Chapter 10
The ride took longer than expected, and Yeonho ended up dozing off in the backseat, completely worn out from the long journey.
When they finally reached their destination, he told one of his bodyguards to call hotel staff to help carry his luggage — and he made it very clear that the men who'd come with him were not to step inside the building.
He had to be extra careful.
Every detail mattered, and he couldn't risk being recognised before he was ready.
After waiting another ten minutes, Yeonho stepped out of the car.
All his bags and belongings were loaded onto three large rolling carts, pushed by smiling hotel employees who greeted him as he approached.
"Good day, Sir. Please allow us to assist you inside the lobby."
A male employee bowed politely as he spoke, but Yeonho didn't bother replying, he just walked straight toward the entrance, keeping his head down and his face still covered.
'Their reactions seem natural. I guess my disguise is working.'
Or at least, that was what he told himself. He still had his face mask pulled up tight, and the hood of his dark jacket was pulled all the way over his new black wig, hiding all his features from view.
He stepped inside, and the moment he crossed the threshold, he stopped short, impressed by what he saw.
The hotel was breathtakingly beautiful, every detail was elegant and refined.
The interior design was tastefully arranged, the lobby was spacious and well laid out, and even the staff uniforms were tailored perfectly to fit the grand atmosphere.
This was obviously one of the largest and most prestigious hotels in the country, and it lived up to every single review he'd ever seen.
None of the praise was exaggerated. It was exactly as amazing as everyone said.
Yeonho was still admiring his surroundings, taking in every little detail, when one of the staff members called out to get his attention.
"Sir? Are you here to check in?"
The question pulled Yeonho out of his thoughts. He blinked, regaining his focus.
"Oh right. Where's the reception desk?"
"This way, please. Follow me."
The staff guided Yeonho through the spacious lobby.
So this is the male lead's hotel. Pretty impressive.
They stopped right in front of the long reception counter.
"Good afternoon, Sir. Are you here to check in?"
A woman behind the desk greeted him with a warm, professional smile.
"Well, obviously."
Yeonho's words came out sharper than he intended, and a small, worried thought crossed his mind.
'Oops… did I sound too rude?'
Maybe he should have phrased it better, because the receptionist's smile faded just a little, her lips twitching like she was holding back a frown, but she still tried her best to keep her composure.
"Understood. How many days will you be staying with us?"
She leaned forward slightly, typing quickly into her computer, her movements precise and efficient.
"Not just days — I'm staying permanently. I live here. And I want the very best room you have."
Yeonho tapped his fingers slowly against the edge of the desk, keeping his tone calm but firm.
The receptionist glanced at his fingers, then back at his face, still hidden under the mask and hood.
She started to look suspicious — anyone who covered themselves completely and said they wanted to live in a hotel long-term was bound to raise questions.
"May I ask for your name and valid identification, please?"
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes — she was just being careful, making sure no unauthorised or suspicious guests got into the hotel.
"Sure."
Yeonho handed over his ID and payment card.
The second the receptionist read his name printed on the document, the polite smile vanished completely from her face.
"Your name is Choi Yeonho. Mr. Choi, may I please see your face? It is our policy to verify the identity of every guest we serve."
'Shit. What if she recognises me?'
Yeonho didn't hesitate. He pulled his hood back and lowered his face mask, revealing his face fully to the staff.
The receptionist behind the desk, and even the employees standing behind him who were holding the luggage carts, all froze.
Their eyes went wide, staring at him like he was something out of a dream.
"So? Are we done yet? You're taking far too long."
He crossed his arms over his chest, looking annoyed and impatient. Acting like a difficult customer to put pressure on them and get things moving faster.
'Hurry up and give me my key card.'
For a moment, everyone went completely silent.
The staff holding the carts stopped moving, and the receptionist stared at him, stunned.Then it hit them.
They weren't surprised because he was suspicious, they were shocked by just how beautiful he was.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Choi! I was just checking if you were the person our manager instructed us to keep an eye on and report immediately."
She bowed repeatedly, her face turning bright red, half from embarrassment for doubting him, half from being flustered by his striking features.
"Do I look like I care? I'm exhausted from the flight, and all I want right now is to rest."
Yeonho sighed tiredly, rubbing his forehead. Acting frustrated and worn out worked perfectly to sell the act, and it quickly put everyone at ease.
"Yes, please give me your card. The staff will assist you to one of our most exclusive, high-end suite rooms…"
The receptionist was now nervous and full of apologies. When Yeonho handed over his black card, her eyes widened even more.
