Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 51

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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 and I Just Want to Heal — Episode 51

Patrick’s thoughts drifted to a distant past.
The early days of their journey, before the bonds of camaraderie had grown thick and strong.

“……You want me to stay in such a filthy place?”

Wet earth, a floor cratered with stone, and the vivid claw marks of some massive monster gouged deep into wood.
The stale air and his battered combat robes completed the miserable picture.
If someone asked him to paint a portrait of absolute, unbearable squalor, he was certain it would look exactly like this.
That very sentiment had been written plainly across young Patrick’s face.

“Ha, well, there’s nowhere else suitable to make camp, so we have no choice.”
“If being a nobleman troubles you, you’re welcome to stand while you sleep.”

At that time, the white-haired priestess—still only low-ranking then—had smiled kindly and asked if she should remove her own coat for him, while the pickpocket from the criminal underworld simply sprawled on the ground and jeered.

“…….”

Patrick wasn’t in a position to object much.
The grueling battle had left his Mana drained to nothing, and exhaustion clung to him so heavily he might collapse at any moment.
But still, in a place like this…….

“When else would I ever have an experience like this?”

As Patrick sat there scowling, the man tending the fire spoke up without preamble.

“No choice but to enjoy it, then.”

Simply savor the moment, he’d said.
Of course, young Patrick had retorted that some experiences weren’t worth having—but that protest had withered when faced with the stew beginning to bubble on the flames. He’d eaten ravenously, barely pausing for breath.
That market feast had been unforgettable.
……He had to admit now, it had been joyful.
Had he ever felt so free in his entire life?

“…….”

Patrick gave a quiet chuckle to himself.
Sitting here now, memories from long ago, from his younger days, began to surface.
He’d wondered why his grandson had insisted on choosing the Labyrinth as the location, but now he understood the reason.

“It seems like a good place, Master.”
“Indeed it is.”

Patrick had readily agreed.
He’d never imagined in his wildest dreams that he’d find himself here with his grandsons, yet it had proven to be a remarkably enriching experience.
Which was why, knowing Ricshel would be alarmed, he’d chosen to say nothing.
And so the two of them had indulged in a leisure they’d nearly forgotten existed.
Though the time was brief, it was precisely what they needed for some personal respite.

“All right, sorry for the wait! It’s ready, so please come over!”

Lion emerged from the hut and called them over.
Now that he mentioned it, an appetizing aroma was wafting from the hut.
More precisely…….
It was coming from the makeshift kitchen in front of the hut!
Soon enough, a glistening, deep-red poultry dish was placed on the table.
Whatever spices had been used in abundance, their pungent, distinctive scent was quite apparent.

“Is this…… made from the ingredients you bought at the market just now?”
“Yeah.”

Lion handed over a wooden bowl and utensils.

“You went shopping?”
“Ah, yes. I went to the Market this afternoon with your brother. Thanks to that, I learned quite a few things—the prices common people pay, how merchants conduct their business, and so on.”
“…….”

Lion stirred the nearly finished Dak Galbi with a wooden spatula, his eyes on Ricshel.

‘What…… did he learn?’

How to haggle?
Well, that’s possible.
Lion decided not to dwell on it.

“There, all done. Go ahead and eat. It’s hot, so just scoop the meat and vegetables from the lid into your bowl. You can eat it as is.”
“Hmm. I’ve never seen a dish quite like this.”

Ricshel glanced toward Patrick.
Normally, a finished dish would be plated separately before eating.
Of course, he himself had eaten fire-roasted Banana Sweet Potato, so he wasn’t going to fuss over such things—but the master might find it a bit inconvenient.

“Huh?”

Contrary to Ricshel’s expectation, Patrick took a generous portion of Dak Galbi directly from the lid without hesitation.
That wasn’t all!
He used the somewhat crude utensils without the slightest reservation, picking up meat and vegetables with ease.

‘……Did he have this side to him?’

Or was he making his best effort to match his brother’s enthusiasm, appreciative of his hard work?
Ricshel pondered for a moment, then scooped some meat into his own bowl and took a bite.
The first thing he felt was, naturally, an intense, searing heat.

‘Spicy—it’s spicy!’

Spicy, but delicious!
The chicken, grilled in a thick red sauce heavy with spices, was tender and easy to chew.
Even better, there were no bones, making it quite simple to eat.
So that’s why Lion had taken only the lean meat when he’d butchered the chicken earlier!

“Hiss.”

Even after just one bite, his lips had turned red from the heat.
Yet his hand kept reaching for more.

‘Let me try some vegetables this time.’

Ricshel stuffed a heap of tender vegetables into his mouth.
They were mixed into the red sauce so thoroughly he couldn’t tell what they were at first…….
The first was soft, marinated cabbage, sweet and mild, and then came——

“Banana Sweet Potato!”
“Yep. That’s right. It’s sweet, so it’s not quite as spicy, right?”

Indeed, the sweet taste of the Banana Sweet Potato gently soothed his stinging mouth.

“Yes. It’s truly delicious.”

The food he prepared was always distinctive.
That drink, the dessert from yesterday.
And this poultry dish now.
Thinking his skill was truly remarkable, I reached for another bowlful, but…….

“Huh?”

Quite a bit of the dish had vanished.
And he was still on his first bowl?
Don’t tell me.
Ricshel’s head whipped around to look at Patrick.
The master of the house was eating with remarkable elegance, each piece disappearing into his mouth with refined precision.
As if he’d stepped into some grand banquet hall—his movements were graceful, economical, without a trace of excess.
And yet…….
His pace was remarkably swift.
At that rate, he could polish off the entire heaping platter before long—the thought struck Ricshel with surprising force.
Seized by a sudden urgency, Ricshel filled his bowl to the brim and launched into his meal with competitive intensity.
Lion, observing the two of them, smiled with quiet satisfaction.

