Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 136

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Successor? I’d Rather Just Rest: Chapter 136

Lion understood the situation perfectly.
The workload of House Asteri was so vast that an ordinary person could never manage it.
Not only did internal family matters flow through House Asteri’s hands, but every significant affair of the Empire did as well — there wasn’t a single decision that bypassed them, leaving no time for peaceful sleep.
Caught in that storm, pushed and pulled in all directions against his will, his younger brother had developed work addiction and become someone who could no longer rest easily even for a moment!

‘I told him he could just relax.’

He felt a pang of sympathy, but at the same time, complete understanding washed over him.
Do you know what’s terrifying about work addiction?
Even on rest days, you’re seized by a strange anxiety — the feeling that you should be working, that you can’t truly rest.
The concept of work ending blurs, and you start believing it’s more efficient to handle the pile of unfinished tasks than to rest now.

‘Damn it, I know exactly what that’s like.’

He knew it far too well.
Hadn’t Lion himself once been worked to the bone at his company back on Earth?
Know what’s truly terrifying?
Now he looked back and wondered how he’d survived it, but in those days, it had felt bearable — even manageable. That was the trap.
When your body runs hot constantly, your judgment becomes clouded.
That’s why he made sure Ricshel and grandfather rested more often.
But it seemed Ricshel hadn’t yet recovered enough to rest alone.

‘Still, I’m grateful he signaled it like this. Lord knows how much he’s been struggling on his own.’

At an age when he should be enjoying himself, he’d been burdened with family affairs and his own advancement.
On top of that, recent work with the Divine Temple had left him with unexpected additional duties.
Of course he’d be exhausted.

“All right then. Let’s go together.”
“Really?”

Ricshel made no effort to hide his smile at Lion’s words.

‘Just as planned.’

He’d expected his older brother to accept when he put it that way.
After all, Lion always prioritized others over himself.

“Then I’ll prepare everything once we return.”

With his brother’s permission secured, the plan could proceed smoothly.

“Good. Yes, that’s fine.”

Fortunately, Lion was unaware of Ricshel’s true intentions and simply nodded in agreement.

‘I’ll stay close to home until the date is set.’

He’d only spent a few days at the Divine Temple, yet returning home felt wonderful beyond measure.
It wasn’t that he particularly preferred being home — it was simply that the environment there was so pleasant.
And besides…

‘I need to check on that creature I brought back from the Temple too.’

The Divine Beast Egg.
He’d wrapped it carefully to prevent it from being tainted further by Holy Power, but since then, there had been no significant response.
The fact that Nature remained constantly at its side suggested nothing had gone wrong, but he wanted to be sure.
One thing struck him as odd.
The Holy Power wouldn’t drain from the egg.
If he left it as is, it didn’t seem it would have a good effect, so he’d need to think of another approach.
Since he was already out with Ricshel, he thought he’d stop by a magical tool shop first.
Perhaps there was a way…….

“Ah, and that magical tool shop—I’m afraid you won’t be able to visit it for some time.”
“Huh? Why?”
“The owner said he wouldn’t be opening for a while due to various circumstances. The Circlet from the Divine Temple was the last item he provided.”
“Damn…….”

The plan fell through the moment he conceived it.
But Lion wasn’t particularly disappointed.
He knew of a more reliable shop.

‘I should rummage through the Shilling Shop.’

New items might have appeared since he’d last been there, and while shopping with the child, a good solution might occur to him—so it was worth checking.

* * *

After a hearty meal and a delicious dessert, Lion patted his full belly as he arrived at the estate.

“I’ll organize the detailed schedule later and deliver it to you directly. Right now I have other matters to attend to, so it will likely take about a week.”

Ricshel walked Lion to his door, then hurried off to handle something else.
It seemed to be related to his remaining duties and the matter of the hotel.

“Do pace yourself.”

No matter how much of a vacation he had coming, driving himself into exhaustion was never a good idea.
Lion watched Ricshel disappear into the distance and let out a light sigh.

“There’s no need to worry too much.”

Then, from the shadows, Elvia slipped forward to reassure him.

“Once this matter is handled properly, Ricshel will be able to rest well for quite some time.”
“Is the hotel really that significant a matter?”

At Lion’s question, Elvia paused thoughtfully, resting her chin on her finger before answering.

“The hotel can indeed be said to be connected to a Great Cause.”
“……A Great Cause?”

Usually when someone spoke of a Great Cause, it was a term used in politics.
Lion’s mind began racing on its own.

“The Second Imperial Prince?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”

So it was connected to the imperial princes after all.
……But how did a hotel relate to the Second Imperial Prince?
Was he trying to raise funds through it?
No, that seemed far too late now.
Especially with the Crown Prince Coronation drawing near—why take on new ventures at such a moment?
Then this must mean…….

‘Someone operating in the shadows seems to be disguising themselves as a merchant and stepping into the light.’

So if this hotel business succeeds, we’ll naturally need a merchant company to supply goods exclusively.
And if someone shows up in this situation, I’d wager it’s got to be the Underworld.
Come to think of it, my younger brother seems to have ties to the Underworld too.

‘Hmm… no, let’s not think about it.’

Lion shook his head.
If he pretended to know too much, attention would inevitably focus on him.
The ambush they’d faced on the way to Bydentis Territory was trouble enough.

