Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 178
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 178
“It’s fine. We just got here ourselv—”
“We arrived precisely on time, so you are not late, brother.”
Before the Second Prince could respond to Lion, Rickshel swiftly cut in.
“Still, the prince arrived first and waited for us.”
“It’s fine. Rickshel and I are on quite close terms, so I do not consider this a breach of etiquette.”
Close?
Lion widened his eyes and looked back and forth between the two.
‘I didn’t know that.’
To be honest, it would have been strange if they weren’t close.
They shared the same goal, and their ages were similar.
Moreover, Rickshel was backing the Second Prince quite wholeheartedly.
And yet, he had never once imagined the two were actually friends.
The Second Prince had never shown any hint of it in conversation, and his brother…
‘He’d been a bit on edge because of me.’
He’d been in no state to ask about anything.
Besides, Rickshel and the Second Prince hadn’t exactly been chatting together at the coming-of-age ceremony either.
But they were close?
‘If I’d been found out yesterday, that would’ve been a complete disaster!’
He’d nearly ruined the relationships his brother had built.
It was awkward to say it himself, but Rickshel’s social circle was exceedingly narrow.
Even including Grandfather and Lion himself, it was barely a handful.
That was precisely why he’d tried to help him build a close relationship with the Marquis of Bydantis.
Of course, from a capability standpoint, Rickshel was at a level where networking wasn’t strictly necessary right now. But if he handled everything alone, wouldn’t he eventually hit a wall?
So he’d thought it would be nice to give him a friend his own age…
‘He was doing just fine on his own!’
This was truly wonderful news!
“…”
And Rickshel, who had never considered himself in a close relationship with the Second Prince, simply looked at the speaker.
‘What exactly is he plotting.’
To be clear, neither the Second Prince nor Rickshel had ever once considered the other a friend.
They were simply business partners who communicated well. That was the extent of it.
Yet the Second Prince was suddenly acting like this.
‘Could it be he’s figured it out?’
No. There was no way he could have deduced in that short time that the disguised person was his brother.
Not even with the help of the Merchant Guild.
Besides, if he had attempted it, there was no way House Asteri wouldn’t be aware of it.
So he could rest easy on that front, at least.
‘More importantly…’
Rickshel shifted his gaze back to his brother.
He looked visibly delighted.
He didn’t know why he was so happy, but his brother had occasionally given him advice like, ‘You have to make friends to know what they’re like.’ So he suspected it was related to that.
In that case, he didn’t want to ruin his brother’s hopes.
Rickshel put on a picture-perfect smile and answered.
“Yes. That is correct. The Second Prince and I are quite close.”
He even stepped forward first and embraced him as if they were delighted to see each other.
Of course, the reality was.
“I don’t know what you’re scheming, but don’t overdo it.”
“You’re the power broker who has even House Asteri in your pocket. Surely it’s only proper that I curry a little favor.”
Though truly, the words exchanged were frigid and utterly devoid of any friendship whatsoever.
“Pfft.”
The Merchant Guild Leader, who had been watching, couldn’t suppress his laughter.
“Indeed. You two are, ahem, obviously very close!”
Receiving sharp looks from both at once, the Merchant Guild Leader deflected their glares with a genial smile and continued.
“However, as Lion Asteri and I are meeting for the first time, I would be honored if you would grant me the courtesy of an introduction.”
“Indeed. Let us sit first.”
The Second Prince swiftly separated from Rickshel and invited everyone to take their seats, and only then did the chaotic atmosphere settle down.
“Ah, I will go see to the tea. Please, the four of you may begin without me.”
Willi took the opportunity to excuse himself and swiftly escaped the situation.
It must have been taxing for him, naturally.
They were all heavyweights whom no one could treat casually.
The Second Prince. The Head of the Criminal Underworld. The Heir of House Asteri.
And every single one of them was…
Watching Lion Asteri’s every move.
Though ironically, Lion himself was just sitting there with a blank expression on his face.
After Willi left, the Merchant Guild Leader offered a polite greeting with appropriate courtesy.
“I am called Jade, the Merchant Guild Leader in charge of distribution for this project. It is a great honor to meet Lion Asteri, who conceived this hot spring venture.”
“Jade.”
Apparently, using the name Jack openly was a bit problematic.
It was a fitting name for a young Merchant Guild Leader who had come to lead a large operation.
“As you know, I am Lion Asteri. And you needn’t attach grandiose words like ‘conceived’ to it.”
“‘Grandiose words’? Not at all.”
Jack—no, Jade—grinned and spoke, practically singing the praises of the solid initial plan he’d laid out.
He was likely doing this to play his role as the ‘Merchant Guild Leader’.
A smooth-talker, approachable, and somewhat genial—that was probably the image he was aiming for.
It seemed he wanted to create the impression that the ‘Criminal Underworld’ had singled him out for his eloquence and skill, and thus granted him this position.
Lion nodded along, giving Jade’s words the appropriate acknowledgments.
‘But…’
Somehow, the look Jade gave him was quite burdensome.
Or rather, it was the look of someone brimming with curiosity who knew he shouldn’t touch something with a ten-foot pole.
‘He’s got a few things in common with the Second Prince.’