‘It’s good to see them eating well like this.’

The truth was, Dak Galbi might be somewhat unfamiliar to people in this world.
It was spicy, bold, and everything came together in a single harmonious blend.
But Lion had desperately wanted to share Dak Galbi with his family.
It began from the moment he reached Cooking Level 7.
A dish steeped in memory.

“The truth is, I really wanted to share this with all of you.”
“It’s truly delicious. Thank you.”
“The flavor is quite remarkable. Did you learn this from the head chef?”
“Haha… I learned it from someone I knew.”

Someone he knew.
In other words, someone he’d met long ago, back when he was still Baek I-hyeon, not Lion.
He’d first learned to make Dak Galbi from his friend’s mother—a woman who had known the circumstances of Baek I-hyeon’s life well.

“I-hyeon, I made too much Dak Galbi. Do you want to eat and stay for dinner?”

The young Baek I-hyeon had eaten his fill without hesitation, tackling the abundance she’d so deliberately prepared to be welcoming and without burden.
He had to.
All that waited for him at home was instant ramen.
His friend’s mother had casually shown him how it was made and even prepared the seasoning for him to take home.
It was then he first truly understood what it meant to receive an adult’s kindness.
After becoming an adult, Baek I-hyeon made Dak Galbi often.
It was a dish saturated with memory.
……But.
The truth was, ever since he’d eaten Dak Galbi at the home of a friend whose name he could barely recall now, he’d harbored one consistent thought.
‘I want to share it with family someday.’
Then, conveniently, a function appeared that let him recreate dishes tied to his memories.
So he’d decided to make that wish come true.
Lion scratched his cheek and continued matter-of-factly.

“The truth is, we never got to celebrate a Coming-of-Age Ceremony as a family. So I wanted to prepare something. I’m glad it suits your tastes.”
“…….”

Patrick regarded Lion quietly.

‘A Coming-of-Age Ceremony shared as family.’

In truth, he was quite surprised.
It was something Patrick had privately regretted as well.
No matter how prestigious House Asteri was, holding another lavish Coming-of-Age Ceremony would be difficult for propriety’s sake, and having guests would be inconvenient.
So he’d resigned himself to the idea of simply spending unhurried time with family sometime instead…….
As if Lion had sensed what he was thinking, he brought up dinner first.
Patrick hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage and opened his mouth.

“Thank you.”

And the words he’d swallowed in silence until now, he spoke them too.

“For growing up healthy and doing something like this for me.”

Patrick carefully stroked Lion’s hair.
His touch was rather clumsy, and it was certainly awkward for Patrick to be doing such a thing…….
But the sincerity came through so clearly that Lion burst into laughter.
In that instant.

[You have created a new memory using food steeped in nostalgia!]
[You have achieved the ‘Nostalgia Upon Nostalgia’ Achievement!]
[You have earned 20,000 Shillings!]

But that wasn’t all.

[You have grasped the true meaning of Cooking!]
[Cooking proficiency has risen to Apprentice Level 9!]

His Cooking level jumped two stages at once!
It was an enormous gain, but Lion didn’t mind it.
There was something more important left to do.
He had to make sure it ended as a good memory.

“You two aren’t full yet, are you?”
“Pardon? There’s still more?”
“Don’t we need to finish things off properly?”

Lion lifted the lid of the pot he’d set to the side.
Gleaming rice steamed gently into view.

“Time to stir-fry the rice.”

You couldn’t have a proper Dak Galbi without finishing it with Fried Rice!

“Oh, and we still need to eat Hotteok too.”
“…….”

Ricshel and Patrick exchanged a glance.
The Dak Galbi had been so delicious that they’d both eaten their fill…….
And now there were two more dishes ahead of them.
And looking at Lion’s face…….
It seemed they’d have to do their utmost to finish everything no matter what.

* * *

“I can’t eat anymore.”
“……I think that’s enough now.”

Having managed to finish even Lion’s Hotteok, the two of them clutched their bloated bellies and gasped for breath.
Patrick was retracing his past, wondering if he’d ever eaten this much in his entire life.

“Mmm!”

Lion smiled softly at the sight of the two of them.

“You need to eat like this sometimes.”

It had bothered him that they always set down their utensils before their hunger was truly satisfied, but today felt different—they’d eaten their fill, and he was genuinely pleased by it.
Wasn’t this the kind of result that naturally inspired praise?
Lion beamed with satisfaction as he gathered the dishes.

“Allow me to help, sir.”
“Then could you give me a hand?”
“I will assist as well.”

The three of them tidied the dishes and then settled around the fire.
With full bellies and warmth spreading through their bodies, the tension melted away naturally, drowsiness creeping in.
And most importantly—Lion, the one they’d worried about most, was this healthy.
There was nothing to fear.
Well, almost nothing.
Mana Shock.
Yes, the Mana Shock that might strike Lion at any moment.
For all intents and purposes, it meant an uncertain death waiting in the wings.
As Patrick and Ricshel’s expressions grew somber, Lion spoke first.

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Brother……?”
“It’s about the Mana Shock.”

Lion hadn’t been ignorant of that fact.
In truth, he knew it far too well—which was precisely why he’d arranged this gathering.

‘I was waiting for the right moment.’

The news of reaching First Circle.
In other words, now he could tell them they didn’t need to worry about something like Mana Shock anymore!
And this moment was perfect.

“You don’t need to worry about it.”
“Phew… Yes, you don’t need to worry either. I’ll find some way to—”
“No, that’s not what I mean. You don’t need to worry about it at all anymore. Because the Mana Shock won’t come now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Could it be… that you’ve acquired Mana?”
“Now, now—let me explain. Just calm down, both of you.”

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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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