Chapter 167

Chapter 167
Chapter 167: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Luckily, all the packing equipment was already set up.

『 Easter Packing Set 』

* Perfectly maintains food warmth and preservation for one day!
* Consists of bowls, trays, and resting covers.
* However, food spoils faster after a day, so please be sure to discard it.

Thanks to this bowl, Lion had just enjoyed a warm bowl of piping hot chowder.

Lion packed away the soup and side dishes, carefully scooping out generous portions of fluffy, gleaming rice into individual containers.

“Whew, this is quite heavy.”

Packing everything so generously made it much heavier than anticipated.

It genuinely felt like making a formal food delivery.

Lifting the tray, Lion stepped out of the kitchen.

The tightly closed door swung open with surprising ease.

“Ah! Guest. You’re finally out.”

“Weren’t you planning to take a rest?”

“Thanks to you, I got plenty of downtime!”

“Yes! Absolutely!”

Even as they spoke, the staff kept stealing nervous glances at Lion, their expressions a mix of confusion.

‘Is he injured anywhere?’

‘He looks completely fine, though…’

‘Then what is all that?’

‘It really looks like he cooked something!’

Their thoughts were written all over their faces.

Pretending not to notice the employees’ inner monologues, Lion spoke up.

“I made good use of the kitchen. I mentioned I would clean up afterwards—”

“Oh goodness, we could have taken care of the cleanup ourselves!”

The employee protested, glancing past Lion into the gap of the doorway he had just exited.

However…

Sparkle sparkle.

…Everything looked pristine, exactly as it had before.

In fact, it seemed even cleaner than when he arrived.

How should he put it? It had the polished touch of someone who had done this chore more than once or twice.

‘H-how could the Young Master…’

The staff members could hardly contain their astonishment.

Weren’t they bracing themselves for a massive mess?

It was already shocking enough that the eldest son of the Asteri Family chose to cook, but to leave the kitchen spotless afterward was another level entirely.

“Anyway, it was a really fun experience. Oh, and—”

“Yes!”

“Please let us know if you need anything else!”

“……”

Goodness, why are you staring at me like that and making me nervous?

Lion offered an awkward smile and handed over the tray.

“This is pretty heavy. Could you have someone take this up to my room?”

“Of course, right away.”

The employee promptly took hold of the tray.

Given its noticeable weight, it was clear he had prepared a substantial meal.

‘I’m so curious…’

Even so, the staff member did not neglect professional duty.

A guest’s personal privacy had to be safeguarded above all else.

This meal was no exception to that rule.

“I will have this dish delivered to your quarters immediately.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Not at all. I hope you continue to have a wonderful stay at Easter.”

Lion departed shortly after, and the employees utilized Easter’s specialized transit system to whisk the guest’s homemade meal up to his room faster than any ordinary service item.

Because of this swift handling, the secret that Lion had cooked in the kitchen remained entirely secure.

—

I walked back toward the lobby with a sense of relief.

A front desk attendant called out as Lion approached.

“Guest.”

“Hmm?”

“Another guest staying here asked me to pass along a message to you—”

Noticing the employee trail off, it was likely due to the curious eyes of the surrounding onlookers.

“Ah, it’s fine, you can just tell me here.”

Since Rikschel was the one who had asked the employee to relay the message, it surely wasn’t classified state secrets.

Lowering their voice, the employee glanced around before delivering the words.

Just as expected, it wasn’t a matter of extreme importance.

“They mentioned that you’ll be returning quite late tonight, so make sure to get a sound night’s sleep.”

Even so, it wasn’t necessarily great news.

Coming back late, though?

‘It couldn’t be the second prince, could it?’

Didn’t he have a prior appointment set with that exact person?

“Did they ask you to pass on anything else?”

“They also mentioned that the meeting with the Manager might run rather late.”

“Ah.”

Naturally, business conferences tended to drag on.

