I became a father with a genius face in the game

The Dragon Pier incident was concluded smoothly.

It was an incident that couldn’t have escalated much in the first place.

‘It was the collateral side that made the first rude move, after all.’

No matter how much they were the heads of the family, barging into someone else’s bedroom without permission was not polite.

In this world, for nobles who had many rooms, the bedroom was the most private space.

‘If they cause a ruckus in a public setting later, I can just bring this up and quiet them down.’

It was just a minor happening.

I also didn’t want to hear any complaints about Lucis causing trouble because he couldn’t control the Dragon Pier.

“Lucis. You shouldn’t use that carelessly.”

After sending the collateral members away, I sat Lucis on my lap for a little disciplinary session.

“Not allowed?”

Lucis tilted his head with a cute, innocent look, his head leaning at an adorable angle.

It wasn’t a direct hit, but he had been within the range of the Dragon Pier’s influence, so even the faint fear that had arisen disappeared instantly due to his cuteness.

“Yeah. Humans are weak, and if they see something like that too often, they might die.”

I didn’t want Lucis to be called a murderer, or worse, a dragon murderer.

“Instead, I’ll teach you a spell that’s good for driving away humans.”

“Wow.”

“Okay, repeat after me.”

I cleared my throat a few times and, lowering my voice as much as possible, said:

“Human, you’re.”

“Human joojeh.”

“Lowly.”

“Cheon-an geot.”

“Know your place, mongrel.”

“Bun-su-reul ah-ra-ra, jop…kong?”

“Mongrel.”

“Jap-jjong.”

It was so cute how he followed along so well that I praised him by gently brushing his cheek, and he giggled, shrinking his neck in response.

“…What exactly are you teaching him, young master?”

I didn’t notice when he came in, but the butler was staring at me with a blank expression.

“You came at the right time. Alright, Lucis, try it out.”

Lucis’s eyes sparkled, and he immediately turned to the butler, eagerly speaking:

“Human joojeh, cheon-an geot. Bun-su-reul ah-ra-ra, ddang-kong.”

“Mongrel.”

“Jap-jjong.”

The butler’s face, who had just been insulted by an angelic child with a devil-like slur, was filled with despair.

“…What is that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think it means? It’s the phrase that would make a human shrink the most if a dragon said it.”

“….”

For reference, this was also the sentence that triggered the beginning of the second phase in the original game, where Seymour absorbs Lucis’s Dragon Heart and becomes half-dragon.

The butler seemed to hesitate, then shook his head and got to the point.

“Your meal is ready.”

Now that he mentioned it, it was already around the time I was getting hungry.

I hugged Lucis and headed toward the dining room.

I was about to set him down on the floor, but he clung to me tightly, clearly preferring being carried over walking on his own.

“A noble meal… I’m looking forward to it. What kind of food do you like, Lucis?”

“Food?”

Another cute tilt of his head.

“Lucis, have you never eaten food before?”

“Mm…?”

Lucis had been sealed for the last thousand years.

It was possible that he had been sealed right after his birth.

‘Not just me, but Lucis is also experiencing the food of this world for the first time.’

I quickened my pace, filled with great expectations.

***

The Mausoleum family was wealthy.

While being a noble family of a count helped, it was mostly because they had accumulated wealth through immoral deeds passed down through generations.

‘Even though they’re counts, their territory is as large as that of some dukes.’

Aside from the money, the vast countship included wide plains, deep forests, and the sea, making it easy to acquire fresh and delicious ingredients.

‘How many steaks are on this breakfast table?’

At a glance, there were at least three different cuts of steak. There was even fish steak and large grilled shrimp.

‘And they call this a simple meal after a funeral?’

It was an extraordinary breakfast spread that made me involuntarily marvel. I didn’t hold back and took a big bite of steak.

As I chewed the warm, tender meat, the savory juices spread throughout my mouth.

“Mmm…!”

It was literally a melt-in-your-mouth taste.

If this were Earth, the quality of the steak would easily cost hundreds of dollars per serving.

I ate, lost in the pleasure of the meal, marveling and savoring every bite.

“As expected, being the mastermind requires money.”

And that money was all going to be mine.

If I spent it wisely, just for myself, without wasting it on anything else…

Adding in the fact that I knew the future, I couldn’t help but feel proud just thinking about how many generations could live off of it.

“Being a rich, unemployed person is the best!”

As I continued eating, I looked up to check if Lucis was eating well.

“I’ve cut it all up, Dragon Lord.”

The butler had just finished cutting Lucis’s meat into smaller pieces to match his small mouth.

Lucis stared at the pile of cube steak on his plate, watching it silently.

“You can use the fork here.”

But Lucis still didn’t move his hands, continuing to stare at the meat.

It seemed like he wasn’t planning to eat.

“Why is that?”

Dragons are born after they’ve grown a bit in their eggs.

Right after birth, they can talk to their parents and even tear into raw meat to digest it.

Especially black dragons, who are known to be avid carnivores. It’s said they even feed young dragons entire roasted orcs.

In fact, Lucis’s eyes were filled with visible hunger. His large pupils made his desire clear and transparent.

“But why isn’t he eating?”

After a moment of searching through my thoughts, I quickly realized the reason.

I moved my chair to sit next to Lucis and spoke.

“Alfred. Please bring a new steak.”

“Yes, of course.”

