Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 89

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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 Don’t Know About an Heir, But I’ll Take Some Healing — Episode 89

What would you call the soul food of someone living alone?
A few things probably come to mind.
All manner of delivery food, tinned goods stacked like totems, seasoned seaweed sheets, instant rice made of nothing but white grains.
And instant noodles and soju.
None of it, without exception, could be called healthy.
The sad truth of living alone is that staying healthy becomes remarkably difficult.
No money, and barely any space to cook.
And that’s not even considering how prices make you want to weep.
Why spend this much on ingredients when you could just order a whole chicken and call it a day?
That’s the cry that escapes of its own accord.
Lion, or Baek I-hyeon, had been living alone since he was quite young, and he was no exception.
But eat nothing but instant products long enough, and indigestion and acid reflux inevitably come calling.
Putting on weight was a given.
Buying ingredients and actually cooking something lasted maybe a day or two.
There simply wasn’t time.
It wasn’t until his early twenties that Baek I-hyeon felt the first real warning signs.
And in a bid to at least manage something, he sought out a substitute for instant noodles: Fusilli Lungo pasta.
Ramen, but with pasta instead of ramen noodles!
The idea was to cut back on the grease going into his body, though considering the sodium in ramen broth, it hardly eased the guilt.
Standard fusilli pasta is short, like elbow macaroni, but these were different.
They were long enough for the slurp, just like regular ramen noodles, and worked beautifully in broth.
Pasta that could go into ramen without tasting out of place!

‘Of course, it never tasted quite like the real thing.’

The biggest difference between pasta and instant ramen came down to whether the noodles were fried in oil or not.
Pasta was simply shaped and dried, so compared to ramen it lacked that sharp, stimulating edge.
Baek I-hyeon had never been entirely satisfied eating it that way.
The instant hit of oily flavor was always missing.
Still, having bought it, he had to get rid of it somehow, so he choked it down well enough.
But.

“As long as the shape and texture are roughly right, that’s all that matters.”

Lion had a plan.

[Fusilli Lungo (★)]
-A pasta characterized by its distinctive curly, thread-like appearance.
-Kneaded and made using the chef’s special recipe, yielding a chewier texture than ordinary noodles!

And it was on an entirely different level from what you’d buy in stores.
This was pasta hand-made by the House Bydentis’s own chef!
Lion started by boiling the pasta in a pot of water.
This variety needed a bit longer to cook than standard pasta.
While the pasta simmered, Lion opened his Shilling shop interface.

[Welcome, dear customer.]
[Would you like to view our wares?]

“Show me all the seasonings. Lowest price first.”

[Displaying all items containing ‘seasoning,’ sorted by ascending price.]

Lion fixed his gaze on the first seasoning that appeared.

[Magical Seasoning A]
-A mysterious powder that randomly evokes fond memories.
-30,000 Shillings

[Magical Seasoning B]
-Allows you to select and infuse a cherished flavor memory.
-50,000 Shillings (Editor’s Pick!)

“That’s the one.”

Lion grinned as he gazed at the Magical Seasoning B.
You could actually select which cherished flavor memory to infuse!
That meant it was possible to capture something like “that nostalgic ramen taste from the kimbap franchise chain I used to eat at.”
The price of 50,000 Shillings was steep, though—quite the dent in his purse.

‘But there’s no substitute for it.’

He had the ability to create dishes steeped in memory, but that particular bouillon flavor—the essence of modern technology, concentrated and refined—was difficult to recreate even with his Nostalgic Dish aptitude.

‘And part of ramen’s charm is the ritual of tearing open the packet.’

Growwwl.

His stomach voiced its protest.
Lion had been selling off anything worth selling from the Labyrinth onward, haggling all the way—a steady trickle of transactions that had accumulated.
His haul was approaching 250,000 Shillings.
True, it represented a fifth of his total assets—a cruel sum to spend.
But when it came to food, he never stinted.

“Magical Seasoning B.”

[Proceed with purchase?]
[Once opened, this item cannot be returned, transferred, or gifted.]

“I’ll take it.”

[Item purchased!]
[You have lost 50,000 Shillings.]
[Current balance: 198,400 Shillings.]

The funds drained from his Inventory, and a packet of seasoning—slightly larger than a typical ramen bouillon—tumbled into Lion’s palm.

“Let’s see. Instructions say…….”

[Magical Seasoning B]
-Open while recalling your cherished flavor memory!
-The more vivid your imagination, the greater the flavor precision!

Fortunately, there seemed to be no special procedure required.
Lion retrieved a fresh pot, brought water to a rolling boil, then tore open the packet and shook the seasoning in with a flourish.

‘That Kim-something Paradise ramen!!’

He didn’t even need to strain to summon the taste.
It blazed into his mind instantly.

Bubble-bubble—

The seasoning dissolved into the broth, and nothing outwardly remarkable occurred.
And yet Lion could sense it.

‘It worked.’

The five-colored seasoning shimmered as it tumbled into the pot, then transformed instantly into that familiar crimson hue, and a pungent aroma bloomed through the kitchen, fierce enough to sear the nostrils!
But that wasn’t all.
Even the solids from the instant ramen broth had been recreated!

“Wow…….”

Lion exhaled a short breath of wonder.
It was the kind of smell that could drive a person mad.

‘This isn’t the time to be distracted.’

Lion fished out the noodles he’d boiled to tender firmness and transferred them into the pot with the broth.
Now all that remained was to let it simmer until fully infused.
He cracked an egg into the bubbling ramen without stirring it, then scattered thinly sliced scallions across the surface.
The bright green slivers softened gradually, drinking in the red of the broth.
The egg white did the same.