Especially when dealing with large-scale ventures, discussions always seemed endless.

Ordinarily, I would have told him to wrap it up early, but having worked corporate jobs myself, I couldn’t bring myself to voice such a demand.

Besides… I had my own schedule to manage.

“Got it.”

With a polite bow, the employee returned to their station, and Lion headed straight back to his room as planned.

Unlocking the door, I found that the room had indeed been tidied up thoroughly while I was out.

And the meal I had entrusted to the staff just a moment ago…

“It’s already here?”

Resting right on the table, it had beaten Lion back to the room.

I lifted the lid cautiously, half-expecting some spillage from the quick delivery transport!

Not a single drop of soup was out of place.

“Wow.”

A strange sense of satisfaction washed over Lion. He separated Rikschel’s portion, transferred it neatly onto an extra tray, and covered it securely with a lid.

Just in case the other man arrived before him, he quickly scribbled a brief note.

It wasn’t elaborate—just a reminder that he would probably be hungry, so he should eat and rest when he got in.

‘Hmm…’

Lion paused for a moment in thought, then added one final line.

* You worked hard today as well.

Setting the note down beside the bowl, Lion turned to check the time.

“Let’s see…”

It was already prime dinnertime.

The hours had flown by after the warehouse tour.

Or perhaps, because the day started later, the sun simply seemed to set much faster.

In the past, I might have felt guilty about wasting daylight, but…

‘This isn’t half bad either.’

Waking up late, soaking in the sunlight, watching the shapes and drifting speed of the clouds while having a bite to eat,

and enjoying leisurely sightseeing mixed with a bit of casual cooking.

It genuinely felt like experiencing a proper holiday.

“Peep.”

Nature also seemed to agree that today was purely for relaxation, perched on the terrace railing and basking in the warm golden sunset.

“Hmm?”

It looked like the little creature had even taken good care of the egg; the Evil Beast’s Egg was nestled safely on the terrace chair, wrapped cozily in a soft cushion and blanket.

Nature must have carried it over using the wind.

‘You little rascal…’

I had felt a bit guilty leaving him behind, but he was acting like a responsible older brother!

“Good job, buddy.”

Lion gently ruffled Nature’s round, fluffy head with his fingertips.

Nature’s eyes drifted slowly shut, rocking his head back and forth to lean into the pleasant scratching.

It brought a warm chuckle to Lion, reminding him of a proud child showing off how well-behaved they could be.

“Haha. Yes, yes.”

“……Peep!”

Startled by the laughter, Nature instantly jerked his head back.

Seeming a bit embarrassed, he chirped softly as if trying to claim, ‘I was only doing what comes naturally.’

“Thanks for looking after it. Mind if I leave it with you a little longer?”

“Peep.”

“Nah, I’m not drinking tonight. Just trying to clear my head.”

Strictly speaking, I hadn’t planned on drinking much yesterday of my own accord either… I wanted to make that excuse, but bit my tongue.

Voicing that thought aloud would only make it sound like I was heading out for another drinking session.

“Anyway, I’m heading out.”

“Ppippi.”

Come back soon! Hearing the farewell chirp, Lion donned his mask and stepped out of the room carrying the remaining deliveries.

—

Meanwhile.

During an ongoing strategy and information-sharing session concerning business matters, Kyle checked the clock and finally spoke up.

“I should take my leave and rest now.”

Hearing those words, Rikschel looked up from his paperwork and fixed a steady gaze on the Second Prince.

Kyle Sol Aionys.

An illegitimate child born from a casual encounter by the Emperor, treated as an unwanted burden by the imperial household.

Nobles who obsessed over strict bloodlines found the mere existence of the Second Prince deeply uncomfortable.

‘Of course, even the snobs who preach about “legitimacy” only feel that way because they fell for a similar royal blunder once upon a time.’

Regardless, it was an undeniable fact that he held a weak hand in the race for the Crown Prince position.

