Chapter 10. The Mystery Guest
After finishing his meal, Christopher sat at his desk and listened to Rufus’s report.
To Rufus Ollivander, Christopher Archibald Belmore was a peculiar man.
“Don’t use children in the factory. Increase the number of skilled workers instead.”
“Yes, sir.”
His master never revealed his true feelings. He didn’t get angry even when something went wrong. Of course, he also never showed joy when something went right.
He always came up with the right answer immediately, and Rufus trusted him completely.
“Sir, I visited the tavern where that woman used to work. She didn’t stay there long—ran away on her first day, so the owner was furious. The problem is…”
When Rufus trailed off, Christopher’s attention sharpened.
“Sir Phil Gordon already visited that tavern. He kept asking if a girl from the convent had really worked there. Apparently, he even bribed the owner.”
The Prime Minister was preparing for an election and couldn’t afford any scandals. Phil Gordon was his political rival. His movements needed to be closely monitored.
“The righteous Phil Gordon resorting to such underhanded tricks, how amusing.”
It was easy to predict that Gordon would also try to dig up dirt on Belmore—the man rumored to be engaged to the Prime Minister’s daughter.
Phil Gordon already knew about his own involvement in the convent’s intimidation. It seemed he was targeting the suspicious death of a nun and the subsequent closure of the convent.
“What about the orphan girl, sir? Are you sure it’s all right to leave her alone? Gordon will try to buy her silence.”
Rufus spoke gravely.
The mere fact that a girl from a convent appeared in a red-light district was enough to provoke a scandal.
And if the Belmore family was accused of being behind her downfall?
Even if it wasn’t true, the rumor would snowball rapidly.
“Leave her be. That shallow trick won’t work. Call the hotel manager.”
Christopher’s eyes drifted toward a letter on his desk.
“You called for me, Lord Belmore?”
“The hotel has received better reviews than expected.”
Christopher spoke as he examined a model of the Crystal Palace. It was delicate and beautiful. A real building identical to this model was being constructed on the outskirts of town.
“It’s all thanks to you, my lord. The hotel’s reputation will only grow.”
Christopher glanced at the letter and the hotel’s rating report on his desk. The manager continued obsequiously.
“Room 307’s old lady turned out to be the mystery guest. None of the staff guessed it.”
“She was once the editor-in-chief of The Vernacular. I would’ve recognized her immediately if I’d seen her myself.”
Christopher replied casually, recalling the elderly lady who had visited him.
“Christopher Archibald Belmore. Who would’ve thought you’d grow into such a fine young man?”
Dressed plainly, the old woman had greeted him with perfect pronunciation of his name.
“Lady Abigail. I heard you’d retired, but I didn’t know you were still working in this field.”
Lady Abigail waved off his polite words as unnecessary. Her sharp eyes gleamed.
“Let’s skip my personal matters, shall we? I’ll be frank. A new hotel is expected to be clean, and the food was excellent.”
Christopher bowed his head politely.
“But what truly impressed me was something else. The maid who brought me the ginger cookies. I made my decision because of that girl. I’d like to believe her thoughtfulness wasn’t mere instinct but the result of proper training.”
As she spoke, Abigail studied Christopher’s expression. He merely touched the crystal model in silence—smooth, clear, and delicate.
“The laundry maid. Such a lovely girl—about as pretty as I once was. She noticed the ginger cookies I always had and brought them to me with warm milk when I came back soaked from the rain. For a guest staying in a cheap room, such kindness says everything about your establishment.”
Miss Abigail also mentioned how she’d urgently requested her dress to be laundered late at night.
“Rigid staff would’ve said to come back the next day, muttering about mixed laundry and all that. But that clever girl marked each dress with clips to keep them separate.”
Miss Abigail smiled meaningfully.
“The rating has already been decided, so I can speak freely. You should adopt that girl’s methods. Oh, and she even took my muddy walking stick and cleaned it for me. You’ve got quite the remarkable maid, Christopher. Personally, I find her charming enough to want to steal her away.”
“Lady Abigail spoke quite highly of Elizabeth.”
After Abigail left, Christopher observed Liri—working in the hotel as Elizabeth—with new eyes.
He noticed a smile he’d never seen before, quick and graceful movements.
