Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 16
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 16
“Is there a problem?”
“Well… um. It’s not that there’s a problem with the child. Actually…”
“It’s because Peter is too soft-hearted.”
Behind the orphanage director, a child shouted.
It was the first child who had come to take the bread that Lion and Rickshel had made.
“Elena.”
“It’s all right. Can you explain in more detail what you mean?”
Before the director could scold the child, Lion stepped forward and asked the girl named Elena.
“Yes. So, Peter…”
To summarize Elena’s story:
The boy called Peter was too full of affection, so he tried not to give his heart to people who came only once and left.
For that reason, he was refusing all outside food and people, she said.
“Yes. It’s unfortunate, but Elena is right. If it’s that child… even if you young masters hand out bread, he won’t eat it.”
The orphanage director murmured with a regretful expression.
“Frankly, that’s why I’m so worried. He’s already terribly thin, and now he’s refusing such a rare treat…”
‘Well, it can’t be helped.’
Rickshel nodded.
He understood that it was regrettable, but that didn’t mean outsiders like them could solve it.
“Then, it would be better to give this portion to another child…”
“Where is he? I’ll at least give persuasion a try.”
But Lion was different.
‘So it just means I need to reassure him.’
If he was refusing kindness because he thought you would come only once, then you could simply come again.
He had nothing else to do anyway, and he could keep using this hairpin from now on.
“He’s probably in the back garden of the orphanage. If you really wish, I’ll go with you.”
“Please lead the way.”
So the three of them headed to the back garden, and sure enough, a child was squatting against the wall.
That child seemed to be the last bread’s owner.
But…
‘He really is skinny.’
Just as the director had said, he was gaunter than the other children.
Just looking at the boniness starting from his wrists, he was at a level where it wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed at any moment.
‘His age looks about the same as Mudu’s children.’
“Peter! Get up. These are the people who baked bread for us. Quickly, take this.”
The director spoke in a gentle tone, but…
“…I’m not eating it.”
“Even so, they took such care to bake it. Can’t you at least have a little?”
“Forget it.”
At Peter’s stubbornness, the director stepped back slightly and gave a bitter smile.
“He isn’t a bad child. It’s just… yes. As Elena said, he’s too young, that’s all.”
Then, in an even lower voice, she whispered so Peter wouldn’t hear.
“His adoption has been canceled three times. Because he’s too shy around strangers.”
“…”
Rickshel glanced sideways at his older brother Lion.
He thought maybe it would be better to give up about now…
‘Knowing my brother, he probably won’t do that.’
Rickshel predicted Lion’s next action and stepped back to give him space.
Then, as expected, Lion strode straight toward Peter.
“So you’re Peter?”
“…”
He had at least answered the director, but to Lion he didn’t even reply.
Not minding it, Lion waved the bread in front of his eyes.
“Only your share is left. Don’t you know all the other kids already ate theirs?”
“Put it away… I’m not eating…”
Just as he was about to say he wouldn’t eat it.
A savory buttery scent wafted from the bread before his eyes.
At the same time.
Growl—
A tremendous sound echoed from his small body, and Peter’s face flushed bright red.
‘Clearly, it’s not that he isn’t hungry.’
He grasped the situation clearly.
If his adoption had been canceled three times at such a young age, it was understandable that he would completely shut his heart to strangers.
That child probably needed a lot of time just to adjust, even after being adopted.
‘If it was just simple sulkiness, I’d have intended to approach him playfully.’
This wasn’t something that could be solved by treating him like a child.
‘At a time like this…’
Without another word, Lion plopped down next to Peter.
“…!”
Peter was a little surprised, but he tried to act nonchalant and buried his face in his knees.
He knew very well that if he rejected them with his whole body like this, they would disappear soon enough.
“…Then, I’ll go look after the other children.”
After watching Lion’s actions, the director naturally gave them space.
She didn’t believe he would succeed.
She just wanted to create a possibility that Peter might open his heart, even a little, because of this.
Time passed like that.
It was when the residents who had come to volunteer were starting to head home one by one.
“…”
Peter slowly raised his face from his knees.
He had kept still until they left and ended up dozing off.
‘Still, whatever…’
By now he must have left.
After all, weren’t adults all the same?
They do one show-off volunteer stint and then.
They even promise with a smile that they’ll come back.
And then they never return.
‘Liars.’
Even the parents who adopted him were the very same.
Because he was different from what they expected, because he wasn’t cute enough.
Because it seemed he didn’t think of them as his real parents.
‘They threw me away.’
Thinking that if they left him back at the orphanage, he’d manage to eat and live fine on his own.
So it was obvious that the person who had been sitting next to him earlier had also gone.
Just like all the other adults…
Then.
“Awake?”
A voice came from beside him.
“Gasp!”
Peter flinched in surprise and looked to the side.
The young master who had come to volunteer was still sitting right there.
‘Did he come back while I was asleep?’
No, if that were the case, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed.
He was a light sleeper.
Then did that mean he hadn’t paid attention to anything else and had just been by my side all that time?
“You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t wake you. But aren’t you hungry?”
Lion took out the bread again.
