Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 179
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 179
Fortunately, after Lion’s gentle but firm refusal, the Second Prince stopped bringing up the idea of visiting House Asteri.
Thanks to that, Lion could finally relax and enjoy the tea and refreshments Willi had brought.
“This is really good.”
Lion admired the bite-sized sandwich, neatly cut into a cube.
The harmony of fluffy bread, crisp, thin apple slices, thick cheese, and well-cured ham was remarkable.
And it was novel.
‘People around here don’t usually put savory items in a tea set.’
Generally, the tea sets enjoyed here were loaded with all sorts of sweet dessert-type foods.
Crisp macarons and cakes that paired well with the bitter, strongly fragrant tea.
The only thing that could serve as a light meal was butter-laden scones.
Not that I was complaining, of course.
But still…
‘The sweet-and-salty combo is always the best, no matter what.’
If you ate only sweet things, you were bound to get sick of them eventually.
And that was when the savory ham in a sandwich like this came in and completely settled that slightly cloying, lingering taste in your mouth.
People here might find it a bit unfamiliar, but for Lion’s taste, this was far better.
“I’m so glad it’s to your liking!”
Willi’s expression brightened immediately at Lion’s praise.
“Actually, this tea set is a new menu item our kitchen staff poured their hearts into, so…”
Willi caught himself, then smoothly carried on.
“I thought a day like today, when even Lord Lion is visiting, was the perfect occasion to present it.”
Rickshel nodded as if affirming Willi’s choice had been correct.
In fact, hadn’t the food served at the hot spring originally started with snacks his brother had made?
He wanted nothing more than to boast about all of it, but doing so would have given the Second Prince an excuse to latch on again.
His lips were itching, but he had no choice but to bear it.
“No wonder, I thought it was unusual that a sandwich was served.”
“Indeed. When one passes a long conversation over a single tea set, does one not grow tired of the taste and feel a bit peckish?”
In other words, they had created a tea set that doubled as a light meal to address that situation.
He added a further explanation that they’d deliberately kept the size small so as not to be too filling, while making the taste rich.
Then he looked straight at Lion and gave the faintest nod.
It was as if to say, ‘This is all thanks to the advice you gave us in the kitchen, Lord Lion.’
‘Ah, right. That did happen.’
Back when I had started frequenting the kitchen.
The staff, who were initially awkward and wary around Lion, had begun asking questions one day.
If they had been professional questions, Lion might not have been able to answer, but luckily, what they asked was simple.
“W-would it be all right if I asked what sort of foods you favor?”
“Foods I like?”
“Yes! We would be most grateful if you could let us know, as it would broaden our culinary insights!”
Just this level of thing. Questions so plain they could be considered nothing more than ordinary conversation.
So at first, I was a bit taken aback.
‘Why me?’
As a precaution for any unforeseen trouble, Lion always finished cooking and even tidied up the area spotlessly before leaving.
Meaning the staff had never once had a chance to taste Lion’s food.
On top of that, I’d never shown them the actual cooking process either.
And the skill of the chefs working in Hotel Easter’s kitchen was on a level that brooked no rival.
Of course, they wouldn’t be on the same tier as Alex, who was in charge of the Asteri kitchens, but still, these were people who had surpassed a certain realm.
‘So at first, I thought they were just asking to butter me up.’
I figured they must have thought, ‘If the eldest son of a prestigious mage family goes out of his way to come to the kitchen, he must have enormous pride in his hobby, so let’s flatter him!’
‘Because it would be a bit troublesome to actually name the foods I really like.’
First of all… I’d have to start with, ‘Do you know what Korean food is?’ and if I went that route, things would only get tiresome.
So I gave a casual answer without much thought.
It wasn’t anything particularly profound.
‘At best, something like “sweet-and-salty”?’
Like having sweet and savory foods alternate, as was happening now, or new harmonies of sweet and salty tastes, like dipping fries in ice cream.
But…
Right before Lion left, they had come up with their own answer and made this change.
Looking again, the food next to the cube sandwich was another sandwich, and this one boldly featured steak topped with a mashed potato sauce.
It clearly showed the effort they’d made to let it function as a meal once it entered your mouth, while still retaining the beautiful, delicate pastry-like form characteristic of desserts.
They had perfectly walked the line of being fresh and novel without being so unconventional as to be off-putting.
And the taste, too…
“Mmm!”
Between the crispy bread layers, a potato sauce gently melted in the mouth. And the flavor of the steak gushed with juices as you chewed!
It was a taste that washed away the fatigue from the night before and fully recharged one’s vitality.
And on the next tier, there was vanilla-bean-packed ice cream topped with flakes of fried shredded potato.
It charmingly bridged the transition from a weighty flavor to a soft, sweet dessert.
To sum it up, it tasted like a high-end, luxury fast-food burger.
“Seems like the staff have earned themselves a nice big bonus.”
“Yes. I will devote even more effort to employee welfare.”
As they enjoyed the delicious food and exchanged small talk with Willi, the other three slipped into work mode as usual.
Various conversations went back and forth, but Lion tried his very best not to pay them any attention.
‘Playing and eating like this is the best!’
I had absolutely no intention of being dragged into it!
Lion drained the last of his now comfortably cooled tea and subtly rose from his seat.
“Ahem, then I shall take my leave now. Please, speak comfortably.”
Rickshel, thinking Lion was deliberately making himself scarce, wore an apologetic expression.
