Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 25
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 25
The dining hall where the House Asteri members gathered was laden with a feast of delicacies.
Soup made with a generous amount of mushrooms said to be scarce in the world, freshly baked bread with butter, and various compotes.
A salad loaded with dressing and fresh cheese.
A whole chicken with drumsticks the size of an adult man’s forearm, and a steak roasted from an entire sirloin.
These were dishes that not only commoners but even nobles who were considered fairly successful could not easily taste.
“Isn’t this a bit too much?”
Lion smiled awkwardly at the food glistening under the chandelier light.
No matter how he looked at it, this far exceeded the scale of a simple family meal for three.
“This is no ordinary day, so I made a special request to the chef.”
“I see.”
It was true that the three of them could count the number of times they had dined together on one hand.
Firstly, in the past, he had been unwell, so he had skipped meals or eaten a separate sick diet.
Grandfather also stayed at the Imperial Palace so often that he must have frequently had his formal meals separately.
Rickshel, whose daily routine was at least somewhat consistent, was probably the one who used the dining hall most often.
‘If that was the case, he must have been quite lonely.’
He felt he understood why Rickshel had made the special request.
Perhaps he had been quietly looking forward to this.
“Right. We should have days like this sometimes.”
Rickshel smiled faintly at Lion’s reaction.
‘As I thought, Brother must have been very lonely.’
Indeed, the number of proper meals he’d ever had in this dining hall had been few and far between.
Moreover, Brother, who was gentle and affectionate by nature, might have found it difficult to endure the cold atmosphere of House Asteri all alone.
He hadn’t known until now, but he should make sure to have more time like this in the future.
I should make a suggestion to Grandfa… no, to the Family Head.
‘Though it will be a bit difficult.’
Rickshel still found Petrick Asteri difficult.
While he was his grandfather, his impression as the Family Head was stronger, and he himself also felt more like an heir than a grandson.
Had they ever shared a personal conversation?
Of course not.
‘Because I wouldn’t know what to talk about.’
In truth, there were things he wanted to ask, but he had never dared to.
Thus, all conversation continued efficiently and solely about work matters.
That was the blunt way the two stoic grandfather and grandson, who resembled each other, conversed.
It wasn’t that Rickshel disliked Petrick.
He was the only family, the guardian, aside from his brother.
Just as he was thinking that, even if it was a little awkward, he should have more time like this for his brother’s sake from now on…
“You’ve arrived?”
Petrick entered the dining hall.
“We were waiting. Family Head.”
Unlike Lion, who spoke in a friendly manner, Rickshel greeted him with utmost courtesy and waited until Petrick was seated.
“You’ve come at just the right time. The food is still warm.”
“Take a seat.”
Petrick glanced at Lion and then sat down.
‘It would be nice if you were a little more affectionate.’
Rickshel felt a bit dissatisfied, but he held it in and sat down.
Soon, Petrick began eating first, and the other two also picked up their spoons.
The meal was quite quiet.
To an observer, it could have been described as walking on thin ice.
And the only words spoken during it were…
“Is the work being handled well?”
“I will handle it without any inadequacy.”
They were only talking about the coming-of-age ceremony.
Even that was just a Q&A about whether it was being processed well in a businesslike manner.
Were you well? What kind of gift do you want? …There were no personal questions like that at all.
‘This can’t be the atmosphere Brother was hoping for…’
Uncharacteristically, Rickshel grew quite anxious.
He had wanted his brother to enjoy it, but wasn’t this rather like he was an awkward third wheel?
‘I have to bring up some topic of conversation…’
It was at that moment, when Rickshel was desperately racking his brains.
“Now that I think of it, Grandfather.”
Lion spoke first.
Right. As expected, his brother was a hundred times better than him at breaking through this kind of atmosphere.
The only regret was that he couldn’t be of any help…
“Have you by any chance ever made fabric for Mother?”
Cough!
Rickshel was emptying his glass when the drink went down the wrong pipe.
And the same went for Petrick.
Petrick set down the wine glass in his hand and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
First, he had never expected talk of his daughter to come out of his grandson’s mouth in this situation, and the content itself was also bewildering.
More than that…
‘How did he know?’
Worried that his daughter might step on her skirt and fall, he had taken the finest magic wool, enchanted each piece with protective magic, and then had it woven into cloth.
It was also something he had never told anyone about.
But how did he…
‘Surely not Elvia?’
No, no matter what, there was no way she would have brought it up first.
Petrick barely managed to maintain his composure and asked in return.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ah, well, I met a tailor today.”
Lion, who had brought it up in the first place, began to rattle off the story without any hesitation.
That the blacksmith Mudu’s wife had introduced him to a tailor she knew.
That in the process, he had discovered a unique fabric in the family.
“But that tailor told me it was exactly the same as a fabric given to her by a certain young lady. It was a fabric she had never seen before or since.”
He glossed over how he had deduced it.
“I just wondered if that young lady might be Mother, so I asked.”
“…I see.”
Petrick fell silent for a long while.
The atmosphere naturally sank, but Lion paid it no mind and continued slicing his steak.
Stories about their mother were nearly taboo within the family.
Because she was both a painful wound and an object of longing.
Especially for Petrick, who had lost his only daughter, and for Lion and Rickshel, who had lost their mother, it was even more so.