She darted around like a small bird, her long elegant legs moving briskly from place to place.
Every guest who crossed her path smiled. Even the children with their parents adored her. Some guests even left her short thank-you notes upon checkout.
Everyone called her “Lovely Elizabeth.”
“What? Her? Oh, the orphan girl. We only hired her temporarily because we’re short-staffed. I was planning to let her go soon—”
“She was praised.”
“…What?”
The manager’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected that.
“Make her official staff. Tell her to stop working in the laundry and assign her as a chambermaid. She should receive proper training, too.”
Someone with that kind of sense would only benefit the hotel. And it would incidentally neutralize whatever card Phil Gordon was holding.
The manager quickly hid his confusion and nodded eagerly.
“Ah, yes, of course! I’ve heard she’s quite competent.”
Christopher nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
“She has a good memory. Notices guests’ habits and personalities. Apparently, she started holding short meetings among laundry maids to share service tips.”
“Really? Interesting.”
Christopher listened with amusement.
“Yes, sir. Thanks to that, there’ve been fewer mistakes. The head laundress even called her clever.”
The manager tried to recall Summer’s exact words but couldn’t remember much.
“Give her the bonus as well.”
“Pardon? Oh—yes, sir.”
He asked twice to confirm Christopher’s decision.
It was an extraordinary move. Maids trained at elite service schools would kill for such a position.
And yet, she’s just an orphan?
He withdrew with a puzzled expression, unable to understand his master’s reasoning.
Liri couldn’t hide her bewilderment as the manager handed her a gold coin.
She had written “Room 301” as the mystery guest in her report—but never imagined she’d actually receive the reward.
For the first time, the manager spoke kindly to her, and Summer hugged her, spinning her around.
“The mystery guest praised me?”
Liri asked in disbelief. She’d never held so much money before, let alone received praise—especially from a man as cold as Lord Belmore.
“Everyone! This is our youngest! She’s only been here a short while!”
Summer’s excited boasting cut through Liri’s daze. A few people clapped hesitantly; most watched Liri with wary eyes.
Then the head chef burst out laughing and clapped loudly.
“Come down to the kitchen later. I’ll prepare something for you to celebrate!”
That finally sparked a wave of applause. The manager waved his hand impatiently.
“Elizabeth. Starting next week, you’ll stop working in the laundry. Lord Belmore has ordered that you become a chambermaid—and he’s officially hired you.”
“What? Then we’ll be short-staffed again!”
Summer cried out on Liri’s behalf, but the manager ignored her and looked directly at Liri for the first time.
“Don’t argue. The order came from the lord himself.”
At the mention of Lord Belmore’s personal instruction, Summer fell silent. Liri slowly nodded.
The envy in Summer’s gaze felt unfamiliar. No one had ever looked at Liri that way before.
She had always been an object of pity—nothing more. She could hardly believe such luck had come her way.
“Liri, what will you do with the money?”
Summer whispered. Liri hadn’t even thought about it. She touched the locket hidden in her pocket and answered cautiously.
“I’ll deposit it all in the bank.”
Summer sighed loudly at the dull reply.
“Money’s meant to be spent. Why not use it for something you want?”
“Hmm… Then I’d like to make pretty clothes for the children at the orphanage.”
Whenever she saw well-dressed little ladies coming and going from the hotel, Liri thought of the children she’d left behind.
“But that’s not for you, is it? Those pretty dresses.”
“I can’t afford ready-made clothes, so I’ll buy good fabric from the draper’s instead.”
Summer shook her head at Liri’s stubbornness.
“Are you going to sew them yourself? You could find some decent dresses on Petticoat Street.”
“Petticoat Street?”
“Yes, but I’d never want to live going back and forth there forever. Life’s short—you should fill it with beautiful things. I’m going to open a hat shop one day.”
Summer mimed putting on a wide-brimmed hat.
“I’ll go to Paris, learn hat design, and open my own boutique. If I stock only the latest fashionable hats, I’ll be rich in no time!”
She was already lost in her daydreams, barely paying attention to Liri anymore.
Liri quietly calculated the cost of a train ticket to East Longfell and gifts to bring along.
With this money, she could finally place beautiful flowers on Sister Brigid’s grave.
The heavy weight of the gold coin made her pocket sag.
