Complex sentence: In any case, Grigory became the centre of attention; his father's only son among six children and heir to the village; as the son of an (albeit petty) noble family, he was expected to serve the Russian Empire.
Split into simpler sentences: In any case, Grigory became the centre of attention, his father's only son among six children and heir to the village. The son of an (albeit petty) noble family, he was expected to serve the Russian Empire.