Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 229

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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 Know Nothing About That — I’ll Just Heal 229

Lion made a deliberate effort to maintain composure, opening his eyes to narrow slits.
He couldn’t remember what had happened, but from the circumstances alone, it was abundantly clear that he’d become a problem.

‘At least I have an excuse.’

Truth be told, Lion hadn’t ended up in this state on purpose.
It was the only means available to him for Jewel Crafting.
And the result hadn’t been entirely unremarkable, had it?

‘Wait. What happened to the finished piece?’

Where had he left it? Was it even completed?
…… He couldn’t remember.
Only a vague impression remained — something that hadn’t felt quite right.
Lion fumbled beneath the quilt, patting at his garments.
Unsurprisingly, he’d already been changed into sleeping clothes.

‘Though these are closer to patient’s attire than anything else.’

Lion checked his inventory through half-lidded eyes.

“If you were searching for the jewel, I have already retrieved it.”
“…….”

Lion shut his eyes tight again.
His hand, which had been quietly rummaging through the bedding, froze mid-motion.

“It was a precaution so you could focus on your recovery. I hope you understand.”

The words were gentle and earnest, but the tone was sharp as a blade.
There was no doubt — he’d definitely gotten on Ricshel’s nerves.

‘Right. Accept reality.’

I’m the drunkard who lost his senses and made a scene with my younger brother.
And kind Ricshel, unable to bring himself to lose his temper, had borne the discomfort of my potential outbursts and stayed by my side.
Lion pulled himself up based on this assessment.
And then, whatever the circumstances, the moment he opened his mouth to apologize——

“I’m sor——”
“You have done nothing wrong.”
“Ah. Is that so?”

There was nothing to do but answer awkwardly.

‘This is bad.’

It seemed he’d genuinely offended him.

“But why are you here——”

Snap!

Ricshel irritably shuffled through a stack of documents.
Or perhaps it only seemed that way to Lion, who was inclined to worry.

“Surveillance…… No, rather, nursing care.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s a continuation of what I mentioned about the jewel earlier. I’ve decided to care for you here directly until you’ve made a full recovery.”
“You? Directly?”

In a normal household, a younger brother might do such a thing, overprotective though it may be.
After all, he’d have the time for it.
But who was Ricshel?
Wasn’t he the Successor of House Asteri, that renowned family of mages?
Moreover, with the Emperor’s birthday celebration approaching and the need to vacate the estate beforehand, he had business to settle — which meant he was swamped beyond measure.
Evidence of this lay in the mountain of documents stacked on Lion’s desk, all awaiting Ricshel’s attention.

“Couldn’t you have someone else do it?”

So Lion’s question was perfectly reasonable.

……

Of course, from Ricshel’s perspective, it was not reasonable at all.
Ricshel swallowed the sigh threatening to burst forth and recalled everything that had transpired.
Upon investigation, it seemed his brother had not been drinking without reason.
He’d apparently been asking around the blacksmith’s forge about “special jewels,” and his spirit had been fluttering its wings frantically as if making excuses.
Since Ricshel had no connection to the spirit and couldn’t understand it, the frustrated creature had beaten its wings against its own breast and even brought over a twig to draw pictures for him.

‘Even if I didn’t grasp everything, I understood enough.’

The jewel he’d recovered was needed for whatever plan his brother was currently orchestrating.

‘I still have no idea how he managed to craft such a jewel while dead drunk.’

But he needed to understand what came after.
Ricshel methodically tamped down his frustration and twirled his quill pen.
And then.

Whoosh.

The magic-resistant quill ignited in an instant, consumed by Ricshel’s mana.

“Tsk!”

Ricshel tossed the charred pen into the waste bin with practiced ease, then belatedly realized he hadn’t answered his brother and offered a response.

“It’s the choice I’ve made as the most efficient option.”
“Is that so? Then it’ll be fine as long as I recover completely, right?”
“Yes. However, I will be the judge of that.”
“Mm……”

Ricshel withdrew a fresh pen with the ease of habit and rose to approach Lion.

“Until the hangover clears entirely, along with every scrape and bruise, I intend to be at your side from morning onward.”

Bruises?
Lion examined his own limbs.
Now that he thought about it — not quite bruises, but he had picked up some discoloration when synthesizing the jewel.

‘Wait……’

Looking once at the bruise and once at his brother, Ricshel gave a nod as if delivering a verdict.
So he’d have to endure this strange cohabitation until the bruises faded?

‘No! I should at least be let off for a few bruises!’

Without even realizing it, he’d been holding his breath the whole time!

“Look, I don’t remember what I did yesterday, but it wasn’t that serious of a wound.”
“Indeed. Since it is not such a serious wound, I expect to see it fully healed. Without Recovery Magic or Holy Power.”

Seeing Lion’s face darken, Ricshel quickly added to his statement.

“And no potions either, of course.”

Sigh.
What on earth had he done yesterday to deserve this?
He doubted asking would get him an answer anyway.
Lion looked to Nature for help, but the spirit simply shook their head in refusal.

“So you’re planning to come along when Pus goes for his walk too? Won’t that be too much for you?”
“Ah.”

Ricshel nodded as if he hadn’t mentioned it at all, then drove the final nail home with a warm smile.

“Pus’s walks will be handled by the other servants for a while. Pus has already agreed.”
“Wait, how did he even—Pus?”

Gone.

“Lord Pus! Please bring it here!”
“My goodness, you’re so clever!”

Instead, the sounds drifting in from the window suggested the servants’ job satisfaction was rising considerably.

“Squeee!”

