Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 165

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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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The Successor Is Irrelevant, I Just Want to Relax — Episode 165

The Mart!
A place unlike the market—standardized goods laid out in neat rows.
And a space where one could encounter interesting things rarely seen elsewhere.
Lion walked down the orderly aisles and felt his heart quicken without reason.

‘Especially on hot days—there was nothing quite like it.’

Why not? You’ve all experienced it once or twice.
High summer, where even breathing conjures sweat and the harsh sun feels utterly hateful.
Clothes damp with humidity clinging miserably to your skin, air as oppressive as the exhaust from an outdoor unit—but step into the Mart with hurried strides and…….

Whoosh!

Cool air-conditioning rushes over you, and suddenly you can breathe again!
Young Baek Ihyun, too, had been so enchanted by that first taste that he couldn’t leave for days.
Perhaps because of that, young Baek Ihyun began to linger inside the Mart whenever he had the chance.
Of course, since he was alone, the first visits felt awkward and frightening.
The voices of people, the rattling sound of shopping carts being pulled.
And the advertisements crackling from the speakers too.
For a timid child, there were plenty of overstimulating elements.
Yet still, young Baek Ihyun went.
Not simply for the frigid air-conditioning.

‘It was the vitality of it all that drew me.’

Families coming out for an outing, laughing together, making noise.
Debating earnestly whether to buy some item or not.
Just watching those things felt good.
In hindsight, it was a kind of vicarious satisfaction.
But it never made me feel envious.

“Ah, the little customer’s back again? Here, have one of these before you go.”

Because there was one employee who looked after Baek Ihyun amid everyone else’s indifference and neglect.
An employee who grilled ham for the sampling counter.
A kind person with no name that Baek Ihyun would ever learn—someone who called over the hesitant child wandering the Mart and deliberately cut the ham larger than usual, dipped it generously in ketchup, and handed it over.

“But I can’t buy anything…….”
“Don’t worry about it! After all, I can’t go home until I’ve grilled all this ham anyway.”

And with that, she’d playfully wink at him.
It was surely a lie.
She could never actually go home after finishing the ham samples, and if she only finished sampling without meeting her quota, she’d likely catch heat from her superiors.

‘She must have been reading the situation carefully too.’

In truth, it would have been more helpful to her to work harder at soliciting customers than to fuss over an insignificant child.
Looking back now, I feel sorry and grateful…….
But unfortunately, back then I was too young to see all the way into her heart.
So I simply loved her without understanding.

“Thank you so much!”

Young Baek Ihyun would bow cheerfully each time and receive ham so thick that a single toothpick couldn’t manage it.
That savory, chunky ham—how delicious it was, how much I wanted more.

‘I suppose what I really wanted was to be acknowledged.’

This place. Where no one pushes him away.
Where he could let his guard down.
Now that he thought about it, he’d grown up eating the kindness of so many people, hadn’t he?
Of course there had been plenty of dirty, petty days along the way…… but those were already in the past.

“Come to think of it, a tasting…….”

Lion murmured to himself, scanning the space around him.
The fact that this many ingredients could be stocked here meant the finances were more than comfortable.
Well, this was Ester we were talking about, so there was no way it could be anything but abundant.
If that was the case…….

“That could work.”

To make it concrete, there would need to be various discussions, but wouldn’t it be worthwhile to create an experience like ‘a chance to taste special ingredients that even nobility rarely encounter’?
As he was thinking this, Lion had already arrived at the Special Ingredients section.
There he found…….

“Ah…….”

Truly, unusual ingredients were gathered there.

Salt Carrot
-Biting the outer layer yields a saltiness stronger than rock salt itself.
-Toward the center, there’s a subtle umami flavor, isn’t there? This might be quite the delicacy.

A purple carrot—not the color of an ordinary one, but a shade that dampened the appetite.

Cat Leaf
-The leaves are shaped round and plump, just like a cat’s paw.
-Otherwise no different from ordinary perilla leaves.
-Despite the name, it has no relation to cats whatsoever.

A aromatic herb with a charming form.

Certainly…… peculiar.
But what Lion considered peculiar was somewhat different.

‘Let me gather some first.’

Before the staff member left earlier, he’d said Lion could use anything freely, so taking a few things—well, it should be fine.
And right on cue.

“Found it!”

There was a vegetable that appeared to be bean sprouts.
Why “appeared”?

Mugwort Bean Sprouts
-Bean sprouts in mugwort color. When blanched in water, the mugwort color dissipates and they become like ordinary bean sprouts.
-In large quantities, they relieve various types of pain.
-If you don’t trim the roots, the mugwort color won’t fade, so be careful.

Because the color was a mugwort shade even deeper than mugwort itself…….
Still, fortunately, looking through an expert’s eye, once boiled they seemed destined to take on a familiar shape and color.

‘I’ll need to trim the roots properly.’

Normally, since nutrients were concentrated in the roots, you’d just trim away the withered twisted parts and use them as-is, but if he did the same here, he’d end up with mugwort broth instead of clear bean sprout soup.
Still, being able to get bean sprouts in a place like this is no small thing.
Lion paused midway through gathering the sprouts.

“Wait—it relieves pain?”

The premise required consuming large quantities, but bean sprouts weren’t the kind of food people ate in modest portions anyway.
Blanch them in water and a whole bundle shrank to the size of a fist.

‘Hmm….’

Lion deliberated for a moment, then glanced around before loading up the pantry’s entire stock of bean sprouts into his bundle.
He’d only meant to make bean sprout soup, but now that he was here, why not prepare a whole spread with them?

“Right then, let’s move on to the seasonings.”

