Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 301

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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 Can Wait, I’m Just Here to Heal – Episode 301

Bubble, bubble.
In the pot, a Doenjang Soup with dried radish greens simmered at a rolling boil.
A savory, strangely refreshing aroma wafted into his nostrils.
Lion lifted a spoonful of the soup with a ladle to taste it.

“Mm.”

Just right.
From here on, he’d simply need to keep it warm over low heat.

“Next comes the real thing.”

When you thought of home-cooked food, what side dishes came to mind?
Salty fried anchovies. Crispy seaweed stems.
Chewy, spicy shredded radish stir-fry, and the like.
The refrigerator held plenty of such dishes.

“Gyeran Mari.”

Specifically, the kind stuffed generously with finely diced vegetables.
Of course, plenty of people complained about having to add onions, carrots, and scallions to Gyeran Mari at all.
If Lion had to choose, he preferred the plain version—moist, nothing inside.

‘I made it that way plenty of times before.’

No need to bother chopping vegetables—just crack three or four eggs into a hot pan and roll them up. Done.
Not even need to salt it; just drizzle ketchup left over from food delivery, and for the effort, it turned out quite good.
If he were eating alone, that’s what he’d do.
But.

‘Since the family’s eating, I end up going the extra mile.’

Honestly, the Asteri Family Estate had Alex, the finest cook in existence.
Even if the Grand Duke and Ricshel often skipped meals, Alex would adjust recipes to their nutritional needs regardless.
So there was no real need to fixate on ‘nutrition.’
That was the rational assessment, at least.

‘Ah. But Ricshel’s still growing.’

Today was a day he’d decided to set aside rational thought and indulge his desires, so he’d do as he pleased.

Crack.

Lion cracked a large egg into a bowl and whisked it thoroughly.
Some added water for better cooking, but the finely chopped vegetables would release moisture anyway, so he skipped that step.
He added the minced vegetables to the egg mixture and stirred gently until everything was evenly combined.

‘Rolling is just rolling.’

He’d done it plenty of times before the Possession, so there was nothing difficult about it.
Lion heated the pan well, coated it with oil, and poured in the egg mixture.

Sizzle!

The appetizing sound confirmed it was heated to just the right temperature.

“Even if the first one turns out a bit rough, that’s fine.”

The beauty of Gyeran Mari is that if you nail the finish, it looks quite impressive.
Even if the first fold goes wrong and the shape is poor, you can fix it by adding more egg mixture as you roll.
Of course, Lion’s Cooking skill was substantial enough that such problems never arose.

—An omelet?
“Something like that.”
—But why roll it up like that?
“Well…”

It was a question he’d never considered before.
Lion rolled the egg with practiced ease and answered.

“It looks nicer this way, and the texture becomes fluffier.”
—I see. Anyway, Lion, you make some surprising dishes.
“Ha.”

Rather than claim it was already an existing recipe, Lion simply laughed it off.
By the time the Gyeran Mari was complete in a perfect square.

“Sir. We’ve finished the prep work.”
“It was easier than I expected.”

It seemed the Grand Duke and Ricshel had finished trimming the sweet potato stems.

“Ah. You did that beautifully.”

Lion looked at the trimmed stems in admiration.
Despite doing it for the first time, they were finished without a single unnecessary element.
What’s more.

“You already cooked them?”

How had two people who seemed incapable of controlling the heat managed this?
Catching his look of bewilderment, Ricshel answered with a rather pleased expression.

“Yes. I applied Wind Magic to cut them. The Grand Duke used Water and Fire Magic to cook the sweet potato stems to the proper doneness.”
“Quite straightforward.”

Patrick gave a casual cough and answered simply.

“Well, that’s saved me quite a bit of work.”
“I hope it’s been helpful.”
“Of course it has!”

Lion’s gratitude was genuine.
Home-cooked meals truly do require considerable effort to prepare properly.
There are multiple side dishes to make, and broth to simmer.

‘Though for me, it’s hardly difficult.’

