Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 16

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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 Know About Being an Heir, I Just Want to Relax — Episode 16

“Is there some problem?”
“Well… it’s not that the child has a problem, exactly. The truth is…….”
“Peter has a soft heart, so that’s why.”

A child called out from behind the Orphanage Director.
It was the child who had come first to receive the bread that Lion and Rikshel had made.

“Elena.”
“It’s alright. Could you explain what you mean in more detail?”

Before the Orphanage Director could chide the girl, Lion stepped forward and asked Elena directly.

“Yes. So Peter…….”

Elena’s story, in essence, came down to this:
Peter had so much affection in his heart that he refused to give it to people who came only once and never returned.
That was why he rejected everything—food from outside donors, visits from strangers, all of it.

“Yes. Sadly, Elena is right. If it’s that child…… he won’t eat the bread even if you young masters offer it to him.”

The Orphanage Director murmured with a sorrowful expression.

“That’s precisely why my worry is considerable. His body is already painfully thin, and now he’s rejecting even this rare opportunity to eat…….”

‘There’s nothing to be done about it.’

Rikshel nodded his head.
He understood the tragedy of it, but there was no way for outsiders like them to resolve it.

“Then perhaps we should give this portion to another child instead…….”
“Where is he? I’ll try persuading him.”

But Lion was different.

‘So all I need to do is reassure him.’

There was nothing else occupying their time anyway, and this hairpin could certainly be used in future visits.

“He should be in the backyard behind the Orphanage. If you truly wish to meet him, I’ll accompany you.”
“I’d appreciate the guidance.”

The three of them made their way to the backyard, and sure enough, a child was crouching against the wall.
This must be the owner of the last loaf of bread.
But…….

‘He really is skeletal.’

Just as the Orphanage Director had said, the boy was visibly more gaunt than the other children.
Even from the wrists alone, the emaciation was so pronounced that it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him collapse at any moment.

‘He looks about the same age as Mud’s children.’

“Peter! Wake up now. These people here baked bread especially for us. Come, take this.”

The Orphanage Director spoke in a gentle, coaxing tone, but…….

“……I’m not going to eat it.”
“But she went to the trouble of baking it for you. Surely you could have just a little?”
“No.”

Faced with Peter’s stubborn refusal, the Orphanage Director stepped back with a rueful smile.

“He’s not a bad child. It’s just…… well. As Elena said, he’s simply too shy.”

Then, in a voice too low for Peter to hear, she whispered:

“His adoption has been revoked three times now. They say he’s too withdrawn around strangers.”
“…….”

Rikshel glanced sideways at his brother, Lion.
At this point, wouldn’t it be better to give up……?

‘But Lion probably wouldn’t do that.’

Rikshel anticipated Lion’s next move and stepped back, clearing the way.
Sure enough, Lion strode toward Peter without hesitation.

“So you’re Peter?”
“…….”

He’d answered the Orphanage Director, but he wouldn’t answer Lion.
Lion paid it no mind and waved the bread in front of his face.

“This is yours. Everyone else has already eaten theirs.”
“Go away…… I’m not going to——”

The moment he was about to refuse again.
A delicious buttery aroma rose from the bread before his eyes.
At the same time.

Growl——

A tremendous sound erupted from the small body, and Peter’s face flushed crimson.

‘So he really is hungry after all.’

The situation was clear enough.
If his adoptions had been revoked three times at such a young age, it made perfect sense that he’d shut his heart entirely to people he’d never met before. The boy would likely need considerable time to adjust even after an adoption succeeded.

Lion said nothing more and simply dropped down beside Peter.

“……!”

Peter was startled, but he pretended indifference and buried his face in his knees.
He knew well enough that if he rejected someone like this with his whole body, they’d leave soon enough.

“……Well then, I’ll go check on the other children.”

Seeing Lion’s gesture, the Orphanage Director naturally withdrew.
He didn’t believe it would succeed.
Still, he wanted to create even the smallest possibility that Peter might open his heart, however slightly, because of this.
And so time passed.
The volunteers who had come to help were beginning to drift back to their homes one by one.

“…….”

Peter slowly lifted his head from where it had been resting on his knees.
He’d dozed off without meaning to, waiting so long for them to leave.

‘Well, even so…….’

By now, they were surely gone.
Adults were all the same anyway.
One performative session of volunteer service,
and they’d promise to come back with a smile on their face.
But they never returned.

‘Liars, all of them.’

Even the parents who’d adopted him had been no different.
Because he didn’t match their expectations, because he wasn’t cute enough.
Because the child didn’t seem to think of them as his true parents.

‘They abandoned me.’

Thinking that if they just brought him back to the orphanage, he’d somehow manage to eat well and live well on his own.
So it was obvious that the person who’d been sitting beside him moments ago would have left too.
Just like all the other adults…….
But then.

“You awake?”

A voice came from beside him.

“Huh!”

Peter jumped and looked to his side in shock.
That young man who’d come to volunteer was still sitting right there.

‘Did he come back while I was asleep?’

No, that couldn’t be—he’d have noticed.
His sleep was always light.
So had he really stayed right beside him the entire time, paying no mind to anything else?

