Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 181

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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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Succession Can Wait—I’d Rather Heal 181

By the time Lion returned, the meeting appeared to have concluded; Ricshel was already outside waiting.

“Brother.”

He then looked Lion over carefully from head to toe.

“Are you all right?”
“Hmm?”

Lion understood what Ricshel was asking, but he tilted his head as if he didn’t, playing innocent.

“Oh, the displays in the lobby are quite impressive. Got a good look at them.”
“……Is that so?”

Ricshel let out a relieved sigh, visibly reassured.
Only then did the Second Imperial Prince, who had been watching from a distance, move toward the exit.
It seemed he was about to leave with the merchant.

‘……Well, that’s settled.’

The Prince’s business was resolved, and he’d adequately brushed off the merchant.
The merchant would surely have to investigate where his information had leaked from, so he wouldn’t come sniffing around Lion for a while.
That was enough.

‘Even if he pokes around and finds nothing, it won’t matter.’

He could simply deny everything when the time came. Silence was the best defense.
There was no escaping it.
And more importantly, now that the boss who’d been piling excessive work on Ricshel had regained some of his health, the overwork should ease considerably.

‘Mm, not a bad outcome at all.’

Of course, he’d had an experience unlike anything he’d known before, but that was just an accident pure and simple, and since there had been compensation of sorts, he could overlook it for now.

“Shall we head back then?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”

The moment Lion was about to board the carriage—

“Wait just a moment, Lion!”

Someone came running frantically from far off.
It was Willie—or rather,
several others were running behind him as well.
All of them struggling with enormous boxes clutched in their arms.

“What—what is this?”

Lion stood with one foot on the carriage step, gaping at Ricshel in confusion.

“I’m not certain myself, but it appears to be gifts of some kind.”

Ricshel had noticed they’d hurried off the moment the meeting ended.
He exhaled lightly.
In the meantime, Willie and the staff reached the front of the carriage and fixed Lion with an expectant gaze.

“……Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“If I’d known you were leaving so soon, I would’ve prepared the gift earlier.”
“Ha, ha, ha… Don’t worry about it.”

He’d already made a quick haul at the hotel and forgotten to give the gift entirely.
Lion gazed awkwardly at the generous pile of presents before him.

“So all of this is my gift?”
“Yes, sir. If I may explain from the beginning…”

Willie launched into a detailed explanation of the gifts.
Most were rare toys and keyrings obtainable only at the Hotel Ester, but the rest was quite unexpected…

“A rare seedling, sir.”
“A seedling?”
“Yes. You see… no matter how prestigious Ester is as a hotel, it cannot hope to match the wealth of House Asteri. Not even close.”

Giving jewels felt inadequate, yet offering hotel privileges was moot—Ester already belonged to the Asteri Family Estate.
Which meant he could visit anytime he wished.

“I gave it considerable thought, and I believe this is the finest choice. I do hope you’ll accept it. Ha, ha, ha…”

As Lion reached for the box, a quick-witted staff member opened the lid and revealed its contents.
Inside were medicinal herbs and plants that grew only across the distant continent.
And most importantly…!

“This is…”
“Yes, sir. A fruit we specially cultivate here at Ester.”

A Mushberry Seedling.
Its appearance was admittedly hideous, but its taste—oh, its taste was nothing short of exquisite!

‘If I just have this…!’

The possibilities for growing Mushberries himself were endless.
He could make fruit preserves, or prepare jam, or brew juice.
Candied fruit might look a bit unappealing, granted.
But regardless!

‘I can finally share the taste with the people back home!’

Especially Ricshel, who was still a minor—he’d been wondering how long he’d need to age Mushberry liqueur, but this solved that problem nicely.
Lion’s eyes gleamed, and Willie, reassured, thrust both thumbs up in triumph.

“Instructions for cultivation are enclosed as well. I’ve selected only the finest seedlings, so they’ll grow beautifully!”
“It’s the perfect gift! Thank you so much!”
“I’m glad it pleases you, sir!”
“Ha, ha, ha!”

The two became animated in an instant, even embracing lightly.
Ricshel, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but think…

‘When did those two become so close?’

From what he’d observed, they’d seemed like nothing more than a hotel manager and a guest.
What on earth happened while I was working and sleeping, brother…?

“Well then, we’d best be on our way with the gift.”

Perhaps Lion had heard the silent cry of Ricshel’s heart, because he quickly finished his farewell with Willie and slipped back into the carriage.
The staff members closed the box lid and neatly stacked the gifts into the cargo hold until it was overflowing.
Everything had been organized so meticulously that the storage compartment filled to the brim without a single gap.

“Well then. I’ll leave the rest in your capable hands.”

Ricshel exhaled a weary breath, offered Willie a perfunctory farewell, and climbed into the carriage.
The freshly prepared carriage began rolling slowly toward the outskirts of Ester.

“Heh heh.”

Lion smiled with satisfaction, thinking of the generous gifts now stowed in the cargo hold.

“You seem quite pleased with yourself.”
“How could I not be? When have I ever received gifts like these? It’s all thanks to you.”
“Thanks to me?”
“Right—you asked Willie to submit that additional commission, and this is the reward we got for it.”
“What?”
“Hmm?”

Wait, that’s not right…
Lion turned his head to gaze out the carriage window.
In the distance, Willie was still waving a handkerchief in farewell.
But the moment they crossed the boundary of Ester, she vanished from sight.

