To be honest, Eros was a little surprised by his own performance. Granted, he had an adult soul trapped inside a toddler’s body. Being labeled a child prodigy for using 21st-century basic math to dazzle the "ancients" was one thing—after all, he wasn't exactly a dropout of the nine-year compulsory education system. But being exceptional in every other field was a different story.

  He realized his memory had become terrifyingly sharp. While "photographic memory" might be a slight exaggeration, he could retain about eighty percent of anything he read just once.

  "Could this be my 'Goldfinger' gift as a transmigrator?" he wondered.

  But today, he decided to stop overthinking and focus on a major discovery. He had finally found a lead on the supernatural—or more accurately, ancient supernatural history.

  While browsing through the General History of the Croatian Continent, he stumbled upon a passage that read:

  "Following the mass exodus of the Elven race from the Croatian Continent, a chaotic era of warring nations began. This conflict lasted for over three hundred years, marking the definitive end of the Second Era and the gradual rise of the Third."

  The "Croatian Continent" was the name of the land he now lived on. And the Elves? In his past life’s memory, that race was practically synonymous with magic and the occult. They certainly weren't a "normal" human ethnicity. A scholarly book like General History wouldn't just invent a whole race for no reason.

  Unfortunately, the Second and Third Eras were ancient history. There were very few surviving records from those times. A single Era spanned ten thousand years, and the world was currently in the Fifth Era. The Elves had departed some twenty or thirty thousand years ago. Finding even a few sentences about them was a stroke of luck.

  However, one thing baffled him. If the world was organized by Eras, human civilization had been developing for fifty thousand years—much longer than Earth’s history.

  So why was the steam engine still the peak of technology?

  On Earth, fifty thousand years would have been enough for humanity to conquer the Milky Way. Here? They were still playing with coal and steam.

  It’s complicated, Eros sighed. But at least there was a silver lining: magic existed—or at least, it used to. This revelation thrilled him. Being a Duke who simply ate and waited to die was boring. At the current rate of technological progress, he’d be long dead and buried before they ever invented smartphones or WiFi.

  Buoyed by his discovery, Eros tucked his book under his arm and strolled through the manor, humming a nameless tune and walking with an arrogant, swaggering gait. He was lost in thought when a voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.

  "Little Eros! Have you seen your sister?"

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Eros. That was his name in this life. His full name was Eros Lunca North.

  He turned to see a woman with long, platinum-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore a billowing white gown; her face was exquisite, and her eyes were as gentle as a calm lake.

  This was his mother, Estelle Eureka North.

  The "sister" she referred to was, of course, Undine Lunca North. According to the laws of the land, she was his only real sibling. While Estelle didn't mistreat his father's various illegitimate children, she wasn't exactly close to them either.

  Eros shook his head. "I’ve been in my room reading, and now I’m heading to the library to find more. That brat—cough! I mean, Sister didn't come to see me today. I don't know where she is."

  Almost called her 'that bratty sister' again. Close one.

  Estelle didn't notice the slip. She looked at the heavy book tucked under his arm, leaned down, and kissed his forehead.

  "My little Eros is so well-behaved. Not like your sister. Mr. Boroka just told me that Undine skipped her lessons again today. I have no idea where she’s run off to."

  Being coddled like a toddler made Eros feel slightly awkward, though he had to admit—it felt pretty good.

  He put on his best "serious child" face and said, "Sister is still young; it’s natural for her to dislike studying. I’m sure once she reaches my age, she’ll be more responsible."

  Estelle gave him a peculiar look. Once she reaches your age? She’s two years older than you! Looking at her son acting like a tiny aristocrat, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She patted his head and went off to resume her search. A lady, after all, should not be skipping classes.

  Watching her beautiful, slender figure walk away, Eros found himself genuinely puzzled. His mother was a world-class beauty by any standard. With such a stunning wife at home, why was his father still constantly out "gathering wild-flowers"?

  Men... I'll never understand, he sighed, resuming his swagger toward the library.

  He hadn't gone far when a dark shadow lunged out from a flower bed and tackled him.

  Eros looked up to find Undine straddling his waist. Seeing the leaves stuck in her hair and clothes, he immediately understood. No wonder his mother couldn't find her—she’d been lurking in the bushes like a jungle predator.

  Undine glared down at her brother, looking "super fierce" (or at least, trying her best).

  "Spit it out! Did you tell Mother yesterday that I was the one who broke her prize floral arrangement? I was forced to stand in the corner for an hour because of you!"

  Eros stared at her. Even though she was trying to look menacing, she had inherited their mother's top-tier genes. To him, she just looked incredibly cute—the kind of cute that made him want to pinch her cheeks. Even her "ferce" voice couldn't hide its soft, squeaky tone.

  When faced with such a cute blonde Lolita sister, who could resist a little bullying?

  "Yes, I told her," Eros said with righteous confidence. "After all, you did break it, didn't you?"

  Undine’s rage boiled over at his lack of remorse. "It really was you! See how I deal with you!"

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of ink, clearly intending to vandalize his face. But before she could move, Eros spoke calmly.

  "If you draw on me, I’ll tell Mother that you were the one who lost her missing necklace."

  "The one from Grandmother? Mother was heartbroken for a long time when that went missing."

  Undine froze. The ink bottle in her hand suddenly didn't seem so appealing. Looking at Eros, who was still pinned beneath her but acting like he owned the place, she felt like her lungs might actually burst from frustration.

  She tossed the ink aside, grabbed Eros by the shoulders, and began to shake him violently, gritting her teeth.

  "You... you absolute SNITCH! AAAAAAHHHH!"

  Despite being rattled like a maraca, Eros was in an excellent mood. There was nothing he enjoyed more than watching her try to get revenge, only to realize she was completely powerless against him.