Two weeks later…
Inside Count Vinlig's mansion, a young maid, breathless and exhilarated, clutched the hem of her dress and hurried down the corridor.
"Haa...haa...." Her cheeks were flushed, a charming mix of exertion and excitement lighting up her face, having just finished her chores for the day.
She darted through the hallways, her quick footsteps barely making a sound as she approached her destination.
'Finally!' Upon reaching the room, she noticed three or four maids huddled around the half-open door, their expressions a blend of intrigue and mischief as they stole glances inside.
Sliding up next to the closest maid, she whispered, "I've finished my chores. You can go now."
The maid, upon hearing her words, let out a sigh of defeat, casting a wistful look toward the door before stepping away to return to her duties.
'How adorable!' The new maid took her place, leaning in to peek inside, where a tiny newborn lay contentedly on the floor, his chubby hands clasping a milk bottle.
His little mouth latched onto the bottle, nursing with a half-distracted look that made him the unofficial entertainment of the household staff.
The maids exchanged glances and giggles, finding a sprinkle of joy in their daily routine as they watched the baby's innocent, oblivious face.
'They're at it again,' Lucian thought to himself as he lay on the floor, guzzling down the milk—his sole source of sustenance—while casting a sidelong glance at the door, unnoticed by the maids peeking in.
He noticed their eager heads, poking just above the doorframe, but when he saw they hadn't ventured across the threshold, he returned his attention to the bottle.
"Muwaaaah!" he exclaimed, inadvertently causing the milk bottle to tumble from his grip and roll across the floor.
It revealed just how weak he truly was, unable to hold the bottle with any strength. He glanced up, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
'It's time for another round,' Lucian thought, tightly shutting his eyes before he shifted his weight and pushed himself to the side, beginning to roll across the floor.
Given his frail body, he was utterly powerless to stand on his own; instead, he found himself rolling along the polished surface.
Gasp!
*He's doing it again! Oh my goodness!*
*Shouldn't he throw up milk if he keeps that up?*
*Shh, what if he hears us? Just watch the show.*
*Hehehe, so cute!*
"Haaa," Lucian finally managed to cover a distance of about a meter and was now lying flat on his back.
His chest heaved up and down rapidly, even visible through the thin white silk baby cloth he wore, showcasing the effort he exerted.
His tiny frame appeared utterly exhausted, as if he had pushed himself beyond his limits, struggling to control the quickened rhythm of his heartbeat.
'Third one...' Lucian thought to himself as he pushed through the effort of completing his third set of exercises for the day.
For the past few days, he had been determined to explore the full range of his body's capabilities without risking injury.
He focused on strengthening his grip while also incorporating bodyweight exercises that utilized his momentum for rolling.
After all, in a newborn's body, he couldn't do push-ups.
Of course, he wasn't exercising to lose weight.
The excess weight he carried wasn't something that could simply be shed through exercise; it was composed of the mana that existed abundantly in this world, which continuously fueled his fat.
No matter how much he worked out, he could temporarily shed some fat, but the absorption of mana far exceeded any fat loss.
It created a clear imbalance.
So, his true reason for exercising was to strengthen his muscles and bones enough to support his own weight.
Yes, carrying a weight all the time needs a strong body.
'Damn, this is hard,' Lucian gasped, feeling a relentless itch of pain coursing through his body.
It seemed as if his joints were on the verge of tearing from the inside.
Despite the discomfort, it was nothing compared to what he'd already endured that day, so he had resolved to push through it.
Yet, after only three sets—paired with a drink of milk during each break and rolling a distance of one meter—fatigue began to overwhelm him, luring him into sleep.
It became increasingly apparent that this body's endurance and stamina were practically nonexistent.
But, of course, he was thinking from the perspective of an adult.
In reality, he was merely a newborn, only three weeks old.
Lucian had already accepted that this world was real, though his trust in the information provided by the couple that had taken him in was still tenuous.
Nonetheless, he understood that he needed to make his body strong enough to survive the upcoming challenges ahead.
More importantly, his primary motivation for these workouts was to prepare for the revenge he relentlessly sought.
'I'm so sleepy,' he thought, feeling his eyelids grow heavy and struggling against the urge to close them.
Desperate to combat the sleepiness that plagued him—the stubbornness of this weak body—he slowly lifted his hand and glanced toward the door. 'Damn, I don't think I'll ever get used to this.'
*Kyaaa~! He is calling for us!*
At the sight of Lucian's tiny hand moving toward the door, a maid in front burst into action.
The door swung wide open, and she rushed over, followed by others who were just as eager to fawn over him.
Before Lucian could react, he found himself bundled up, embraced on all sides by his giggling 'fan club.'
*Hehe, how cute!*
*He is fluffy.*
'Huh?' For the past few days, he had observed how by crying and showing his anger directed at their sudden actions, it appeared he was able to control how these maids acted, allowing him to have free time for himself to train.
However, whenever he felt the creeping sensation of sleepiness after a workout, he would let them play with him, as their antics usually drained away his fatigue.
But today was different...
'!'
'Huh?' Lucian's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Instead of poking his cheek from afar or just lifting him up, they suddenly hugged him, rubbing their faces against him.
However, things became more bothersome as, due to his weight, he began to slide down.
'No... not the super heavenly fluffy softness cloud attack!'
But it was too late—surrounded by squishy, laughing maids, he felt himself drifting off, completely enveloped in their embrace.
Mission Failed.
As Lucian's body started to surrender to the plush arms around him, sleep overtook him, a casualty of their fluffiness from every angle.