Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 47

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Successor? Never Mind—Let Me Just Heal 47

“……!”

Lyon’s eyes went wide at the new notification.
Could you really gain Experience Points just by watching something?
He hadn’t been aiming for that at all.

“Now then, once you’ve finished prepping the vegetables, the next step is to dress the meat. But before that——”

Alex dropped the trimmed onions, carrots, and celery into a pot of rolling water.

“It’s more efficient to start with things that take longer to prepare—making stock to simmer, boiling potatoes, that sort of thing. Ahem…… I’m not entirely sure I’m explaining this well. This is actually my first time talking while I cook.”
“You’re doing fine. I’m grateful for this much instruction.”

Alex grew flustered at the praise, fell quiet, and slipped into the Pantry. He returned carrying something enormous wrapped in paper.
Thud!

When he unwrapped it, a hunk of meat the size of a child’s torso emerged.
Lyon’s mouth fell open—he’d never seen anything this large even in his past life.

“Beef sirloin for steaks. You might not be able to judge yet since it hasn’t been dressed, but this is top grade.”

As Alex said, Lyon couldn’t yet discern the reason for its premium ranking.
But looking at the stars hovering in the air before him, he nodded instinctively.

[Beef Sirloin (★★★)]
-The sirloin from a healthy cattle raised on fresh grass and apples across vast grasslands.
-Butchered without error, with perfect trimming performed.

“There is some fat and fascia remaining, so I’ll clean those away as thoroughly as possible.”

Alex worked his sharp knife across the whole sirloin.
With each stroke, the tough fascia and fat fell away like butter, revealing beautiful red meat beneath.

“Wow…….”

The marbling visible in the cross-section was nothing short of art.
The meat gleamed almost pink.
Lyon found his mouth already watering, and the meat hadn’t even been cooked yet.

“Now we roast it in the oven at a mild temperature.”
“As a whole?”
“Yes. That way it looks better, and the juices inside spread evenly, which improves the flavor.”

Lyon imagined that anyone would marvel at the sight of such meat roasting whole.
He watched it slide into the oven, then his gaze drifted to the scraps left on the cutting board.
Surely someone with Alex’s skill would have already cleared them away if they went unused.
Which meant……

“What do you do with those meat scraps?”
“Ah! An excellent question, sir! How did you know?”

[Cooking Experience Points rise by 20 percent.]

His Experience Points had now risen by a full 35 percent.

“Seemed wasteful not to ask. I thought the farmer who raised the cattle would regret seeing it discarded.”

And is that just ordinary meat? If it’s being delivered to the Asteria Family Estate, it has to be Korean beef grade two plus or better.

“Exactly! Such a shame!”

The Chef clapped his hands in delight.
He hadn’t expected the young master of the Asteria Family, raised without want, to have such discernment.
Alex placed the trimmings on the heated pan and seared them until crisp.

“A cook is someone who creates beautiful and delicious dishes, but I believe it’s a profession that shows the greatest possible respect for life.”

In other words, his goal was to coax the best results from any ingredient, and thereby ensure nothing went to waste.
That’s why Alex, even while cooking for renowned families, had always taken great care never to squander anything.
All the food could end up discarded otherwise.

‘A man raised on my cooking, and he understands even this…….’

Chef Alex gripped the frying pan tightly.
Cooks who prepare meals for nobility face a genuine dilemma.
They must always capture an air of luxury and refinement.
Yet inevitably, vast amounts of ingredients must be discarded.
The pods of vegetables, the ends of meat. Fish heads and tails, bones.
All perfectly usable parts that must nonetheless be thrown away.
Because they’re not considered aristocratic cuts.
This inevitably conflicted with Alex’s own philosophy of cooking.
Caught between these two truths, Alex had devised one solution.
To employ every possible method so that nothing edible went carelessly to waste.
Exactly like now.

“These meat trimmings—when seared until dry and rendered for fat, they can be made into another sauce entirely.”
“That’s a fine approach.”

Lyon quite approved of Alex’s method.
Of course, he’d understood the preciousness of food even when living on his own, but he’d felt it far more keenly in the Labyrinth.
Fortunately, the Selling Shop had kept him from going hungry, but he’d seen firsthand how one maximized every limited ingredient.
Eat the meat, boil the bones until they sing, and extract every drop of broth.
Misshapen fruit matters not at all.
When there’s nothing else to eat, how could you discard something simply because it looks ugly?

“I eat well and waste less thanks to you, Alex.”
“……That you’d acknowledge that! Thank you!”
“I’ve always been grateful.”

Alex pressed his lips together briefly, then continued his explanation.

“What sticks to the pan after searing is called fond—it has excellent savory depth. If I use the onion I just trimmed…….”

Alex added a little onion and vegetable stock to the caramelized pan, scraped it clean, then poured in the Red Wine.

“Red meat pairs very well with red wine in general. It’s perfect for making a sauce.”
“Then conversely, when does white wine work? With fish?”
“Ah, yes—that’s generally the case. And it helps mask any fishiness as well.”

Alex gave the now-bubbling pan a vigorous shake.
Then—whoosh! The alcohol ignited, flames dancing over the sauce.

“You don’t need to do this yourself; if you let it sit long enough, the alcohol will burn off naturally. Since you’re not yet skilled at it, there’s no need to attempt it. I was simply…… showing you.”
“Ha, well, when else would a nobleman get to see such a thing?”

