Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 230
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 230
The dense floral scent made her head throb.
It was the torment that every lady-in-waiting serving the Empress in the Empress’s Palace endured every morning.
‘Does Her Majesty not find this fragrance dizzying?’
The attendant gently tended to the Empress’s hair while absently gazing out the window at the blossoms, which were riotously in full bloom.
Flowers that could never bloom together in a single season stood arranged in neat rows throughout the garden, each flaunting its own color and scent.
An artificial garden.
It was something of a symbol of the Empress’s Palace.
When the attendant had first laid eyes on that garden, she had genuinely thought it looked like another world, but…
‘That only lasts a day or two.’
Even good things grow tiresome when seen over and over, and their flaws inevitably catch the eye.
Brilliant flowers were no exception.
‘Well, at least all I have to do is hate the flowers…’
The fellow attendants who had finished their probationary period and been assigned to each of the different princes were said to be spending their days truly trembling for their lives.
One wrong step could jeopardize not only their life at the imperial palace but their very existence—so they had every reason to feel that way.
‘As for me, well…’
Swish, swish.
Even while her thoughts wandered elsewhere, the attendant’s hands moved deftly and softly.
She combed that silken hair with great care and adorned it beautifully but not excessively.
There were no mistakes. The people of the imperial palace never kept anyone who made frequent errors close to them in the first place.
The Empress’s reflection in the mirror was more dazzling and beautiful than any of the flowers out in that garden.
No one would ever guess she had a child well past the age of adulthood.
Not a single flaw could be seen in the intricately woven shape of her long hair.
The lady-in-waiting felt relieved inside.
The hardest task of the day was finished, so now she could finally breathe a little easier.
But then.
“Hah.”
Uncharacteristically, the Empress let out a deep sigh.
The attendant asked, careful not to offend her mood.
“What is the matter, Your Majesty? Are you not pleased with your hair?”
“No. Emilia, I have never been displeased with the way you adorn my hair.”
Thank goodness.
At least the Empress did not fly into a rage unless something had truly soured her mood.
The attendant Emilia covertly caught her breath, then gave a subtle smile and asked,
“Then what is it that troubles you?”
“It’s because of the prince.”
“…”
At the blunt answer, so unlike the Empress’s usual manner, Emilia fell silent for a moment.
This had never happened before, so she was unsure how to respond.
“Forgive me, but… which prince might Your Majesty be speaking of…?”
And so, Emilia gave the wrong answer.
Instead of exploding in fury, the Empress smiled a flower-bright smile as she gazed into the mirror.
“…”
Beyond that smile stood a rather foolish-looking attendant who had not even realized her own mistake, standing there miserably.
“Heh. I cannot fathom what you mean. Emilia. There is only one prince in the imperial family, is there not?”
It almost seemed as though she were magnanimously letting one slip of the tongue pass, which made it feel surprisingly merciful.
“…! My apologies. I was tired and spoke nonsense. S-so, how did the prince cast a shadow over Your Majesty’s heart?”
“I am worried because lately he hasn’t come to see his mother at all. No matter how much he is confined to his quarters, he could certainly come to pay his respects. What could he possibly be doing…?”
Strangely, the unnatural conversation flowed on naturally.
Emilia listened to the Empress’s words with her utmost deference, and the Empress unburdened her light worries as if nothing had happened.
After that came idle chatter.
Things like, now and then, if you own an item for a long time, you sometimes wish to replace it even though it isn’t broken.
Fortunately, the atmosphere grew amiable again.
“Your hair seems complete; I shall prepare the rest myself.”
“Y-yes. Your Majesty. I shall see you at the dinner hour, then.”
“Hm? No. That won’t be necessary.”
The Empress rested her slender white hands—without a single callus—lightly on Emilia’s shoulders.
“Have I not failed to give you time to rest, having kept you too dear all this while? So you need not come in this evening.”
“Your Majesty…!”
Emilia’s voice grew a little louder, moved that the Empress looked after her even despite the mistake she had just made.
Then she immediately bowed again and again, as if deeply grateful.
“I-I shall take my leave, then.”
“Yes. You have worked hard all this time.”
After Emilia exited the Empress’s chamber.
The Empress walked with elegant steps back to the mirror.
Then, as she loosened the hair her dear Emilia had so carefully attended to, she smiled.
“Yes. Now and then, one does wish to replace an item that has been used too long.”
Given the choice, I would have liked to replace His Majesty the same way.
But that is… truly difficult.
“Isn’t that so?”
When she asked, staring into the mirror, a man clad in a black mask dropped out from behind the Empress and knelt on one knee.
Neither his sound nor where he had emerged from could be identified.
“Shall I deal with her?”
“I do feel rather sorry toward Emilia’s family, but that would be for the best.”
The Empress swept aside her disheveled hair with one hand, rearranging it elegantly, and added,
“Finish it discreetly, as usual.”
The masked man who had received the order disappeared once more without a sound or trace, and soon a new attendant entered and wordlessly adorned the Empress’s hair.
Once her hair was dressed in the usual shape but with entirely different ornaments, the Empress finally left the chamber.
She really must go see her sorely lacking but ever so adorable son.
The Asteri and Bydantis youngsters who are soon to stand at that half-breed’s side were unnervingly absent of any sign.
Had they given up?
