Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 22

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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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Successor or Not, I Just Want to Heal — Episode 22

After hearing the full account of Lion’s situation, Lea finally exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Ah, I thought you meant something else. You’re talking about that seamstress, right?”
“Yes. The one who went volunteering with us back then.”

He’d caught glimpses of her between volunteering sessions, and her skill was no ordinary matter.
The way she’d have the children try on loose clothing she’d brought, using scrap fabric, and then immediately adjust the measurements on the spot with such style and finesse—
it was like watching someone who’d mastered the art of everyday life.

‘When I saw the finished pieces, I genuinely thought they were luxury items.’

Even by Lion’s standards—raised his entire life in aristocratic circles—such skill in a seamstress was unprecedented.
Each stitch infused with care, a definite sense of proportion to the garments, and quick hands to boot.
Quick hands meant absolute decisiveness in every movement she made.

‘Most of all, though…’

The design was clean.
That was it—no jarring contrasts like Ricshel’s work, no avant-garde impulses like his grandfather’s.
Yet neither was it plain.
Someone who understood precisely the level people could accept!
Exactly the kind of talent Lion desperately needed right now.

“Could you introduce me to her?”
“Of course. Fortunately, I’ve grown quite close to Andrie—that seamstress. But…”

Lea pressed her lips together, hesitating for a moment.

“What? Is there some problem?”
“Well, why don’t you come along first? You’ll understand once you see for yourself.”

What could the problem be?
Was her appointment book full like Mudu’s?
Lion pondered this even as he bid the children farewell and followed Lea to the shop where the seamstress worked.

“Here it is.”
“Here… as in here?”

Lion stared at the sign that was barely clinging to the wall with a creaking groan.

[Boutiqu Andri]

The paint had even peeled away in patches, so badly that “Boutique Andrie” looked more like “Bouti Andre.”

“Is Andrie planning to close up shop?”
“Oh no! That’s not it at all. Andrie is just as generous as you saw, kind-hearted, and genuinely talented with a needle! It’s just…”

As Lea sighed, her expression clouded over.

Creak-creak!

The shop door creaked open even more loudly than the doors at the orphanage where they’d gone volunteering.
And from inside stepped out Andrie, the seamstress, dressed in something quite flashy.

“Oh! Welcome, esteemed customer…!”

Her voice carried an almost desperate eagerness, as if she were welcoming a guest she was thrilled to see.

“Andrie? It’s me. Lea.”
“Oh… Lea! It’s been ages. How have you been?”

Andrie showed no disappointment that her visitor was Lea rather than a customer, greeting her warmly instead.

“But who is this…? Wait. Isn’t that the young master from before?”
“I’ll explain. You see, what happened was…”

Lea laid out the situation carefully.
This man was actually the eldest son of the Asteri Family, and he’d been in disguise for a time in order to do volunteer work in secret.
And now he’d come here because he was looking for a skilled tailor.

“I’ve had a connection with him because of his kindness. I apologize for keeping silent about his identity — he didn’t want it revealed.”

Andrie was taken aback by Lea’s explanation, but quickly composed herself.
It all made sense, after all.

“No, that’s perfectly fine. Of course such things happen. But if you’re looking for a skilled tailor, you must know quite a few…”

What had actually caught Andrie’s attention was something else entirely.
A skilled tailor? Why her specifically?

‘Why come to me?’

Andrie pondered for a moment, then shook her head.

“Ah! You shouldn’t stand around out here. Please, come inside.”
“The children are waiting for me, so I’ll head over first.”

Lea bowed and gave Andrie a silent nod before turning to leave.
She had to fetch Ricshel too, after all.

“Come this way, please. Young master.”
“Thank you. I’ll trouble you then.”

Lion stepped inside Boutique Andrie and surveyed the interior.
Sewing machines worn smooth by handling, fabric draped over aging mannequins, and behind them—walls covered with awards and certificates of every kind.

‘Aren’t those from the Empire’s most prestigious competitions?’

That wasn’t all. There were also design sketches and patterns scattered about, the work of someone actively imagining new creations.

‘This is…’

Something kindled in Lion’s instinct—honed by years in sales.
This place was genuine.

“Please forgive the modest surroundings… ah, let me bring you some tea.”
“Actually, perfect timing. I brought some cookies. Shall we eat those first?”

Lion decided not to move hastily.
Something was still bothering Lea and Andrie—something unresolved.

‘I should find out what’s going on first, then take my time deciding.’

There was enough time before the Coming of Age Ceremony, though it wasn’t exactly leisurely.
But it was certainly enough to have a few garments made.
Lion pulled cookies from his bag, and Andrie quickly brewed tea and brought out cups.

Slurp!

The tea wasn’t particularly complex in flavor, but it was pleasant enough.

“I apologize. I wish I could offer you something finer, but circumstances are rather constrained at the moment.”
“Don’t worry about it. Here, try these. I baked them myself.”
“Now that you mention it…….”

Andrie’s mind drifted back to her days at the Orphanage. A young man with flour caked on both hands, baking bread.
That he was the young master of the Territory—she’d never imagined it.
Those loaves had tasted remarkably good.
Certainly they hadn’t been made with fine ingredients.
And yet…….

‘Like an artless youth trying to impress a noble lady.’

A young man unpretentious, dressed as neatly as he could manage in suspender trousers, with an armful of wildflowers hidden behind his back—flowers he’d picked from the fields.
The image crystallized in Andrie’s mind at once: a story, complete with a Design Sketch.
Of course, this didn’t entirely dispel her nervousness or sense of burden.
It was simply one spark of inspiration that had kindled.
But inspiration is a kind of drug to an artist.
Once one spark ignites, the mind chases the next, and the next after that.
Andrie’s gaze naturally drifted toward the Cookie.