“You were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t want to wake you. Are you hungry?”

Lion pulled out the bread again.
The warmth had long since faded, but from being held close to his body, it hadn’t grown cold.

Growwwl—

At the sight of food, his thoughtless stomach announced its hunger all over again.

“……hmph.”

Peter turned his head away in refusal.

“I’m hungry, though.”

Yet Lion was not angry.

“So you really won’t eat it? Fine.”

Instead, he laughed playfully and offered one last time before letting it go.

‘What is…’

Peter was still reeling when—

Chomp!

Lion shoved a massive bite of bread into his mouth.

“…!”

Peter’s eyes went wide.
What—what?!
His portion of food had just vanished before his eyes!
This was an entirely new form of betrayal.
Not urging him to eat, not getting angry if he refused, not pointing a finger at an orphan for not being hungry enough. None of that.
The bread was simply gone.
A third of it in a single bite!

“Man, this is good. I was hungry anyway.”

Munch, munch!

Lion chewed with relentless efficiency.

“Wh—what are you doing?!”
“Eating bread. Why?”

Lion answered as if nothing were amiss and tore off another large piece.

‘My bread!!’

He crammed so much in at once that only half remained.
Peter’s heart began to race despite himself.

“You said you weren’t eating it, so I have to finish it somehow.”

While Peter sputtered in shock and indignation, Lion took another bite.

‘Huh? Huh, huh, huh?’

Not eating meant… losing it?
Refusing food and having it stolen were not the same thing.
It had nothing to do with affection or the lack of it.
He couldn’t even think about that now.
He just—his bread was being taken right before him!
Just as Lion’s hand rose to his mouth for another bite—

“I’m—I’m eating it! I’m going to eat it!”
“Really?”
“I’m eating it!”
“Sounds like a lie. Ahhh~.”
“You… you…!”

Peter snatched the bread away with a triumphant snort, stuffed it into his mouth, and shot Lion a defiant glare.
Then…….

“……!”

Without thinking, he began to chew.
The bread…… tasted good.
How could it not, when eaten in circumstances where hunger was the norm?
It didn’t take long for Peter to abandon his caution and devour half the loaf.

‘Right. At that age, you’ve got to eat well no matter what.’

Lion watched Peter finish with quiet satisfaction, then produced another piece of bread he’d hidden away and handed it over.

“Here. This is really my share, but I’m giving it to you.”

It was Peter’s portion too, of course, but Lion lied about it without a trace of shame.

“…….”

Peter looked as though he couldn’t decide whether to accept or refuse.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll just eat it myself.”
“No, no! Thank you…….”

Only then did Peter take the bread and eat it.
There seemed to be a faint sniffling sound mixed in somewhere, but Lion chose not to dwell on that.
He simply pressed his index finger to his lips, casting a knowing glance toward the Orphanage Director, who had been watching Peter from a distance.
Once Peter had finished every last crumb, Lion reached out and stroked his head.

“You ate well.”
“This is, well…….”

Peter wanted to make an excuse.
He wanted to say clearly that you were no different, no better than the rest of us, but the words wouldn’t come.
Just as he was thinking to himself that it was only because the bread was dry……

“You know? Even adults skip meals when they’re upset. But you, Peter—you don’t skip meals even when you’re upset. You eat well like this.”
“…….”
“That’s good.”
“…….”

Peter opened and closed his mouth, then clenched his fists hard and cried out.

“It’s just because the bread tasted good!”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah! So, so…….”

Lion didn’t push. He waited.
For Peter to speak what lay beneath.

“……So, thank you. For making such delicious bread.”
“I’ll make it again next time.”

Lion smiled and extended his finger.

“Promise.”
“……Yeah. Promise.”
“By the way, I’ve never broken a promise. Remember that.”

Peter’s frown melted away, replaced by a genuine smile.
He didn’t fully trust the promise yet, but at least he’d opened his heart to Lion.
Opening it to even one person.
That mattered.

“Good heavens…….”

The Orphanage Director, watching from a distance, covered her mouth with both hands.

‘How long has it been since I’ve seen that child smile……!’

Ever since the Director arrived, Peter had been steadily losing his smile.
The wounds from three revocations of adoption—even a devoted director couldn’t fully soothe them.
Yet this boy, younger than him…….
And of all people, that naive young noble had managed it.

‘I’ll admit, I found him suspicious.’

Or perhaps I simply dismissed him as a mercurial sort.
And yet I’m grateful. After all, hasn’t he stirred all these people to action for the orphans’ sake?
And yet…….

‘He treated them with genuine sincerity.’

It was the Director herself who had viewed him through prejudiced eyes.
The Director squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them.

‘That noble soul truly deserves God’s blessing……!’

Though she wasn’t certain how to repay one who lacked for nothing, the Director resolved to do whatever lay within her power.
That meant reaching out to the one thread keeping her crumbling orphanage afloat—a priest she knew.
Just this morning, she’d received word that he was coming at dawn to pray for the children.

“Forgive me, but might you two remain at the orphanage for just a moment? There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”

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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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