"Uuu! Baa! Sss! Ttrr! Dddd!" A high-pitched voice sliced through the quiet of one of Count Vinlig's mansion's rooms.
A group of maids huddled at the back, hands pressed to their faces as they stared wide-eyed at the spectacle before them—a small battle unfolding.
"Ooo, my sweet little monster," The man in armor cooed, struggling to plant a gentle kiss on the squirming infant in his arms.
'Not a chance, you old bastard!' The baby's tiny legs kicked defiantly, one foot smacking against the man's cheek.
Yet, even after receiving that chubby leg's forceful kick, the man's face remained unchanged. His eyes were closed, his mouth pouted as he pulled the newborn closer.
'Help! FBI! Somebody call the FBI!' The closer the man got, the more frantic the baby's resistance became—fists and feet swinging with fierce determination.
The maids in the back stifled their giggles, trying their best to suppress laughter at the sight of a knight almost bested by a baby.
Peck
But despite being outmatched, the knight managed to land a quick kiss on the forehead of the exhausted infant.
'Ah! I've been assaulted by an old pervert, damn it!' Lucian cried inwardly, looking downward in defeat.
'His mustache pierced my skin; just die, dumbass.' He felt as if his spirit had been crushed as he gasped for breath, overwhelmed by this man who had also showered him with kisses on that day when he woke up after that hellish night.
This man, who resembled a dangerous mob boss, had been wailing like a child while holding him in those strong arms.
In an attempt to console him, Lucian had patted his back gently, only to be bombarded with kisses in return.
That day, Lucian lost all faith in humanity.
He had merely wanted to offer comfort, and instead, he was assaulted by an old man.
*Pfft, it seems the Young Master actually likes you, Count,* One of the maids chuckled, glancing at the defeated infant whose head hung low, and his body dangled limply as if he had surrendered to fate, avoiding a look toward the approaching Count.
*Hahaha, yes, he definitely does,* the Count replied, laughter bubbling from him as he observed the defeated expression on his child's face.
He felt a warm satisfaction seeing Lucian safe and healthy, especially since he needed to leave the mansion from time to time for hunting expeditions.
From this day forward, with the mana mine no longer accessible, this would be the sole source of income for the territory. Hence, he had to make this effort at the very least.
And while he would be away from the territory, he found some solace in knowing that his child would be perfectly fine and thriving.
'Fuck you, bastard,' Lucian silently cursed the man in his mind. Given the limitations of his tiny vocal cords, he was unable to voice his contempt; all he could manage were muted thoughts laced with anger.
*Count, should we proceed to meet the representative from the Alchemist Guild? It wouldn't be wise to keep him waiting,* the Head Maid suggested, gently reminding the Count of the meeting with their anticipated guest.
'Yes, leave Young Master in our capable hands, Count,' chimed in the maids standing behind the Head Maid. Their eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of having the newborn all to themselves, eager to play with him during the Count's absence.
*But…* The Count's gaze fell upon Lucian, and he felt a flicker of disappointment. He didn't want to leave his child alone. As he turned his attention back to Lucian, he saw the baby dangling in his grasp, looking up at him.
'Are you a dog?!' Lucian thought incredulously, gazing into the man's big, puppy-like eyes.
It was hard to reconcile the danger evident from the bloodstains on the man's armor with his clear vulnerability.
This was not the fierce, cold individual typically portrayed in the comics Lucian had read; instead, he was faced with a gentle yet naïve figure, a stark contrast to the ruthless characters with big mustaches he had read about in his past life.
'Shit,' Lucian thought, shutting his eyes momentarily. He lifted his small hand toward the man, as if inviting him to embrace him.
At least Lucian figured this guy was way better than that bitch of a woman who tried to kill him.
Still, that didn't mean he would allow this man to give him a kiss next time.
----
As they passed through the long corridor leading to the guest room, which had an open area especially used for training, the knights bringing in the corpses of monsters paused.
Their eyes settled on a figure in the distance: Count Vinlig, a man clad in armor, who was gently cradling an infant in his hands, holding him as cautiously as possible while heading in the direction of the guest room through the long hallway, from where the training ground was clearly visible, followed by several maids.
"Hey, is that the young master in the Count's hand?"
"Wait, really? But wasn't the young master just 3 weeks old?"
"Huh? Yes, but that child looks like he's a year old."
Several gossips and murmurs reverberated through the training ground, as others were bringing in the corpses to evaluate their prizes.
Given that they needed to catch these monsters without damaging their vital organs, they were prompted to keep the monsters as intact as possible in order to obtain a good prize, causing those who were bringing in the corpses to look in the direction of these two soldiers.
"Hey, do your work, don't goof around."
"Shut up, we were just looking at the young master."
Saying those words, the soldiers also began to engage in their work. Given the quantity was large, they went to bring the corpses themselves.
"My Lord, why did you bring the young master here? He is terrified," the head maid following behind said. She noticed the expression on the newborn's face as his head rested calmly on the Count's shoulder.
The child's eyes looked towards the training ground, where visible trembles in his pupils and facial expression made it clear that he was terrified at the sight of the monster corpses.
"He said to bring him here." The Count stared blankly as he dodged the question, holding the child gently while glancing in the direction of the soldiers who were bringing in the monster corpses with the hope of fetching a good price.
It made him really think about how hard all of them had worked, with most of them starving for days yet still getting the job done.
"Lord, do you think the young master can speak?" The head maid felt how reckless the Count was for bringing a newborn here. And now, he was even trying to make an excuse, though, of course, she was just a servant and could not overstep her boundaries except to give her opinion.
"No, he talks, see..." the Count said before lifting his hand and ruffling the child's hair with a gentle touch.
'Leave me, you asshole!' Lucian yelled inwardly, looking towards the training ground with visible fear as he saw real monsters for the first time. His mind spinning around, he suddenly felt the old man disturbing him by ruffling his hair, but the voice that came out was, "Aaass! Hhh! Oo! L!"
"He...really spoke?!" the maids behind the head maid exclaimed as they heard the young master speak just now, some reacting with surprise, placing their hands over their mouths in exasperation, while the head maid gave a blank look to the Count, who was just trying to joke with all of them.
"Hahaha, he can even make today's deal too," the Count said in a fit of amusement, laughing as he finally entered the guest room.