Realising that Yeonho was no ordinary guest, the receptionist got straight to work, moving quickly and efficiently to finish the check-in process.
She tapped away at her computer, swiped his black card, then set all of Yeonho's documents and cards neatly on the counter.
"Here is your ID, your card, and your room key, Mr. Choi. Again, I sincerely apologize for my mistake. We're just required to keep an eye on names that have been linked to incidents here in the hotel — that name carries a lot of negative history in Korea, so we have to be extra careful. I hope you understand."
She bowed deeply again, taking full responsibility for her earlier caution.
Yeonho gathered his ID, cards and key from the counter, tucking them safely into his bag.
"It's alright, I know how it is. Having the same name as the Choi family's disgraced son does make things a little difficult, after all."
'Yeah, it's a hassle for now. But soon enough, once I put my plans into motion, I'll be able to walk around freely without hiding. For now, pretending to be someone else is just part of the job.'
For the time being, keeping his identity under wraps was the only smart choice.
The receptionist nodded, her tone returning to its usual professional warmth as she gestured toward the lobby entrance.
"Thank you for choosing our hotel. We hope you enjoy your stay."
"Thank you." Yeonho replied, offering a short polite nod.
'That was easier than I expected. They all fell for it perfectly.'
He pulled his face mask back up and adjusted his hood, covering his features again. He still couldn't afford to be recognised anywhere just yet.
The hotel employees pushing the carts loaded with his luggage led the way toward the elevators, and another staff member joined them to show Yeonho to his room.
His suite was on the 48th floor, and only six rooms occupied the entire level.
The hallway was wide, quiet and spacious, and Yeonho walked at an easy pace, followed closely by the staff.
"This is your room, Mr. Choi."
One of the staff stopped in front of a large, elegant door, gesturing toward it politely.
Yeonho tapped his key card against the reader, and the lock clicked open. He stepped inside, turning back to the men waiting outside.
"Bring all my things in here."
The employees immediately got to work, carrying every single bag and piece of luggage inside and arranging them neatly near the entrance.
Yeonho watched them move around, taking in every detail of his new home.
'This feels like a real house, not just a hotel room. Nice work, Choi Yeonho.'
He praised himself silently.
The suite was far more luxurious than he'd expected. It even had a second floor, making it look almost exactly like a private penthouse.
Once everything was unloaded and arranged properly, the guide bowed respectfully.
"We're all done here, Mr. Choi. We hope you enjoy your stay."
He spoke politely, but there was a slight hesitation in his tone, like he wanted to say something more but wasn't sure if he should.
Yeonho raised an eyebrow slightly, though the staff couldn't see it, his face still hidden under the hood and wig.
"I just wanted to say… you're very handsome and beautiful, Mr. Choi. Goodbye."
The staff bowed again quickly, then hurried away with the rest of the team, leaving Yeonho alone in the large, quiet room.
'Well, I can't really blame them.'
The door clicked shut softly behind them. Yeonho pulled his face mask off and shrugged his hooded jacket off, leaving him in a loose, comfortable silk shirt.
"Argh, I'm so tired. I thought I'd be caught out for sure, but I'm actually really good at this disguise."
He let out a long, weary sigh, then jumped up onto the large, soft sofa in the living room, stretching out lazily and staring up at the ceiling.
"I've got two whole weeks… I just want to rest."
He mumbled softly, his eyes already feeling heavy with sleep. It had been such a long, chaotic day, and his body was begging for a break.
Before he could even think properly, his eyes betrayed him. He yawned wide, shifting around on the cushions to get comfortable.
His eyelids were already drooping shut when he suddenly sat up straight, remembering something important.
"I should take off my makeup and wig."
It was a routine he never skipped, no matter how tired he was.
He stood up from the sofa, searching through one of his bags for his skincare products.
He cleaned his face thoroughly in the bathroom, then returned to the living room to go through his full skincare routine.
Once he was done, he changed into soft, comfortable pajamas.
"It's 2:45 in the afternoon. I need to get some rest first — my skin needs its beauty sleep."
He set an alarm on his phone for 7 PM, then settled back down on the sofa to sleep.
He was far too exhausted to walk all the way up to the second floor to the master bedroom — after all, the best room had to be up there, right?
"I did good today… I'll do even better tomorrow…"
He murmured softly, his eyes closing slowly as he hugged a soft pillow to his chest.
Soon, the weight of his tiredness pulled him under.
He fell asleep feeling proud of his first big move — moving into the hotel owned by one of the male leads, pulling off his disguise perfectly and getting settled in without a single problem.
He was confident, pleased with himself, and completely satisfied with how everything had gone that day.