Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 154
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 154
Willi lowered the hand covering his forehead and straightened his posture.
Even though he had set the difficulty to be absolutely brutal, the fact that the direct line of House Asteri managed to obtain Egg Coins was astonishing, but at the same time…
‘As expected.’
He could not help but acknowledge it.
Of course, that did not mean he had never acknowledged them before.
Marquis Petrick needed no mention, and Heir Rickshel possessed extraordinary insight as well.
That was precisely why he was expanding the business with that brilliant ‘hot springs’ idea, was it not.
However.
‘As for Young Lord Lion, though.’
He still could not quite figure him out.
In any case, he had come of age, and if he were to officially take up activities as an Asteri, he would inevitably forge a lasting connection with Easter, but information was far too scarce.
Moreover, the rumors he had heard up to now painted him as little more than an unremarkable eccentric.
‘I realized at our first meeting that wasn’t the case, but.’
At the same time, he had not been able to discover anything more.
That was why, under the pretext of testing the Egg Coins, he had presumptuously intended to subtly assess Young Lord Lion’s potential as well.
Only then could he decide what choice Easter would have to make in the future.
House Asteri could cover for him as family, but Easter was not family.
‘If the hotel were to falter because of a single choice of mine…’
What would become of the villagers who lived solely for this hotel? The employees?
Their misfortune would be far greater than Willi’s personal misfortune.
That was why he dared to weigh the eldest son of House Asteri.
If this fact were to be discovered… just the thought sent a chill down his spine.
Still, Willi had to carry it out.
For the hotel, which was more precious than the life of its owner, ‘Easter II’, who had looked after him since he was small!
Easter II had grown so old and frail as to have difficulty moving, so Willi’s choice was effectively Easter’s choice.
‘If he is unqualified… I must exclude him thoroughly.’
Thus he needed to confirm more thoroughly and surely, but…
Of all things, before he could even make a proper judgment, the young lord had gone and obtained an Egg Coin.
Willi let out a deep sigh and was about to open his mouth again, when—
the employee, having realized something, belatedly added.
“Ah! W-well, they did say he looked like he was enjoying himself.”
“What?”
What was this sudden talk of looking like he enjoyed himself?
“Ah, my apologies. Since you, Manager, always ask that at the end of these questions, I thought you would this time as well.”
“…That’s right.”
The manager felt as if he had been struck in the head by the employee’s words.
‘Right. Indeed, normally I would have said something like that.’
Wasn’t Willi’s greatest happiness hearing that hotel guests had enjoyed their stay and departed happily?
Yet now, his attention was so fixed on the Egg Coins and House Asteri’s eldest son that he had not confirmed a single thing about that.
He had only been thinking about how to adjust the Egg Coin difficulty.
What had been the original reason for the Egg Coins’ existence in the first place?
Were they not a system introduced precisely so that guests staying at the hotel could enjoy the facilities more happily?
He felt a bit awkward and pathetic about himself.
If the owner had seen him in this state, wouldn’t she have scolded him sharply?
“Always choose the path that makes guests happy. Whether Easter becomes a hotel or an inn. Do you understand?”
“Heh-heh.”
In the end, Willi could not help but burst into a hearty laugh.
It seemed he had been overly nervous because of the presence of such esteemed guests.
“Right. Especially which part did he seem to enjoy?”
“He said he liked that the animals’ housing facilities seemed comfortable. And he expressed concern about the method of purchasing treats.”
“Treats?”
“Yes. He said, wouldn’t animals that live in the forest or wary ones be unable to get treats?”
“…!”
He had a point.
But it was also the kind of thought you quickly forget while enjoying yourself.
The kind that, after a moment of sympathy at first, evaporates as you look at cute or mysterious animals and enjoy yourself.
However.
‘After leaving the hotel, that regret would suddenly come to mind again.’
Ah, weren’t those animals too pitiful back then?
Of course the hotel would take care of them just fine, but you would still feel bad for no reason. That sort of thought.
Then the aftertaste of a hotel experience that should be pleasant would turn bitter.
It was a very trivial detail, but something the management needed to be aware of.
Only then could they put up a sign like ‘These animals are doing well.’
‘Did Young Lord Lion discern even that?’
He still could not be certain.
But in Willi’s heart, a different feeling from before began to bloom.
Not of excluding him, but of anticipation about what more they could gain through his insight.
‘To do that…’
There was no change to the plan.
First of all, everything that had been planned needed to proceed as intended.
“What about the rest of the facilities?”
“So far, no guest has obtained an Egg Coin, but since dinnertime is approaching, a few will likely get one.”
“I see.”
Whether that meticulous side of his was limited to animals or not would only become clear in time.
* * *
“Phew. I’m hungry.”
“…Yes. I’m famished.”
With a refreshed face, Lion stretched and leisurely exited the park.
And the Rickshel beside him… looked somewhat worse for wear.
His whole body was stiff.
Not that the ride on the deer had been particularly bad, but since he was not close with animals, his entire body had tensed up automatically.
Normally, he would have greatly disliked this situation, but…
Glance.
At the end of Rickshel’s gaze was his older brother smiling as if to ask, ‘Wasn’t it fun?’
‘Still, I’m glad my brother enjoyed himself.’
