Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 169

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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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I Don’t Care About the Succession—I Just Want to Heal | Episode 169

“You don’t trust me?”

The Second Imperial Prince couldn’t hide his displeasure.

‘I failed to earn his trust?’

At the same time, a flicker of indignation rose in him.
Wasn’t bringing an unknown stranger into this place with no guards already a considerable display of trust? After all, it proved he valued the person’s ability to handle themselves.
Of course, it was partly because he himself possessed enough skill to manage alone—but he’d concluded that personal strength wouldn’t undermine trust.
And besides…….

‘A priest couldn’t possibly know what or where anything is here.’

Even if he’d recognized the body because of the Curse.
Kyle settled the turbulent emotions churning inside him.
Having felt a peaceful atmosphere for the first time in ages—perhaps for the first time ever—the resistance welling up seemed only to grow more violent.

‘Calm yourself.’

After all, wasn’t he the one who needed to depend on this situation?
If trust hadn’t been given, then he had no choice but to accept it.
That was the rational response.
So don’t get excited—listen carefully to what he says, and if he goes silent, guide him toward the answers you need.
Yes. Compose yourself.
……You need to.

Whisk.

Despite his thoughts, Kyle was already moving.
He rose and closed the distance between himself and the figure before him.
He slowly cornered him, trapping him with one arm so he couldn’t escape, and asked flatly.

“What’s the real reason?”
“…….”

Lion, blocked by Kyle from leaving, felt a silent smile bloom within him.
He’d anticipated this reaction, but still—it made his skin crawl.
Like some beast cornering prey and deliberating how to tear into it.
No, a single meal wouldn’t tame this one.

‘……Or would it?’

Something about it felt almost petulant.
Not a suspicious house cat but a black panther—that was the difference.

‘Marquis Bydentis was actually better behaved, if anything.’

Though his skill seemed to run deeper.
Either way, from the perspective of an ordinary commoner like Lion, they were all the same breed.
But.

‘Better to face this now than later.’

There was only one way to heal the Second Imperial Prince’s Curse.
By touching his Inverse Scale.

“The clue to that might be closer than you think.”

A clue.
Whether it was an object, a person’s memory, or an emotion—there was no way to know yet.
But whatever it was, to unravel that thread, Lion would have to peer into the depths of Kyle’s inner world, a place no one had ever glimpsed.
The problem was that Kyle had never, not even once in his entire life, opened his heart to another soul.
And if Lion were to force that door open on his own whim……

‘All I’d earn is hatred.’

If the only thing he’d earn was resentment, that would actually be simple.
The world couldn’t be filled with people who loved him alone.
A long life meant collecting scorn and curses from somewhere.
But the real problem was the collateral damage that followed from being disliked.
Lion shook his head inwardly.

‘He’ll start by demanding I reveal who I really am.’

Given the Second Imperial Prince’s nature, he would cling obsessively to even the smallest detail.
And if that happened… it was only a matter of time before his identity was exposed.
That he was the eldest son of House Asteri.
There was nothing to be done about it.
No matter how hard he tried to hide, there would be a limit.
So what if his identity was revealed? His life wouldn’t be in danger, would it?
That was true.
Grandfather would likely move heaven and earth to ensure not a single scratch touched Lion’s body.
Ricshel and Elvia would be the same.
But that wasn’t the real problem.
Hadn’t Lion let slip one crucial detail to the Second Imperial Prince?
Namely… that he had no desire to gain power.

‘That bastard would definitely….’

He would do whatever it took to place a crown on Lion’s head.
If he exposed every eccentric act Lion had committed to the world, Lion would have no choice but to assume a position and labor under forced conscription…!
Peaceful naps, rest, leisurely walks—all of it would be gone forever!
He might even fabricate and exaggerate abilities Lion didn’t possess, sending him on assignments to the Border Region or the Northern Region.
He might even send Ricshel along, holding him liable by association!

‘……Of course, once Ricshel becomes a marquis, the Northern Region will be somewhere he’ll have to go as often as he eats.’

In any case, just thinking about it made his skin crawl.

‘That absolutely cannot happen.’

So he had to make the first move.
Make that bastard desperate first.
Make him abandon all rational judgment and leap blindly forward.
Fortunately, Lion had worked in sales for years, dealing with countless clients—he knew how to do this.

“I mean exactly what I said.”
“Give me proof. Otherwise, I truly may not trust you anymore.”

The shadow enveloping Lion grew darker.
At any moment, the prince might reach out and tear away Lion’s mask by force.
But.

Whoosh.

Lion slipped smoothly past the prince’s arm blocking his path and dusted off his clothes.

“It’s nothing serious. The room is simply rather untidy.”
“……!”
“I see you’ve been out and about, which would explain it, but…… discussing Curses in a place like this feels rather inappropriate.”

Though he’d couched it in the language of messiness, the Second Imperial Prince understood Lion’s true meaning well enough.
The Hidden Weapons he’d personally concealed to protect himself—Lion had noticed them.

‘…… How could a mere priest discern such a thing?’

Was the title Messenger of God not merely on account of his exceptional Holy Power?
Yet judging by his bearing, he sensed no combat prowess whatsoever.
Not when he’d burst through the door.
Not while he swayed, reeking of drink.
And now, even his clumsy retreat seemed riddled with openings.
This was clearly someone who’d never gripped a weapon in his life.
So truthfully…… yes.
He’d seen no need to conceal anything.
Which meant.

‘Distrust was justified as well.’

Had he not suspected all along that this priest harbored some hidden agenda?
That he bore no genuine goodwill.
If that were true, then he would need to uncover not only the nature of the Curse, but this priest’s true heart as well.
So he’d played along with him.

