"I can't believe this..."
Darius said defeatedly, making his way to the duke's office, asking directions on the way from passing servants.
From a humble, competent noble to having lands all across the duchy, any other would think of it as a blessing.
But for someone who prefers to rule everything fairly? It was a lot of paperwork.
"I thought staying silent would be the best option... I won't get executed, nor noticed, but here I am now..."
He entered the room and sat on the desk right in the middle, looking at the pile of paperwork and ledgers already there.
"Well... at least I can ask Sir Matthias for help... I'm technically the duke's second steward anyway."
Darius checked the first paper on top of the pile, reading it clearly.
"Propose a higher tax..."
Then he checked the date, it was proposed years ago already, making responding to the papers useless.
"Really!? even the stuff piled on isn't organized!?"
Darius yelled out in annoyance before adjusting his sleeves and tying his flowing hair up in a ponytail. If he wanted to get a break, then he needed to solve everything quickly.
First, he started with sorting out the papers, organizing each one into outdated, recent, and already proposed.
It helped him decide on which one to focus and fix, like accepting new laws and proposals, to even changing ones that seemed too exploitative.
And he wasn't dumb; if he had the duke's permission to 'fix' the duchy, then that means he had the servants to use with him.
And he did, inviting some to help in organizing everything. The servants merely cleaned, but now, with clear instructions, the office wasn't just merely clean; it was also efficient.
The effort alone took him an hour; the skilled servants reduced the time needed by a drastic amount. If he were alone, it would have taken five hours at a minimum.
"Thank you for your help."
Darius waved the servants goodbye as they finished their job.
"It was our pleasure."
They bowed as they left, leaving Darius alone again and scanning the now-organized files.
"First... I'll start with the current existing laws."
Darius stretched his hands as he took a seat again, reading each one and seeing if any confusing conflicts were happening before deciding to change anything.
He needed to make sure he was accurate, or else Justinian might have his head; he didn't seem to hesitate in arresting the others after all.
The thought alone made him shiver in fear.
"That... bastard..."
"Oh? What did you call me?"
Justinian entered the room with Cassia. He was wearing the same attire, but this time, he had an odd smell on him, like... delicious food?
"Ah! I meant..."
Darius stopped. Justinian only heard the word bastard. Why would he assume he was referring to him? coincidence? Or all planned?
"N-nothing... my lord."
Justinian laughed at Darius' defeated reply, before approaching the desk and leaning over it, seeing the old pile of paperwork now neatly organized by their importance and type.
"You work quickly."
He complimented him, looking briefly at Cassia to see how she reacted. Justinian wanted to show her how efficient he would be.
And Darius also sensed something odd about her... she also smelled like... food, again?
"My lord..."
"Yes?"
"I apologize if this may be a rude question... but why do you smell..."
"Delicious?"
Justinian responded before he could fully ask his question, smiling all the way.
"I was helping with the cooking along with Cassia. I plan to distribute it to the army and people, which helps with morale during trying times."
"You can... cook?"
Justinian's eyes flickered at his reaction. He just came up with another idea on the spot, a way to keep Darius motivated to work hard.
And it wasn't gold nor fame, Darius wasn't like that at all. In the novel, he was often described as humble, content, and naive.
But more importantly, he was a foodie.
Justinian purposefully turned slightly, making sure his cloak wafts the smell of the food straight to Darius' face as he pretended to check the shelves for some books.
And it was really effective, with Darius immediately reacting to it, his face immediately widening.
"What about I pay you with food then? Money is of no concern to you, yes?"
"F-food? for payment...!?"
Darius stammered. A duke offering to pay a noble with food was definitely a weird proposition, especially since a noble himself could afford good food by himself.
But there was something about the smell coming from Justinian that made it something more than just good food that can be prepared by any noble kitchen.
And that's because it was, because Justinian used modern knowledge to become a master chef in this world without effort.
Normally, an offer like that would only insult Darius, but the smell alone made him tremble, making him consider the offer.
"O-okay..."
Cassia's eyes widened at Darius' acceptance of Justinian's offer, her composure breaking before she looked at Justinian's face for answers.
But she only saw his relaxed and amused face; he clearly knew he was doing.
'He really did do his research...!'
CLICK.
The door behind them slowly opened, and there entered a servant, bowl of soup in hand.
"Your food, my lord."
"Hand it to the person sitting there."
The servant nodded, placing the bowl right on the desk before leaving.
"Take a quick bite... just to... fully finalize your decision."
Justinian looked at Darius expectantly. The offer might seem lighthearted and fun, but for Cassia, it looked weirdly twisted.
With Justinian acting like a devil tempting Darius to an unreasonable offer, piles of paperwork just for his cooking...
'The growing rumours about his omniscience were well placed...'
Cassia merely left out a reluctant chuckle, accepting the absurd situation, after all, if Darius accepted, then it's completely his fault.
She was smart enough to know that a deal you make with a devil is yours alone to handle.