Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 188
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 188
Elvia moved through the darkness and entered Petrick’s room.
Even the longtime servants dared not tidy Petrick’s room without leave, so it remained exactly as the two puppies had left it a few days ago.
The disarray wouldn’t be obvious to anyone else, but it was the sort of thing Petrick’s sharp eye would catch in an instant.
Of course, she could simply leave it as it was, but…
she intended to cover for a pair of endearing little miscreants sneaking a peek at their grandfather’s journal.
The same went for Rickshel, who had slipped in after them.
She thought it was far more entertaining this way.
And…
‘She really was a little tomboy of a lady.’
Thanks to the two puppies’ mischief, a fond memory had resurfaced.
A faint smile touched Elvia’s lips as she magically erased every trace.
Even to Elvia, who had lived close to a thousand years, Lala had been an exceptionally beloved child.
She could hardly believe that stubborn Petrick was the girl’s father.
But she was a child who had already departed the living world, so Elvia too had kept her tucked away in her heart.
Just like the countless others who had left her behind, unable to bear the weight of the years.
Yet this was the first time she had found herself reminiscing about the dead like this.
And strangely enough… it did not leave a bad feeling.
If anything, it felt more like she had dreamed a pleasant dream.
‘Still… he is rather late this time.’
Having tidied the room spotlessly, Elvia gazed at Petrick’s empty seat and rested a hand on her chin.
Normally, even when he went north to inspect the Great Barrier, he never took this long.
The Great Barrier had always stood firm, and Petrick was a man who absolutely loathed wasting time.
The reason, of course…
‘Must be our darling puppies.’
Elvia knew Petrick’s doting love for his grandsons better than anyone.
Even before the family had grown this close, Petrick’s love had never wavered.
He had simply been somewhat lacking in how he showed it.
In any case, that was why his trips never exceeded a week.
This time, however, he had been gone for more than a week before returning, which was an exception.
Truth be told, only one thing came to mind.
‘It must be the Emperor’s birthday.’
No matter how little Petrick cared for him, the man was still the empire’s symbolic sovereign.
He might well have inspected the Great Barrier more meticulously, and perhaps even taken care of other extra duties while he was there.
‘He must be rather tired, then.’
Just the right level of tired to share a drink.
A mischievous grin spread across Elvia’s face.
“In that case… it would be best to keep things peaceful for a while.”
She would normally take matters into her own hands, but that half-elf youngster seemed to have reached some resolution, so this time she intended to step back and simply watch how events unfolded.
* * *
And that afternoon.
“Master!”
Freyania came to Lion’s room, shouldering a backpack practically the size of her own body.
Her expression was graver than ever, as though she had steeled herself for something.
Perhaps catching the mood from its master, Salamander wore an uncharacteristically solemn and dignified look today as well.
“I’ll need to be away for a little while.”
Lion had already gathered that Freyania would be heading east, where the Criminal Underworld was, and nodded.
“All right. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Yes. I will be sure to convey your intentions, Master.”
Truthfully, sending Freyania off to the east alone did make him a little uneasy, but he figured it would be fine.
For one thing, Freyania was no ordinary spirit mage, and the elven nation had also placed protective magic upon her body.
If it came down to it, elves would mobilize and rescue Freyania.
Of course, if the location happened to be the Criminal Underworld instead of Asteri, things could get rather complicated, but…
‘That wouldn’t be my fault.’
It would be entirely the doing of Jack’s actions, after all.
Lion nodded inwardly and spoke.
“Even so, if things get dangerous, use me as an excuse and get yourself out. All right?”
“Yes!”
With a spirited answer and a quick bow, Freyania hitched up her backpack once with a little grunt, then wobbled her way out of House Asteri.
‘If they agree to provide what I asked for, it’ll probably take at least two weeks.’
Lion’s request was trickier than it seemed.
In exchange, if they truly gave him what he wanted, he meant to answer with his whole heart.
‘Whether Jack believes it or not is his own problem.’
Ordinarily, dealing with people this way might have pricked his conscience a little… but since the other party had started this by meddling, he figured this much was fair.
‘If they can’t bring me what I want…’
Well, it didn’t matter.
He could just produce it himself.
As he turned around with that thought, Elvia was suddenly standing behind him.
Whenever she appeared out of nowhere like this, it usually meant…
“About Grandfather?”
“Yes, that’s right. His Lordship the Family Head is expected to return this evening.”
Just as he’d thought.
It seemed Grandfather was finally coming home from his long business trip.
“He was rather late this time, though.”
“The Emperor’s birthday appears to have given him a great deal of trouble lately.”
“Does Grandfather really have to personally handle that kind of event?”
“On the security side, yes. The Emperor is deeply concerned with his personal safety.”
“Hmm…”
Lion nodded.
The Emperor wanted his own banquet to be more magnificent and spectacular than any other festivity.
Lion recalled Grandfather scathingly criticizing him for being utterly talentless yet overflowing with the desire to show off,
and that he had found the whole business terribly bothersome.
Frankly, that was only reasonable. Managing the Great Barrier alone was already fulfilling his duty in full, yet on top of that he was expected to concern himself with security for the birthday of an emperor who was merely useless.
‘And besides…’
Lion thought back to what he had read in the journal a few days ago.
Lala. That was Lion’s mother, and wasn’t that same man the one who had a past record of trying to approach her?
Lion had never been a parent nor raised a child, but he understood perfectly well that this would leave a deeply unpleasant taste in one’s mouth.
