Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 28

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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 Heir? No Thanks, I’d Rather Heal — Episode 28

Seizing the moment, Lion moved to check the Shilling shop right away.
He reached for the ‘Yes’ button without hesitation, but—

Click!

“I thought you might do this. Big brother.”

Ricksher’s sudden appearance forced him to set it aside for now.

“The Coming-of-Age Ceremony is tomorrow already, and you’re still sewing?”
“No, I finished the sewing long ago. And the ceremony still has plenty of time, so…”

He wanted to offer some excuse, but as Ricksher swept a cold gaze around the room, Lion found his mouth clamping shut of its own accord.
The space was genuinely piled high with Ties—there was no polite way to describe it.

“I hear you’ve been at this for four days straight.”
“Well, that’s…”
“And hardly sleeping at all.”

There’s a deadline, so what can I do about it?
…He couldn’t say that out loud.
One wrong word and the heat would spread to Andrea as well.

“You’re quite right, younger brother,” Elvia added.

And at some point, Elvia had quietly joined in with her own scolding.

“Fine, fine. I’ll sleep, okay?”

He wanted to check the Shilling shop immediately, but given the atmosphere, even the slightest rustling sound would earn him another round of harsh reproach.
How did they even find out?
Before long, Lion yielded to both their pressure and stretched out on the bed.

Blink… blink…

From keeping his head bowed all this time, the moment he lay down, his body felt heavy and his eyes began to close on their own.
Only then did he understand.

‘Ugh, I really overdid it.’

By his previous life’s standards, pulling an all-nighter like this would have him sick in bed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, big brother.”
“Sleep well, young master.”

Their farewells drifted to him as though heard in a dream.
Yes… sleep well, both of you…

* * *

The next day.

A low groan.

Lion burrowed deeper under the covers, trying to escape the sunlight filtering through the curtains.
He’d definitely pushed too hard these past few days—sleep still poured over him in waves.

“Young master. I apologize for the intrusion, though you must be weary.”

Whoosh!
Elvia swept his blanket away without mercy and forcibly roused him from bed.

“Today is your Coming-of-Age Ceremony, so we must make haste.”
“Ugh… yes, I suppose…”
“Should you find yourself too fatigued, I would be happy to assist you with your bath.”
“No! I’ve slept plenty. I feel quite refreshed, actually.”

Good grief.
Lion sprang from bed and made straight for the bathing chamber.
There were several things he still hadn’t grown accustomed to in Lion’s body, but none occupied his thoughts quite like this business of constant attendant service.
Being attended while dressing, being attended while bathing—it was absurd!
I’m hardly an infant, for heaven’s sake.

‘These nobles,’ he thought.

Lion shook his head in bemusement as he emerged from the tub, thoroughly cleansed and invigorated.
There was nothing quite like sweating out exhaustion in hot water.
The moment he’d climbed out and toweled off, his mind felt notably sharper.

“…”

Wait a moment.
There seemed to be far more servants in his chambers today than usual.
If he simply walked out as he normally would…
Lion cautiously cracked open the door and peeked through the gap.
As he’d suspected!
Not only the familiar faces of Elvia and Hannah, but a host of unfamiliar attendants filled the anteroom.

Hiss.

Even for a young master of the nobility, this was more than a little daunting.
After wrapping himself in the bathrobe—something he rarely wore—and knotting it securely, Lion stepped out to find Elvia presenting him with light refreshments and tea.

“You need only sit quietly, young master.”
“Master, please don’t worry.”
“We’ll have you finished in no time.”

It felt rather like stepping into a high-end salon.
The moment he settled into the chair and closed his eyes, the attendants set to work with remarkable speed, attending to his hair and face with practiced efficiency.

“We’re finished.”

Already?
It felt as though barely twenty minutes had passed, yet they’d accomplished it.

“I can dress myself, so if you’d all be good enough to leave…”
“Should you need any assistance, please do call for us!”