He felt as though he’d failed to look after his brother while absorbed in work.
Naturally, that was just Rickshel’s own misconception.
“It’s all right. I’ll be in the lobby, looking at the exhibits one last time.”
“Yes. I will finish quickly and come escort you.”
“…I truly do wish you’d come by next time.”
The Second Prince’s tone was still dripping with lingering attachment.
He really didn’t seem to want to miss out on the Asteri mansion as a good refuge.
“Ha ha. I will see you at the coronation.”
Feeling that he’d be detained again if the conversation dragged on, Lion answered quickly and left the room without a trace of regret.
“…The coronation, I see.”
The Second Prince nodded to himself at last.
He had wondered why Lion Asteri would go out of his way to do something so bothersome, and now he understood the reason.
‘He’s saying he’ll help the weak, but won’t deal with them as equals.’
Since the time Lion was disguised, Kyle had known he was the textbook example of picking on the weak and bowing to the strong.
He’d taken advantage of that and played weak.
But it seemed that had been his own wishful thinking.
In Lion Asteri’s eyes, he had genuinely been a ‘weak presence,’ hadn’t he?
So the message must have been to return only once he was at a level where he could at least offer a proper response.
Or perhaps it was a calculation to reduce outside threats to a minimum, given the instability of his own body.
‘I must strive even harder.’
Kyle set his resolve, and turned his head back.
* * *
“Whew, I got out of there just right.”
No matter how delicious the food or how comfortable the seating, a meeting was always an uncomfortable affair.
What’s more, with every side being a minefield, even the thick-skinned Lion couldn’t help but feel pressured.
Lion stretched his arms out wide and strolled through the lobby as if taking a walk.
Fortunately, walking around the lobby without a disguise didn’t cause anyone to approach him.
‘Since everyone probably knows who’s coming and going from that room.’
The people who came all the way to Hotel Easter for relaxation would typically be nobles, or commoners with an unimaginable amount of money.
Such people had one distinctive trait.
They only poked their noses in where it was safe.
Especially if it was related to the ‘imperial family,’ they became even more cautious.
‘…Well, there are always exceptions, of course!’
Like that certain noble slyly approaching from over there.
They probably thought I was easy to approach because I was not Rickshel, but the eccentric Lion.
Maybe they thought if they poked around gently, some crumbs might fall their way.
‘Eh, I’ll just deal with them half-heartedly.’
If I spouted a bit of nonsense like the eccentric they expected, they’d get sick of it on their own and fall away.
The very moment I resolved on that—
“Oh my, Lord Lion! You were still here!”
A smooth, unctuous voice called out to Lion and very naturally cut off and blocked the noble’s path.
“I was just having trouble concentrating myself, so I came out for a bit of fresh air.”
It was Jack. No, it was the Merchant Lord, Jade.
‘Hmm…’
So he ended up following me out.
Truth be told, I wasn’t surprised.
That’s because he’d clearly looked full of questions, and he’d been staring at me with a strange, knowing air, as if he’d picked up on something.
But oddly, he’d said nothing to me after that initial greeting.
So what did that mean?
He’d been biding his time.
‘This is actually better.’
I couldn’t exactly get into a tussle with this guy in front of my little brother and his friend… who was also something like his superior, could I?
So Lion had been deliberately leaving an opening, too.
‘Because if I don’t settle this here, he’ll definitely follow me all the way to my family estate.’
Ugh, I hated that idea.
It was like the feeling of an outsider barging right into my precious, comfortable home without even taking their shoes off.
On top of that, unlike with the Second Prince, I had no proper justification to bar Jade.
He wasn’t the type to listen if I said my grandfather forbade visitors, and more than anything, Freyania, a member of the Criminal Underworld, was currently staying at the mansion, wasn’t she?
If he said he was coming to check up on his subordinate’s well-being, I’d have no choice but to allow it at least once.
“Ha ha. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that this has given me more time to talk with you, Lord Lion. I have been wanting to converse more with Lord Lion Asteri.”
Before Lion could even reply, Jade spun his body around and stared dramatically at the approaching noble.
“By the way, might that gentleman be a prior acquaintance of yours?”
“Ah, no. I was simply…”
“He’s not! Then shall you come with me? This place is far too expansive for a chat.”
He said this, and then grinned.
“You see, I happen to know a fine spot. Of course, you are free to refuse as we…”
“Shall we go there, then?”
At the answer, which came faster than he could finish his sentence, Jack’s eyes crinkled as if in surprise.
“I worry I might be troubling you when you are tired…! But I’m certain you’ll like it.”
Allow me to escort you. With a theatrical gesture, as if escorting Lion, Jade took the first steps.
And the place they arrived at was none other than the construction zone, considered one of the most dangerous spots in Hotel Easter.
In the empty lot, not a single guest or even employee was in sight.
What’s more, there wasn’t a single common tree or blade of grass; just a stark patch of bare earth stood there.
“It certainly is…”
“Yes. Completely empty.”
As Jade had said, the location was perfectly suited for a private conversation.
As a bonus, for a typical noble, it was a place where they couldn’t be protected, and thus, a place where one would likely feel considerable psychological pressure.
‘As for me, well. It doesn’t matter.’
Before Jade could break the ice, Lion spoke first with a calm expression.
“Ah, but if I may ask, what is your relation to the Second Prince?”
Strike first and you strike to win.