‘Hmm… so tonight really is the night, then.’
Lion pictured the liqueur he had carefully stored in the cabinet.
On a day like this, he thought it best to let alcohol blow away the foul, sticky feeling.
‘It’s not as though Grandfather drinks to excess.’
Most importantly, with an archmage’s body, he probably wouldn’t get drunk easily.
As it happened, Lion had also just about wrapped up his tasks.
The problem with Jack wouldn’t proceed until Freyania actually reached the Criminal Underworld.
Which meant… he could share a drink with Grandfather and pass out with a clear conscience.
“Elvia.”
“Yes.”
“The timing’s good now, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
Having long cultivated the ability to readily answer even the most out-of-the-blue questions, Elvia responded smoothly.
“Young master, do you intend to prepare the food yourself, by any chance?”
“Hmm, I could, but…”
Lion considered it briefly, then shook his head.
If he personally made the side dishes to go with the drinks, the conversation would inevitably steer toward food.
That was not the direction he wanted.
“I’ll leave it to Alex.”
“Very well. Understood.”
Elvia dipped her head lightly, then melted away.
And around the same time—
Petrick, who could finally return to the home that held his two grandsons so precious he could look at them forever without ever getting his fill, was…
“…”
…wearing an expression more ferocious than ever.
His mana, too, lay thick and heavy inside the carriage, cold as ice.
It was a mercy he was alone in the carriage; had anyone else been present, the sheer force of his presence would have overwhelmed them into unconsciousness.
Petrick’s fingers drummed against the armrest in displeasure.
“What a nuisance.”
Petrick murmured in a very low voice.
The Emperor had already been given a thorough fright over the First Prince’s incident.
Petrick had naturally assumed the man would spend a long while treading carefully around him—
if the wretched Emperor had any sense left at all.
Today, however, the Emperor had deviated from Petrick’s expectations.
“Come to think of it, I was told that the firstborn young lord of House Asteri personally directed his own coming-of-age ceremony.”
“…That is so.”
“Truly remarkable. One would think he has far too much to worry about already. Our imperial princes, on the other hand…”
Up to this point, it was tolerable.
Petrick had simply thought the Emperor was spouting whatever came to mind to disguise his own unease.
But what came next was quite a spectacle.
“Which is why I propose this. I would like for Young Lord Lion Asteri to come and perform the final inspection before my birthday.”
“…”
Even though he must have seen Petrick’s expression turn ice-cold, the Emperor continued as if reciting a script.
“Once will be enough, at any time. Having the reputation of having directed the Emperor’s own birthday celebration would greatly benefit his future activities, would it not.”
Something must have happened within the imperial family lately, because the Emperor’s attitude had completely changed.
For one thing, the way he referred to ‘our princes’ said it all.
To the Emperor, only the First Prince had ever been a true prince.
The Second Prince had been nothing more than an appendage he had been forced to accept.
Because of that, he had habitually erased the Second Prince’s very existence.
But that was no longer the case.
The Emperor had said his piece and then fled the scene as though making an escape,
even before Petrick could refuse.
‘This is clearly the Second Prince’s doing.’
He was undoubtedly applying pressure on the Emperor, using some pretext as leverage.
Had the First Prince or the Emperor simply been running wild, Petrick could have dismissed it, but…
this concerned him in a different sense.
‘What in the world happened at that hotel.’
For the Second Prince to pay this much attention to Lion, of all people, rather than Rickshel.
Though the Second Prince was superior to the First Prince in competence, by Petrick’s standards the Second Prince also fell short.
It was because of the petty thief lurking behind him: Jack’s descendant.
And then…
‘He dares summon my own grandchild to come and go at his whim.’
Yes. That, in truth, was what irked him the most.
Even he himself had hesitated to call upon his grandchildren, worried he might steal away their time!
“…Huu.”
Petrick let out a deep sigh.
If it were up to him, he would sooner pretend the whole thing never happened, but if this was indeed the Second Prince’s doing, Lion had better hear it himself and decide.
‘I am against him befriending a scoundrel, but…’
Didn’t Lion, of all people, need a friend his own age?
Lion himself seemed to think that only Rickshel needed a friend, but Petrick’s view was a little different.
Of course, it wouldn’t be bad for Rickshel to make friends his age either.
But given that child’s personality…
‘Not a chance.’
Though Rickshel was his precious youngest grandson, Petrick’s assessment was cool-headed.
After all, the boy was the spitting image of his own character.
Friends… wouldn’t really be necessary for him.
Besides, wasn’t Rickshel’s very best friend his older brother Lion?
Lion, on the other hand, was different.
Lion took after his mother, Lala, in personality.
He enjoyed meeting people, delighted in exploring this and that.
Now and then he preferred being alone, but on the whole he was a child who drew energy and insight from being with others.
‘…Huu. Very well. A bad friend is something you only recognize after you make one.’
If they ever became a nuisance to Lion, he could step in and cut them off then.
Yet, as his grandfather, Petrick could not deny that he found the whole idea profoundly disagreeable.
‘Huuu. To think I’d ever find myself fretting over something like this.’
As he continued with those troubled thoughts, the carriage came to a halt, and soon the door swung open.
He had expected to arrive by evening, but it had grown a little later than that.
‘I shall have to forgo dinner.’
He was just thinking that and about to pass by the dining hall when—
“Grandfather!”
Lion, the very source of his worries, greeted Petrick brightly.