Chapter 21

Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Shutting the door and stepping back inside the kitchen, I packed Rikschel’s designated share of the cookies, while Lion, who had just finished keeping the heated beverage warm, quickly brushed away a layer of chilly perspiration.

“Phew.”

I had nearly fallen straight into grandfather’s trap.

‘You never give direct answers to questions like that.’

There were several crucial lessons I had picked up through my lengthy tenure back at the corporation.

First and foremost, never make demands for physical compensation.

You are only entitled to request rewards once tangible results have been delivered.

And honestly, I hadn’t presented any noteworthy achievements just yet.

Even if I voiced my thoughts, he wouldn’t pay attention, and it would simply leave me in an awkward position.

Therefore, playing dumb and changing the subject was by far the wisest course of action.

Naturally… I didn’t actually want anything from Lion anyway.

My current lifestyle suited me completely.

“Anyhow, I should go deliver these snacks to Rikschel.”

I also needed to let him know he could finally take a break.

Carrying that thought, Lion made his way toward Rikschel’s quarters.

And right at that moment…

“Ugh! This is completely wrong!”

Pushing the door open, I caught sight of Rikschel tearing the pages in his hands to shreds.

‘Oh, what on earth is going on here?’

For a brief second, the tale of a certain stubborn pottery craftsman crossed my mind.

The one who smashed every imperfect vessel to uphold his strict standards of excellence…

‘Could it be something along those lines?’

Indeed, Rikschel possessed a surprisingly intense perfectionist streak.

It had been the exact same way whenever he practiced baking bread.

Lion stepped into the room with extreme caution, careful to avoid stepping on the loose sheets of paper strewn across the floorboards.

“Rikschel. Are you keeping busy with your studies?”

“…Ah, hyung-nim. When did you get here?”

Thankfully, Rikschel managed to regain his composure quickly enough to greet Lion.

‘Such a boyish reaction…’

Noticing the bright red tips of his ears, he looked thoroughly embarrassed.

“Um, did you happen to catch any of that?”

Well, yes. I saw the whole thing.

“No? Not a thing.”

When Lion offered a harmless white lie, Rikschel let out an audible sigh of relief.

“Whew. That’s a huge relief. It wasn’t exactly a pretty sight. But what brings you here? To my room, of all places…”

“Oh, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. You must be exhausted, so I brought you a little treat.”

Lion cleared a space among the papers littering the desk and set down the plate of cookies alongside the warm drink.

“Did you bake these yourself? Goodness gracious, I’ll gladly accept them, hyung-nim.”

Without asking any questions, Rikschel immediately deduced that Lion had prepared them and began consuming the snacks and beverage without a hint of suspicion.

“Wow! These are incredible. Even this hot drink is amazing.”

“I’m glad you like it. It’s healthy for you too, so take your time eating.”

Of course, it also aided in physical conditioning and recovery, but there was no need to bring that up.

Seeing how far he had come since the first time he tossed away a banana sweet potato, I felt a genuine sense of pride.

“You should have some too, hyung-nim.”

“Shall we join you?”

Even though I had already consumed plenty of sweets, I didn’t turn down Rikschel’s invitation and slowly nibbled on a cookie.

He genuinely needed this kind of downtime.

‘It reminds me of the days when I used to sneak snacks in the breakroom.’

Dark instant coffee and a bag of potato chips.

That had been my only brief window to breathe during a grueling corporate career.

‘Still, what on earth was he working on that required tearing through so much paper?’

Was he wrestling with some complex magical equations?

Once Rikschel finished his drink, Lion casually prompted him,

“Are these extra assignments from grandfather? It looks like an awful lot of work.”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing like that. I finished the family head’s assigned tasks ages ago.”

Sure enough, a neat stack of documents sat weighted down by an ornate paperweight at the corner of the desk.

“So, are these independent studies then?”

“Um, you could say that.”

If it fell under the category of independent study, it meant he was pouring a lot of effort into something important, right?

Securing grandfather’s permission beforehand had certainly been the right call.

“You’re free to take it easy right up until your coming-of-age ceremony.”

“……Pardon?”

“I got the green light from grandfather. You’ve looked awfully drained lately.”

“Th-that…”

Rikschel’s eyes fluttered with shock.

Hyung-nim is paying this much attention to my well-being!

Yet…

It couldn’t possibly be that.

