Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 155
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 155
“W-well, shall I try one then?”
“You would be better off cutting it carefully with a knife.”
The quicker guests among the crowd began dismantling their chocolates.
But, of course…
“Ah. No luck.”
“It’s an ordinary chocolate.”
The odds were not so generous, and they had drawn an ordinary chocolate.
The hopeful thought of how wonderful it would be to win an Egg Coin quickly subsided.
And yet, even so…!
“Mm, this is delicious?”
The disappointment melted away like chocolate, thanks to the exceptional taste!
The chocolate shell, softened luxuriously by body heat, sweetly stimulated the palate.
After rolling it around in their mouths a little, they carefully bit down—and an intense burst of liquor flowed out, enough to moisten the mouth.
And the flavor of that liquor…
“Ooh! This is…!”
It was exceptional enough to captivate even the palates of nose-in-the-air nobles in a single bite.
A sweet caramel flavor emerged, then a savory nutty aroma enveloped the mouth, blending with the remaining chocolate to deliver an exquisite taste.
It was a dessert worthy of being called the perfect bite.
The chocolates without liquor were no different.
When you crunched into the lustrously gleaming chocolate, the crispy confection inside shattered without strong resistance.
The wafers, thinner and more delicate than pasta, tangled with a special paste, spreading stickily, yet savory and sweet, across the mouth.
It was a moment everyone, regardless of gender or age, was wholeheartedly enjoying—even without an Egg Coin emerging.
“Elder brother, do hurry and try yours as well.”
But unexpectedly, Lion still had not put the chocolate near his lips.
Rickshel tilted his head.
His elder brother was not the sort of person who would not eat a chocolate in a situation like this.
Rather, he was always the one to taste it first.
…Or could there be something wrong with the food?
“Ah, it seemed too special to eat right away, so I was saving it for a moment.”
Lion nudged the chocolate beautifully plated on the dish with a finger.
Perhaps because it had been well tempered, the subtly glossy chocolate rolled around with a little clatter on the plate.
[Easter Special Chocolate Bonbons (★★)]
-A special liqueur lies within the glossy chocolate.
-The scent of nuts and caramel is exquisite!
-But regrettably, it does not seem to contain what you were hoping for.
‘It’s a dud.’
The same was true for Rickshel’s chocolate right before his eyes.
They wouldn’t have singled him out intentionally, so the winning probability must have been genuinely low.
Even the Egg Coin event was arranged with the utmost dedication by Easter.
They clearly would not resort to shallow tricks.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter if I don’t win one here.’
Lion lightly squeezed the single Egg Coin in his pocket.
He expected that a situation where this Egg Coin would prove useful was about to unfold.
That was why he had been keeping an eye on his surroundings.
It would be good to observe at least a little who won a coin.
And… it was also enjoyable.
“Elder brother.”
“Hm?”
Lion stared at Rickshel, who had called him with a solemn voice.
Then, the boy even cleared his throat and deliberately spoke in a low voice.
“Ahem, the other day, you once advised me that I should not eat too many sweets, did you not.”
“I did.”
Was he about to say something important?
Rickshel would not speak idly.
“However, as I see it, you also, elder brother, are quite fond of sweets…”
“Waaaaah!!”
“…”
Regrettably, Rickshel’s words could not continue.
During their brief exchange, the first winner let out a cheer loud enough to pierce even the Soundproofing Magic.
Or perhaps, Easter had temporarily deactivated the magic to create a dramatic scene.
“Our first guest to win an Egg Coin has appeared!”
“Congratulations!”
Simultaneously with the staff’s cheers, the movements of those who had not yet eaten their chocolates quickened.
They seemed to have mastered the art of properly wielding anticipation.
As the second and third winners emerged, Lion placed the chocolate into his mouth and chewed.
Once the thick chocolate shell broke, rum spread throughout his entire mouth.
The amount was minute, but the proof must have been fairly high, as his tongue and throat grew hot.
‘It’s delicious, but as I thought, Western liquor isn’t to my taste.’
He didn’t exactly indulge heavily in alcohol, but Lion was an absolute samgyeopsal-and-soju person.
A slice of sizzling, golden-browned samgyeopsal and a bite of well-grilled kimchi cooked in pork fat…
‘Crack. Aah.’
That signature boisterous flavor was the way to go.
“Ah, right, what were you saying earlier?”
“…”
Rickshel had been about to say something dignified, since his elder brother seemed unusually to be savoring the chocolate, but it had been buried under the cheer.
“…It was nothing.”
As if he had lost his will to continue, Rickshel shook his head and silently chewed and swallowed a chocolate without alcohol.
“Personally, it’s not to my taste.”
“Me neither. Your coin?”
“There was none.”
“Then, shall we get up soon?”
The meal was completely finished, and it seemed three winners were the end for the Egg Coins.
“Yes. Let us return.”
When the two rose from their seats, the other guests also began making preparations to leave.
Most had drawn blanks, but their lips were full of smiles, as if they considered it a pleasant experience nonetheless.
In fact, how often could one witness people of this station cheering and feeling pure delight?
That in itself had been a tremendous spectacle.
“Did the meal suit your tastes?”
As they exited the dining hall, a staff member who seemed of higher rank smiled and asked once more.
“Yeah. It was good.”
“It was not bad.”
The staff member smiled as if genuinely relieved by their responses, then raised a prepared envelope and politely handed it to Lion.