‘But the Crown Prince Coronation, huh.’

Rumors swirled about the First Prince, yet surprisingly little information circulated about the Second Prince.
What little he could glean boiled down to: he was rather sickly.
Lion suspected that rumor was baseless.
Think about it—the Second Prince had clawed his way up from nothing, alone, to the rank of imperial prince.
Could he really have managed that in a frail body?
If he were truly weak, would Ricshel even support him?
He didn’t think so.

‘Anyway, none of my concern!’

Lion wasn’t the heir, after all.
He’d likely have almost no occasion to meet the prince, and even if he did, they were hardly the sort to take notice of each other.
He had zero desire to scratch at wounds that didn’t need opening.
He had enough complications with the ‘original character’ issue as it was.

‘Don’t get tangled up. Not for anything.’

Getting dragged into politics could end badly.
Even before his possession, hadn’t he seen people swept away by court intrigue, their livelihoods cut short?

“…….”

Elvia watched the pensive pup with a steady gaze.

‘The memories from that incident clearly still weigh on him.’

The ambush that had occurred on the road to House Bydentis.
Elvia exhaled quietly, deep in thought.

‘Perhaps I should have eliminated them all.’

Lion had lived his life solely within the Asteri Family Estate.
He’d battled nothing but the Mana Shock that plagued him—never once experiencing such naked malice and hostility from the outside world.
The shock of it must have been immense.

‘If only he could have grown seeing only good things…’

Elvia knew the truth well enough.
No matter how much one shields someone from darkness, eventually they must face the shadow side of the world.
So all she could do was help her pup steel his heart.
Ricshel was likely thinking the same thing—that’s why he was taking Lion to the hotel.
It was the right choice.
Worried that Lion might have second thoughts, Elvia let slip a gentle comment.

“Still, I imagine Ricshel will be pleased.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve noticed him looking tired lately. Business or not, I do hope he can rest a little there. After all, only you can help him find true peace.”
“That’s true. Ricshel always pushes himself too hard.”

If even Elvia was worried, how hard must he have been pushing himself?

‘…Wait. Now that I think about it, that’s infuriating.’

Why should Ricshel be swamped with work while the Imperial Princes compete with each other?
Shouldn’t they handle their own affairs?
Why was that boy being ground down like this?

‘Once we get to the Hotel, I’ll make sure he doesn’t lift a finger.’

Lion made a solemn vow to himself.
Absolutely. He would only eat, sleep, and rest.

“Don’t worry. Once we’re at the Hotel, I’ll keep a close eye on you.”
“Hehe. Yes, I’d appreciate that.”

Unaware of each other’s true intentions, the two had somehow reached perfect agreement.
…Well, wasn’t everything working out fine?

“But…”

As Lion clenched his fists, he noticed something odd.
Now that he thought about it, Elvia wasn’t entering the room—she was speaking from outside.

‘Come to think of it, she hasn’t been coming in much lately.’

When she did, she’d take the shortest path, do what she needed to do quickly, and leave as if fleeing.

‘Oh, could it be…’

Was it because of the egg?
The odds were high.
Elvia had always shown a certain distaste for Holy Power.
She’d even disposed of clothes that had been touched by Holy Power.

‘What if it’s not just dislike, but a fundamental incompatibility at the physical level?’
The way a vampire’s skin melts under the sun…
Lion asked urgently.

“Is it because of the egg that you’re not coming in?”
“Yes, it is.”
“You’re not getting pain from the Holy Power or anything, are you…”
“Ha. Of course not. I don’t feel any pain from Holy Power at that level.”
“…That’s a relief, at least.”

Lion exhaled quietly with relief.
If she were actually taking damage, he wouldn’t be able to face her.

“But since it’s a Divine Beast Egg, I thought my presence nearby might not be a good influence on it.”
“Hm?”

Lion tilted his head in confusion.
A Divine Beast Egg?

‘Ah.’

Now it all made sense.
The reason Elvia had been avoiding his room lately.

‘I’ve been misunderstanding it the whole time.’

So much Holy Power was radiating from the egg that I’d mistaken it for a Divine Beast Egg.
And the fact that the egg was brought from the Divine Temple didn’t help matters.
It was an entirely reasonable misunderstanding.

‘But if I tell her this is actually a Divine Beast Egg…….’

The problem was, there was no way to explain how I knew such a thing.
Even if I could explain it, the consequences would be far too grave.
Which left only one option.
Elvia would have to come to realize the egg’s true nature on her own.
Or at least, she’d need to suspect it wasn’t a Divine Beast Egg.
Lion opened his mouth the moment his thoughts crystallized.

“That’s actually what I wanted to ask about. Could you take a closer look at that egg for me?”
“I’d like to help, but if I get too close, there’s a high risk I’ll contaminate the Divine Beast Egg.”
“Well…….”

Lion deliberately let his words trail off, glancing back and forth between her and the egg before whispering so softly it was barely audible.

“Something about it doesn’t seem like a Divine Beast Egg to me.”
“……I’m sorry?”

Elvia’s always-serene eyes wavered for an instant, and she fixed her gaze on the egg nestled cozily on one side of the bed.
If that were true, then what on earth was that egg?

‘Could it be…….’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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