As Justinian began his preparations for bed, taking off his tunic, a sudden knock rang out from outside his door; it was soft and subtle.
'Hmm? probably a servant.'
As Justinian opened the door, what he didn't expect was a male servant charging at him with a dagger.
Eyes filled with fear and determination.
"DIE!"
'Can't I get a break!?'
Justinian easily subdued the man, pinning him to the ground as he held his head with his hands, slamming him face-first.
THUD.
"That was quite an amateurish assassination."
Justinian chuckled before steeling his gaze.
"Explain quickly, I might not execute you for this treason if you say the right things."
The servant growled, like a man possessed, as he started squirming, trying to overpower Justinian, but of course, that didn't work; Justinian was now equal to that of a knight in terms of skill.
"Fuck you!"
The servant yelled, and in that brief second, attempted to bite his tongue.
'That's a good enough answer... a trained assassin.'
Justinian immediately took charge, noticing the assassin's attempt to escape the situation by hurling him across the room and into a wall.
Stopping his attempted suicide quickly.
"Argh!"
Before the assassin could even fall onto the ground, Justinian grabbed him by his collar, lifting him from the ground and pressing his back against the wall.
"Did my kindness today fill you with the wrong thoughts? I'm far from helpless."
Justinian said with a serious expression, This was what he was scared about. While he was attempting to prolong his life, his actions could also lead to its shortening.
And this was one of them.
'My kindness or competence must have forced spies around my palace to finally act...'
Justinian sighed.
"Can't a man get a break?"
"Rhyne sent you... Didn't he?"
Justinian locked eyes with the assassin, tightening his grip, even causing the assassin to tremble slightly.
"Hah... you're not getting anything out of me!"
Justinian snickered at his reply. He only wanted to take a break, and now he was punished for it. He decided it was time to finally show his ruthless side.
Giving the original Justinian a chance to shine.
CRACK.
He grabbed one of the servant's arms with his free hand, snapping one of his fingers.
"Speak!"
"Aghhhkk!"
The servant yelled out in pain.
"I was too complacent... I didn't take into account spies in my court... Cassia was proof that my security was terrible."
"Justinian!"
Cassia immediately yelled out from outside his room, sword in her hand as she heard the commotion.
"What's going on!?"
She only needed to take a glance at the room, a dagger in the floor, Justinian shirtless, and a servant pinned to the wall.
Cassia immediately entered, closing the room and locking it.
"Are you okay!?"
"I'm fine, I'm not injured."
Justinian returned to the assassin, breaking another finger.
CRACK.
"Speak."
"Never!"
Justinian bit his lip, throwing the assassin onto the ground.
"Let me borrow your sword for a while."
He asked Cassia, and she obeyed without any fuss; the fury in his eyes was enough.
'Odd... was I always this wrathful?'
Justinian thought to himself with a small snicker.
'Must be my other self talking...'
He pointed the sword straight at the assassin's neck.
"Since you're not afraid to die... how about I make your death as slow as possible?"
The servant swallowed. He thought the duke had changed into a kinder man, hearing rumours about him marching with the people, training with his men, eating with the servants, but the person in front of him contradicts all of that.
"N-nice try! I'm not that eas—"
SLASH.
Justinian swung at his cheeks, grazing them slightly.
"Wish to continue?"
Cassia, in the background, continued to watch, also in awe at Justinian's sudden personality change; it was like night and day from what she had seen from the kitchen and in the courtyard.
But it also made her more at ease... after all... a perfectly kind duke was more unnerving than one who was cruel from time to time.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!"
The assassin quickly submitted, even faster than Justinian had expected, causing him to raise a brow at his quick change.
"Oh? Is your loyalty really that fickle?"
The assassin looked at Justinian with pure contempt, his eyes alone exuding killing intent.
"Bastard! Anyone would submit if a psychopath like you is in front of them!"
SLASH.
Justinian swung again, this time on the other cheek.
"Enough... one more insult, and I'll make sure the next one hurts. Who hired you?"
Justinian answered without any fluff, just straight to the point.
"...The... Shadow Society..."
Justinian opened his mouth slowly at his answer, before closing it.
The Shadow Society was a major group in the novel itself, one that kidnapped the main heroine in later arcs, and was later destroyed by the main character.
And if Justinian remembered correctly... their main HQ was at... Snowkeep, his capital.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
"...N-nothing... that was all—"
THCK.
Justinian thrusted the sword straight onto his throat, ending him quickly, a mercy he decided to grant the assassin.
'Goddamn... why did this character had to have so many enemies...'
'...But at least it wasn't Rhyne... I'm already preoccupied with the night raid preparations.'