Chapter 62

Imperial General Staff Headquarters.

Captain Daniel Steiner’s personal office.

—

Slight sound of rustling—

Inside the office, where Captain Daniel Steiner was absent, Lucy Emilia was handling his duties.

As usual, she was reviewing documents and organizing them based on importance when she suddenly looked up.

‘Footsteps…’

The sound of footsteps could be heard approaching from the corridor.

‘Is that Daniel?’

Today was the day Daniel had promised to return from canceling his leave.

Lucy couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the thought of no longer having to work late shifts once he arrived.

But then she shook her head slightly, dismissing the thought.

‘Nope.’

It wasn’t Daniel’s footsteps. The rhythm and weight of the steps felt different.

‘Then who could it be…’

Just as she wondered if it might be Colonel Ernst Bark, the Head of the Operations Staff, the office door opened without warning.

A man dressed in dark blue police uniform walked in slowly, not even bothering to knock.

Lucy’s hand trembled slightly upon recognizing the middle-aged man.

‘Katman Schultz…’

He was the Chief Inspector of the Security Bureau.

There was no way she could have forgotten him—they’d even shared a meal together at a restaurant while he was in disguise.

“Hm?”

Katman glanced around the empty desk with confusion before turning his gaze toward Lucy.

When their eyes met, Katman paused briefly in silence before giving an awkward smile.

“Oh. Are you Captain Daniel Steiner’s aide-de-camp?”

Lucy hesitated to answer.

If the Security Bureau officer suspected her, things could get ugly.

‘But back then… I was careful. I wore a wig, sunglasses, and didn’t speak a word.’

Deciding that a short conversation wouldn’t hurt, Lucy stood up calmly and responded.

“Yes. What brings you here from the Security Bureau to the General Staff Headquarters?”

“Hmm, there are various reasons, but simply put…”

Katman scratched his head and then suddenly locked eyes with Lucy.

“Spy hunting.”

An eerie silence fell between them.

Katman’s sleepy eyes carried an unsettling suspicion.

However, being suspected wasn’t new to Lucy. She remained expressionless as she accepted Katman’s words.

“You mean there’s a spy within the General Staff Headquarters?”

At Lucy’s question, Katman chuckled nervously.

Normally, someone would blurt out something like, “Are you suspecting me?” But Lucy cleverly redirected Katman’s suspicion onto the entire General Staff Headquarters instead.

Realizing this wasn’t going to be easy, Katman shrugged.

“Well, truthfully, I don’t want to suspect anyone working hard for the Empire in the General Staff Headquarters. However, after conducting my own investigation, I’ve found some suspicious circumstances surrounding Captain Daniel Steiner.”

“Suspicious circumstances?”

“That’s right. There was a time when Captain Daniel Steiner and I had dinner at a restaurant. It was quite an honor. But during that dinner, there was a woman accompanying him.”

Katman tapped his chin, pretending to think deeply, before snapping his fingers.

“Oh! She mentioned that she used to serve as a military doctor on the Eastern Front but got injured in the eye by enemy forces. She wore sunglasses, so I couldn’t see her eyes, but her brown hair was very beautiful.”

Katman smirked mischievously as he looked at Lucy.

“She fit my ideal type. So, secretly, I did some digging—how many people on the Eastern Front were military doctors who suffered eye injuries?”

Having wiped the smile off his face, Katman held up his hand, counting on his fingers.

“Five. Among relatively young individuals, only five survived despite suffering eye injuries. Then I thought again—how many among these five have brown hair?”

Katman folded three of his fingers down.

“Two. Only two had brown hair. Now, among the brown-haired military doctors with eye injuries, who suffers from aphasia and can no longer speak?”

Katman clenched his fist.

“There were none. Unfortunately.”

Katman stared intently at Lucy before lowering his hand.

“Isn’t that strange? The military doctor Captain Daniel Steiner spoke about doesn’t seem to exist in reality. If that’s the case, it means he lied. But why lie?”

Katman tilted his head and widened his eyes.

“Could it be that the woman was a spy, and Captain Daniel Steiner was trying to hide her from me, a Security Bureau officer?”

Though his guess was surprisingly accurate, Lucy didn’t flinch.

Instead, she frowned, looking mildly annoyed.

“Are you accusing my superior, Captain Daniel Steiner, of colluding with a spy?”