“That was a lapse on my part. However…….”
“There’s no need. How could one place trust or invest sincerity in someone met only once?”

Before the Second Imperial Prince could mount a proper defense, Lion answered with a soft laugh, as though he understood everything, and added:

“So I shall take my leave now.”
“…….”

The words were spoken with apparent magnanimity, yet they fell like the blade of a sword—decisive, absolute.
Or perhaps that very decisiveness made them feel indifferent.

“Then.”
“Wait.”

The Second Imperial Prince seized the departing man’s wrist.

“When do you plan to return?”
“That would…….”

At his halting response, his lips went dry.
Even in the throes of agonizing pain, when he could neither eat nor drink, he had not felt such parching thirst.
He was anxious.

‘Why?’

Was it the dread of not knowing when—or if—this man would return?
The fear that the Curse’s agony might resume?
Or perhaps the terror that this man might break his word and withhold the Curse’s release?

‘…… No.’

None of those.
If the Curse went unbroken, it would be unfortunate, yes—but he could find another way.
If worst came to pass, he could eliminate the First Imperial Prince and win over several High Priests to undo the Curse himself.
Pain, too, was a suffering he’d known since birth.
He despised it thoroughly, yet it was not hopeless or unbearable.
Then why?
Why was he yielding to this man?
No—beyond merely yielding, why was he…

‘…like I’m being scolded?’

The Second Imperial Prince could not fathom himself.
He’d sensed, moments before, that subtle feeling of being threatened, but unaware of what he’d grasped, he’d deliberated endlessly before deciding to simply trust his instinct—to seize this man, whatever came of it.
In any case, he would not let him escape.

“….”

Lion felt the faint tremor in the hand that held him, but said nothing.
Instead, he gently withdrew his hand and replied.

“Then I shall come tomorrow evening at supper.”

With those words, Lion left the room.

“Ha…”

Once the man had vanished, a suffocating silence filled the chamber.
It was a quiet entirely different from the peace of moments before.

“He really did leave.”

The sound of footsteps beyond the door faded without a trace.
He had returned to his own quarters somewhere in the estate.
The Second Imperial Prince gazed at his hand suspended in the air.
It had been trembling just moments ago, but now that he’d secured a promise for tomorrow, the shaking had subsided.
It was both absurd and shameful—to be swayed so completely by a single word.

Squeeze.

The Second Imperial Prince curled his fist gently, then opened it.
In that instant, color flooded back into his pale, bloodless palm.

“…I must hurry back tomorrow evening as well.”

And somehow, he would find a way to win the favor of this suspicious man.
First, he would need to organize his Hidden Weapons.
And so began the Second Imperial Prince’s effort to earn points over the remaining time.

* * *

Ricshel Asteri watched as the Second Imperial Prince left early once again today.
For someone tormented by a Curse, he looked remarkably well.
In fact, he seemed more composed than usual, and his work efficiency had even improved.
He showed such enthusiasm, as if determined to complete everything before evening and return.
For a man who’d been as brittle as dry bark, this sudden change was decidedly suspicious.
And moreover…

“How does one cultivate a good relationship with others?”

The Second Imperial Prince had asked this rather uncharacteristic question—something he seemed unlikely ever to ask.

“Cough!”

Willey, who stood beside him, nearly spit out his tea in shock, and the one next to him…….

“Ha ha ha! Does the Second Imperial Prince ask such questions?”

A man who had emerged from hiding thanks to this venture.
The Merchant Guild Master laughed so hard his belly nearly split, as if seizing upon those words.
As for Ricshel, the very person being asked this final question…….

“Have you lost your mind?”

He delivered the rebuke without a trace of softness.
The Second Imperial Prince didn’t so much as change color at the remark.

“I’m perfectly sane. More so than I’ve ever been.”
“……Well. Let’s leave it at that.”

Ricshel gathered up the documents.
It seemed no further work would get done today.

‘We’re nearly finished anyway.’

What remained was work the Merchant Guild Master and the steward could handle themselves.
It was thanks to the Second Imperial Prince’s remarkably swift efficiency.
When his condition improved, he became this capable.
To become Emperor, one had to be worth at least that much.
While he was at it, he’d head back early himself and spend the remaining time here in Ester with Lion.
Lately, because of work, when he returned to his room he only ever saw Lion sleeping.
His thoughtful brother always prepared dinner himself and then rested.
He didn’t say it, but how tedious and wearisome it must be for him!

“I’ll take my leave first.”

Ricshel rose from his seat, and the others tidied up while gauging his departure.
The Second Imperial Prince also stood and began his own swift preparations to return.
The man who would become Merchant Guild Master let slip a quiet remark.

“I may not know what makes for good human relations, but if you want to captivate someone, you must first lay yourself bare entirely.”
“Lay myself bare entirely, you say.”
“Yes. Entirely.”

Once you’ve shown everything—exposed and vulnerable as can be—the other person can’t help but feel either burden or satisfaction, he added with a light, casual tone that sounded almost cheap.

“Not a bad thought.”

The Second Imperial Prince heard out that counsel with genuine seriousness.

‘Sigh.’

Ricshel exhaled deeply and left the room.
Gathering people based on ability alone meant that those with fundamental character flaws tended to congregate.
He needed to get back soon and rest.
As he pulled open the door with that thought in mind.

“……What are you doing?”

He came face to face with Lion, who was about to leave the room after setting Ricshel’s evening meal on the table.
More precisely, with Lion in disguise.

“……Huh?”

And Lion was considerably flustered.
……Why?

“…….”

Inside Ricshel’s mind, an impossible puzzle was clicking into place.

“Surely not…….”

The reason the Second Imperial Prince’s condition had improved…….
Brother. Please tell me it isn’t so.

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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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