Kyle was well aware of this reality, earning a reputation for driving himself relentlessly to complete every assigned task to absolute perfection before allowing himself even a sip of tea, let alone a meal.

For a man like that to suddenly announce he needed rest…

“Are you feeling unwell?”

He was well aware that the First Prince had resorted to using a malicious curse out of petty jealousy.

Even if it originated from the pathetic First Prince, deploying a curse remained a grave felony.

After all, casting such dark magic always demanded numerous sacrifices.

There had been a point when Rikschel considered reporting the matter directly to the Family Head, but…

Ultimately, he chose not to.

The sole reason was that the Second Prince had explicitly begged him to keep silent.

He insisted he could still endure it.

When he looked right at me and declared his intent to seize a definitive opening to shatter the First Prince’s legitimacy once and for all.

Honestly, even Rikschel had been momentarily stunned.

It took a level of mental fortitude that ordinary people simply did not possess.

However…

‘He is reaching his breaking point.’

The original agreement was to hold out until the Emperor’s birthday.

If his physical condition failed to last until then, he had instructed that the Asteri Family be notified to take direct intervention.

The priority was lifting the curse, even if they couldn’t immediately track down the caster.

“That isn’t it. However, I seem to have accumulated a bit of travel fatigue.”

“……”

“Don’t fret too much over it. I’m still holding up.”

“……Understood. In that case, the Manager and I will handle the remainder of the agenda.”

“Yes, absolutely, that sounds wise, Your Highness.”

Manager Willy, entirely unaware of the Second Prince’s true medical state, nodded along as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about a thing and get some proper rest.”

Kyle stood up abruptly and briskly exited the conference room.

Under normal circumstances, one might suspect he was rushing away due to a sudden coughing fit induced by the curse’s backlash.

Ordinarily, that deduction would have been spot on, but…

‘He won’t be late this time.’

Unfortunately for once, Rikschel’s read on the situation was entirely off.

A faint smile touched Kyle’s lips as he hurried down the corridor toward his quarters.

After all, the guest he had promised to see was waiting for him.

—

Knowing the room number in advance meant I could bypass the lobby entirely and head straight there.

Looking around the hallway, it was impossible to tell where this specific wing was situated within the complex.

‘I heard even the Manager doesn’t know the layout of these private suites.’

While Willy received general status reports regarding activities like Egg Coin usage or special experiences, he remained completely in the dark about what transpired inside the individual rooms or when someone moved through the halls wearing a ‘Mask’.

Naturally, that level of privacy was precisely why high-ranking nobles frequented the place to unwind in total peace.

Lost in these thoughts, I raised my hand to knock on the designated door.

*Bang!*

The heavy wooden door swung inward on its own.

‘Whoa.’

Lion, who had nearly collided face-first with the moving wood, quickly hopped backward.

“You actually showed up.”

“……How did you even know I was here?”

“Because there’s an unmistakable presence standing where it ought to be quiet. Step inside first.”

The Second Prince was still fully dressed.

It didn’t look like he had dressed up specifically for a visitor—he had likely just returned from working hard until this very moment.

‘Wait, if that’s true, then why couldn’t Rikschel come over because…

Was his younger brother handling all his workload for him?

No, if the guy claimed he was resting, shouldn’t he let everyone else rest too?

Granted, it might have been a bit tricky to slip away earlier, but surely he could have managed an excuse!

“Are you planning to come in or just stand there?”

“I’m coming.”

Lion replied curtly, stepping across the threshold into the hotel suite.

The interior layout closely mirrored the room Lion was currently occupying.

There was a connected bedroom and a spacious sitting area.

The main difference being that this was booked as a single suite, leaving only one private sleeping chamber visible…

‘Wait, are those weapons?’

Various kinds of lethal arms were scattered across the surfaces here and there.

“……”

Surely he wouldn’t actually try to stab me if negotiations went sideways, right?