‘Because we can’t bury it and live with it forever.’
That was what Lion thought.
Unless they planned to live their whole lives forgetting the deceased, they would have to confront it someday.
‘Between grandfather and his grandsons, the link of our parents is necessary.’
Without it, the two were naturally awkward with each other.
Neither of them said it, but they were subtly bothered by it, weren’t they?
He just didn’t show it here, but Lion was not an oblivious person.
‘Leaving this aside will only leave a deeper scar.’
And he knew.
That only when you can comfortably talk about the person who has left, can those who remain console each other.
The current Lion felt that way. The Lion in his memories felt the same.
That was part of the reason he had tried to get a group formal attire made in the first place.
‘And it just so happened that I discovered that fabric.’
Thanks to that, Rickshel and Petrick had gained an opportunity to talk.
“Rickshel, you remember too, right? Among the things you brought, there was a fabric that sparkled especially brightly.”
“…Ah, yes. I remember.”
Rickshel answered awkwardly, stealing glances at Petrick.
Pretending not to be curious while being curious.
At that gaze, Petrick slowly opened his mouth.
His tone was much softer than usual.
“I didn’t know where that child had her clothes made either. But… yes. That fabric was cloth I made myself.”
“You made it yourself, Grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask the reason?”
At Rickshel’s question, Petrick’s eyes actually widened slightly.
He must have thought the boy didn’t care since he never showed it.
‘There’s no way.’
Even if he acted grown-up, he was still just a child.
How could he not be curious?
He just buried it in his heart.
That was why he kept drawing a line out of awkwardness and calling him Family Head.
“It’s not a grand reason. It’s just…”
Petrick moved his lips, then, uncharacteristically, spoke in a small voice.
“From a father’s standpoint, it’s only natural to worry.”
“…!”
That alone was enough.
Lion grinned.
“I plan to make my formal attire with that fabric. It won’t run short, will it?”
“That won’t happen, so don’t worry unnecessarily.”
“Haha, thank you. Then Grandfather, when would you be available to visit?”
“…”
“I told you, didn’t I? We’re all planning to wear similar clothes. Naturally, you should wear them too, Grandfather.”
Petrick didn’t seem to have anticipated it.
It seemed he had only been thinking of the two brothers wearing them.
“…I also agree. But Brother, since the Family Head will likely have little time to spare, it would be better to summon that tailor directly.”
“Right. I’ll call her in as soon as possible, then.”
“Hmm.”
The idea of wearing similar clothes was actually a bit embarrassing, but seeing his grandsons look at him with such sparkling eyes, it was something he couldn’t refuse.
“Fine. Do as you wish. This is your matter, Lion, so I will follow your lead.”
“Thank you.”
Lion secretly clenched his fist.
Now that he had permission, Grandfather’s sense of aesthetics would no longer pose a threat.
And the family atmosphere had improved as well.
‘Now I can just relax and focus on preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony.’
Lion smiled with a light heart.
Thinking that at least until the coming-of-age ceremony, no problems would arise…
* * *
Fortunately, just as Lion had planned, the preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony proceeded without a hitch.
Aside from the tailor Andrie trembling as she took measurements, Grandfather’s formal attire also began to be made smoothly, and everything from decorating the banquet hall for the coming-of-age party to sending out the invitations was handled without issue.
It was possible thanks to the absolute support of the Asteri family.
“Brother, please do not overdo it, and leave any troublesome tasks to me. I will handle the invitation dispatch on my end.”
“Surely you’re not worrying about money within my house? Do not spare any expense on anything.”
After that evening, not only Rickshel but even Petrick oddly began helping Lion actively.
‘That wasn’t why I brought it up.’
The amount of work he had to handle had clearly decreased.
In fact, Lion’s main task was just to check whether the two of them were trying to insert some bizarre aesthetic somewhere.
Thanks to that, even now, when he should have been at his busiest, he could spare time to acquire tailoring skills.
“Hmm…”
But it wasn’t exactly easy.
He had clumsily tried tracing patterns and sewing pieces together.
[New Talent: Sewing]
[Tailoring Proficiency has reached Apprentice Lv.1.]
…Such a thing did not happen.
“Hmm…”
Why?
It wasn’t on par with his blacksmithing, but he felt his sewing was at least as accomplished as his cooking.
That meant his proficiency wasn’t lacking.
Moreover, he hadn’t even used a sewing machine, so it was also true that he had started from the very basics and built his foundations.
Yet his talent remained dormant.
‘Do I perhaps lack the talent?’
Lion immediately shook his head. That didn’t seem likely.
Sewing was an act he had consistently done since the old days. If anything, he’d be more lacking in talent for cooking.
‘What’s the difference between the two? Does it require a teacher, after all?’
This was a possibility.
In the case of alchemy, it was self-taught because it came with a Potion Crafting Specialization, but for all the others, there had always been people acting as teachers guiding him.
“But this also feels… huff. Not quite right.”
While he was pondering over this and that…
With a soft swish, Elvia emerged from the darkness.
“Young master. Andrie has come to see you.”
“Ah. Are the clothes finished?”
“As far as I could see, the formal attire seemed to be all finished, but her expression was a bit strange.”