Or perhaps…
“This mother must learn just what is going through that head of his.”
And that day.
As so often happened in the Empire, one person went missing.
The missing person’s family, having ties to the central nobility, fell silent just as other noble houses had done before.
* * *
Fortunately, Lion’s confinement ended in just two days.
The reason was none other than.
—Hoo… Are you really going to be like this?
That their grandfather had found out about the whole incident.
Lion and Rickshel found themselves standing before the crystal ball in their nightclothes, forced to spend time in reflection.
Of course, Lion had to bear the brunt of the scolding alone.
—Every single time I leave the house, you cause trouble!
“Ahaha…”
—You laugh?
“…”
—And Rickshel. I clearly told you to contact me if anything happened, no matter what.
“My apologies, Family Head.”
Petrick, who had been about to chide Rickshel as well out of collective responsibility, closed his mouth.
Because no matter how he thought about it, his opponent was not someone Rickshel could do anything about.
At this level of incident, Rickshel had actually handled things rather well by his standards.
So instead of his usual curt words…
—Yes. You have toiled hard.
Petrick resolved to praise him.
And because Rickshel too sympathized with that sentiment—more precisely, the hardship of raising—no, looking after his older brother—he simply spoke one brief reply.
“Thank you.”
—You may leave now.
“Yes.”
Rickshel answered the crystal ball and then stole a glance at his brother.
The fact that the Family Head had learned of this affair was surely through Elvia.
He himself had at least tried to keep faith with his brother.
But now that it had come to light, the Family Head—no, Grandfather—giving his brother a proper drubbing seemed like a good method as well.
And just a very little…
Perhaps it was a discourteous thought that should not be felt toward his brother, but.
‘Please scold him more. Grandfather.’
Unknowingly, such a thought crossed his mind.
Rickshel cleanly ignored his pleading brother’s gaze and left the room.
Click.
The door closed, and the one backed into a corner was Lion.
—Lion, you wretch!
He wanted to make excuses, but judging by the mood, that would obviously only add fuel to the fire.
“Yes. Grandfather.”
Lion calmly decided to simply accept the endless nagging that was about to pour down.
Much like being chewed out by a boss at a company.
But there was something Lion overlooked.
His grandfather, Petrick, was a stricter person than he had expected.
And he knew exactly what Lion valued most.
Therefore—
after considering his grandson’s health and every other relevant factor, Petrick chose the most fitting punishment.
—I shall have to take you along on my next business trip.
Taking him along on the trip!
Seeing how he ran wild like that, it was clear his condition had recovered considerably.
In that case, he could only avoid reckless trouble if he, an Archmage, kept an eye on him.
Even if an emergency occurred, he certainly possessed the ability to protect his grandson.
And…
‘That went too far.’
Petrick erased his very first thought and brought up the second reason.
Which was that he had never taken a cozy trip alone with his grandson.
Even if it bore the name of a business trip, would it not be nice to be together?
“Whaaat?”
Naturally, to Lion, this sounded like a bolt from the blue.
His grandfather’s business trips were usually near the Northern Great Barrier.
Needless to say, the journey there was harsh, and the area around the Great Barrier was famous for being inhospitable to ordinary living things.
There would be nothing around for Lion to amuse himself with.
‘D-don’t tell me he did it on purpose…’
Yes. The thing Lion valued most.
That was none other than his hobbies and rest.
—This is punishment. After I return from the imperial court, I will inform you of the schedule through Elvia.
“Aah! Just a moment, Grandfather…”
Cut.
The crystal ball disconnected with utter indifference.
With such a firm response, he would certainly put the plan into action.
Lion’s heart sank into despair—
‘The Great Barrier, huh.’
—no, not really.
Lion covered the corners of his mouth, which were about to curl upward, with one hand.
As described earlier, ordinary living things did not grow near the Great Barrier.
No, it was safe to say almost nothing grew there.
But, occasionally, mutants did grow there.
For example, creatures like mushrooms larger than a person.
‘Most of them are poisonous herbs, anyway.’
But Lion could gather even poisonous herbs.
Was that all?
He could make potions, or even other things, from poisonous herbs!
In other words, it was a field of experience points.
‘This is pretty nice, isn’t it?’
Lion barely swallowed his grin and lowered his hand.
If he got caught, he’d definitely face real confinement.
He didn’t want that!
“Besides, there was something I needed to wrap up first.”
Now he truly had to prepare for going to the imperial court.
Lion smiled as he looked at the notification window floating in midair.
“Looks like I made the deadline after all.”
The accessories made from the Cosmic Crystal seemed to have been finished quite nicely after passing through the dwarves’ hands.
Lion scanned the notification, popped open a Recovery Potion, drank it down refreshingly, and unwound the bandages wrapped around his body.
Once he confirmed his body was perfectly healed without a single scar, Lion energetically—!
‘Whoopsie.’
No, as if sapped of all energy by his punishment, he sluggishly changed his clothes, left the room, and headed straight for the smithy.
And Rickshel, who had been watching Lion from outside the room…
“Hmm…”
Looking at his brother who seemed so listless.
‘The Family Head must be going through a great deal too.’
He was not fooled.
It was the sharp intuition of someone who had been subjected to it all before.
If anyone was slightly fooled by Lion’s act,
it was the one who had reported this whole affair—Elvia.