Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing

“Y–You would? My family is also renowned for making exceptionally delicious bread!”

“Richel, don’t you think it would be even more rewarding if we helped out together?”

“……That’s a good idea.”

Richel realized something important in response to Leon’s words.

I was so caught up only thinking about my brother that I completely neglected to consider the orphanage children’s circumstances.

Even while my brother was unwell, he always put others first…

And here I was, merely offering superficial goodwill.

Come to think of it, isn’t this just an empty donation?

An orphanage that’s barely scraping by…

In such a place, would they even have enough ingredients to bake bread?

Surely they’d be sparing with even salt or cheap oil, not to mention butter or milk.

My brother must have known that already.

Truly admirable.

A small smile crept onto Richel’s lips.

He couldn’t quite understand why it felt so endearing and remarkable that Leon had noticed what he himself had overlooked.

Good.

Of course, Leon hadn’t pondered it as deeply as Richel had.

After all, great bread isn’t made solely from superb ingredients— the baker’s skill plays a huge part, too.

That means it turns out delicious, and those who eat it will surely be satisfied.

After all, if we’re going to be happy, isn’t it better if more people share that happiness?

“Then, I’ll get everything ready right away.”

Before the two brothers could change their minds, Nicholas hurried off to the kitchen.

In the meantime, Leon and Richel checked to see what freebies they’d received earlier at the shop.

“There isn’t much—the freebies aren’t very generous.”

“Shall we take a look?”

Just as Richel had predicted, there were all sorts of miscellaneous items among them, and one in particular caught his eye.

This is…

[Artisan Repair Set]

-It can mend anything—from lost name tags to insoles… whatever needs fixing!

-It’s the creation of a craftsman who has recognized the limits of his talent: while items at or below artisan level can be repaired, master-level items cannot be fixed.

Not bad, huh?

Scratched needles and thread stained with grime—

It didn’t look like much at first glance, but in the eyes of an expert, it was quite valuable. In fact, in terms of worth, it was even more valuable than the hairpins they had paid good money for, yet its worn-out appearance had caused it to be overlooked and tossed in.

“I really don’t need these, so you, brother, can have them all.”

“Really? Even something this fine?”

“Yes. Although, I’m not entirely sure you need them either.”

Richel glanced at the repair set in Leon’s hand.

It was a repair set alright—but it looked like a clunker that could barely sew a single stitch properly.

There’s really no way you’d ever actually use something like this.

No matter how eccentric one may be, there’s hardly ever a reason to sew.

“Thanks. Since you’ve given it to me as a gift, I’ll cherish it.”

Leon replied quickly and tucked it into his bag.

“You’re not thinking of this as a coming-of-age gift, are you?”

“Isn’t it? As if you have any money.”

“……”

“……”

Of course, one is a born rich kid, after all—even though just a moment ago, the younger brother had paid for those items.

Anyway.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Nicholas reappeared—this time donning an apron.

“Come on in.”

Inside, they found a spotless kitchen.

[Whole Wheat Flour (★)]

-There was, of course, plenty of flour—this being an old bakery meant that all the essential ingredients were in abundance.

Especially…

Leon’s gaze fell on a jar of greenish oil.

[Premium Olive Oil (★★)]

-A 2-star olive oil.

With such richly aromatic olive oil, the flavor was practically guaranteed.

“Now, the bread we’re making today is a classic, basic bread. It’s easy to make, yet delicious enough—and the kids love it.”

Perhaps thinking that the two young lords wouldn’t be able to bake bread on their own, Nicholas had brought a simple recipe.

“Let’s start by making a small loaf.”

Nicholas immediately demonstrated the process.

Simple enough.

Richel smiled casually at the straightforward recipe.

You take a measured amount of flour, mix in the proper proportions of salt, yeast, and milk, and knead the dough. Then, you place it in an olive oil–coated container for fermentation.

Once the dough has risen, you press it firmly to expel the air bubbles, then mix in some crushed sunflower seeds.

It’s almost as simple as a spell.

“Normally, it would be best to let it ferment one more time, but since we’re short on time, we’ll stop here.”

Nicholas turned on the oven and began preheating it, clapping his hands together.

“Alright, why don’t you give it a try up to this point?”

Richel promptly followed along and did just that—kneading the dough, letting it ferment, and then adding the toppings. Finally, he placed the dough into a bread pan, and that was it.

It was a process that wrapped up rather quickly.

But then…

Is my brother not done yet?

Richel looked over at Leon.

He wore a serious expression, as if deep in thought.

Well, it might be difficult for him after all.

Different people have different strengths—perhaps it was just a challenging task for him.

“I think I need a bit more time.”

“Alright, understood. Then I’ll bake both your loaf and mine first.”

The two placed their dough in the oven to bake.

After a little while, Leon, having caught on, began making his dough as well.

A slightly tangy, sour aroma mingled with an appetizing, savory scent filled the air.

Their breads baked first.