“It’s not because of the heir training or the patriarch’s workload. It’s just that…”

Watching Rikschel stammer awkwardly, Lion offered a teasing smile.

“Could it be love letters?”

“…”

“Am I right? You’re practically an adult now, so taking an interest in that sort of thing is completely normal…”

“It’s because of the coming-of-age ceremony coming up soon.”

“Ah, I see.”

For the first time, Rikschel brushed past Lion’s teasing remark and brought up what was really on his mind.

“My coming-of-age ceremony? Is this about the family ritual?”

Within the Asteri household, every member who reached adulthood was required to undergo a specific trial.

The trial took place within the ‘Library Labyrinth,’ originally forged by the founding head of the Asteri lineage.

In reality, it wasn’t an overwhelmingly dangerous ordeal.

‘It’s more of a ceremonial rite of passage.’

The Library Labyrinth, which featured prominently in the game from my past life, operated essentially as a skill-acquisition hub, steering anyone who entered toward the exact type of magic that suited them best.

Though they called it a labyrinth, it lacked any confusing branch points, simply directing visitors through rooms filled with texts appropriate for their current tier.

According to Lion’s recollections, those who managed to reach the absolute depths of the labyrinth were allowed to claim a unique artifact…

Given that it was a special treasure from a legendary magical dynasty, I couldn’t help wondering if it was truly something extraordinary.

‘Is he fretting because he thinks the trial itself is perilous?’

There was no reason to worry about that.

If you tried to force your way through aggressively, it became impenetrable, but if you simply embraced the process, wasn’t it just a secure archive that doubled as a library?

Even before taking over this body, the original Lion Asteri had practically lived inside that library, using it as his personal sanctuary.

Of course, given Rikschel’s rigid perfectionism, he might simply be stressing himself out over nothing.

Or perhaps he was pushing himself to the brink out of a fear that I might be embarrassed…

“No. To be precise, it’s about the ceremonial attire you’ll be wearing, hyung-nim.”

However, the words that actually left Rikschel’s mouth took a sharp turn away from anything Lion had anticipated.

Clothes, out of all things?

“Isn’t it fine to just wear something presentable? Besides, I heard grandfather is already taking care of the party preparations.”

Rikschel’s expression darkened into an intensely grim mask.

“Did you happen to catch a glimpse of them?”

“Catch a glimpse of what?”

“The garments the family head has selected for you.”

“…I haven’t seen them yet.”

“It looks like this.”

Acting as though he had been waiting for that exact cue, Rikschel whipped a design sketch out from his desk drawer.

And the drawing revealed…

“Gasp.”

It was quite… avant-garde.

Massive shoulder pads reminiscent of Piccolo from Dragon Ball, skintight trousers, and high heels?

And why on earth was the color scheme structured that way?

Were they trying to cram every primary color onto a single outfit?

“The family head has one fatal flaw. Namely, a complete and utter absence of aesthetic sense.”

“…”

Not just lacking, but at this magnitude… it crossed straight into catastrophic territory, didn’t it?

“You’ve managed to dress reasonably well until now, though.”

“That was entirely thanks to Head Maid Silvia. But she’s retired.”

“Ah, right. She retired.”

And nowadays, she served as my personal attendant.

‘Silvia… no, Elvia carried a heavy burden.’

At the bare minimum, keeping me from ever stepping out in clothes like those was an monumental achievement.

Imagine an Eighth-Circle Archmage showing up to a grand social gathering sporting an ensemble like that?

It was guaranteed to shatter the remaining dignity and prestige of the Asteri house.

The stakes had suddenly escalated dramatically.

“That’s why I was planning on designing something myself…”

Rikschel smoothed out a wrinkled sheet of paper and turned it toward me.

Drawn upon it was a ceremonial robe featuring a significantly more refined silhouette than the previous disaster.

“Oh? This actually looks quite decent…”

“Do you really think it’ll work?”

“It should be fine, though… wait just a second.”

The front portion displayed the clean lines of a proper formal suit, but why was the back cut so low, resembling an evening dress?

And why was the hem deliberately tattered, as though it had just survived a magical explosion?

“I styled it this way because a surprising twist would suit someone of your stature, hyung-nim.”

Rikschel explained with a shy, hopeful smile.

A twist, sure, but…

“Are you planning to wear something similar yourself?”

“Oh, no. I’ll stick to a normal outfit. After all, you’re the absolute star of this banquet, hyung-nim!”

