Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 23

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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 Have No Idea About Succession—Let’s Just Heal / Episode 23

Lion turned his head this way and that. Every garment draped across the worn mannequins was at least two stars or higher.

“……Yes. This is my reality.”

Andrea spoke with self-mockery, but his words landed nowhere on Lion’s heart.
Instead, a fire was kindling in Lion’s chest.

‘If he made two-star pieces from fabric like this, then every other condition must have been flawless.’

The Design and pattern work, certainly—but also the kind of secret mastery only an artisan would know, something to shore up durability itself.
And beyond that……

“Did you handle all the Design work yourself?”
“Yes. Even ready-made garments—a single dress is something commoners must summon their courage to purchase. I did my utmost to make it clean and proper.”

Gulp.

Lion swallowed hard.

‘If I supplied high-grade materials to someone like this……?’

Whoosh.

Andrea flinched at the young master’s sudden sharp turn of the head.
His eyes, which moments before had been calm, now blazed like molten lava.

“Andrea! I want to wear clothes made in your name to my Coming-of-Age Ceremony.”
“I—but, young master.”

Didn’t you hear what I just said?
You’ll be humiliated!

‘And didn’t you just say it was the Coming-of-Age Ceremony?’

Now that he thought of it, the young master’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony was being held again.
The reality he’d been ignoring suddenly surged to the surface, and his head spun.
At such a grand celebration, my clothes?

‘I know it’s a tremendous opportunity, but it’s beyond my ability.’

A Coming-of-Age Ceremony happens only once in a lifetime.
He didn’t want to shame the young master just because of his own good intentions.
This wasn’t about him being the Asteri Family’s young master—it was concern for the conscientious youth who had done his best at the orphanage.
Lion, seeing the worry in Andrea’s eyes, shook his head firmly.

“No. I can make sure no one says a word. You just need to answer one thing for me.”
“But—”

Lion cut him off and raised three fingers.

“Three garments by the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Can you do it?”

The sharpness in his tone now—it reminded Andrea of the lord he’d glimpsed from a distance once before.

“Three garments, you say?”
“Yes. Don’t think about anything else. Just tell me: possible or not.”
“……”
“All responsibility falls to me. I’ll provide every scrap of fabric as well. So just tell me—do you have the ambition to take this on, or not?”

Ambition.
Andrea’s hands clenched into fists of their own accord.
Making beautiful clothes from fine fabric.
Nothing else to worry about.
Just the craft itself.
……What tailor in this world would refuse such an offer?
And how could one push away something so tempting when standing on the very brink of closing shop?

‘This is no time to hesitate!’

Andrea rushed to fetch a notebook and pencil, sketching frantically on the spot.

“What sort of garment are you envisioning? What elements would you like incorporated? Surely the family’s symbol—the World Tree motif—must be included…….”
“I’d like it clean but with just enough elegance to maintain dignity. And since my family will all wear them together, I’d appreciate designs that are similar yet distinct.”
“Of course, of course!”

Lion’s requests sounded like those of a client who knew nothing whatsoever of design.
Clean yet elaborate, timeless enough for the whole family to wear, yet current enough not to look dated.
Naturally, Lion had to shine at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, but the garment couldn’t be so stodgy as to let him fade either.
And yet.

“I think I have just the design in mind.”

Andrea didn’t struggle with the task at all. Instead, he gathered the scattered sketches from the floor and began working out the concept in quick, confident strokes—
Then his pencil dropped.
Wait. Family?

“When you say family, does that include the lord……?”
“Of course.”
“Gasp! You’re really allowing me to take this on? As you know, I’m a designer quite despised by the nobility!”
“What bearing does that have on our family?”
“None…… whatsoever. Who would dare speak against it?”

A Magic Noble House that rivals even the imperial court. And not just Lion, but the entire family trusting him with their garments—who would dare diminish such a commission?
Andrea drew a deep breath and cried out with full force.

“I will create nothing less than perfection for you!”

He’d taken the bait.
A thin smile spread across Lion’s lips.

“Then we have a promise?”
“……Yes!”

Andrea answered with bright enthusiasm, oblivious to Lion’s true intention.

“Then shall we start by choosing the fabric?”
“Pardon? You already have fabrics in mind……?”
“Ah, I still know nothing about fabrics, you see.”

Lion returned to his seat and withdrew a thick catalog from his bag.

“So I brought the inventory of fabrics currently available to our family.”

The Asteri Family Fabric Catalog!
Among tailors, this was treated as something of a legendary object.
They said it contained fabrics far finer than those kept even in the imperial treasury……!

Gulp.

His mouth watered without thinking.

“May I… may I open it?”
“Of course.”

Andrea’s trembling hands unfolded the book.

“Silk made from northern winter moth cocoons…?!”

And it detonated.
Andrea’s mind. With dopamine.

Burst!

Flowers scattered through the air and birds sang. Cherubs blew trumpets, magical fireworks exploded overhead!
With each page turned, a fresh wave of stimulation washed over him.
Premium fabrics from beyond the continent, the legendary Elf’s Hair that only a handful of elves could produce, even the Fairy’s Breath that mages had poured their heart and soul into creating!