Rickshel brushed the deer fur off his outer clothes with a light puff and let out a small chuckle.
Still, if he ever got the chance to come here again…
‘I’ll have to suggest it to the Family Head then.’
Might it be fine to give him this hardship… no, experience at least once?
It was an experience too good to enjoy alone.
“Brother. What would you like to do for dinner?”
“Shall we go and eat?”
They could enjoy a leisurely private room service meal, but Lion was more than ready to make full use of Easter’s facilities.
‘Somehow I think we’ll find Egg Coins or something if we eat in the restaurant rather than ordering room service.’
“Yes. Then we should head that way.”
Rickshel, who already seemed to have the map memorized, skillfully headed toward the restaurant.
Passing through the lobby and heading toward the restaurant, a mouth-watering aroma soon wafted out, and in front of the restaurant, staff stood in a line guiding people to their seats.
“I’ll escort you inside.”
As if they already had a full grasp of all hotel guests’ identities, the staff led them to a table without any identification check.
The place Lion was guided to was a seat with a panoramic window view of the outside scenery.
‘It’s more a restaurant than a dining hall.’
Before them were tidy tableware and dishes, and on top, a napkin and menu description written in elegant handwriting.
What was a bit unusual was…
“Ahaha!”
“A playground. A playground!”
—that an indoor playground where young guests could run around to their hearts’ content had been set up right next to the restaurant.
The only slight difference was that instead of a brightly colorful playground tailored to children’s tastes, it was an elegant one made of coated, finely carved high-quality wood.
“The layout is unusual. It does not seem to kick up dust, but if it is uncomfortable, I can request room service right now…”
“No. It’s fine.”
Lion smiled happily and waved his hand.
‘Actually, it’s good that it’s there.’
It was a heartwarming sight he had never seen here, and it lifted his spirits for no particular reason.
“Do you like that playground, Brother?”
“Yeah. Because it’s only natural that kids want to run around even while eating.”
Ah, come to think of it, did Rickshel not say he was doing a ‘spa’ business here?
In that case… Hmm, should I just toss this out there?
“A waterproof slide would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”
“…!”
“Hmm, shall we look at the menu?”
Leaving Rickshel, who had frozen as if struck by some inspiration, Lion shifted his gaze to the menu.
From appetizers to main courses, it was a well-composed selection made of top-quality ingredients, with nothing out of place.
But…
“Hmm?”
Lion’s eyebrows lifted slightly as he looked at the desserts.
[Easter Special ‘Secret’ Chocolate Bonbons]
- Children and minors, or those who cannot drink alcohol, will receive chocolate crunch instead.
It was quite different from the other items, which only had food names.
‘Secret, huh…’
Lion glanced outside again.
Come to think of it, even though it was the world’s finest hotel, he did not see ‘that’.
‘Well, maybe it does not exist at all.’
But according to Lion’s intuition, it was probably hidden somewhere.
Actually, was there not a better place to fleece the nobles’ pockets?
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. You have given me another realization. I think this idea should indeed be named after you, Brother…”
“Ah. The food is here. Let’s eat first and talk, shall we?”
Lion deliberately cut Rickshel off, tore off a piece of the steaming bread that had come out first, slathered it generously with butter and jam, and practically tossed it into Rickshel’s mouth.
“…”
Now that food was in his mouth, Rickshel could not say anything.
Because it went against noble etiquette.
He felt somewhat wronged, but the bread his brother had personally buttered for him tasted decent, so he decided to postpone business talk for now.
“It tastes decent.”
“Right?”
As could be inferred from Rickshel giving a ‘decent’ comment, the meal was quite delicious.
Moreover, after each dish was served, the staff would explain the food, which was quite pleasant to hear.
The curious thing was that even though there were quite a few people chattering around them, it did not feel particularly noisy.
It was just a pleasant, lively buzz.
Probably some magical tool was at work again.
Thanks to that, the guests could enjoy their meal with concentration.
“My, I would like to poach their chef.”
“To think the inside is cooked so exquisitely!”
Even more…
“If you would like more, please do not hesitate to let us know.”
This fine-dining meal came with unlimited refills!
Even people with small appetites were given packed meals to take home, and a separate menu just for children was also available.
‘Nice.’
It was not called the Empire’s top hotel for nothing.
The service was truly jaw-dropping.
Lion nodded as he swallowed even the last piece of meat.
As soon as he finished eating, an employee quickly came to clear his dishes and immediately poured a cup full of fragrant tea.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“It was excellent.”
“Not bad.”
Hearing that, the employee smiled and presented dessert.
“This is a dessert made with alcohol brewed in-house at Easter. And this is crunchy chocolate containing malt puffs created through a method devised by Easter.”
Ah, of course, Rickshel, being a minor, was given the chocolate crunch instead.
“…”
He seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
Well, as the heir, he had likely already learned all about alcohol, so it was understandable.
Normally, Lion would have offered a little consolation, but… now was the time to focus on this chocolate.
As expected, the employee provided an additional explanation.
“For your information, one of the chocolates provided may contain a hidden Egg Coin, so please bite carefully.”
“…Egg Coin?”
Whether the employees’ announcement had spread to everyone in an instant, the inside of the restaurant stirred.
To think an event would appear like this!
The guests’ faces swelled with anticipation.