Seeing Lucy take a firm stance, Katman hesitated momentarily before chuckling nervously and shaking his head.

“No, no. At least not yet—it’s all just my foolish imagination. I sincerely hope it stays that way. But it wouldn’t hurt to confirm, right? That’s why…”

Katman fumbled through his coat and pulled out something—a sunglasses case.

When Katman opened the case, inside was a pair of sunglasses identical to the ones Lucy had worn that day.

“Could you try these on for me? I’m not particularly suspecting you, Lieutenant Lucy, but if the woman we met that day really is a confirmed spy, she must still be active somewhere within the General Staff Headquarters.”

Meaning, he’d already made other people try them on too, and now it was Lucy’s turn.

This caused Lucy to break out in cold sweat.

If she wore the sunglasses, Katman’s suspicions would only grow stronger. She could explain away the resemblance, but if Katman started a relentless investigation, she wouldn’t last long.

On the other hand, refusing to wear the sunglasses would also look suspicious.

Trapped in a corner, Lucy took a deep breath and reached for the sunglasses.

She figured responding to Katman’s request was the best course of action since there was no other choice.

That’s when—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Daniel’s voice froze Lucy mid-motion.

Turning reflexively, Lucy saw Daniel standing at the entrance, staring at her.

Caught off guard by his unexpected arrival, Lucy blinked silently.

Katman also turned toward the voice and spotted Daniel.

“Oh. Captain Daniel Steiner. Actually…”

Katman’s confident tone faltered as Daniel approached, towering over him with a piercing gaze.

The pressure from Daniel’s tall stature and sharp eyes was immense.

“Explain yourself.”

Daniel’s calm but authoritative voice intimidated Katman.

Still, Katman had no choice but to speak.

“What explanation? I’m merely doing my job. I was granted access to the General Staff Headquarters by higher-ups…”

“Did you obtain a warrant for internal security surveillance?”

Katman was left speechless.

The warrant for internal security surveillance ranked higher than mere access rights.

Even the mighty Security Bureau wouldn’t issue one without concrete evidence.

As Katman stayed silent, Daniel furrowed his brow.

“Did you come here without a warrant and cause trouble for my aide?”

“Captain Daniel Steiner, it’s a misunderstanding. And besides, everything I’m doing is for the good of the nation. So, I wasn’t troubling your aide—”

“Katman Schultz.”

Interrupting Katman, Daniel gave a slight bow.

“It seems you don’t understand, so let me repeat myself.”

Their eyes met, and Katman could see it clearly.

Daniel was growling like a fierce wolf.

“Get out. Now.”

Cold sweat trickled down Katman’s forehead.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of dread, Katman nodded and fled the office like a scared rabbit.

Only after confirming Katman’s departure did Daniel let out a sigh of relief.

‘I knew Duke Belvar would make a move, but I didn’t expect him to send someone this early.’

Whoever granted Katman access to the General Staff Headquarters was undoubtedly Belvar.

‘And with Security Bureau officers roaming around the headquarters…’

It was clear they were desperately searching for evidence.

‘Thankfully, things went well. If Lucy had put on those sunglasses, things could’ve gotten complicated.’

If Lucy were accused of being a spy, her superior, Daniel, wouldn’t remain unscathed either.

In the worst-case scenario, Daniel could be charged with colluding with a spy and sentenced to death.

That’s why he’d gone all out to drive Katman away.

But this was only a temporary solution.

‘Belvar will keep pressuring me. In that case…’

He needed to eliminate any intention to fight against him altogether.

And currently, Daniel had the strength and ability to do so.

“Aide.”

After finishing his thoughts, Daniel turned to Lucy.

“I’m going to meet Her Highness the Princess. You stay here and guard the General Staff Headquarters. And avoid the Security Bureau at all costs today. Understood?”

Staring blankly at Daniel, Lucy gave a small nod.

Watching her reaction, Daniel quickly left the office.

Lucy stared vacantly at the spot where Daniel had disappeared, exhaling deeply.

‘Why…’

She couldn’t understand why Daniel had risked his life to protect her from the Security Bureau officer.

From Lucy’s perspective, Daniel had practically thrown himself into danger to save her from accusations of being a spy.

Lost in thought for a moment, Lucy placed her hand on her chest, half-opening her eyes.

“…”

Her heartbeat resonated through her fingertips.