Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 179

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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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Successor or not—I just want to heal myself. Episode 179

Fortunately, after Lion’s polite but firm refusal, the Second Imperial Prince stopped mentioning visits to House Asteri altogether.
Thanks to that, Lion was able to relax while enjoying the tea and refreshments Willie had brought.

“This tastes wonderful.”

Lion marveled as he ate a bite-sized sandwich cut neatly into a cube.
The combination of soft bread, crisp thin apple slices, thick cheese, and well-cured ham was remarkable.
And it was novel.

‘These people don’t usually put savory items in a tea set.’

The tea sets enjoyed here were typically laden with sweet desserts.
Crispy macarons and cakes that paired well with the bitter, fragrant tea.
The only substantial snack was scones made with generous amounts of butter.
Not that he disliked it.
But…….

‘Sweet and savory together is always best.’

Eating only sweet things grows tedious eventually.
That’s when the salty ham in the sandwich would sweep clean the heavy feeling from your mouth, refreshing it entirely.
The locals might find it unfamiliar, but Lion preferred this combination far more.

“I’m so glad you enjoy it!”

Willie’s expression brightened immediately at Lion’s praise.

“Actually, this tea set is a new menu the kitchen staff created with great care…….”

Willie caught himself and continued naturally.

“I thought it would be perfect to unveil it on a day like today, when you’ve come to visit.”

Ricshel nodded as if to affirm that Willie’s choice was right.
In fact, the food served at the Hot Spring had also begun from the snacks Lion had created.
He’d have liked to show off everything, but doing so would only give the Second Prince another excuse to come calling.
His lips itched to speak, but he had to hold his tongue.

“I thought it was odd that a sandwich came out at all.”
“Indeed. If one were to spend a long time in pleasant conversation over a single tea set, wouldn’t your palate grow weary and your appetite fade?”

This was why they’d created a tea set that would also satisfy hunger.
Of course, the portions were kept small so as not to be too filling, and the flavors were made rich and complex, he added.
Then he gazed directly at Lion and gave a very slight nod.
It seemed to say, ‘All of this exists because you offered your counsel to the kitchen staff.’

‘Oh, that’s right. I did do that.’

Around the time Lion had started going in and out of the kitchen.
At first the staff had been nervous around him and kept their distance, but eventually they’d begun asking him questions one by one.
If they’d asked anything too specialized, Lion wouldn’t have been able to answer, but fortunately their questions were simple.

“Er, w-would it be presumptuous to ask what sort of foods you enjoy?”
“Foods I enjoy?”
“Yes! If you’d tell us, it would surely broaden our perspective!”

Exactly this level. Questions that could hardly be called anything more than ordinary conversation, really.
So at first, I was a bit flustered.

‘Why me, of all people?’

Lion had prepared the food in advance, tidied everything around him, and left—just in case anything unexpected came up.
Which meant his staff had never had the chance to taste his cooking.
On top of that, he’d never even shown them the cooking process itself.

And the chefs working in Ester Hotel’s kitchen were incomparably skilled.
True, they probably didn’t reach the level of Alex, who oversaw House Asteri’s kitchens, but they were masters of their craft nonetheless.

‘So at first, I thought he was just asking to be praised.’

If the eldest son of a magical house went all the way to the kitchen, he must be incredibly proud of his hobby—so I figured I should flatter him.

‘But if I told him my actual favorite food, things might get complicated.’

I’d have to start with “Do you know Korean cuisine?” and then things would just become tedious.

So I answered casually, without much thought.
It wasn’t exactly a remarkable answer.

‘Just the sweet-and-salty thing, at best?’

The kind of harmony between sweet and salty flavors—like these dishes alternating between sugar and salt, or dipping French fries into ice cream.
But then…….
Right before Lion left, they’d apparently taken that answer and created this variation.
Looking closer, next to the cube sandwich was another sandwich entirely—its filling was actually steak topped with a mashed potato sauce.
It maintained the delicate, charming aesthetics of a dessert, yet you could tell they’d deliberately crafted it so that eating it would feel like having a meal.
It was fresh, yet carefully balanced—bold without crossing into anything offensive.
And the taste…….

“Mmm!”

The mashed potato sauce melting softly between crispy bread. And then the steak—the moment you bit down, the juices came flooding out!
It was the kind of flavor that completely melted away the fatigue from last night and restored your energy.
And in the next layer, atop vanilla-bean ice cream sat a generous helping of fried potato flakes.
The transition from rich to smooth and sweet was so seamlessly executed it was utterly captivating.
In short, it tasted like a gourmet fast-food burger.