“This is a letter given exclusively to those who possess an Egg Coin. If possible, I recommend that you read it alone.”
“Oh.”
“Then, I hope you continue to enjoy your time at Easter.”
Lion looked at the elegant envelope.
The letter, sealed with Easter’s mark… was, as he guessed, probably an ‘invitation.’
“They say I should read it alone, so I suppose I should comply.”
“Yes. Since that is the mission entrusted to you this time, elder brother.”
Lion had expected him to sulk, but unexpectedly, Rickshel was calm.
‘Ah, could it be he doesn’t know what this envelope means?’
Come to think of it, that made sense. Hadn’t this ‘Egg Coin’ event been a revival of an Easter tradition from decades ago?
It would be difficult for the young Rickshel to recognize it without any other information.
‘Well, it’s probably for the best that he doesn’t know.’
It would likely be too stimulating for that kind-hearted boy.
As he was thinking that, they arrived at their room before he knew it.
The events thereafter passed tranquilly.
After washing their tired bodies—full and worn out from playing with the animals—and changing into comfortable clothes, they spent personal time in the sitting room.
Rickshel reviewed documents related to the ‘hot spring’ business, and Lion watched the magic fireworks show visible outside.
It was nothing short of a perfect hotel vacation day, down to the very last moment.
Thus, just as the final fireworks display was ending.
“Little brother.”
“Yes. Elder brother.”
Wondering if perhaps something was amiss, Rickshel set down his documents and looked at Lion.
“No, it’s nothing much.”
“…”
“Just go to sleep now.”
“Pardon?”
“You weren’t planning to stay up late even after coming all the way here, were you?”
“…”
Rickshel was literally at a loss for words.
He did not quite know how to react in such a situation.
After all, it was still just ‘night.’
Not dawn, but simply night.
Of course, people must sleep at night.
But he himself was a mage who had stepped into the 5th Circle.
Moreover, he was also the heir of House Asteri.
He had too much to do to fall asleep merely because it was night, and his stamina was overflowing.
In fact, the very act of leisurely reviewing documents like this was an extravagantly luxurious pastime, was it not.
“Elder brother… I am grateful for your concern, but I am.”
“You haven’t even come of age yet.”
“…”
“Grandfather would not wish for you to be working even here.”
It was not incorrect, but he felt somehow wronged.
So when Rickshel stealthily picked up the documents again, Lion personally confiscated them as well.
As the papers left his hands, Rickshel’s fingers hovered in the air forlornly.
He had never dreamed he would be treated this way. In the midst of his uncharacteristic bewilderment, he found himself laid down on the bed before he knew it, and the blanket was comfortably drawn up over him.
The problem, however, was.
Blink…
Perhaps because he had been quite active throughout the day, his eyes began to close heavily the moment he lay down.
Like a child who had been stubbornly fighting off sleep until now.
‘This, too, is unfair…’
But perhaps because his body’s tension was released, no thought of getting back up came to him.
“Sleep well. That is also part of your work.”
“…Understood. Please sleep soon as well, elder brother.”
“Sure. Nobody will say anything if you rest thoroughly for a day. Ah, should I stay with you until you fall asleep…”
“I will sleep, so please leave.”
No matter how fond he was of his elder brother, Rickshel refused quite firmly, as if even he had to decline being treated like a child to this degree.
Since Lion had said it knowing he would be refused, he chuckled and closed the door behind him.
Click.
The door closed, and Rickshel gave a soft laugh.
‘What on earth is that envelope about.’
Was he intending to carry out his activities only after putting even him to sleep?
It concerned him, yet he also looked forward to it.
Without forcibly shaking off his drowsiness, Rickshel surrendered his body to the god of sleep.
Soon, even breathing was heard, and sweet slumber found Rickshel.
“Phew!”
Lion, having stepped out of Rickshel’s room, let out a sigh of relief.
At any rate, he had succeeded in putting Rickshel to sleep.
‘It feels like he just let it slide, though.’
In any event, Lion’s initial objective had been to make his little brother rest fully, so it was killing two birds with one stone.
“Now then…”
Lion fetched the envelope placed to one side along with his clothes and broke the seal.
Inside, as expected.
[Arcade Invitation]
-Guest who has acquired an Egg Coin! Are you having a pleasant time at Easter?
-Through the Egg Coin, you have been granted access to a special space.
-If you desire fantastical amusements and thrilling pleasures, please request the Disguise Service and then insert the Egg Coin into the vertical slot in the stationery.
-We shall be waiting for you.
Come to think of it, there was a neatly made slot in the stationery, just the right size for an oval coin.
Outwardly, it looked like just an open hole, but some kind of special mechanism must have been installed.
‘Disguise Service, they said.’
Surely, from the explanation he heard when checking into the hotel…
“They said to pull this bell cord.”
Lion gave the bell cord in the corner of the room a couple of light tugs.
Then, by some means unknown, an ornate masquerade mask, along with neat packaging, was placed upon the bed.
[Easter Special Disguise Mask]
-The taste of a masquerade is doubled when you do not know who is behind the mask!
-When worn, everything except gender and age group is concealed.
-Wearable scope: Inside Hotel Easter
-A theft-prevention system is attached. In case of theft, a price 50 times the mask’s production cost will be charged.
Lion glanced over the production cost of the Disguise Mask and pointedly looked away.
A number he had only seen in the game was written there.
He had no intention of stealing it anyway, so he decided to pretend he hadn’t seen it and move on.
Lion reached out and donned the mask.