“Shall we see how well they baked?”

When Nicholas took the bread out…

“…Huh?”

There was a noticeable difference between the two loaves.

Richel’s bread had its top slightly burnt.

“If you pack the dough too greedily, it tends to burn like this.”

Nicholas remarked that such a thing could happen, and he trimmed off the burnt part with a bread knife.

“Shall we give it a taste now?”

“Yes. It should taste fine.”

Richel took a bite of the bread without showing any sign of embarrassment.

The whole wheat bread made by Nicholas wasn’t as good as the bread from the mansion, but it had its own charm.

The crust was crispy and chewy, the inside moist and tender.

Even the salt seemed to bring out a savory flavor, making the bread far from bland.

On the other hand… the one Richel made…

“Um. It has… flavor!”

“I understand that it has flavor, but…”

It was hard—so tough that chewing it became unpleasant.

Because its toughness was immediately apparent, savoring its flavor took a back seat.

If there’s nothing else to eat, one must eat it, I suppose…

But really? It was bread, after all.

“Why is that? I thought you followed the recipe proportions accurately.”

As Richel murmured in confusion, Nicholas burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha. It seems the yeast and salt got a bit too mixed into the dough.”

He added that this would cause the bread itself to become dense.

“Since it’s your first time, it’s understandable. But still, this is acceptable. Ah, it seems your bread is also fully baked. Let’s see… hmm? Oh, it’s baked quite well!”

Unlike Richel’s, Leon’s bread was baked remarkably well.

There was no burnt part at all, and it was as nicely golden as the bread made by Nicholas.

“Well….”

With an expression mixed with anticipation, Nicholas carefully sliced the bread.

Sss-sss-sss.

The pleasant, crispy sound of the well-baked bread filled the kitchen…

[Asteria Whole Wheat Bread (★)]

-This is well-baked whole wheat bread. The crust is crispy and chewy, while the inside is moist and soft.

-It’s perfect for spreading with jam or for making sandwiches!

[Usage – Food]

[☞ To learn the recipe, you must reach Apprentice Lv.3.]

[You have achieved Cooking Skill Apprentice Lv.2.]

“Indeed.”

With so many good ingredients available, careful attention had paid off with excellent results.

There were two things Nicholas hadn’t mentioned verbally:

One, to keep the salt and yeast separated so they don’t directly mix, and two, to place the dough a bit lower in the bread pan.

Additionally, Leon added one more tip—right before baking, he lightly dusted the crust of the bread with whole wheat flour and made shallow cuts.

This created a contrast between the inside and the crust, making the bread look even more appetizing.

“After all, food that looks good is good to eat, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

Even if the kids at the orphanage are in urgent need of food, if you’re going to bake it, why not make it look nice?

[Budding Baker (1) – Achievement Progress: 1/100]

With these little details added, they managed to create a one-star bread.

Thus, the achievement was unlocked—and it seems that baking 99 more of this bread will complete it.

I’ll have to raid the mansion’s kitchen later.

Just as Leon was feeling satisfied…

“Goodness!”

Nicholas was utterly astonished.

Not only had they managed to bake delicious bread all at once, but—

Isn’t this young lord’s heart just too kind?

He had always been so taciturn that I thought he was just dragged along, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

I had my doubts when he first suggested baking…

Maybe it wasn’t really about the donation, but he actually wanted to experience life as a commoner? That thought lingered until we started baking.

But then, I decided that feeding the hungry children who receive donations was far more important.

So, he willingly joined in the “fun” of baking bread together.

Yet…

That consideration for the eater’s satisfaction…!

Even Nicholas hadn’t noticed that detail while watching the two.

If God were watching this very moment, Nicholas would surely be utterly ashamed.

So, I must do my best to help—even now.

What is the best good deed I can do?

Of course, that method is the best, right?

With a determined air, Nicholas spoke up:

“Young lords, would you mind pausing your baking for a moment? I feel I must go somewhere urgently.”

“Hmm? Oh, sure. You probably have your own matters to attend to; we did hold you up too long.”

“Thank you. I’ll be back as quickly as possible!”

Nicholas said this quite solemnly, then—without even removing his apron—dashed off somewhere.

“You must be busy, huh? I shouldn’t have asked you to teach us how to bake.”

“……No, brother.”

Richel, feeling a kinship with Nicholas, muttered as he resumed kneading the dough,

“He seems sure to be back soon, so it’s best if we keep baking.”

“Hmm, if you say so, then so be it.”

Since they now had plenty of time to bake leisurely, that was just fine.

“I too shall strive to improve.”

With determined resolve, Richel began baking with utmost care.

Thus, while Nicholas was away, the two repeatedly kneaded large batches of dough and baked them in the oven…

[Budding Baker (1) – Achievement Progress: 60/100]

By the time each child could have two loaves’ worth of bread to eat,

Nicholas returned.

“I’m back, young lords!”

But he wasn’t alone.