Gulp.

The sight alone made his mouth water—Lion swallowed hard and retrieved the wooden chopsticks he’d carved himself from his satchel.
These were unquestionably chopsticks.
He killed the flame and set the pot on its trivet, then gazed down at the ramen before him with reverent longing.

[■■■’s Ramen (★★★)]
-A nostalgic noodle dish made with mysterious ingredients that don’t exist in this world!
-The taste of memory has been recreated perfectly. How is it possible to be this flawless?

A dish of remarkable caliber had been born.
Three stars meant the flavor had to be exceptional as well.

‘This is going to be something special.’

The critical test was how thoroughly the noodles had absorbed the broth’s essence…….
Lion lifted a strand of noodles, blew on it gently, and drew it in.
Hot as it still was, he inhaled it in one long slurp!

Slrrrrrrp!

“……!”

As he chewed, Lion’s expression shifted as though he’d taken a blow to the head.
This Magical Seasoning B—it was no joke.
Despite the noodles containing not a single drop of added oil, he could distinctly taste the ramen’s characteristic oily richness!

‘They even captured that?’

Then what about the broth……?
Lion spooned up a generous portion of the soup, blew on it a few times, and swallowed it down.
A salty, intense, peppery sting spread across his palate.
The umami of black pepper and various seasonings.
And this…….

‘Bean sprouts?’

A flavor that clung cleanly to the mouth as if absorbing the sodium, then slipped down the throat without hesitation.

“Ahhhh…….”

This is it!
Lion closed his eyes and shuddered with delight.
At this late hour, after swimming no less, he was certain that no delicacy in all the world could rival this ramen.
It was, without question, the finest taste he’d ever known.
Lion began to eat in earnest.
He slurped the noodles with green onion and drank the broth straight from the pot.
When the subtle heat began to build, he cracked the soft-boiled egg yolk, dipped the noodles generously in it, and ate.
The spiciness seemed to amplify the rich, savory flavor of the yolk to its fullest.

“Here. I’ll give you some too.”

Lion lifted a strand of noodles and placed it before Nature.
Like a chick pecking at a worm, Nature jabbed at the noodles and pushed them into her mouth.
In an instant, she sucked up the entire long strand.

“Chirp!”

She demanded more.
Being a spirit, she had quite the appetite for everything.

“Delicious, isn’t it?”
“Chirp chirp!”

Perhaps because it was the taste of the modern world she’d never experienced before?
Nature bounced up and down with joy.
Lion gave her one more strand, then finished the rest himself, drinking every last drop of broth.

“Ah. That was truly delicious.”

He’d spent a considerable sum, but there was no regret—the taste was worth every Shilling.

[That’s the one!]
[You were genuinely moved by the food you created!]
[You have used ingredients of unknown origin, so an Experience Points bonus has been applied.]
[Congratulations! You have realized that when you share the most delicious food you’ve ever tasted, its flavor multiplies!]
[Your Cooking Proficiency has reached Level 1.]
[The Aging Acceleration function has been unlocked.]

“Oh.”

He hadn’t expected to level up.
It seemed he’d earned bonus Experience Points from using the special ingredient called Magical Seasoning.
By this measure, it was easily worth more than fifty thousand Shillings.
And beyond that…

‘Aging Acceleration?’

That meant the range of dishes he could prepare would expand dramatically.
Lion’s mind instantly flooded with countless culinary possibilities.
There were endless dishes that benefited from aging.
Even stews and casseroles tasted better after sitting for a day—the flavors deepened and matured.
But if he had this acceleration function… he could add that deep, complex flavor the instant he finished cooking.
And not only that…

‘I could make dishes that normally require lengthy aging right on the spot.’

He swallowed.

Though his belly was full, his mouth began to water of its own accord.

‘Extraordinary…….’

When he returned to the estate, there would be so much more to explore and attempt.
Had he not grown considerably during this visit?

“First, let me put things in order.”

Lion made a final cleanup, asked Nature to remove any lingering scents, and quietly returned to his room.
Quite the remarkable day it had been.

* * *

Time flowed swiftly, and the day arrived for Lion to return to Asteri Estate.

“I do hope you’ll come back again.”
“Of course. I’ll visit sometime.”

Lion smiled, cleanly declining Clarentia’s final proposal.

“How cold you are. After all I’ve given you.”
“The gifts are truly appreciated.”

Lion gazed with satisfaction at the medicinal herbs piled high in the back of the carriage.
But that was not all.
The carriage also held precious Snow Mountain Iron from House Bydentis.

“That’s a bribe, if anything.”
“Thank you for the gifts.”

Clarentia gracefully accepted Lion’s resolve and extended her hand.

“Then I shall see you again.”

Lion shook her hand lightly and climbed into the carriage.
Clarentia watched it depart, then turned back toward her study, unable to suppress a knowing smile.

‘I wonder if he realizes what he’s just accomplished.’

A pact between the Magic Clan and the Swordsmanship Clan—there was no precedent for it in the histories.
And Lion Asteri had made it happen.
What’s more, that coachman was clearly someone from the Underworld.
He posed as a servant, but the footfalls without a sound—that telltale silent gait of an assassin—was not the work of an ordinary man.
The Swordsmanship Clan, the Magic Clan, the Underworld.
A man patronized by all three.

‘Though he likely hasn’t a clue.’

And even if he did, he was not the type to exploit it.

‘Which is why he must be all the more careful.’

When powerful factions ally, others inevitably seek the reason why.

“The Imperial Family. The Temple.”

And perhaps even outside powers would come to focus on the figure known as Lion Asteri.

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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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