Rumble—
Only after the throng of servants had filed out did Lion release a quiet sigh of relief.

“Whew.”
“You’ve worked hard, I’m sure.”
“…”

Elvia alone remained, watching him in silence.

“Why didn’t you leave?”
“I thought you might need help dressing, sir.”

As if I couldn’t manage a single outfit at my age.
Besides, this suit was a collaboration between Andrea and me, and we’d already done a fitting a few days prior.
Elvia must have known that.
Which meant…

“Do you have something to say?”
“Ahem. No, sir.”

In truth, there was no particular reason why Elvia lingered here.

‘It’s time for your Coming-of-Age Ceremony at last.’

The sickly infant she’d watched over since Silvia’s time had grown up well enough to hold one. The only pity was that as Elvia, she couldn’t quite convey the full weight of that sentiment.

Meanwhile, Lion—tilting his head in confusion—spoke with a shrug.

“Then could you help me tidy up the decorations later?”
“Of course, sir.”

Elvia turned away at last, and Lion changed into his clothes before leaving the rest in her capable hands.

“The Marquis will be proud. That Tie suits you wonderfully, especially.”
“That’s a relief.”

He’d worried the last-minute creation might look odd in daylight, but it held up perfectly.
Achievements don’t lie, after all.
After buttoning the cuffs with meticulous care, Lion caught his reflection in the full-length mirror.

‘My face is certainly passable.’

Dressed like this, he looked every inch the heir of a noble house.

“Shall we go?”

Lion stepped into the hallway, where Ricksher was already waiting for him.
And further down, watching from a distance—his grandfather, Petrick.

“I’ll escort you to the Banquet Hall, brother.”
“Let’s go, then.”

The long-delayed Coming-of-Age Ceremony was finally beginning.

* * *

The Banquet Hall of House Asteri was packed with nobility.
From the pro-Asteri families living in the Asteri Territory and its surrounding lands, to the haughty Central Region aristocrats, and even princes sent as the Emperor’s representatives—they all had come.

“It seems even more splendid than an imperial celebration.”
“I heard the Marquis and his eldest Heir were at odds, but that must have been mere rumor.”
“Well, who can say for certain?”

They chattered away in the absence of the family heads who had yet to appear.
Envy, reverence, jealousy, admiration—
each guest harbored different feelings, but one thing united them all.
Not a single one among them dared to look down on House Asteri.
Even the Swordsmanship Noble Family, standing at the opposite pole, would not.

“Still, even if you are the guest of honor, you seem a bit late.”
“There won’t be a cancellation like last time, will there?”
“Oh my. Surely not…… Not once, but twice?”

Just as the conversation was running thin and someone was about to bring up the previous Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

Click—

The massive doors of the Banquet Hall swung open, and the direct bloodline members of House Asteri walked in slowly.
To welcome them, the orchestra played a grand piece, and the nobles clustered around the entrance all but trampled over each other to clear a path.

“……Somehow the atmosphere feels even more tense today.”

The Marquis and the Heir certainly, but even Lion, today’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony guest of honor, carried the same aura.
If anything, even more so.

“He’s different from the rumors?”
“He doesn’t seem like an ordinary person at all.”
“They said he didn’t awaken as a Mage…….”

They had heard the rumors of his frail health and assumed his presence would fade into insignificance.
But it wasn’t so.
Several nobles caught sight of Lion’s entrance and quickly revised their assessment, fanning themselves and raising their wine glasses to hide their expressions.
They had been thrilled at the thought of taking liberties with an Heir of higher rank than themselves, forgetting that he was, after all, a member of House Asteri.
No—a member of the direct bloodline.
The nobles were somewhat startled, but they maintained their composure.
Well, he was the eldest grandson of House Asteri, so this much should be expected.

“He seems quite at ease.”
“I heard he personally inspected every detail of this party.”
“Goodness! At this scale, that must have taken considerable effort?”