‘What if I tried this one?’

A Cookie made with even finer ingredients than those from back then.
Would it deliver that same delightful shock she’d felt before—or something even greater?
Or would it merely be an indulgent confection, nothing more?

“I’ll gratefully enjoy it.”

Andrie picked up one of the delicate little Cookies and popped it into her mouth.

Crunch! Crackle!

Between the sweet pastry that crumbles briskly lies something savory, soft and chewy all at once.
Unlike the bold opening note, the finish is gentle—as if crafted with consideration for someone who shies away from excess sweetness.

“This is……!”

Not the same as that artless youth from before.
This time it’s…… yes! The exact opposite.
Like a crown prince who surrendered his heart in a single breath to a country girl.
A man possessed of every treasure and power imaginable, yet willing to abandon it all to live happily beside her in the countryside, baking bread and pastries! That image rose before her.
Even that grandeur expressed without vulgar ostentation—merely emanating quiet, unadorned presence.

‘Rather like the young master standing before me now.’

Lion Asteri.
The subject of countless rumors.
An eccentric, a man abandoned by his Family, whispered to be dying—at certain points the rumors had swelled so thick that people claimed he was already dead.
And yet, viewed another way, he was an unknown quantity whose truths had never been revealed.
For Andrie the seamstress, that was as far as her knowledge extended.
She’d always assumed they would never meet in this lifetime.
And yet she had known him already.
More than that—she’d thought well of him.

‘……No matter the reason, he was a man of noble character.’

He possesses the grace to look after those beneath him, and like this cookie, he doesn’t flaunt his virtues.
For Andrie, that was shocking.

‘He’s nothing like a typical nobleman.’

Even now, there must surely be things he wants to ask about, yet he sits quietly, simply enjoying his tea time.
It’s clearly meant to ease her burden.

‘When was the last time I received such consideration…!’

She nearly wept as her emotions threatened to spill over.
The exhaustion that had accumulated despite having no real work began to dissolve, and with it, the walls around Andrie’s heart slowly opened.

“Thank you. That was truly delicious.”
“Did it suit your taste?”
“I nearly shed tears.”

Was that so?
Of course, Lion had failed to read Andrie’s true feelings.

‘At least she seems more at ease now. That’s fortunate.’

As Lion was draining half his cup, Andrie suddenly raised her voice.

“I must speak frankly with you.”
“Hmm?”

Lion set down his teacup in alarm.

“I can create garments for you. I’m confident I can draft and tailor them more beautifully than anyone, execute every stitch with mastery. The problem is, if it becomes known that I’m the designer, the other nobles will mock me for it.”
“May I ask why?”
“Because I’m an illegitimate child of a noble house.”
……

He hadn’t expected to hear something so personal so suddenly.

‘But what’s the problem with being illegitimate?’

To be honest, illegitimate children born among the nobility were not uncommon.
The current Second Imperial Prince was a notable example.

‘Though admittedly, he was somehow recognized.’

Aside from such exceptional cases, illegitimate children of noble families typically lived quietly as commoners.
It wasn’t something to parade about, but society didn’t hide the fact so carefully either.
Besides, tailors generally dealt with nobles but were themselves of commoner status.
Being a noble’s illegitimate child shouldn’t pose any real problem at all, should it?
Andrie continued laying bare her circumstances.

“I made the mistake of dealing not only with nobles but with commoners as well. Several dissatisfied customers apparently investigated my background.”
“I see.”

Now Lion understood what the real issue was.

‘She offended the nobles’ pride.’

That was exactly it.
An offense to pride.
Her illegitimate status was merely an excuse to disparage her.

‘I can already guess what happened.’

Arrogant nobles, every one of them.
They expect to be treated with deference wherever they go, to have everyone bow and scrape.
Especially when they’ve come to purchase luxury items.
In their minds, naturally, such wares could never be sold to a commoner.
Not for all the gold in the world. Absolutely not.
It would diminish their standing, after all.

‘A sense of privilege doesn’t surrender easily, that’s the nature of it.’

“Rumors bred more rumors, and soon those who had been my patrons withdrew their support entirely.”

To earn a noble’s enmity is a cruelly bitter thing for a commoner to endure.
It’s much like a subcontractor caught beneath a principal’s heel, unable to voice even the smallest complaint.

“So if you’re to entrust work to me, it would be better to say it comes from an unknown apprentice seamstress…….”
“Wait.”

Lion raised his hand, cutting her short.

“First, I’d like to see some of the clothes you’ve made.”
“Those I sold to the nobles—I disposed of them all, I’m afraid…….”

Her circumstances had been dire; she must have sold them for whatever pittance she could get.
By now, she likely had nothing but scrap fabric—the kind she used to donate to the Orphanage, not fine materials.
But that hardly mattered.

“It’s all right. I simply want to see your true skill.”
“In that case…….”

Andrie rose from her seat and pulled back the curtain that had been concealing one corner of the room with a flourish.
And there, displayed before him, were…….

“These are the items I sell to my neighbors.”

[Skillful Seamstress’s Ready-made One-piece Dress (★★)]
[Skillful Seamstress’s Ready-made Cotton Pants (★★)]
[Skillful Seamstress’s Ready-made Work Clothes (★★)]
[Skillful Seamstress’s Ready-made Bolero (★★)]

Stars upon stars glimmered before him.

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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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