“Brother.”
“Huh? What?”
“Could we stop the carriage for a moment? I’ve just remembered something I forgot to ask the steward about.”
“No, if it’s not important, wouldn’t it be fine to let it go?”

That letter must have come to Lion alone, kept secret from the others.
If they stopped the carriage now, Willie would surely…

‘…catch up with us in a heartbeat.’

Besides, she’d already given them such fine gifts. There was no need to make things complicated for her.

“Hah… hah… goodness, why am I so tired? I think I need to sleep. Isn’t that right, Nature?”
“Chirp.”

Lion deliberately ignored Ricshel’s request, forcing himself to stretch and close his eyes.
Nature protested with indignant chirps, but Lion gritted his teeth and remained resolute.

“Brother!”
“I’m so sleepy. Zzz…”

Thanks to Lion’s feigned slumber, the carriage never slowed, rolling smoothly all the way to the Asteri Family Estate without interruption.
And so the brief—or rather, long—healing vacation came to its end.

* * *

The moment they arrived at the manor, all plans for preparing a meal crumbled to dust.
And the reason was…

“You’re forbidden from leaving the house for the next week.”
“Pardon?”
“No outings to the forest, the kitchen, the library, or the Knight Order. Nothing.”
“I… I beg your pardon?”

It struck him like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Not only were trips outside the village forbidden—even the places Lion frequented most were now completely off-limits!

“What, Grandfather? What did I do wrong?”

Patrick sent a letter flying through the air with Flight Magic toward Lion, who stood protesting his innocence.
It seemed to be the only method the old man could bring himself to use—he couldn’t bear to throw something at a grandchild so precious he wouldn’t hurt him even if he closed his eyes.
Lion opened the letter with a bewildered expression, and inside was—

“…Very well. I’ll stay quietly in my room.”

A letter written by the Second Imperial Prince’s own hand.
Its contents spoke of how, thanks to Lion, he’d enjoyed a delicious meal after so long and received great comfort.
As an added note, there was an earnest postscript suggesting that since Lion looked quite exhausted, it would be best for him to rest properly at home for a week.
At least there was one mercy: not a single word about Curses or disguises.

‘I’m finished.’

Lion could only offer his raw, honest assessment.

“Hoffman will come this afternoon, so keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”

He wanted to say he was fine, but truthfully, even Lion didn’t know his own condition.
Potion and Nature’s power notwithstanding, this wasn’t an ordinary internal injury—its nature was somehow different, so there was a chance it hadn’t fully healed.

“Um, Grandfather.”
“…”

Patrick looked at Lion with an expression tangled in conflicting emotions.
His grandson had come back overworked when he’d sent him to rest, which worried him—and also angered him.
He probably felt exasperated that his grandchild wouldn’t listen to him.
Grandfather didn’t ask for much.
Only that he stay healthy.
That he not fall ill.
And perhaps, beyond that, that he enjoy his own life happily.
Honestly, weren’t these just the basic things any family would wish for?

‘He’s been very considerate, too.’

Truth be told, this week of confinement was already quite a concession on Grandfather’s part.
Feeling sheepish and apologetic without quite knowing why, Lion scratched the back of his neck, hesitated a moment, then let out a small laugh.

“But it was fun.”
“Sigh…”

Patrick exhaled deeply at the sight of his grandson.
How had this troublemaker turned out this way?
It was that smile—the spitting image of his mother’s—so he couldn’t bring himself to scold him.
No, if he thought about it, the fault probably lay not with his precious grandchild, but with the Second Imperial Prince.

‘But what on earth is the Second Imperial Prince doing with my grandson…’

Something had certainly happened between them, but neither Lion nor the Second Imperial Prince seemed willing to speak of it.
Patrick knew well that coercion wasn’t the right path—he could force them to tell if he threatened them, but that would be wrong.
The moment you tried to know every move your blood relative made, you’d clip the wings of your own family.

“…If Hoffman says there’s nothing wrong with you, I’ll cut your confinement in half. But if he finds a problem, then you should prepare yourself to stay in your room for however many months it takes until you’re fully healed.”
“Yes.”
“And… next time you go out to play, be more careful.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“That’s enough. Go on now.”

Lion withdrew from the room with an awkward smile, only to return a moment later, poking his head back through the doorway.

“Ah, I brought some fine liquor back from Ester. If you have time later, let me know.”
“This boy……!”

He’d heard news of illness through someone else’s letter, and yet his own grandson spoke only of sharing a drink.
Patrick felt his chest tighten, then released another weary sigh and waved his hand dismissively.
Fine, fine—now go rest.

“Haha.”

Lion left the room wearing that same pleased smile.
Each time the boy returned from an outing, he seemed to become more peculiar.
Patrick often thought he deserved a proper scolding for it, yet watching him move about with such freedom, his anger simply dissolved before it could take root.

‘……But. Liquor.’

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d shared a drink with family—not at some official gathering, but truly together.
And sharing a cup with his own grandson was something he’d never even imagined.

“They say you grow foolish with age.”

This shouldn’t be happening, yet he found himself hoping that day would come soon—when he could face his grandson across a table.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Lion…….

‘Let me start by checking the Sealing Shop.’

He searched the Sealing Shop for keywords containing “Yellow Spring.”

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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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