Still, they ought to pay some respect.
That was the opinion of most of the nobility.
As everyone knew, Lion’s presence wasn’t what truly mattered to them.
Though they had come to celebrate Lion Asteri’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony, didn’t they all harbor the same objective?
Lion was merely the pretext; the real targets were Petrick and Ricksher.

“Hmph…….”

Petrick watched the scene and let out a low scoff.
These fools had no sense of their place, daring to weigh up my grandson like that.

“Lion.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Those lot over there—don’t associate with them. They’re low-quality vermin.”

Lion looked at him and realized he was referring to the nobles who had been whispering among themselves, and he smiled softly.

“Are you worried about me?”
“Hmph, remember this is a public occasion. Soon you’ll need to signal the start of the party, so prepare yourself mentally.”
“Ha, don’t worry about that. As the proud eldest grandson of House Asteri, I won’t disgrace the family.”
“……All right. I have something to ask you later. We’ll talk then. Go on now.”

Lion, tapping his chest reassuringly and flashing a bright smile, turned to leave.

‘He’s paying quite a bit of attention to me, isn’t he.’

Well, setting that aside, Grandfather’s words had never been wrong.
There’s even a saying: don’t discriminate against commoners, but do discriminate against nobles!

‘Not that I have any desire to mingle with people who come trying too hard to impress.’

Lion’s goal was modest.
To make a good impression on the so-called nobles who came only to enjoy the party, those indifferent to his grandfather and younger brother.

‘Andrea made such wonderful clothes for me and genuinely cared for our family—the least I can do is promote it.’

To accomplish that……
First, he needed to draw attention appropriately.
The opportunity came quickly.
A moment was arranged for Lion, the guest of honor, to offer brief words of gratitude to mark the party’s beginning.
Lion walked briskly to the platform and surveyed the assembled nobles.
Most of them weren’t even paying attention.
It might have been disappointing, but to Lion it was a good sign.
After all, he didn’t consider everyone here a target for promotion either.
Even if this was supposedly a day to show that I’ve grown well and come of age, it was just a pretext.
The real purpose was to catch the eye of either ‘Petrick Asteri’ or his heir, ‘Ricksher Asteri’.
Those nobles would think that only by grasping the right connections could one secure the authority to live as a noble for life.

‘This isn’t a Coming-of-Age Ceremony—it’s a kind of winnowing done by House Asteri!’
‘To prepare something this grand even after postponing it once! Surely something significant will happen.’
‘If I can catch the Marquis’s eye here, my child’s future will be assured!’

In fact, many of the nobles were thinking exactly as Lion predicted.
Their conclusion united around a single point.
Make the best impression possible.
Or if that seemed impossible, at least don’t act like a thorn in anyone’s side!
Not that the sickly eccentric Lion mattered—but the Marquis and his heir, above all!
Of course, his grandfather simply wasn’t interested, and Ricksher preferred talented commoners to unremarkable nobles.

‘Let him do as he sees fit.’

Lion finished his thoughts and slowly opened his mouth.

“It is an honor to greet you all. Though late in coming, I am Lion Asteri, now finally of age.”

Clap, clap, clap—

The nobles applauded formally.
As every gaze turned toward Lion at once, it was Ricksher who found himself anxious.

‘I hope elder brother isn’t trembling……’

Speaking well and having good character were separate matters entirely.
One person’s gaze, of course, could be met without difficulty.
A few gazes were unnerving but manageable.
Yet when that gaze multiplied to dozens, to hundreds, the pressure became immense.
This was precisely why heir training included lessons in enduring such scrutiny—to keep from freezing in such moments.
Of course, Ricksher was the sort whose nature never shrank, whether facing hundreds or thousands……
But he couldn’t help worrying—what if elder brother fell ill from the strain?
And so Ricksher, watching with a concerned expression,

“What…… what is this?”

murmured without meaning 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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