The saying that levels are the ultimate cheat wasn’t without reason.
Despite preparing quite a lot of dishes, the actual fatigue he felt was on the level of opening a tin of tuna or boiling instant noodles.
Yet the reason Lion was so pleased was…

‘Very subtle, but my Experience Points are climbing.’

Notifications that his Cooking Experience Points had increased kept appearing sporadically.
He suspected it was because he’d earned cooperation points.

“What should we do next?”
“Mm. I think it would be best to set out the dishes beforehand.”
“Then I’ll wash the tools we’ve finished using.”

At Lion’s praise, the two of them straightened their shoulders and began bustling about, finding tasks for themselves.
And each time they did, Lion’s experience points ticked upward—ever so slightly, but measurably.

‘Hey. This is pretty good.’

Gaining experience points and warmth all at once.
He could focus on cooking too—it was like getting several benefits from one stone.

‘The Gyeran Mari will be done before the plates cool down.’

Lion trimmed the sweet potato stems and cut them into bite-sized pieces, then added red pepper powder and seasoning, mixing it all together with his hands until it was evenly coated.

‘Thank goodness Alex found Fish Sauce.’

He’d once casually asked Alex if he could source or make it, and today the man had suddenly pressed a bottle into his hands.
He’d completed it while the Young Master was away, he’d said.

‘I’m not sure how he managed it…’

He suspected it had something to do with a Magical Tool.
Either way, thanks to that, Lion’s repertoire of Korean cuisine had expanded considerably.
Originally, he’d thought he’d make do with a simple stir-fry of sweet potato stems—if he had to.

“And now there’s Kimchi!”

Right. What’s a home-cooked meal without kimchi?
Diced radish kimchi, fresh-cut kimchi.
Even barely-fermented radish soup—isn’t that what completes a proper home-cooked meal?

‘…Maybe I could even make Kimjang eventually?’

When that time came, should he make boiled pork and wraps?
Lion imagined this happy future as he diluted the glutinous rice paste to the right consistency.
Then he arranged all the completed side dishes neatly in bowls and set them on the table inside the Labyrinth Cabin.
And finally, he placed the Doenjang Soup, steaming gently, at the center of it all—

“Done!”

It was simple and clean—the very definition of a standard home-cooked meal—yet Lion felt a profound satisfaction wash over him.

“It looks quite appetizing, sir.”
“These are quite labor-intensive dishes, I must say.”

Having volunteered to help with the chores, the Grand Duke had watched his grandson cook, and it was clear that extraordinary care had gone into every dish.
Save for the rice and soup, he’d never seen any of these preparations before.

‘And yet…’

Rumble.

Was it because he’d grown accustomed to Lion’s cooking?
The aroma and appearance alone were enough to awaken hunger—a sensation he rarely experienced.
As an 8th Circle mage, he could go months without food and remain unaffected. This was an unusual occurrence for him.

“Might I begin eating?”
“Of course! You must be famished. Please, dig in.”

Patrick accepted without hesitation and picked up his spoon.
Surely his grandson’s meals would…….

‘It always starts with the soup.’

Slurp.

Patrick lifted a spoonful of Doenjang Soup with refined grace.
The rich aroma of soybean paste spread across his tongue, harmonizing perfectly with the tender vegetables to create a clean, refreshing taste.
And…….

‘Gentle.’

Everything Lion cooked was delicious, but most of his dishes were somewhat intense for Patrick’s refined palate—either spicy or sweet.
One extreme or the other.
But today’s meal was perfectly calibrated.
Not overly sweet or salty, yet wanting for nothing.
When a dish felt slightly under-seasoned, he could add more of the side dishes; when his mouth grew a touch briny, he could follow with plain white rice.
And if his throat became dry, he returned to the soup.
Perfect harmony. And warm throughout.

‘At last, I can let my guard down.’

The Contamination that had plagued Lion was truly gone.
He had returned to his ordinary life—Patrick could taste it in every spoonful.

“It appears the head of house is quite satisfied with the meal.”

Ricshel, who sensed that emotion flowing through the food, smiled and answered in his stead.

