leaving them in the living room basket meant pickup at dawn and spotless return by morning.
A memo noted checkout by 11 a.m., so sleep in without worry.
Care for first-time guests?
Chucking, she placed their discarded clothes in the basket.
"Haaa..."
A blissful sigh escaped as Lydia lay beside her dead-to-the-world sister.
No ordinary bed—this one molded perfectly to her.
Overcome by sudden sleepiness from relaxed tension, Lydia hugged Delpi and drifted off.
The room's lights dimmed automatically to the sound of steady breathing, and night settled over the suite.
"Let me say it again: thank you for coming, sis."
"Oh, of course I had to. As you said, young master, we're in the same boat now, right?"
After tidying the banquet hall, we'd moved to the restaurant one floor down for a light toast with snacks.
"Sion, good work from you too."
"Not at all, master. It was just my duty."
"There you go again. At times like this, you say 'Thank you' and accept it."
"...Th-thank you."
I offered her a glass too, stroking her head—her tail swished happily.
I'd planned to call everyone for introductions to the revamped business structure, but with Arselia arriving post-banquet, I postponed it.
Even as president, holding people past midnight felt inhumane.
What about Sion?
She refuses to rest even if I tell her to, so what can I do?
Better to give her the whole next day off together.
"You didn't rush here right after work, did you?"
"I wanted to come earlier, but that meeting dragged on forever..."
Arselia shook her head and sighed.
Handling Rosenheim Merchant Guild duties plus prep for our side must be hectic.
"Alright, no work talk tonight. Cheers!"
"Hee hee, shall we? A toast from you would be nice, young master."
"Eek, that's tricky... Sion, want to give it a shot?"
Glancing between us as the turn came to her, she raised her glass.
"Then, to the young master's success."
I knew she'd say that.
Next time, we'll drink together and loosen her up a bit.
'Have we been working too much lately?'