He had never anticipated that after securing a deal for this man and helping him so much, the man would dare to betray him.
This betrayal prompted him to add this old man's name to his hit list.
There, among the names, was Kassidy Liander, accompanied by all her maids occupying various positions on the list.
"Please calm down, stop crying, and take a look at this." the Count said, feeling the weight of guilt as his child wept because of him.
Deep down, he felt remorse for causing his son such distress.
Yet, knowing how precious this book was to Lucian, he wanted to preserve it as a cherished memory.
He understood how important this book had become over time and how easily it could be destroyed.
To protect it, he used 15 gold coins to purchase an artifact at an auction.
'What do you mean, 'look and cry!'?'
Lucian, wailing like a little lost soul, appeared adorable even with his chubby hands covering his face in despair, as if he had lost everything in his world.
But upon hearing the words "see" and "cry," which he vaguely understood, he slowly lifted his head.
Although he was reluctant to witness the ashes of his beloved treasure—his precious 'Survival Manual'—he couldn't help but glance.
'Huh?'
As he looked, he was astonished to see the ashes of his book transforming into light, which was being absorbed by the book the Count had brought.
The book resembled a grimoire straight out of many games Lucian had played in his past life, adorned with a large jewel embedded on its cover.
He continued to stare in disbelief until once again, "Uwaaah!" erupted from him.
Naturally, all he could do was cry over his loss—a loss that felt irretrievable until he could find something to help him extract the memories he had misplaced, including names of races and critical plot points.
Suddenly, the Count opened the book, placing it in front of Lucian.
'What now, bastard? I don't want any other book!'
Lucian recalled the old videos he used to watch in his previous life, where people would casually host giveaways.
In those clips, they would first ask for an old phone, only to break it right in front of the owner.
When the person became furious, they would hand over a new phone, proclaiming it was all part of the giveaway.
He definitely didn't want that kind of "giveaway" where his cherished book was burned—what about all the thoughts and memories he had penned inside?
"Brat, take this. It will stay safe. Given how upset you are, it seems you must have really loved that book," the Count said, noticing his child's complete dissatisfaction and anger directed toward him for burning the book.
"Have a look," the Count continued as he began to stand, understanding that his child might need some space.
Lucian was still just a baby, and he knew it wouldn't help to delve into explanations about his actions.
But just as he was about to leave, he felt a tug on his pant leg.
'Hmm?' The Count glanced down to find Lucian clutching his pants, looking up at him with teary eyes while hugging the book he had just given as a gift.
The child wanted to be lifted.
"Weren't you angry at me just now?"
'Hehehe, yes, yes!' Meanwhile, Lucian was experiencing a sudden change of heart.
Upon looking at the contents of the new book, he realized that all the words he had once written were now contained within its pages.
This revelation led him to believe that it was some kind of artifact.
The book's magical design hinted at its special nature, making him surmise that the Count had gifted him this new book to preserve his childhood memories.
It was unexpected for Lucian to witness the Count burning his old book, especially since this man had consistently shown deep care and affection during his frequent visits.
Lucian understood, at least on some level, that the Count had intended for this new book to safeguard his childhood scribbles, which could have easily been lost to wear or fire.
Now, all that remained was for him to discover the true purpose of this book.
And who could explain that better than the Count himself?
With that thought in mind, he tugged on the Count's pant leg once more, gazing up with wide eyes, careful not to let go of the book in his hand, which felt surprisingly light—almost like a ball of cotton.
'Explain to me, Old Man!' Lucian yelled inwardly, clearly eager to learn about this new book that would soon become his treasured possession.
"Oook! Teel! Beee!"
"Fine," the Count replied, his gaze softening as he settled down onto the floor, tenderly stroking his child's head.
The image of his son crying a moment earlier had tugged at his heartstrings, but now, witnessing the child's curiosity and his plea for assistance brought him relief.
He had made the right decision purchasing this book at auction, spending 15 gold coins on it.
It was a small price to pay for his child's happiness.
It assured him that his son possessed the same keen intellect that he had inherited from his mother.
He understood that Lucian bore not only her physical traits but also her sharp mind; however, the Count hoped that his son would not inherit her personality.
"Oh my god," the maids murmured among themselves, taken aback by the transformation they were witnessing.
The young master, who had been so deeply affected by the loss of his old book to the flames, was now surprisingly open to engaging with the new one.
The way he nonchalantly accepted his father's presence and actively sought his help was nothing short of adorable.
"You all, Come with me," the head maid commanded, turning away from the Count and his son.
She directed her attention to the other maids, who had dared to voice their displeasure regarding the Count's drastic action of burning the young master's book.
"H-head maid?!"
With a fierce glare, she silenced them, causing them to flinch as beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.
Defeated, they cast one last longing glance at their young master, acutely aware that this stern head maid would undoubtedly make them work to death.
In the room, the Count and his son remained, where the Count began demonstrating the features of the book.
Lucian, seated comfortably with his chubby little body, observed intently, his curiosity piqued as he absorbed all that his father had to share.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After an hour of lying in his cradle, Lucian gazed at the book in his hand, its weight as light as a cotton ball.
With one hand delicately cradling it, he placed his other hand on the cover, where a crystal sparkled brightly.
He closed his eyes, pondering the perfect title for his newly acquired book.
'From this moment on, I will call you...'
As he crafted a title in his mind and gradually reopened his eyes, he held the book firmly with both hands.
Looking at the crystal, he watched with wonder as wisps of smoke swirled inside, gradually forming words one after another, eventually unveiling the title of his book before his eyes.
━─━───────༺༻───────━─━
ㅤㅤEXTRA'S SURVIVAL MANUAL
━─━───────༺༻───────━─━