How often in a lifetime does one demonstrate cooking to nobility?
And standing right here beside him—someone of the Asteria Family’s standing.
Not that he had no desire to show all his skill.

“Now then, while the sauce reduces, I’ll prepare the accompaniments.”

Alex withdrew the meat, wrapped it carefully in paper for resting, and swiftly prepared creamed mashed potatoes alongside a spinach sauce generously enriched with cream and cheese.
‘Ah, that’ll be delicious.’
The sweet spinach mingling with savory cheese created an unexpectedly powerful synergy when eaten alongside the meat.
The kitchen had begun to fill with the enticing aroma of fine cooking.

“Now then, we need only plate it beautifully.”

The dish was complete.
Upon a large plate lay tender beef sirloin, glistening with juices and releasing delicate wisps of steam, surrounded by creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, and an assortment of roasted vegetables.
And as fresh white bread and butter took their place on the tray…….

[Artisan’s Premium Sirloin Course (★★★)]
-The answer wrought by a craftsman who spent long hours pondering how to draw out the finest flavors without squandering a single ingredient.
-Consuming this restores a substantial amount of Hunger.

“Come now, you must be famished. Shall we go?”
“Let’s.”

Lyon rose without hesitation.

When Lyon arrived at the dining hall, the other servants had already laid out a tablecloth suited to the evening’s meal and set out fine, well-crafted dinnerware.
Yet…….

“Rickhel isn’t eating tonight?”

There was only a single place setting.

“The young master says he has pressing business this evening and requests that his meal be brought to his room.”
“Hmm, is that so?”

No matter how busy the day’s work, it would be better if he ate dinner properly.

“Wait—what becomes of all that meat, then?”
“……Haha. If you will do us the honor of enjoying it, that is more than sufficient.”

The cook laughed sheepishly and waved his hand, as if he’d already anticipated this to some degree.
It seemed he hadn’t mentioned it earlier so as not to distract Lyon while he was watching the cooking.

“Please, do eat before it cools, sir.”
“No.”

Lyon shook his head firmly.
It wasn’t an amount he could finish alone, and besides…….

‘It would be a waste.’

Not just the ingredients, but Alex’s labor as well.

“Alex. How much did you prepare?”
“Sir? Ah! Approximately ten portions.”

Alex answered, seeming taken aback by the question.
His voice had changed from the gentle tone of moments before.
There was something businesslike and firm about it—like the master of the house himself.

‘So he could speak in that tone too…….’

It was a side of him she hadn’t seen before, and it struck her as oddly unfamiliar.
The servants in the kitchen felt the same way.
Strangeness and curiosity.

‘What on earth is he about to say?’

Was he going to say something about Rickhel skipping meals?
Just as this peculiar tension began to settle in the air…….

“Perfect timing, actually.”

Lyon’s voice returned to its usual tone.

“Everyone here should eat together.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Us as well, sir?”
“Why? Did you already have dinner?”
“That’s not quite the issue, sir…….”

No matter how freely Lyon of House Asteria moved among his servants, there remained, first and foremost, a distinction of social rank.
He was nobility; they were commoners.
Among them were several who had been elevated from slavery to ordinary station through the generosity of the master of the house.
And yet, how could they dare dine alongside the young master?
On such lavish fare, no less?

“You’ll eat with us too, won’t you, Alex?”
“Well, that is…….”

Alex found himself equally flustered.
Though his station as head cook had him testing the seasoning and taste of dishes regularly, he’d never actually sat down to a course meal prepared with such care.
No, he’d always thought simply preparing it was enough.
It was far more comfortable a life than his mercenary days, struggling to make ends meet.
How many starving children had he seen in those years past?
Worm-eaten fruit, thin gruel of flour stretched beyond recognition—that was sustenance.
A day when he could catch game from the wilds felt like a festival.
And then, when he was nearly dying of hunger.
The Asteria Family had rescued him, and because he wielded a blade with precision and care, he’d been given a new calling—that of a cook.
Fortunately, he possessed the talent for it; now he was counted among the finest chefs in the empire.
He’d convinced himself that this was success, was it not?
And yet…….
Alex gazed at the feast before him.
Each dish prepared with meticulous care, ready to be savored.
Soft cheese, butter, bread.
There was nothing here untouched by his hand.
But truly…….

‘I’ve never once thought to taste it myself.’

Alex scratched the back of his head vigorously.

“Would it be permitted… for me to eat?”

Lyon let out a soft laugh at the sight.

“Of course. I’d especially like you to join us, Alex.”

Lyon settled into his seat and gestured for Alex to do the same.
After hesitating a few moments longer, Alex excused himself, returned with a slab of sirloin still glossy with its juices, cut the meat into portions and distributed them among bowls, then took his seat—and the servants who’d been attending to the meal began, albeit tentatively, to sit as well.
Their expressions still bore doubt, yet the allure of such sumptuous food proved too powerful to resist.

“It’ll get cold. Let’s eat while it’s hot.”

Besides, the eldest son of the Asteria Family had given the order.

‘Refusing here would be disrespectful too.’

I… I don’t know what to do!

“Thank you for this meal.”

The servants began eating hastily.
They cut into the meat clumsily, took a bite, and then…….

“……!”

The servants’ expressions transformed.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————