As the cooking continued, with Cassia now getting better at cooking with Justinian's guidance, a sudden interruption appeared, one that needed Justinian's attention.
"My lord!"
A servant suddenly entered the kitchen, breath ragged as he ran all the way from the throne room to here, the urgency in his voice alone signalled the problem.
"What is it?"
"It's the nobles, my lord, they want to start a council."
"Now?"
Justinian laughed, grabbing some cloth and using it to wipe his hands.
After all the things he did, the nobles finally made their move, and this is where Justinian needed to confirm another thing.
While he knew the vassals and castellan were traitors, the rest of his nobles were still unsure; the novel itself called Justinian's duchy a haven for the corrupt and tyrannical, but it didn't really say if all the nobles were like that.
Now he can confirm that, and remove the useless and replace them with the competent.
"Tell them I'll head there, I'll need some time to prepare."
Justinian looked at the nearby free servants in the kitchen, silently telling them to prepare his outfit.
"Oh... and tell the knights to station around the council chamber."
"Y-yes, my lord!"
The servant departed quickly, delivering the news, as for Justinian, this was the perfect moment.
He could rewrite the laws with Matthias, but if the annoying nobles stayed, then it would be all for naught. He didn't move to erase them for now due to their size, but if they're coming straight to him.
Then he'll gladly use it to his advantage.
***
RUSTLE
RUSTLE
The servants gathered in Justinian's room, preparing his complex outfit.
Justinian's ducal attire this time consisted of a long black coat trimmed with gold embroidery, the shoulders marked with epaulettes denoting his rank. Beneath it, he wore a deep crimson silk tunic, fitted neatly to his frame, and slim black trousers tucked into polished knee-high leather boots. A half-cloak of crimson velvet, lined in white, draped from his left shoulder, fastened with a golden phoenix-shaped clasp.
'It's the first time I had servants dress me directly... and...'
Justinian struggled to speak, the crowd surrounding him and the tightness of his attire making it hard to breathe.
'Stupidly tight...'
But he couldn't deny it as he looked into the mirror, it was definitely his best looking one yet, and definitely his new favorite.
'It instills fear and is quite modern for its design... I think I'll remember this.'
As the servants finished up, they took a step back to let Justinian admire himself openly in the mirror, letting him see the fabric up close.
"It's a mixture of military attire and noble elegance... hmm."
Justinian purposefully slowed his voice, letting the tension rise.
The servants looked in expectation, fear, and hope in their eyes as they waited for Justinian's reaction.
"It's perfect."
The servants cheered at his response, celebrating with each other as they appeased their duke, but... now it was different.
They now treated him more like an equal, like a friend, than just a mere duke, and that was all due to Justinian's actions.
"You may now return to the kitchen. I'll return soon."
Justinian dismissed them. Now alone in his room and continuing to look at himself in the mirror, he never had the chance to really admire himself.
"It looks like you've only seen yourself today."
Cassia remarked, she was joking, but it was quite true.
"Well... I guess you could say that."
"Do you think it suits me?"
Justinian spoke, looking fully at Cassia instead of the mirror now, a small smile on his face.
"Fishing compliments from your sworn second?"
She joked, now comfortable treating him like a friend.
"Come on, entertain me."
She playfully rolled her eyes at Justinian's response, before nodding.
"Yes, it suits you perfectly, if I have to add."
"That's all I need."
Justinian approached Cassia as he gave her a pat on his head, now noticing the slight gap in their height, making Justinian naturally move that way.
'I wonder if this is pushing it?'
He thought, but when she looked at Cassia, she only seemed to accept it, albeit with slight surprise; it's not every day a duke would do that.
When they left the room and began heading to the council room, Justinian on front and Cassia was in the back as usual.
The servants took advantage of this, interrogating her, after all, Justinian didn't seem like the type to punish them for that.
"Lady Cassia..."
A female servant spoke in a whisper near her ear.
"Are you and the duke... perhaps?"
"N-no... we're merely just friends, that's all."
Then another servant noticed the interaction, joining her as well.
"But don't you think lord Justinian favors you?"
"He has to be courting you!"
Cassia was barraged with questions, some even flustering her; Justinian, meanwhile, just laughed, knowing what was happening behind.
'With the shadow society gone and most of my servants liking me, I can let her relax in guarding me for a while...'
Because after all, Justinian had better things to fry, like the nobles he was going to meet.
'The carrot and the stick...'
'I guess it's time I use the stick.'
Justinian cruelly snickered, letting his other personality take control for a while.
[The Book of War Responds]
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