As Justinian moved around his room, his feet met flesh, something he had forgotten in his rush to talk to Lucan.
"Right... the corpse."
Justinian looked at the pool of blood, then to the cracked wall; he had done a ton of damage despite the encounter only lasting a few minutes.
"I’ll sleep in your room tonight..."
He chuckled, it was only obvious, the servants would take a bit of time disposing of the body, and even if they did it quickly.
Sleeping in a room with a cracked wall isn’t really something appeasing to him; his tastes are affected by the old Justinian.
"Well... It’s logical."
As they stepped outside the room, they both saw a knight roaming the halls, likely patrolling to check for any other suspicious spies across his court.
"Hey."
Justinian called, the knight calling to action immediately.
"Yes, my lord?"
"If you have the time, can you tell a servant to dispose of a corpse from my room?"
"Ah..."
The knight responded, so that’s why Justinian ordered the sudden high security across the capital; he didn’t get to see the bloody sword of Cassia after all.
"Of course, my lord."
Then suddenly, Justinian moved closer, just by the knight’s ear.
"Don’t be afraid to kill... wasting resources on a formal court for a spy would be idiotic."
"Yes..."
"Great!"
Justinian pulled back, patting the knight on the shoulder, fully embracing his merged personality, preferring it over just flatly acting out like a duke.
It made him more threatening and unnerving, along with his kindness.
A combination true to him, but also maintaining efficiency.
’Did the duke change personalities again...?’
The knight thought to himself, before returning on his patrol with a shake of his head, clearing his imagination.
"You know... I feel bad for your men."
Cassia spoke from behind, a small smile on her face.
"They’ll get used to it."
As Justinian entered the room next to him, Cassia’s room, he finally had time to relax, sitting on the bed and feeling its soft fabric.
’Holy crap... I knew I woke up in this world on a bed, but I never really focused on its sensation.’
’It’s heavenly...’
Justinian sank deeper on the mattress, making him more drowsy by the second.
Cassia then placed her sheathed sword on a chair next to a table, in the corner of the room, and sat herself down, making herself comfortable.
Justinian raised a brow, seeing her.
She doesn’t really plan to sleep there, does she? And if she did, Justinian wouldn’t allow it, for him, it’s a terribly uncomfortable experience.
"I’d prefer it if you sleep on the bed, Cassia."
Cassia flustered at the remark, thinking that Justinian may be too comfortable.
"That might be crossing it... Justinian."
"If you don’t, then I’ll sleep on the floor instead."
Justinian slyly replied, a devilish grin on his face, simple manipulation.
"I... ugh... fine."
Cassia replied, the most informal of all yet, which made Justinian celebrate inwardly, as she was being her actual self, rather than the knightly replies.
She lay on the bed without a fuss, covering herself with the blanket as she stared at the bed’s roof, trying to distract herself from the situation.
"Are you messing with me on purpose?"
She asked.
Justinian waved it off; he wasn’t really the type to get flustered or uncomfortable sleeping with a girl.
"No, it’s just common courtesy."
Cassia just sighed, his logic once again breaking her mind. Did Justinian even think of the ramifications if anyone saw them like this? Even if they didn’t actually do anything, the rumours would go wild.
Justinian, however, was more focused on his drowsiness.
’I should check on Lucan’s progress on the raid and the training... then deal with the Shadow Society if Lucan brought any prisoners...’
Justinian thought half asleep, rubbing his eyes together.
’Then remember more stuff from the novel to use for my advantage... I can’t let my greatest resource go to waste.’
Then... he dropped, quite unceremoniously, after all his antics, the mattress immediately tiring him out.
Cassia sat upright at the scene, looking at Justinian with mixed feelings.
"He acts more like a commoner than a duke..."
She grabbed the blanket, placing it over Justinian to keep him warm, especially important in a cold environment like the south.
"But I suppose that’s a good thing."
Cassia whispered, before retiring for the night as well.