Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 189

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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? Never Heard of Her. I’m Just Here to Heal. Episode 189

Patrick stopped in his tracks and walked straight toward Lion.

“Why are you standing in the corridor in this cold?”
“Oh, it’s not cold at all.”

The interior of the Asteri Estate maintained its temperature as meticulously as Ester itself did.
Patrick had devoted particular care to the climate, given Lion’s delicate constitution.
Yet his grandfather still found reason to worry.

“Have you eaten?”
“No, not yet.”
“……You haven’t eaten?”

Was the food not to his liking?
Or was his health failing again?
Patrick’s expression was hardening with concern when Lion smiled playfully and added:

“I was waiting so we could eat together, since you said you’d be coming home today.”
“Ah.”

Those few words lifted the accumulated exhaustion from Patrick as if it had never been.

‘When did he grow up like this.’

Now speaking of wanting to share a meal with his grandfather.
He felt both pride and a twinge of guilt.
Had he arrived on time, his grandson wouldn’t have waited here hungry.

‘If only that blasted Emperor hadn’t spouted nonsense.’

Patrick caught himself and swallowed his reproach.

‘……No. Even if I’m upset, this is a decision Lion must make for himself.’

Since things had come to this, he would tell Lion about the situation during dinner, carefully and without pressure.

“Let’s go eat, then.”
“Yes.”

When Patrick arrived at the Dining Room with Lion, he noticed something had changed.

‘Two wine glasses.’

Patrick’s place, where he occasionally enjoyed a drink, always had a glass laid out.
But the other two seats—
Ricshel’s, being underage, and Lion’s, only recently come of age, had never had glasses placed before them.
Yet this time, a glass sat at Lion’s place.

‘He did say something like that back then.’

That he’d brought fine liquor from Ester and asked to be told when the moment felt right.

“It felt like today was the right time.”
“……I see.”

In truth, Patrick had been planning to have a drink alone in his room later, so this timing was fitting enough.
As Patrick took his seat, the servants attending him discreetly withdrew from the room.
Only the master craftsman Alex served the food directly.
Once the dishes were laid out, he filled each glass with liquor.
In glasses of elegant glasswork, dark spirits swirled and caught the light.

“A blended liquor made from Young Master Lion’s own recipe.”
“Mm.”

Patrick lifted the glass and inhaled its aroma.
At first he caught the sweet scent of fruit, but it was undercut by something bitter and familiar that kept the liquor from tasting cloying.

‘Not bad at all.’

Patrick had never cared much for sweet things.
That naturally extended to sweet liquors, so he’d worried Lion’s carefully chosen spirit might not suit his palate—

‘This is more than drinkable.’

Patrick sipped the blended liquor slowly.

“……!”

Before he could stop himself, he swallowed another mouthful.
He’d expected the blend to taste artificially constructed, but it didn’t.
The berry notes that arrived first were better described as fresh than sweet.
Just as the sweetness began to build, a bitter, complex richness settled over his palate, balancing it all.
Finally came a pleasant aftertaste that lingered before fading cleanly away.
It suited him far better than he’d expected—better than he could have imagined.

“Is there black tea in this?”
“Yes. I brewed the tea Grandfather favors quite strong and mixed it in.”

Lion took a drink from his own glass after saying so.

‘That’s Alex for you.’

It was an approach that might have seemed strange, yet Alex had executed the recipe flawlessly.
Perhaps because he’d handled Grandfather’s meals all these years, every element fell perfectly into place.
In any case, the drink suited Lion’s taste admirably as well.

‘I could drink this all evening.’

Diluted with tea, the liquor went down smoothly.
It was perfect for sipping while eating—leisurely, unhurried.

“Ha.”

Patrick couldn’t help but smile at the revelation about the black tea.

‘When he was young, he hated anything bitter so much.’

The black tea Patrick favored was sharp and strongly astringent.
He drank it when his concentration wavered—the bitter edge served to sharpen his mind.
For Lion, who’d always detested bitter flavors, experimenting with this blend must have been quite the gamble.

“With a blended liquor, each of you could have had the flavors you preferred. Why choose something like this?”
“Because new experiences are better shared.”
“……Shared experiences.”

That word—experience—brought back a thought from just moments before.

-Phew. I never thought I’d find myself worrying about something like this.

If it weren’t for Lion, would Patrick Asteri—a Grand Mage and the patriarch of a renowned magical house—ever concern himself with something as trivial as “his grandson’s friendship troubles”?
Patrick brought the glass to his lips once more.

‘So what I felt was growing pains.’

What he had dismissed as mere displeasure and irritation was, in fact, the ache that came from exposure to new experience.

‘And here I am, of all people, feeling such emotions.’

One learns much from living long.
To keep pace with a grandson as spirited and lively as Lion, perhaps this was necessary.
Once he had thought this through and arrived at this understanding, the weight of concern regarding the Second Imperial Prince melted away entirely.
Patrick swallowed the bitter taste that lingered on his tongue and broached the subject carefully.

“Well, regarding something that happened at the Imperial Palace today…….”

Patrick meant it as a subtle approach, but from Lion’s perspective, it was decidedly uncharacteristic in tone.
His grandfather was not one to relate every detail of what had occurred.

‘This might be the first time he’s done something like this.’

