Chapter 161

Chapter 161
Chapter 161: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Lion maintained an even more relaxed expression as he gazed at the Second Prince.

Trying to smooth things over with a casual, ‘Oh dear, I’m so sorry!’ is something only amateurs do.

“There’s a misunderstanding, but I haven’t lied.”

“……”

He pushed ahead with quite a bold attitude.

After all, the Second Prince would have already figured out that their recent exchange contained no falsehoods.

In reality, Lion hadn’t uttered a single untruth.

He had merely set up a scenario designed to create brief confusion.

And perhaps…

‘That guy already grasped the situation when he walked out of that room.’

Didn’t he mention he would be back?

‘Even if I felt cheated or annoyed, I could have simply chosen not to return.’

Yet, for him to come back here and apply pressure, insisting that I ‘lied,’ clearly shows he harbors a strong curiosity about me.

He likely views me with suspicion as a potential ‘Lion Asteri’ figure.

…The catch is that this sort of attention is far from what an ordinary individual would display.

Lion met the Second Prince’s gaze with steady composure.

An intense wave of pressure radiated from the man.

It felt distinct from his grandfather’s formidable energy.

If he had to compare it…

‘Does he lean closer to a beast than a human?’

Wild creatures often grow even more ferocious when they are wounded, puffing out their frames and snapping or lunging more aggressively to guard against any perceived threat.

That man’s overwhelming aura felt precisely like that.

It carried a dangerous edge, as though he might lunge for the throat at any second.

That reaction made sense, given the harsh, rugged life he had endured.

Even so, he could not suppress his own curiosity and returned here on his own accord.

In that case…

‘I need to make him even more intrigued.’

Instead of earning favorable treatment, I should position myself as a complete mystery.

“Well, I have no intention of prying into your affairs either, so why don’t we share a drink today? Easter’s liquor is renowned for a reason, after all.”

“How can I trust you?”

“Haha. What is there to distrust?”

Besides, wasn’t Easter considered secure even during the demon race assault?

At those words, the Second Prince appeared somewhat appeased, and his fierce intensity dialed back a notch.

“Very well. However, for every drink consumed, I get to ask one question.”

…A drinking game right from the start?

He is certainly not an easy adversary.

A chuckle slipped past his lips naturally.

“That sounds fine! Three drinks are nothing.”

Three cocktails should be manageable if I take a Hangover Relief Potion afterward.

—

Lion had briefly overlooked the fact that things in life do not always unfold according to plan.

Reaching the bar area had gone smoothly enough.

The complication arose when the bartender, seemingly well-versed in handling such patrons, ushered Lion and the Second Prince into a more private chamber.

Even that, admittedly, was acceptable.

It was a cozy space meant for just the two of them, furnished with an assortment of liquors, a chessboard, and a billiard table.

The real trouble began right there.

Instead of cocktails, the bartender presented a bottle of high-end, premium liquor.

The deep, caramel-tinted liquid was undeniably a potent spirit.

‘I am expected to drink three glasses of this?’

Oh dear, I will need to keep my wits about me.

“Conversations held in this room will remain entirely private, so please enjoy yourselves.”

“……Thank you.”

“I hope you have a wonderful time.”

The bartender offered a warm, polite bow before quietly pulling the door shut.

The room immediately grew deeply tranquil as a result.

Faint, muffled sounds from the outer hall drifted in occasionally, but they remained entirely indistinguishable.

“……Well, that is how it turned out. Still, this setup offers better security.”

The Second Prince appeared to share that sentiment.

Lion dropped thick, clear ice into a glass, poured a modest measure of the liquor, and pushed it across the table.

“This looks like quite a strong spirit, so please drink slowly… Oh dear.”

The Second Prince swallowed the potent alcohol before the ice had even begun to melt and immediately prepared to pose a question.

Lion quickly raised three fingers in warning.

“Let’s stick to our limit of three questions.”

“……I will take the first turn.”

My, he wastes no time.

Naturally, the Second Prince would want to leverage all three queries to squeeze out vital intelligence.

Lion, however, had no such intention.

“Do you possess divine power?”

…Divine power?

Lion was taken aback by the unexpected query.

Although he had diagnosed the curse, there was no logical reason for any alteration in the Second Prince’s physical condition.

I am not a priest.

‘Hold on.’

One particular detail nagged at the back of his mind.

『If you so choose, you may walk the path of a priest at any moment.』

It stemmed from the fact that he had caught the attention of the divine.

‘…Nah. It is probably just reacting to the holy water I am carrying.’

Lion muttered an internal dismissal and answered.

“No. I do not possess divine power.”

Hearing that, the Second Prince let out a dry, skeptical laugh.

‘How can someone remain so indifferent to such a question?’

Normally, a person would not field an inquiry regarding divine power with such nonchalance.

They might look bewildered or perhaps offer a mocking retort asking if he was drunk.

To an ordinary person, it would feel entirely disconnected from the preceding conversation.

Yet to reply without the slightest hint of agitation…

‘It implies that even without direct divine power, he maintains some form of connection.’

Perhaps he comes from a deeply devout household, or perhaps he has ties to high-ranking clergy.

Kyle quietly began running through the possibilities in his mind.

None of them seemed to fit.

However…

‘There was that recent rumor.’

A messenger of the divine who made substantial contributions to an unfinished sanctuary.

According to confidential intelligence sources, that same divine messenger had vanished without a trace due to his family’s concerns.

Yet, isn’t that peculiar?

If he truly were a divine messenger wielding miraculous abilities, the temple would hardly have let him slip away so easily.