“Well? Find any materials that catch your eye?”
“The problem is that there isn’t a single fabric here that doesn’t. My lord!”

When such intense dopamine surges through you, your mind goes blank.
And you become able to focus on nothing but the task at hand.
Andrea couldn’t stop now.

“Good to hear.”

Lion meant it sincerely.

‘It has to be Andrea.’

Now that he thought about it, if he’d gone to another tailor, Ricksell or his grandfather would have imposed their own tastes on the whole thing.
There were plenty of tailors who cared far more about pleasing his grandfather or Ricksell than about Lion’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
And if that happened, Lion would have to face his adulthood dressed in some ridiculous outfit.
So he had no choice but to do whatever it took to win Andrea’s heart and keep the project moving forward.
And besides, if things went well…

‘I might get a chance to learn Sewing Craft from Andrea.’

Fortunately, Andrea seemed quite satisfied as well.
That would be mutually beneficial, wouldn’t it?
Then Andrea tilted his head and his expression grew serious.

“Hm? This one…”
“What is it?”
“When I was at my peak, there was a lady who used this particular fabric all the time. But it never circulated on the open market at all, so it’s curious that it appears in this catalog.”

Andrea was said to possess an ability to never forget a single cloth he had once handled.

“And yet the catalog doesn’t describe what this fabric actually is.”
“Is that so? Let me see…”

Now curious, Lion examined the fabric.

[Grand Mage’s Love (★★★)]
-A specialty fabric created by the Grand Mage specifically for his daughter.
-Each individual fiber has been treated with magic. It guarantees exceptional performance in stain resistance, flame resistance, dust resistance, water resistance, and breathability.
-Embedded with protective magic against physical and magical impact.
[Usage—Sewing]
[☞Sewing Talent has not been unlocked; recipe cannot be viewed.]

What?
Could this be… something Grandfather made himself?
Lion stared intently at Andrea.
He’d definitely said that “some lady” had used this fabric to make clothes.
And the description mentioned a Grand Mage.
Then it was certain.
This fabric was something his mother—Patrick’s daughter—had favored.

‘Then naturally I should use this fabric.’

Lion’s aspirations included escaping ridiculous clothing, certainly.
But they also included his entire family wearing similarly designed outfits.
Like a family matching set.
It was just clothes, but experiences like this tended to strengthen family bonds.

‘The thing that bothers me is how Ricksell always calls Grandfather “Lord of the House.”‘

Blood runs thicker than water, as they say—why not use an event like this to bring them closer?
And… he was curious.
If he made clothes with fabric of this caliber, what grade would they reach?
Wouldn’t he end up with a high-end combat outfit rather than formal wear?
And if, just if, Lion contributed even a little to making that garment?
Not only would he unlock Sewing Talent, but an expert’s eye might elevate his proficiency too.
He couldn’t even count how many birds this one stone would kill.

“Andrea, would you be able to make something from this fabric?”
“It’s possible.”

Andrea brimmed with confidence.
Naturally—he’d handled this fabric before, which made it far easier than touching an entirely new material.

“Then… shall we first go take measurements?”
“Why not?”

The moment those words left his mouth—

Knock, knock.

A crisp rap sounded, and a boy bearing Lion’s features entered.
His younger brother, Ricksell.

“Brother, I apologize for the delay.”
“Huh.”

Andrea exhaled quietly.

“You’re a bit late.”
“Yes. I heard about it beforehand and brought some supplies.”
“…Supplies?”

This was the first Lion had heard of it.

“Let’s take measurements first. I’ll wait here.”
“Right, there are some cookies left over—help yourself.”

What exactly had Ricksell prepared?
Now that he thought about it, things had seemed a bit noisy outside earlier.

‘Well, there’s nothing strange about it.’

And so Lion entered the other room to take measurements.
Andrea’s measuring was efficient—no wasted motion.
One measurement and done. Arms, legs, shoulders, waist, and everything else—he recorded it all in his notebook in a single pass, never looking back.

‘Impressive.’

Despite the visible tension, he remained composed.
It must come from countless repetitions hardened into habit.

‘I should learn from this.’

First, he needed to check the materials Ricksell had prepared.

“Well, all done—gasp!”

As Lion was putting on his outer coat, a sound escaped from Andrea, who had stepped outside first—a gasp that seemed to steal the breath from his lungs.

“Hm? What’s—oh.”

Lion, following behind, let out an exclamation of his own.
A new Mannequin gleaming like a premium piece, a shiny Sewing Machine that looked like nothing but the finest craftsmanship, chalk that hadn’t shed a single speck of dust, and high-grade fabrics from the Asteri Family Fabric Catalog piled up like wares at a street market.
Moreover, workers had been brought in at some point, and they were already fixing the creaking door.
Surely the sign had already been replaced with a new one.

“This much is only natural for someone who has caught my brother’s eye.”

Ricksell answered calmly, sipping cookies and cold tea.
Lion glanced sideways at Andrea beside him.
As expected, Andrea was on the verge of fainting from overwhelming joy.
He wondered if such a dramatic reversal—a bombshell moment in a life lived without stimulus—was perhaps too much.

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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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