Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 146

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Don’t Care About Being the Heir—I Just Want to Heal | Episode 146

The first to catch the scent was Barg, who stood guard at Ricshel’s side.

Sniff-sniff.

Barg’s nose twitched as the sweet, aromatic smell tickled his senses, and he lifted his head, sniffing earnestly in the direction of the fragrance.
It was surely drifting from the Kitchen.

‘Is the Young Master making something again?’

First came the scent of round, colorful fruit, and now woven through it was something deeper, something achingly familiar.
That was…….

‘That Potion smell?’

The fragrant Potion that had saved him when the Eclipse Symptom drove him into a Rampage.
Truth be told, his memories after instinct had consumed his body completely were not whole.
Had Rickson and Jake not explained the situation, he might never have recalled it at all.
Yet the one thing he uniquely remembered was this honeyed scent.
So much so that merely catching a whiff of it made the tension in his body dissolve entirely, leaving him strangely reassured.
Perhaps it was stronger still for a wolf-human with a keen nose.

Glance.

“…….”

Barg’s eyes rolled sideways to study the Young Master, who had not set down his pen and remained intently focused on his work.
His brow was furrowed slightly, as if something displeased him.

‘……That was definitely the expression he makes when the reports are a mess.’

It hadn’t been long since Barg became Ricshel’s guard, but fortunately he had learned to read the Young Master’s expressions in mere days.
In truth, it wasn’t difficult—Ricshel’s expressions were remarkably limited.
When he was displeased or irritated, his brow creased; when he was frustrated, he would hold his breath briefly, then lower his eyes and exhale deeply.
And when he grew angry…….
Every muscle in his face would stiffen as though drained of all softness.
His Mana boiling over was just the bonus.

‘S-so frightening…….’

In that respect, he was no exaggeration a mirror of Patrick.
In any case, with merely these few expressions at play, even someone as dull as Barg could read them with a little attention.
And fortunately, he also knew well enough what was needed.
What the Young Master required right now was none other than…….

‘Lion.’

Truly, he was a panacea for the Young Master.
Especially when the reports were in such disarray!
So Barg, gauging Ricshel’s mood, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Um, s-so……”
“…….”

Naturally, no answer came back.
The Young Master had a habit of not bothering to respond unless it was something he needed to hear.
Another person might have been hurt, but Barg, having experienced the great ordeal of a Rampage, was not wounded by so small a thing.
He was indifferent to such matters, yes—but it was also because he knew it wasn’t hatred that made the Young Master ignore him.

‘Perhaps… he actually approves?’

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered bringing me to the Temple in the first place.
Maybe the Young Master simply isn’t good at expressing himself compared to Lion.
So Barg pressed on, timid but resolute.

“It appears the Young Master is crafting something.”

At that, Ricshel—who had shown no reaction until now—went utterly still.

“My brother is?”

Ricshel set down his fountain pen entirely and turned around.

“Yes, that’s right…”
“How could you tell?”
“There’s a sweet scent drifting from the Kitchen… a honey fragrance, specifically.”
“Honey fragrance?”
“Yes. It’s the same smell that was there when he saved me.”
“……”

Ricshel gazed out the window.
He couldn’t see the Kitchen where his brother was, but hearing Barg’s words, he found himself catching traces of that scent on the air.

‘But at this hour….’

Night had already bled into the hours before dawn.
It was wonderful that he pursued what he wished—but something about seeing him move about at such an ungodly hour unsettled him.
And of all things, Evening Primrose.
Ricshel had come to dislike the scent of Evening Primrose honey.
The reason was obvious: he knew all too well how many days his brother had suffered cultivating that flower and brewing the Potion.
And that was far from the worst of it.

‘And then he nearly fell from that height….’

Even the thought of it made him dizzy.
He wanted to complain all over again—wasn’t there a gentler way?
Of course, the outcome had been good.
His brother had sworn he wouldn’t resort to such recklessness again, and now they had gained a dependable ally in a wolf-man besides.
Ricshel recalled the day Barg had come to seek him out personally.

“……”

That had been before Barg’s body had even fully healed.

“Why did you come looking for me?”

At Ricshel’s question, Barg had simply dropped to one knee.
Even for Ricshel, having a wolf-man suddenly kneel before him was disarming enough.
It was doubly so when the figure was injured.
But what proved far more bewildering than that gesture was……

“Please, allow me to serve as your personal guard!”

He had suddenly announced he would become his exclusive escort!
Why on earth?
Anyone could see that Barg wished to follow Lion.
If he were to dedicate his life to anyone, it would be Lion—and Ricshel knew his heart truly lay there.

“Why?”
“I want to repay the kindness that Young Master Lion has shown me. So I thought about it—who is the person that Young Master cares for most?”

Barg stumbled over his words, his voice growing quieter, but he pressed forward with all his conviction.
In essence, he wanted to protect the one person his master held most dear.
Of course, among them….

“Since Young Master Ricshel is the weakest among you….”

That was quite the bombshell to drop.
The problem was that Ricshel couldn’t refute it.
In truth, if you excluded his older brother, wasn’t he the weakest in this household?

“…….”