“I should really give the staff a nice bonus.”
“Yes. We’ll make sure to invest more in staff welfare.”

While I savored the delicious meal and chatted casually with Willie, the other three fell into their usual work mode.
Various conversations drifted back and forth, but Lion was doing his best to tune them out.

‘Playing and eating—it’s this good?’

No way am I getting involved.
Lion finished by draining his now-cooled tea and quietly rose from his seat.

“Ahem, well then, I’ll excuse myself. Please, feel free to talk at your leisure.”

Ricshel looked apologetic, thinking Lion was deliberately leaving to give them space.
Being absorbed in work, he felt he hadn’t been paying proper attention to his brother.
Of course, it was just Ricshel’s misunderstanding.

“Don’t worry. I’ll go look at the displays in the Lobby. Take your time.”
“Yes. I’ll come fetch you as soon as we’re done.”
“……I really hope you see it next time.”

The Second Imperial Prince’s words still dripped with reluctance.
It seemed he wasn’t eager to let go of such a convenient refuge as the Asteri Family Estate.

“Ha. I look forward to seeing you at the coronation ceremony.”

Fearing that prolonging the conversation would only trap him further, Lion answered briskly and left the room without a backward glance.

“……The coronation ceremony, then.”

Only then did the Second Imperial Prince nod to himself.
He’d wondered why Lion Asteri would bother with such an inconvenient gesture, but now he understood the reason.

‘So he’ll help the weak, but won’t engage with them.’

From the moment he wore that disguise, he’d known Lion embodied the principle of preying on the weak and yielding to the strong.
He’d used that knowledge to feign weakness.
But it seemed that was a miscalculation.
Perhaps in Lion Asteri’s eyes, he truly was a ‘weak existence.’
In that case, the message was clear: grow strong enough to matter, then seek him out.
It was also possible that, given the instability of his own position, this was a calculated move to minimize external threats.

‘I’ll have to train harder.’

With that resolve, Kyle turned his head away.

* * *

“Phew, that went well enough.”

No matter how fine the food or comfortable the seating, meetings were always taxing.
And with landmines lurking in every corner, even Lion—a man with nerves of steel—found it draining.
Lion stretched languidly and strolled through the lobby as if taking a casual walk.
Fortunately, even without his disguise, other guests gave him a wide berth as he moved through the space.

‘They probably know exactly who’s been coming and going from that room.’

Those who came to the Ester Hotel for rest were typically either nobles or commoners with wealth beyond imagination.
Such people shared one defining trait.
They knew exactly when to insert themselves—and when not to.
Especially when the matter concerned the imperial family.

‘……Though there are exceptions, of course.’

Like the noble now stealthily approaching from across the lobby.
It seemed they were approaching precisely because he was the eccentric Lion, not the more formidable Ricshel.
They likely imagined they could shake loose some easy concessions with the lightest touch.

‘I’ll just play along reasonably.’

A little eccentricity, a bit of nonsense, and they’d tire of him soon enough and drift away.
The moment he’d settled into that mindset—

“Oh my, Lion! Still here, are you?”

A smooth voice hailed him, and its speaker smoothly positioned himself between Lion and the approaching noble, blocking the noble’s path.

“I was having trouble concentrating myself, so I came out for some fresh air.”

It was Jade—the merchant lord known also as Jack.

‘Hmm…’

So he’d followed after all.
Not that I hadn’t expected it.

He seemed brimming with questions, studying me with that cryptic gaze, yet he hadn’t bothered striking up a conversation since our initial greeting.
Which meant only one thing.

He was waiting for the right moment.

And besides, I had no real grounds to stop Jade—not with the Second Imperial Prince in tow. Grandfather’s orders wouldn’t cut it as an excuse, and there was Freyanya to consider; she belonged to the Underworld, after all.
If Jade claimed he was checking on his member’s well-being, I’d have little choice but to allow it.

“Ha. I’m fortunate indeed that I can spend more time conversing with you, Lion. I’ve been wanting a proper conversation with Lion Asteri.”

“Oh, no. I’m just…”

He flashed a grin.

“Let’s head there, shall we?”

My answer came faster than he could finish his sentence, and Jade’s eyes flickered with surprise.

The empty expanse held neither guests nor staff. There wasn’t even a single tree or blade of grass; just bare earth stretching quietly in all directions.

“Certainly…”
“Yes. Entirely undisturbed.”

Jade was right. It was perfect for a private conversation—and, for any ordinary nobleman, precisely the sort of vulnerable spot that would inspire genuine dread.

‘Not that it matters to me.’

“By the way, what is your relationship with the Second Imperial Prince?”

The first strike decides everything.

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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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