That suggests his family must wield considerable influence…

‘Individuals possessing that level of clout are typically quite wealthy.’

Wealthy enough to frequent Hotel Easter.

‘At present, this remains the most plausible scenario.’

No, it felt nearly certain.

Nothing else made sense. Why else would he seek me out, muttering warnings about wary gamblers and drawing undue attention?

‘Not to mention the fact that my vitality recovered during that exact timeframe.’

As the Second Prince paused momentarily to process his thoughts, Lion topped off his own empty glass and tossed out a question.

“Living on alcohol alone must be hard on your stomach; do you have any preferred snacks or dishes?”

Was that seriously considered a question?

As the Second Prince lifted his gaze, Lion gave a firm nod.

“That counts as a question.”

In truth, Lion lacked any pressing inquiries of his own at this juncture.

Catching up to the Second Prince’s train of thought would clearly require a significant amount of time.

At least, it wouldn’t happen today.

Under those circumstances, inquiring about his culinary preferences felt like the safer route.

“……Not particularly. I take little interest in food.”

“Oh, goodness no!”

With so many incredible flavors existing in this world, to go through life entirely ignorant of them.

Lion felt a genuine sense of pity and tossed back another swallow of the harsh liquor.

‘Ugh.’

The potent spirit burned hot all the way down his throat.

He could track its exact path downward.

The sheer strength of it made his head spin.

‘Thank goodness we capped it at three drinks.’

Otherwise, I might have passed out right here…

And then I would never hear the end of Rikschel’s endless nagging.

As Lion shuddered, the Second Prince emptied his glass once more.

My word, is he drinking this like water?

Given his deep involvement with the underworld, he probably built up an immunity to toxins long ago.

“Do you harbor any ambitions for power?”

“Oh, absolutely not.”

Lion answered instantly, without a second of hesitation.

As he had maintained all along, Lion truly held zero interest in political power.

If anything, he preferred to distance himself from it as completely as possible.

Realistically speaking, the Second Prince would never have granted him a ‘private’ audience like this without a flicker of pity and the complication of the curse.

‘He would have simply handled the matter by having a single word with Rikschel.’

To keep him from exploiting my younger brother.

To make sure he stays in line.

‘……I intended to say that, but now the situation is far too ambiguous.’

Knowing what he knew, tossing out harsh demands was no longer an option.

Lion reached out, picked up a cube of cheese, and popped it into his mouth to counteract the lingering bitterness.

As the rich cheese softened and melted on his tongue, his esophagus, smarting from the strong alcohol, found a degree of relief.

And undeniably…

‘The flavor is quite exceptional.’

The distinctive nutty, creamy notes mingled with the remnants of the liquor, producing a luxurious depth.

This precisely explains why alcohol frequently finds its way into fine cuisine and desserts.

‘Still, I am truly terrible with liquor.’

Meanwhile, the Prince poured himself another serving, drank it straight down, and fired off his next question.

Anyone watching would assume he was simply hydrating. The moment that thought registered…

“Then, how do you suggest I go about winning you over?”

“Pardon?”

Lion stared blankly at the Second Prince.

Am I already intoxicated?

Or is that Prince the one who is drunk?

‘Winning me over?’

Lion belongs to the Asteri Family, after all.

And isn’t Rikschel, the designated successor, already aligned with the Second Prince?

Wait a minute.

‘……Could it be that he has no idea I am Lion Asteri?’

He doesn’t even know that?

That introduces a completely different kind of problem.

Lion had simply taken it for granted that the Second Prince had deduced his identity.

It feels rather awkward to admit, but honestly, is there anyone else quite as eccentric and peculiar wandering around this place?

‘Who on earth does he think I am?’

Judging by the way he casually talks about recruiting or winning me over, he clearly doesn’t view me as an operative of the First Prince’s faction or some pampered noble scion…

“I apologize, but I have zero intention of entangling myself in any power struggles.”

“Then why are you sitting here drinking with me like this?”

“You have exhausted your three questions, which means it is your turn to answer.”

“Hmm.”

The Second Prince’s demeanor had undoubtedly mellowed since their initial exchange.

I anticipated a prolonged struggle to establish any rapport, but I suppose I needn’t worry about that.

However…

‘I have drawn far too much of his attention.’

Lion’s original strategy had gone somewhat astray.

He had initially planned to stir a mild sense of curiosity, and then a few days later, when Rikschel crossed paths with the Second Prince, he would casually drop, ‘We ran into each other recently, didn’t we?’ to bridge the gap and gently steer the conversation toward the curse…

‘*Inhale*’

Under the current circumstances, wouldn’t it be far wiser to remain an anonymous figure?

…Let’s just wrap this conversation up quickly.

Lion poured two generous measures of liquor into his glass, downed them in a single motion, and fired off two questions back-to-back.

“What if I turned out to be your enemy? Why would you bother asking such things?”

“A foolish question. If you were truly my enemy, I would never have bothered asking at all.”

He had already convinced himself that I was an ally.

“I will ask my final question now. Why are you attempting to win me over when you have no intention of lifting the curse?”

“A fascinating deduction.”

At those words, Kyle emitted a low chuckle and brought a hand up to his face.

Then, with a fluid motion,

He slipped off his mask and rolled back his sleeves.

“Half of that is correct, and half is wrong. I have no intention of lifting my brother’s minor ‘prank’… however…”

The Second Prince left the sentence hanging, but Lion understood the implication immediately.

『The Curse’s Mark』

-From the moment of birth, I inherited someone’s curse.

And that individual—

It was not merely a single curse.