The warmth had disappeared long ago, but because he had held it in his arms, it hadn’t gone cold.
Growl—
At the sight of food, his tactless stomach let out another cry of hunger.
“…Hmph.”
Peter turned his head away and refused, but…
“I’m hungry, though.”
Still, Lion didn’t get angry.
“So you really won’t eat? Got it.”
Rather, this time he smiled playfully, made one last offer, and then ended it.
‘What the…’
The moment Peter was bewildered.
Rip—!
Lion tore off a piece of the bread he was holding and stuffed a big bite into his mouth.
“…!”
And Peter’s eyes went round.
Wha-what?!
Right before his eyes, his own share of food was disappearing into someone else!
This was again a new type of betrayal.
It wasn’t pleading with him to eat, nor getting angry and telling him not to eat. It wasn’t pointing fingers at an orphan who had the nerve to be full.
It was simply that the bread had completely vanished.
And in a single bite, a whole third of it!
“Ah, delicious. I was hungry anyway.”
Munch munch!
Lion ate the bread with gusto.
“Wh-what are you doing!”
“I’m eating bread, can’t you tell?”
Lion answered nonchalantly and tore off another big bite of bread.
‘My bread!!’
At the rate he was shoving it in, only half the bread was already left.
He couldn’t help but feel his heart grow urgent without realizing it.
“Since you said you won’t eat, I have no choice but to polish it off.”
Even while Peter was flustered and getting angry, Lion tore off another piece of bread.
‘Huh? Huuuh?’
So if I don’t eat… it gets taken away?
Refusing food and having food stolen were different matters.
Nor was it a matter of giving his heart or not.
No, he couldn’t even think about that.
It was just that! Right before his eyes, the bread was being stolen!
Just before he put another bite into his mouth!
“I-I’ll eat it! I’m going to eat it!”
“Really?”
“I’m going to eat it!”
“Sounds like a lie. Aah~.”
“Ssss…!”
Peter fumed and snatched the bread, stuffing it into his mouth by the handful, and glared at Lion as if to show him.
And then…
“…!”
Before he knew it, he was chewing.
The bread… was delicious.
What’s more, how delicious must bread be when he was used to going hungry?
It didn’t take very long for Peter to throw away his guard and finish half a loaf.
‘Right. At that age, you absolutely have to eat well.’
Only after watching Peter eat it all with satisfaction did Lion pull out one more hidden loaf and hand it over.
“Here. This one is actually my share, but I’ll give it to you.”
Of course, this was also Peter’s share, but Lion lied as innocently as could be.
“…”
Peter seemed to be wrestling with whether to take it.
“If you don’t want it, I’ll just eat it.”
“N-no! Thanks…”
Only then did Peter accept the bread and eat it.
It seemed there was a bit of sniffling mixed in, but Lion didn’t bother about that part.
He simply looked at the director, who had been watching Peter’s change from afar, and put his index finger to his lips.
After Peter had finished all the bread, Lion stroked his head.
“You eat well.”
“This is, well…”
Peter wanted to make an excuse.
He wanted to say clearly, “You’re the same kind of person anyway, aren’t you?” but his voice wouldn’t come out easily.
Just as he thought to himself it was only because the bread was dry.
“You know something? Even adults skip meals first when they’re upset. But you, Peter, even though you’re upset, you didn’t skip a meal and ate this well.”
“…”
“Well done.”
“…”
Peter’s lips quivered, then he clenched his fist once and shouted.
“It’s just because the bread was delicious!”
“Oh?”
“Yeah! So, so…”
Lion waited without rushing him.
Until Peter brought out the true feelings inside him.
“…So, thank you. For making such delicious bread.”
“I’ll make more and come again.”
Lion smiled and held out his little finger.
“Promise.”
“…Yeah. Promise.”
“For the record, I’ve never broken a promise, okay? Keep that in mind.”
Only then did Peter smooth his scowling face and smile.
He still didn’t completely trust this promise, but at least he had opened his heart to Lion.
That he had opened his heart to even just one person.
That was what mattered.
“Oh my…”
Watching that scene from afar, the director covered her mouth with both hands.
‘How long has it been since I saw that child smile…!’
Ever since the director had come here, Peter had been steadily losing his smile.
The wounds from three broken adoptions were something even a devout director couldn’t fully console.
And yet, a boy younger than him…
And a noble young master who knew nothing of the world, at that, had resolved it.
‘Honestly, I thought he was suspicious.’
Or she had believed without doubt that he was just impulsive.
Nevertheless, she was grateful. After all, was he not the great person who had led all these people to act for the orphanage children?
But…
‘He genuinely cared for them.’
Rather, it was the director herself who had looked at him through biased lenses.
The director shut her eyes tightly, then opened them.
‘That noble person truly deserves God’s blessing…!’
She didn’t know how she could help that young master who lacked nothing, but the director resolved to do her utmost.
Namely, to contact a priest, the sole crumbling connection of the orphanage director.
Coincidentally, she had received word that he would come to pray for the children at dawn today.
“Pardon me, but would you two be able to remain at the orphanage a little longer? There is someone I would like to introduce.”