Lion hummed as he made his way through the aisles.
He looked exactly like a neighborhood resident out on a shopping trip.

* * *

“This should do it.”

Lion emerged from the pantry with his arms laden with supplies.
The staff members who’d been waiting outside the pantry door breathed a quiet sigh of relief at his safe return.

‘Phew.’
‘I was worried he’d take forever in there.’
‘But… what is all that stuff?’
‘Don’t ask. He must have his reasons.’

After a brief exchange of glances, one staff member greeted him warmly and took the bundles from his hands.

“I hope the pantry experience was enjoyable?”
“Yeah. It was nice—everything was clean and the ingredients fresh.”
“I’m so glad to hear it! Perhaps—”

Before the staff member could ask if there was anything that needed improvement, another colleague nudged them silent.
The manager had definitely told them not to ask for direct feedback.
The instruction was clear: be careful, given who they were dealing with.
And with good reason.

“Hm?”

Lion tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
As he did, his loosely bound hair slipped and spilled, revealing the hair ribbon beneath.
Embroidered upon it in plain sight was the symbol of Ester.

Gulp.

His casual way of speaking had nearly made them forget he was the heir to a magical great house.

“Oh, no—it’s nothing! We were only wondering if there were any other areas you’d like to tour?”

The staff member, who’d nearly stumbled into a blunder thanks to their colleague’s intervention, swallowed hard and forced themselves to speak calmly.

“Actually, I’d like to use the kitchen. Is it available right now?”
“Of course! We’ve just tidied it up, so please feel free to use it.”
“Thanks. Though I’d prefer to use it alone.”
“Al-alone, sir?”

The staff member was taken aback.
It wasn’t that the kitchen was dirty, or that the request was inconvenient.
Even without Lion overseeing it, the kitchen was always kept in pristine condition, and all the cooking tools remained in excellent working order.
The problem was that excellent condition itself!

‘Isn’t it dangerous no matter what…….’

If you had to name the three most dangerous places in Ester, the first would be the Hunting Grounds, and the second would be the construction zone.
And the third and final place was this very kitchen.
Chef’s knives that were always honed razor-sharp. Burners far more powerful than those in ordinary restaurants!
No matter how you looked at it, wasn’t it risky for the Young Master to be in here alone?
The other staff members seemed to share the sentiment, exchanging quick, urgent signals with one another.
And then…….

“Ah. So you’re worried I might hurt myself?”

Lion had caught them red-handed.

“W-well, that is…….”
“It’s just that if a guest were to be injured, we worried you might have poor memories of Ester…….”

The staff members jumped in alarm, waving their hands frantically as they fumbled for an excuse.
Everyone had heard the rumor that Lion had no magical aptitude whatsoever.
Even if he said he didn’t mind, surely someone of his stature wouldn’t take kindly to the reactions of mere staff members.

‘This is bad, really bad…….’

Cold sweat streamed down the employees’ faces, both outwardly and within.
And Lion, watching them…….

‘Ah, I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for them.’

He understood their feelings completely.
Before the possession, he’d been in their position, having to cater to the moods of high-and-mighty types.

‘But really, it’s fine.’

Still, proving it was another matter entirely.
Simply flaunting his cooking talent and showing off some brilliant knife work wasn’t a sure way to resolve this either.
It might only make them dwell on the mistake they’d just made.

‘A more certain approach…….’

Lion paused for a moment, then hit upon a method.
An act only the ‘eccentric Lion’ could pull off.
And that was——

“I understand your worries completely.”
“Sir?”
“You’re concerned I might get hurt, aren’t you?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Then all I need to do is show you proof that I won’t get hurt, wouldn’t you say?”

With that, Lion walked straight toward the stove with steady steps.
Even from a distance, the intense heat was palpable — the burner was clearly no joke.

‘If anything, this is perfect.’

Today’s dish needed a strong fire to turn out well.
After quickly checking the burner, Lion pulled on ‘those gloves’ with his hands.

“I—Guest?”

He meant the gloves, woven from Descending Love thread.
Then, without hesitation, he thrust his hand directly into the roaring flames!

“Aaaahhh!!”
“Oh no, oh no!”

The staff members rushed forward, screaming.
The guest’s hand, burned because of their mistake—!

“Um, what?”
“Look, look.”

But Lion’s hand was perfectly fine.
The gloves hadn’t even scorched.

“My grandfather worries about many things, and he’s given me various gifts because of it. So there’s no need to be concerned.”

Yes. Only the eccentric Lion could pull off a method like this!
It was simply plunging your hand directly into the flames to prove it was nothing—nothing at all!
And with it, he’d also shown that there was no problem with the household and that his feelings weren’t hurt.
Quite an effective approach, wouldn’t you say.
Though if his grandfather had witnessed it, the wrinkles between his brows would surely have deepened twice over.

“So don’t worry too much—you can withdraw now. I prefer to cook alone, you see.”

Lion said this, then opened the kitchen door himself and looked at them directly.
There was nothing more to be done after such a display.

“Yes, yes, of course…”
“If you require anything, please do summon us at any time.”

Creak—

The door closed, and the staff members, thrust out of the kitchen, muttered quietly, their spirits deflated.

“Such enchantments woven into his very clothing…”
“His affection for the guest must be quite extraordinary.”
“Indeed. If he carries magical artifacts of such caliber, he’s likely already playing a significant role in his household.”
“Haha. We were needlessly anxious.”

Perhaps that was why the manager had instructed them to be especially careful with their words—the staff whispered among themselves as they shuffled away toward the employee lounge.
And Lion, left alone at last,

“Heh heh.”

could finally begin cooking the meal he’d been craving.

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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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