As morning came and Daniel arrived at the General Staff Headquarters, he took a deep breath in front of his office door.
Thinking about having to face Lucy, who had come to assassinate him in the dead of night but ended up leaving, made him feel tense for no reason.
“Calm down, Daniel.”
From Lucy’s perspective, Daniel was simply sleeping during their encounter earlier that morning.
If it were revealed that he hadn’t been sleeping, things would undoubtedly get awkward on multiple levels.
So, to avoid raising suspicion, it was best for Daniel to act as naturally as possible.
After reaffirming this in his mind, Daniel turned the doorknob and entered.
Upon stepping inside, Lucy, who had already arrived, stood up from her seat and saluted.
“You’ve arrived, Colonel Daniel.”
Her expression remained as indifferent as ever.
“…I can’t believe this is the same person who tried to kill me just this morning.”
It was becoming increasingly clear just how skilled Lucy was as a spy.
A strange chill ran down Daniel’s spine as he nodded slightly and walked toward his desk.
Taking out a chair and sitting down, Daniel placed his briefcase on the desk and spoke.
“So, aide-de-camp. Can I ask you one personal question?”
Lucy, who had taken her seat, turned to look at Daniel.
“Yes, is there anything you’re curious about?”
“Yeah. Do you remember our conversation two days ago?”
“Two days ago… Are you referring to the conversation we had at the entrance of the General Staff Headquarters?”
Daniel nodded.
“That day, you mentioned that Golden Rose Bakery was selling Stollen for Christmas. Well, I checked it out, and apparently, due to the high number of customers during Christmas, reservations are required. So, if your schedule permits, I’d like to make a reservation—would that be okay? Also…”
Afraid to meet her gaze, Daniel rummaged through his briefcase unnecessarily.
“Since parting ways after just eating Stollen feels kind of anticlimactic, I think we should look into other forms of entertainment. As you know, many places also operate on a reservation system during Christmas, so it’s better to start planning early. Let me know your thoughts clearly.”
Having retrieved what he needed from his briefcase, Daniel glanced at Lucy.
‘If Lucy asks me to make the reservation…’
At least until Christmas, it would mean she had no assassination plans.
On the other hand, if she refused, it could imply she intended to attempt another assassination before Christmas.
Of course, she could lie, but in that case, subtle changes in Lucy’s expression would betray any guilt, making it easy to detect.
While Daniel was on high alert watching Lucy, Lucy herself was interpreting his suggestion differently.
‘Not just eating together but enjoying other activities together means…’
It sounded suspiciously like a date invitation.
‘…Could Daniel actually have feelings for me?’
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. After all, rescuing her from the Security Bureau and keeping her secret as a spy wouldn’t have been possible without some level of affection.
‘But…’
Lucy had never been on a date before.
Naturally, this was her first time receiving such an invitation.
Not knowing how to respond, Lucy’s heartbeat began to quicken.
After fidgeting with her fountain pen, Lucy gave a small nod.
“I don’t have anything planned for then, so it should be fine to proceed with the reservation.”
This was an honest, albeit passive, acceptance.
Relieved, Daniel set down his briefcase and said,
“Alright, I’ll make the reservation, so don’t back out last minute. And…”
Just as Daniel was elaborating on their Christmas plans, familiar footsteps approached from the corridor outside the office.
Knock knock—
The sound of knocking interrupted Daniel mid-sentence, prompting him to stand up and speak.
“Come in.”
No sooner had Daniel finished speaking than Ernst entered the room.
The stout Colonel Ernst wasted no time starting a conversation even before Daniel could salute.
“Daniel! Now’s not the time to be standing around here! Head to the reception room immediately!”
Confused, Daniel lowered his arm, which had been raised for the salute.
“Director, my understanding is that the Protocol Department handles VIP receptions. Why must I go to the reception room…?”
“The VIP has personally requested your presence!”
“A request? If it’s nobles or politicians from the Parliament, I see no reason why I need to meet them.”
Ernst sighed dramatically and patted his chest before speaking.
“If it were something trivial, I wouldn’t have bothered telling you! The VIP who summoned you is none other than Her Highness the Princess!”
Startled, Daniel blinked repeatedly in bewilderment.
‘What’s Selvia doing here?’
Swallowing hard, Daniel quickly moved toward the door.
Regardless of the reason, he couldn’t refuse a summons from the princess.
“Director, next time please inform me upfront when it’s a summon from Her Highness.”
Throwing in a gratuitous complaint at Ernst was just a bonus.
—
Arriving at the reception room in a hurry, Daniel saw Selvia sitting on a sofa.
On the opposite sofa sat Sedrick, the Deputy of Operations Staff.
Seeing the two engaged in conversation, Daniel approached and saluted.
“Your Highness, I’ve heard you summoned me.”
Selvia turned to Daniel after setting down her teacup, letting out an awkward cough.
She had almost smiled involuntarily out of joy upon seeing him.
Remembering her duty as the future emperor, Selvia composed herself and spoke with a somewhat stern tone.
“There’s something urgent I wish to discuss. Would you care to sit?”
“It’s fine. Since I’m in the middle of work, I’ll listen briefly and return upstairs afterward.”