In truth, since he already knew the information about ‘Jack’ and his inheritance, it was in Lion’s best interest to foster a close relationship with him as well.
But not right now.
‘It’s a minefield all around.’
Across from him, the Second Prince was watching him intently, and right beside him, Rickshel was glued to his side.
Both were sharp, so things could easily go south.
So for now, he’d just keep pushing the clueless older brother act.
“Hahaha. There’s really no need to overpraise me. As you all know, I merely came to dip a toe into your business venture…”
“‘Dip a toe’? You are far too humble.”
“From my perspective, your contribution is hardly a mere toe.”
“…”
No, seriously, it’s not like I even participated in the planning meeting. Why are they all harping on this?
“Without this opportunity, I could never have built my own merchant guild, and Jade would not even be present here.”
“That’s right. And didn’t you, brother, not only listen to the business plan but also suggest additional ideas? That is truly remarkable insight.”
“Alright, thank you all. Your Highness, the Second Prince, I am grateful for your high appraisal, but…”
At this rate, he might end up being viewed as a key figure in this venture, which was quite burdensome.
Wasn’t there a saying that work begets work?
‘I’ll have to lie low and rest up at the mansion for a while.’
From the looks of it, Jack was going to start operating as the Merchant Guild Leader, so he’d see him often in the future.
In that case, it was better to take things slowly in all respects.
“I suppose. With your frail health, you’ve had no time to worry about such things. Are you alright now?”
“Yes. I’m fine these days as I’ve been enjoying my rest at the Easter, but ordinarily, if I push myself too hard, I tend to fall ill.”
“I see.”
The Second Prince seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.
“In that case, to seek your advice in the future, Lion, I shall have to visit House Asteri more often.”
“…Pardon?”
“And incidentally, it would allow me to see Rickshel more often as well.”
Finishing his words, the Second Prince looked at Rickshel and flashed a very subtle smile.
And then Lion.
‘Ah! So that’s what it was!’
He finally understood the Second Prince’s behavior.
It was a bit late, but he’d caught on.
Right. Even if one of the Second Prince’s curses had been lifted, his standing within the Imperial Court was still quite precarious.
Hadn’t he seen that the Prince couldn’t even eat properly?
Naturally, he’d want to escape that place whenever humanly possible.
And where else but by his most trusted friend’s side!
‘And visiting House Asteri would also make it easier to meet with Jack.’
Even the Emperor or the First Prince wouldn’t dare try sending assassins to House Asteri.
If they attempted it, Grandfather wouldn’t stay quiet.
So the Second Prince was merely using the excuse that Lion, who had conceived this project, was exceptional.
Moreover, with the Second Prince so openly declaring his intention to visit, refusing him now would certainly complicate things.
However.
“Hmm, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that might be difficult.”
Lion flatly refused the Second Prince’s request.
“…Why is that?”
There were plenty of reasons.
First of all, no matter how close they were, if the Second Prince visited House Asteri more often, Rickshel’s overwork would only get worse.
What was the reason he’d come here?
Wasn’t it to see for himself what kind of boss kept driving his little brother to work late into the night?
But if he allowed this now just because they were friends?
‘It would all be for nothing.’
Secondly, prolonged contact with the Second Prince would naturally increase the probability of his true identity being discovered.
Even if the disguise distorted perception, small habits would remain…
‘And above all, I cooked for him.’
It was a completely different style of cuisine from what existed in this world.
And Lion was planning to return to House Asteri and make it again, wasn’t he?
That would practically be handing him a vital clue.
And finally.
‘Well… even if he still has one curse left, he’s healthy now, isn’t he?’
Lion had already put out the Second Prince’s biggest and most urgent fire.
And hadn’t he also, by coincidence, seen the Second Prince’s hidden weapons?
‘He’s not really someone I need to worry about.’
On top of that, now that Jack, who’d stepped into the light, was firmly watching his back, he could handle assassins or whatever else on his own.
So his conclusion was refusal.
And fortunately, he had a perfectly valid excuse to do so.
“Grandfather—that is, the Family Head—doesn’t like outside visitors entering.”
Lion smiled as he added,
“Even as the eldest son of the family, I wouldn’t dare go against the Family Head’s wishes. Of course, if you wish, I can convey this request to him, but…”
If it came to that, the Second Prince would probably find himself in quite a bind as well.
Telling Marquis Petrick about this would mean the Second Prince was visiting the mansion ‘on official business.’
‘If the Second Prince had been a minor, I might have let it slide.’
Unfortunately, the only minor present here was his younger brother, Rickshel.
And in places where Grandfather was absent, Rickshel’s guardian was Lion.
Hey, Second Prince.
Sorry, but you’re banned for violating labor laws.
“Yes. We cannot go against the Family Head’s will.”
Rickshel also drooped his brows as if truly saddened, and, with one hand covering his mouth, answered, looking deeply regretful.
“Regrettably, it has come to that.”
Before the Second Prince could respond, the door opened again, and Willi returned with other employees carrying an elegant tea set.
“It may pale in comparison to what the Imperial Palace or House Asteri can provide, but we have brought the finest tea leaves available at the Easter.”
As the atmosphere grew bustling once again, the Merchant Guild Leader Jade held back his laughter and murmured.
“You’ve been outmaneuvered.”