Lion had to quickly bring the glass to his lips to stifle the laughter threatening to burst forth.
He was grateful that the blended liquor—red tea mixed with spirits—had such a deep color.

‘So something like that happened.’

Though he heard it secondhand through his grandfather’s words, he could glean much from them.
First, the Second Imperial Prince, freed from his curse, had risen to prominence.
Without knowing the precise details, it seemed he was not merely pressuring the Emperor, but gradually reclaiming what had been denied to him.

‘And perhaps even the Emperor’s own power.’

Well, that was a matter unrelated to Lion, so he could let it pass.

‘This fellow told me not to come, and now he’s subtly calling for me?’

The words came from his grandfather’s lips, so it seemed unlikely to be connected to Jaque.

“Ordinarily, I would have declined on my own authority. But I judged that this was not the direction you would wish.”
“Mm.”
“What will you do? If you prefer, we can pretend you never heard it.”

Having finished his words, Patrick regarded his grandson with a grave look.
It was Patrick himself who had determined this was a matter Lion could bear.
But Lion might not yet be prepared.
If that were the case, Patrick would gladly lift this burden from him.
His grandson’s growth?
Of course it was welcome and good.
But if it weighed him down with pressure, what good would it serve?
Lion would continue to grow regardless—perhaps in directions Patrick could not perceive, developing even now in ways unseen.
So he would not impose growth as he alone saw it.

“……No, actually. This works out well.”
“Works out well?”
“Yes. A good thought just occurred to me, in fact.”
“What might that be?”

At his grandfather’s question, Lion let out a quiet laugh and gave a small shrug.

“Since we’re already at this point, wouldn’t it be better if we all went together?”
“Hmm.”

Patrick’s eyes flickered with interest as he caught Lion’s true intention.
Indeed, the Emperor had said that his help was essential to perfect the event.
So it was a hint that Lion should visit the Imperial Palace at some point.
But.

‘He didn’t say only Lion Asteri should visit.’

It was a method no other noble house would have dared attempt.
To play games with the Emperor’s words, no less.
Yet this was House Asteri.
And the one who’d heard it directly from the Emperor’s lips was none other than Patrick Asteri himself.

“If it’s everyone, whom are you planning to bring?”
“The guests who attended my Coming-of-Age Ceremony.”

Many nobles had come to the ceremony, but few had arrived as Honored Guests.
The First Imperial Prince and the Second Imperial Prince.
And…….

“You mean Marquis Bydentis?”
“Yes. Since he alone manages all those responsibilities, wouldn’t it be valuable to hear his counsel? And it would be good experience for Ricshel as well.”

A rather clever strategy indeed.
With them all visiting together, neither the Second Prince nor the First Prince—currently under house arrest—would be able to attempt anything untoward.
Patrick nearly burst out laughing internally.
All his worries about how the Second Prince would handle his grandson seemed laughable now.
It wasn’t the Second Prince manipulating Lion—it was this young rascal training the Second Prince instead.

‘That’s my grandson, all right.’

He’d worried the boy was too soft to survive in this harsh world, but here he was, showing such dignity and cunning!

Clink!

Patrick and Lion clinked their glasses together.
With each cup they emptied, their conversation grew longer and warmer.
The alcohol was flowing freely, and their worries had been laid to rest.
And so, naturally, the type of drink changed as well.
From blended liquor to wine. From wine to strong spirits.
By the time both their faces had flushed a pleasant shade of red, Lion gently broached a new subject.

“Grandfather!”
“Ahem, yes! Go ahead.”
“Actually, there’s something I should tell you! Since I was confined to the house, I was bored and… I went into your room.”
“What? Well, I… see.”
“Hiccup! And I found a diary.”
“…….”

Patrick experienced the peculiar sensation of his drowsy mind snapping back into sharp clarity in an instant.

‘……A diary.’

Then he braced himself.
He had only one diary.
An almost journal-like record he’d kept about his daughter, Rara.

‘Of course. You’d be curious.’

Patrick drew in a deep breath.
Even now, whenever he spoke of Rara, he had to steel himself.
No matter how much time passed, that wound had never even begun to close, let alone scar.

‘What would he have wanted to know?’

Why did she die?
Why couldn’t I save her?
Or perhaps he’d resent me.
For failing to save his mother, Patrick was prepared to accept whatever resentment came his way.
In that matter alone, Patrick had always been guilty.
……But the words that came from Lion’s mouth were nothing like what he’d braced for.

“So I learned he was as good a father as he was a grandfather to me.”
“……!”
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for seeing him my own way, and grateful.”

Lion, flushed with drink, smiled loosely and drained another cup of liquor.

“If I were his mother, I’d have said thank you too, truly.”

And Ricshel would feel the same way, I’m sure.

“……You’re drunk.”

Patrick’s mouth had let slip something else entirely—not an apology, not gratitude, but something else altogether.
The only difference from his usual manner was that this time, what Patrick said was true.
Lion, having spoken those words, slumped forward onto the table.
Patrick lurched up from his seat as Lion collapsed, then…….

“Shhh…….”

At the sound of his deep, drowsy breathing, Patrick exhaled the sigh he’d been holding back.

‘He says all that and then falls asleep without a care in the world.’

It rankled him somehow.
And yet…….
Patrick clenched and unclenched his fist.
He felt a strange sensation—as if a sin he’d carried in silence all this time was being forgiven.
All because of those words. Thank you.

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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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