“Is that so? Thank goodness. I was worried I might have added too much trying to balance the nutrition, and it would taste off.”
“Not at all. It’s delicious! In fact, I find myself wanting another bowl.”
“Oh, really?”

Perfect timing.
Lion scraped the last of the rice from his bowl and stood, making for the rice cooker.
As he scooped the remaining rice into another container, a layer of golden Nurungji became visible at the bottom, crispy and perfectly browned.

“Right. Since we’re eating anyway, we might as well have the Nurungji and Sungnyung too.”

Lion poured boiling water directly over the rice crust and scraped at it with a wooden spatula.
It had been roasted to just the right degree—it came free from the bottom easily under the scraper’s edge.
And immediately, the fragrant aroma of Sungnyung—nutty and subtly sweet—began to drift through the air.
It was a scent entirely different from the smell of cooking rice.

“Brother. You haven’t finished eating yet, and…… what’s this?”
“Ah. Ricshel, you came at just the right moment.”

Lion carefully arranged the gently simmering Nurungji and Sungnyung on a tray.

“This is another delicacy altogether.”
…….

Ricshel’s mouth fell open slightly.
Certainly, his words about the food tasting excellent and wanting another bowl had been sincere.
However…….

‘I’m full, brother……!’

To reiterate: Ricshel’s stomach was on the smaller side.
Which meant he’d already eaten quite a bit too much……!

‘Come to think of it…….’

Lion’s course meals always had another main course waiting after the main course.
He’d forgotten about that for a moment.

“Hmm? Not going to eat?”
“…….”
“A shame. It’s delicious.”
“That can’t be. I was simply lost in thought at how delicious it looked.”

Ricshel quickly took the tray and retreated back into the cabin.

“My lord. There was still food left.”
“……As I thought.”

Patrick, who’d also thought the meal was finished and was just dabbing his mouth with a napkin, picked up his spoon again and asked with grim determination.

“I’m curious what this next dish is.”
“Nurungji and Sungnyung, sir. I’m told it’s rice that’s stuck to the bottom of the pot, softened in water.”
“And it’s amazing when you eat it with Sweet Potato Stem Kimchi.”
“I see. You should eat up as well.”
“Yes, sir.”

Lion sat down, pretending not to notice how full the two of them looked.

‘Come on. They fast most of the time anyway.’

Every so often, one should eat until one’s belly nearly bursts.
And home-cooked meals tend to digest quickly enough even when eaten to that point, don’t they?

‘And besides, it just keeps going down.’

Lion put a spoonful of steaming Nurungji into his mouth, savored the heat, then elevated it with Sweet Potato Stem Kimchi.
The sweet and salty seasoning seeped into the mild rice, doubling the flavor.
And the texture—what more was there to say?
The crisp bite was exquisite.

‘Goodness, this is trouble.’

I’m going to overeat too at this rate.
With such thoughts, Lion emptied a total of two bowls, Nurungji and all.

“Ahhhh!”

Lion patted his full belly and leaned back in his chair.
It had been quite some time since he’d eaten with his belt loosened like this.

‘Korean food really is the best.’

His previously heavy stomach settled completely.

‘Now I should probably send them off and get to the Alchemy Cauldron.’

Just as he was thinking this.

“That was delicious. Thank you.”
“Haha. I’m even happier since you enjoyed it…….”
“Shall we go somewhere to talk?”
“…….”

Go where?

“You haven’t properly told us what’s happened during all this time, have you?”
“No, well, you could have checked through the communication stone…….”
“There may have been gaps in the information provided.”
“Ricshel’s right. And besides.”

Patrick patted his swollen belly with measured composure as he continued.

“We’ll need to adjust to your plans going forward, so a more detailed explanation is necessary.”
“…….”
“Surely you weren’t thinking of acting alone?”

Of course not.
I did mean to tell them.
But…….

‘I didn’t plan to say all this right now, did I?’

At least after I dealt with the Alchemy Cauldron…….
Or better yet, after I’d attempted Story Mode.

“……ha. Haha.”

Ah, so that was it.
Lion understood at last.
There was a reason they’d come so early!

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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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