So his pride stung considerably, but without grounds to refuse, he’d consented.
And fortunately, that bond had held strong ever since.
Ever since Barg’s Eclipse Syndrome had eased, his abilities had improved by leaps and bounds.
That he’d grown strong enough to spar with Knight Commander Rickson in such a short span said everything.

‘But of all things, that honey.’

He worried his brother might be getting involved in something dangerous again.
Part of him wanted to slip into the Kitchen right then and watch what he was doing, but….
He had no real excuse.
Showing up unannounced would look too childish.

“Um, Young Master. Aren’t you a bit peckish?”

Just then, Barg broached the subject gently.
…Was he hungry?
Not particularly….

“You haven’t eaten dinner yet, so I thought you might be hungry. If so, perhaps it would be best if we went to the Kitchen and got you something to eat….”
“I suppose I am hungry.”

Understanding Barg’s meaning at once, Ricshel rose to his feet.
Right. If you’re hungry, you go to the Kitchen—it was only natural.

‘And if I happen to run into my brother, that’s just coincidence.’

The important matters had been largely sorted through anyway, so if they met, he could naturally bring up the hotel matter in conversation.
Good.
His furrowed brow smoothed away without a trace, and Ricshel stepped from the room with the faintest of smiles.

‘Hehe. He seems pleased.’

Barg felt quite satisfied—he’d finally figured out how to lift his young master’s mood.
Barg’s tail wagged as he followed Ricshel out.

* * *

Lion, unaware that Ricshel and Barg were already heading this way, drawn by the fragrance of candied fruit in the making, continued his work.
He divided the fruit into portions and simmered each batch several times over in the honey-sweetened syrup, enriching its flavor.
If he simply stored everything in a jar with the syrup, he’d have the same fruit compote he’d tasted earlier—but Lion’s goal was crystal clear!
He removed the heat at just the right moment to keep the shape intact, then arranged the candied fruit on a drying rack, shaping each piece carefully.
The surface already gleamed with a glossy sheen from the sweet syrup.
If they dried properly, they’d turn out quite well, he thought.
Lion picked up the drying rack and positioned it before Nature.
In the modern world, people would use a dehydrator or a low-temperature oven, but Lion had something far better at his disposal.

“Nature, would you dry this candied fruit with a warm breeze?”
“Chirp.”

Nature seemed to find the whole candying process quite pleasant, and promptly beat her small wings to conjure a warm wind.
As the appropriately warm and dry breeze began to blow, Lion deftly employed the Ripening Acceleration technique.
As the moist fruit flesh dried and turned crispy, Lion flipped the candied fruit and rolled it carefully so it would dry evenly and beautifully.
Once it was dry enough that nothing sticky came away in his hands anymore……

“Done.”

[Spirit Mage’s Apple Candied Fruit (★★★)]
-A candied apple created by a spirit mage together with her familiar spirit.
-How remarkable, using a spirit’s power with such skill!
-The chewy texture is exquisite! A taste that both humans and spirits alike will cherish.

With the first apple candied fruit complete, all the other fruits finished in due course.
The sliced apples turned out quite presentable, and the other fruits cut lengthwise were neatly finished in almond shapes.

‘Phew.’

Lion released an inward sigh of relief.
Truth be told, he’d never actually tasted candied fruit before, so he’d been worried whether it would turn out well—but at least it looked decent on the surface.
Without Nature’s help, he doubted he could have made something so beautifully finished.

“There, look.”

Lion grinned and held up the apple candied fruit to show Nature.

“You made this.”

At that, Nature stopped fluttering her wings and settled gently onto Lion’s palm.
Her expression was the same as always, yet today her small eyes gleamed particularly bright.

“Chirp……!”

Normally, the moment something finished cooking she’d pop it straight into her mouth—but now she gazed at the apple candied fruit without eating it, for quite some time!

[Your familiar spirit ‘Nature’ is deeply moved!]

“There. Feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Chirp-chirp!”

Lion chuckled and cut the apple candied fruit into a size easy for Nature to eat, then handed it over.
Only then did Nature lower her head and peck at the candied fruit she’d made, popping pieces into her mouth……

“……”

She didn’t react.

‘Maybe she doesn’t like it?’

The instant that thought crossed his mind—

Peck. Peck-peck!

Nature’s pace of pecking at the fruit candies began to quicken rapidly.
She’d grip the larger pieces with her talons and tug them with her beak, devouring them eagerly, and then—not wanting to miss a single crumb—she’d finish off even the smallest fragments with her tiny beak.

“She’s really enjoying it……”

It actually seemed like it might be the thing Nature ate most eagerly so far!
Lion, feeling oddly satisfied, cut up the remaining fruit and handed it over, watching quietly as Nature devoured each piece.
He understood now why people were so drawn to watching others eat.
The joy of eating was palpable, and seeing something consumed so eagerly and thoroughly made him hungry as well.

“Maybe I’ll try one myself.”

He was certain he’d eaten until he was stuffed at the night market earlier, yet somehow the candied fruit felt manageable.
Lion placed a piece of the grapefruit candied fruit into his mouth.

“Mmm!”

An exclamation escaped him the moment it touched his tongue.
He didn’t need to taste the fruit candied in advance to know this.
The candied fruit had been a success!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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