Ah.

I had just uncovered the ultimate weakness of the Asteri family bloodline.

Their collective fashion sense was completely broken.

And not just slightly broken.

‘It’s criminally unhinged.’

If I walked out wearing this creation, not a single soul would ever dare approach me again, that much was certain!

‘Good grief, even for someone like me who enjoys leaning into an eccentric persona, this is crossing a line.’

Struggling to keep a pleasant expression plastered across his face, Lion carefully refolded the terrifying clothing design and pushed it back across the table toward Rikschel.

“These ideas are lovely, but… how about we go get our ceremonial robes fitted together instead? If possible, let’s drag grandfather along for a fitting too. It’ll make the whole family look closer, don’t you think?”

Please, just say yes.

“Oh? Can we actually do that?”

“Of course we can! Oh, and by the way… I’ll go ahead and review the paperwork for the coming-of-age celebration that grandfather has been putting together.”

“Understood. I’ll compile the documents and bring them right to you.”

“Appreciate it.”

This situation required immediate intervention.

It was a matter of preserving my personal dignity… and quite frankly, the survival of the Asteri family name.

“So, make sure you get plenty of rest today, and let’s head out the day after tomorrow.”

Unlike elaborate women’s gowns, men’s ceremonial wear could be tailored relatively quickly, so there should be enough time.

We could always rely on high-grade fabrics straight from the estate’s private vaults.

The real priority right now wasn’t the material itself.

It was finding someone with an eye for clean, understated, and genuinely normal designs.

Fortunately, Lion happened to know just the right individual.

“…I’m really glad I baked an extra batch of cookies today.”

Lion muttered under his breath as he drifted back toward the kitchen to grab the remaining packages.

Something told me I was going to need plenty of bribes.

—

“…And that’s basically how things turned out.”

“I see.”

Naturally, the very first person Lion sought out for a second opinion was Elvia.

Elvia offered a peculiar, knowing look, as though she had fully anticipated this outcome.

“I apologize, Young Master, but I’m afraid I won’t be of much assistance. I lack any sort of artistic eye.”

“…”

Got it. The newly appointed maid, Elvia, shared that particular family trait.

Lion decided it was best to respect her limitations.

“Well, if something looks completely disastrous, could you at least promise to give me an honest warning?”

“Of course. I cannot guarantee my advice will be useful, but I will always share my sincere perspective.”

“Thank you. Here, take these cookies and the drink.”

“Are these intended for me as well?”

“Naturally. You helped me prep them after all. You deserve the lion’s share. And don’t worry, I have a few more doors to knock on.”

With a reassuring smile meant to ease her mind, Lion hoisted his oversized canvas bag over his shoulder.

“Anyway, I’ll be back shortly. It won’t take long.”

“Understood. I will be waiting here.”

—

Lion departed from the main mansion even earlier than Rikschel.

Before heading to his primary destination, he planned to make a quick stop by Mudu’s humble residence to drop off a treat for the children.

While he was there, he also intended to sound out the blacksmith about a certain person he had in mind.

“Oh my goodness, Young Master!”

As soon as Lion stepped into Mudu’s tidy yard, Leah, who had been busy hanging up laundry, along with a cluster of excited children, came running over in absolute delight.

“How did you manage to carry such a massive bag all by yourself?!”

“It’s the Young Master!”

“Hooray, the Young Master is here!”

“Have you all been keeping well?”

“We sure have! Always! Please, come inside right away.”

Lion didn’t turn down the invitation and stepped into the dwelling.

It remained a warm, sunlit, and impeccably tidy home.

“Here, let’s start with a small gift.”

Reaching into his bag, Lion pulled out four neatly wrapped paper packages of cookies.

“Each of you take one bag. I baked them myself.”

“The Young Master made these?”

“How did you even bake cookies? Wow!”

“To think you’d bestow such a precious gift upon us…”

“It’s fine, go ahead and take them. Think of it as a bribe.”

“…”

Leah, who had been looking affectionately exasperated at the children for eagerly snatching up the gifts and scattering, suddenly froze as the word ‘bribe’ registered in her mind.

She simply couldn’t fathom why the young master of the great Asteri household would ever feel the need to offer a bribe to someone like her, a humble blacksmith’s wife.

—

### Follow-up Question

Would you like me to continue adapting the next chapter, or is there a specific character dynamic you’d like to focus on next?