Along with Pus’s delighted chirping.
How had he persuaded him, anyway?
It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but Pus used to follow Lion around like a barnacle!

“And you, Brother, cannot leave this room until your recovery is complete.”
“…….”
“Not one step.”

Thump.

Lion slumped back onto the bed, and only then did he understand.
This was a house arrest disguised as recovery.

‘This—at such a crucial moment—!’

Lion cradled his head and despaired quietly.
Me, under house arrest…
House arrest!!

* * *

A few hours later.
Lion munched thoughtfully on the generous spread of desserts arranged in his room.

‘House arrest… maybe it’s not so bad after all?’

But the human heart was a fickle thing—originally, being prevented from doing what he needed to do had been rather inconvenient.
Besides, Lion had always had his own private room, both before and after the Possession, so he wasn’t one for sharing quarters.
Even though Ricshel was his beloved younger brother, Lion had assumed it would be somewhat inconvenient.
After all, he was adding another person to a room he’d grown accustomed to using freely.
But…….

‘He’s really quiet.’

Ricshel remarkably never left his desk.
Moreover, sensing that it might be uncomfortable for Lion, he neither initiated conversation nor even glanced his way.
Instead, his care manifested through every convenience imaginable.
When hunger crept in, delicious meals appeared unbidden; when boredom threatened, expertly prepared fruits materialized on cue.
But there was more.
Mountains of engaging books accumulated for idle reading, and the latest hot-off-the-press Alchemy treatises he’d taken an interest in were delivered still warm from the press.
And that still wasn’t all!
Worried that Lion might feel lonely, visitors came by to pay their respects.
The first was.

“Why didn’t you just settle yourself in Bydentis Castle.”

Marquis Bydentis, needling Lion with a drab tone.

“My goodness, you peculiar thing—no wait, Young Master! I knew you’d overdo it like this!”

Mudu, who for the first time used the title “Young Master” out of awareness of Ricshel’s presence, and dwarves with deep expertise in Jewel Crafting besides!

‘That’s how I managed to hand over the gems.’

The dwarves said they would commence Lion’s commission according to the plan already set.

“We shall certainly deliver the finest work possible!”
“Yes. I’d appreciate your careful attention to detail.”

Ah, incidentally, the gem had been completed with absolute perfection.
Its description had changed slightly as well.

[Cosmic Crystal (★★★★)]
-A rare synthetic gem that gleams even brighter than the stars hanging in the sky above.
-Truly, with a gem of this caliber, even those with the poorest eye for beauty would find themselves entranced, wouldn’t they?
-The Crystal’s distinctive deep coolness has been properly realized. This is the work of a master, isn’t it? However did you manage this?
-Selling price: Starting at 100,000 Shillings

Thanks to the considerable assistance from the Shilling Shop, the workmanship was excellent and the grade remained undiminished.
Moreover, the selling price was a full one hundred thousand Shillings!

‘Gems certainly command premium prices.’

The most expensive item before this had been fifty thousand Shillings, so this was quite a substantial price.
Especially considering he’d crafted three varieties of this gem.
Had he needed quick funds, he would have sold them to the Shilling Shop without hesitation.
But.

‘That won’t do. Mm.’

This gem was destined to become a most valuable accessory.
Still, just to be safe, he’d handed only two varieties of the gem to the dwarves.
The gem cut most cleanly in an emerald cut remained in Lion’s display case under Ricshel’s watchful eye.
Ah, and as if that weren’t good fortune enough, there was more, more! This wasn’t the end either!

[You have achieved the Achievement: ‘The Dwarf King Has Arrived!’]
[You acquire 30,000 Shillings.]

He’d achieved the Objective and received quite a generous payout to boot.
Thanks to that, Lion’s coffers hadn’t shrunk at all—they’d actually grown.
And then there was this……

[Blacksmith Proficiency has reached Proficiency Lv. 1.]
[Function: Jewel Crafting has been unlocked.]

Lion lay buried under his blankets, crunching on crispy cookies while contemplating the rapid growth of his Blacksmith level.
It was genuinely remarkable progress—truly gratifying.
As a result of this affair, he could now handle Jewel Crafting directly himself.

‘Mmm. All that hard work paid off.’

Such sweet rewards!
Though he was technically under house arrest—if one wanted to call it that—it was nothing but a blessing for Lion.

Crunch!

As Lion bit into his cookie, crumbs scattered across the bedding, but they vanished cleanly a moment later.

‘That’s Elvia’s handiwork, I’d wager.’

Ricshel wasn’t particularly skilled in Life Magic.
Contrary to his fears, he’d managed to accomplish everything without lifting a finger, and it was remarkably comfortable—almost suspiciously so.

‘And once it’s time to sleep, Ricshel will head back to his own room anyway.’

If he mentioned he was ready for bed, couldn’t he get Ricshel to finish his duties even a little earlier than usual?

‘Killing two birds with one stone.’

Lion finished off the last of his cookies with satisfaction, then wiped his hands on the warm, damp cloth placed at his side.
Now seemed like the perfect moment to say he was getting sleepy.

“Ricshel. It’s getting late—shouldn’t you be heading to bed?”
“Ah, you must be tired, brother.”

Ricshel agreed with Lion’s words and immediately stopped his work.
But nothing ever went quite according to Lion’s plan.

“Then I’ll borrow your bathing chamber.”
“……What?”
“I need to prepare myself for bed properly.”

Ah.
Ricshel had absolutely no intention of returning to his own room for the night.

“You didn’t think I’d leave my ailing brother alone and sleep comfortably in my own room, did you?”

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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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