'It's good to have some rest once in a while... It's better than going mad at least.'
Justinian remembered his current circumstance, his destined death a few months later, and how the real main character is still roaming around in the world.
A detail that made Justinian remember that this current issue is merely a footnote for the events of the novel that are to come.
'I'm living in this world, I should make the most of it.'
Justinian cleared his throat before addressing the servants.
"All of you, grab a portion, consider it my treat."
The servants gasped at Justinian's offer, his generosity surprising all of them, but when they saw him smile without malice.
They accepted immediately, after all, they had never smelled something that good before.
"Justinian."
Cassia whispered near Justinian's ear.
"Yes?"
"Aren't we supposed to investigate the... shadowed figures?"
"Let's move it tomorrow, rest is important, just like you said."
Cassia was surprised; he actually listened to her. Most would just ignore what she had said; after all, to others, she was a powerful knight and a beautiful woman, nothing else, nothing more.
But for Justinian, a duke, to even remember what she said, something inside her rose.
Like a tinge of loyalty.
[Army Swordsmanship - Increased]
'Huh...?'
'Wait...'
Justinian questioned why his trait had activated, but when she looked at Cassia's face, it was a good enough answer.
"Looks like the servants are done grabbing their portions; it's about time for us to grab some ourselves."
Justinian's words snapped Cassia out of her thoughts, causing her to smile in excitement. Food is a universal language; even the most trained knight won't stay composed after finally getting a whiff of something neatly seasoned.
Justinian and Cassia ate with the rest of the servants in the kitchen, with Justinian sharing more of his recipes with the rest, recipes that were most immediately written down for future reference.
'Now that I'm actually resting... my body is definitely sore...'
He chuckled to himself, the busy day finally taking a toll on his body.
As the meal finished, Justinian gained much more prestige than expected.
[The Book of War Responds]
+30 Prestige
He finally ended the meal, departing the kitchen and waving off his servants.
Cassia following closely behind him.
"At first I was uncertain..."
She murmured.
"Uncertain of what?"
Justinian replied, looking past his shoulder as he continued to walk.
"At first, I thought you were just a child playing duke, one who thought he could fix his capital after years of neglect."
Cassia answered, she spoke with seriousness, after all, Justinian's neglect didn't only fracture the capital, but also the vassals, leaving Vesuvian in a precarious state.
"But now... it seems like I was wrong... not sure what kind of divine revelation you received in your room for you to suddenly take charge, but... It's a nice change of pace."
"Rest assured, the old duke is no longer present; I'm a changed man after all."
'Well... forcibly changed.'
As Justinian continued to walk, observing Lucan's training outside the courtyard that was still ongoing, most of the men were finally able to execute basic drills with the horses, a progress that strengthened Justinian himself as well.
Cassia wondered, what's next? For a sworn knight, she had expected more duties.
"Umm..."
"You should sleep here for the night."
"Pardon?"
Cassia was caught off guard by Justinian's sudden offer. What was that about?
"You saw the suspicious figures before, right? I cannot allow you to wander off at night."
Cassia thought Justinian would have a lazy excuse, but he actually made sense, one that didn't allow any argument.
Suddenly, a servant came rushing in, bringing a pair of clothes just like Justinian had ordered before.
"I'm sorry for being late, my lord, sir Matthias had me do another job."
"Speak of the devil!"
The servant's eyes widened at Justinian's sudden excitement, thinking she had done something wrong.
Justinian noticed it, immediately correcting himself.
"Ahem... I mean... do we have any spare rooms in the palace?"
The servant audibly let out a breath of relief at Justinian's question, the tension leaving her bones.
"Yes, actually, just next to your room, my lord."
"That's perfect. What about you, Cassia? Are the arrangements okay?"
Cassia didn't know what to say. Justinian was in complete control of the situation, like everything was completely fine and dandy.
For the rest, it looked like he was courting her, but to Justinian? It was just modern-day respectfulness.
And Cassia could see it in the servant's eyes as well, mouth twitching, ready to gossip about what she is currently seeing.
First name basis, moving in next to the Duke's room, it was a romance novel starting to happen.
"I-i... yes... I accept."
Cassia answered reluctantly, because even if it was unexpected, it was the logical choice.
Justinian chuckled, not expecting such a composed character in the novel to get so flustered at a simple offer.
Because in truth, Justinian himself was slightly dense.
"That's perfect."
Justinian grabbed the clothes from the servant, waving her off before looking back at Cassia.
"I'll bring you to your room."
"Isn't that a servant's job?"
"Just like I said, it'll be beneficial for us to be close."
Cassia only laughed at his quick reply, experiencing such a flurry of emotions in quick succession, fully breaking her walls, finally accepting that this Duke might be just a little eccentric.
"Yes... You did say that."