The warm steak arrived quickly, and this time, I personally cut it into small pieces, just like the butler had, so that Lucis could eat it in one bite.

“……”

Still, there were no words from him, but I could see his short legs twitching under the table.

It was just like when he was in the bath.

It seemed that his pride as a dragon wouldn’t allow him to eat food that was given to him so easily.

“Even though he’s so small, he’s completely filled with pride…”

I couldn’t help but smile softly, as if I were looking at a noble princess.

After cutting the meat, I handed Lucis a fork, putting it in his delicate little hand.

He seemed awkward with the fork, holding it upside down at first, but after a few attempts, he managed to stab the meat properly with the fork on his third try.

“Hmph.”

A face filled with pride.

He looked very pleased with himself for succeeding after just three tries.

“Hehehe…”

While I was secretly stifling a laugh, Lucis moved the fork and put the meat in his mouth.

His chubby cheeks puffed up, and for a moment, Lucis chewed slowly, his eyes widening.

“Wow…!”

Golden light shone from his eyes, and he brought his hands to his cheeks, his mouth forming a perfect circle in awe of the taste.

“Wow…!”

The child quickly forgot about his lofty pride and began eating the meat eagerly.

At some point, he seemed to get tired of using the fork, and started picking up the meat with both hands and literally inhaling it.

‘His white hair made me wonder, but seeing how much he loves meat, it’s clear he has black dragon blood in him.’

As I watched him in silence, I quietly spoke to the butler.

“Make sure to include steak in all of Lucis’s meals from now on. Whether it’s breakfast or lunch.”

“Yes. I’ll pass the message along.”

A little while later, Lucis finished his meal, his belly round and satisfied.

I used the handkerchief I had prepared earlier to wipe the grease from his hands.

“Hehehe.”

Lucis giggled, his fingers twitching from the ticklish sensation.

“Hold still for a bit. Your clothes will get dirty.”

As I carefully wiped Lucis’s fingers and folded the handkerchief, I caught the gaze of my two younger siblings, who were watching me and Lucis from across the table.

“…Ack!”

“….”

My younger brother, who locked eyes with me, quickly lowered his head, looking terrified. But my younger sister wasn’t the same.

‘The first person I faced after possessing this body was my younger sister.’

I recalled their settings. In truth, there was no need for much thought.

‘I designed all the characters related to the Mausoleum family. But those two weren’t in the design.’

They only existed in the setting, having already passed away in the original timeline.

Seymour, as soon as he became a count, purged the collateral branches and even dissected his adopted daughter like a tool, a true psychopath.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what kind of fate these two met in the original story.

‘Was it Simon and Sia?’

My younger brother, Simon, 22 years old.

He had taken over the family business his father left behind and was running it excellently at such a young age.

He looked somewhat like Seymour, but his drooping eyes, narrow shoulders, and constantly cautious demeanor made him seem rather weak.

My younger sister, Sia, 17 years old.

She had inherited the strongest magical talent of the three siblings, and since entering the Empire Academy, she had never lost her position as the top student.

What stood out most was that she had Seymour’s face, but modified with a female’s bone structure and features, making her look just like me.

‘The atmosphere is different, though, so the impression she gives is completely different.’

If Seymour’s black hair and golden eyes gave him an impression similar to a black panther, Sia’s eyes and face gave a mysteriously warm yet cold feeling, like a bright star in the night sky.

“What am I saying?”

I’m saying she’s beautiful.

I’m saying her face radiates light.

This family is full of face geniuses.

“She’s probably making a lot of boys cry at the Academy.”

Now that I think about it, Simon also had quite a good face.

However, unlike his strong-looking older brother or younger sister, Simon’s drooping eyes gave him a slightly blurred impression. Rather than looking handsome, he had a warm, approachable vibe.

“Seymour mk.2 and mk.3, huh.”

As the designer of Seymour, it was a sight that just made me feel content.

While I was thinking that, Sia cautiously opened her mouth.

“Um, Seymour oppa.”

Sia, sharing a glance with her younger brother, who was shrinking away, had a face filled with hesitation, resolve, and a bit of fear.

“…About Uncle.”

It was an abrupt topic change, out of place for the dinner table.

But it was clear that it was a matter she felt was urgent.

“Why about Uncle?”

Uncle. Or rather, her father’s younger brother.

From what I heard, he was the leader of the collateral faction that was trying to seize the title of Count from me.

Sia swallowed nervously and spoke.

“I’ve said it many times, but Simon oppa and I have no interest in the title of Count. Whatever that person says, that’s just his opinion.”

It seemed that the collateral faction was considering a number of strategies.

If they couldn’t rise to the title of Count themselves, they would probably try to install siblings who were easier to manipulate than Seymour.

I smiled slightly and responded.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Uncle.”

I had already considered various ways to handle the situation.

After all, to seize the family power, I would eventually have to clash with the collateral faction once more.

Flinch.

“Hic!”

However, my siblings’ reactions were strange.

Sia’s gaze toward me was mixed with fear. Simon even hiccupped and spilled his glass of water.

In fact, when Sia met my eyes, she instinctively recoiled and then, realizing Simon was behind her, stretched one arm protectively toward him.

Though they were too far apart to reach me, it was clear she was trying to shield Simon from me.

“…What do you mean, you’ll take care of it?”

Sia asked in a trembling voice.

“Are you going to kill Uncle too?”

“….”

A heavy silence fell over the table.