Daniel knew from experience that prolonged conversations with Selvia often led to complications, especially after the Total War Speech incident.
Thus, he politely declined.
Though slightly dissatisfied, Selvia hid her feelings and continued.
“In that case, listen while standing. Daniel Steiner, the Royal Family was deeply moved by your Total War Speech. Therefore, we’d like to offer you a proposal.”
“A proposal, you say?”
“At present, the Empire is funding various public projects using the money raised from war bonds. Thanks to higher-than-expected bond sales, additional projects are being considered.”
Selvia looked meaningfully at Daniel.
“To that end, we intend to delegate authority to Lieutenant Colonel Daniel—to conceive and oversee these projects.”
“…Your Highness? This seems like an excessive workload for someone in my position as merely an operations staff officer.”
“Neither I nor the Royal Family consider you merely an operations staff officer. We’d appreciate your unfiltered opinions.”
Though smiling, Selvia was testing Daniel.
If Daniel were truly the wolf destined to devour the Empire, as her father claimed, he would seize this opportunity to further consolidate power by overseeing national-level projects.
Conversely, Daniel saw this as a chance to temporarily escape the Empire.
“Your Highness, if you insist, I would prefer to be appointed Ambassador to Belanos.”
“Belanos?”
Belanos, located across the sea to the west of the Empire, was a neutral nation.
Selvia was puzzled by Daniel’s desire to serve as ambassador there.
However, Daniel earnestly explained his reasoning.
“Yes, Your Highness knows the Empire will soon face three nations. Naturally, what we need most right now are weapons and manpower. Thus, going to Belanos to import arms and hire mercenaries seems appropriate.”
There was nothing wrong with this logic.
It was something the Imperial leadership had already considered.
Still, there were plenty of candidates suitable for the role of Ambassador to Belanos, making Daniel’s volunteering seem odd.
Selvia found herself perplexed.
“Are you serious? You genuinely want to be dispatched as ambassador to Belanos?”
“I am, Your Highness.”
To Daniel, escaping to Belanos was urgently necessary.
Looking at the domestic situation:
Politicians and nobles were desperate to bring him down, the Emperor harbored some misunderstanding and was wary of him, and his aide-de-camp Lucy was out to kill him.
He felt trapped in the eye of a storm.
Thus, Daniel intended to take a breather by pretending to handle diplomatic duties abroad.
Unaware of Daniel’s true intentions, Selvia couldn’t comprehend what he was thinking.
After pondering for a moment, Selvia nodded in agreement.
“Given your determination, I’ll consider it positively. For now, you may leave.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
With a respectful bow, Daniel turned and left.
Watching his elegant figure disappear, Selvia turned to Sedrick sitting opposite her.
“What do you think?”
Sedrick, who had been listening to their conversation, responded.
“In my opinion, this is a remarkably wise decision.”
Rarely did Sedrick crack a smile, but he did so now.
“Daniel Steiner once subdued Duke Belvar by leveraging the princess’s influence. Naturally, this earned him the ire of the nobility and the politicians they funded.”
Using the tongs on the table, Sedrick dropped a sugar cube into his coffee.
“Following the Total War Speech, that resentment must have reached its peak. They likely viewed Daniel Steiner as a threat to their positions. Some extremists might even advocate politically isolating him.”
Sedrick stirred his coffee slowly with a spoon.
“Moreover, there are rumors His Majesty the Emperor himself is wary of Daniel Steiner. In this situation, if Daniel were to meddle in national affairs and expand his influence, what would happen?”
“Politicians and nobles might unite against Lieutenant Colonel Daniel.”
“Precisely. Hence, Daniel seeks to appoint himself to the quiet post of Ambassador to Belanos, effectively disappearing from the political scene to quell their dissatisfaction.”
The sugar cube dissolved in the coffee.
“When their discontent subsides, opinions may arise among the legislators suggesting Daniel isn’t pursuing politics for personal gain but genuinely acts for the good of the nation. That would inevitably lead to…”
Sedrick wiped his spoon clean with a napkin.
“Factional disputes. Notably, the Central Nationalist Party and the Free Social Party, which hold opposing ideologies, would clash. This is akin to gaining without effort. From Daniel Steiner’s perspective, it’s like clearing his nose without lifting a finger.”
Setting down the spoon, Sedrick sipped his coffee before placing the cup back on the saucer.
“All of this remains speculation, but I see no other plausible reason why Daniel would choose the quiet post of Ambassador to Belanos.”
Hearing Sedrick’s analysis, Selvia unknowingly broke out in cold sweat.
If Sedrick was correct, Daniel was indeed as dangerous as her father claimed.
However, jumping to conclusions was premature.
“Do you think Daniel’s loyalty to the Royal Family is fake?”
Blinking once, Sedrick shook his head.
“In my view, Daniel Steiner’s loyalty is genuine. It’s difficult to attribute all his actions purely to self-interest. However, whether this loyalty is directed toward the Royal Family or the Empire itself remains unclear.”
If Daniel’s loyalty lay with the Royal Family, there would be no issues.
But if his loyalty was toward the grand Empire—the nation’s progress itself—then the moment he deemed the Royal Family incompetent, the consequences would be far from pleasant.
“Princess Selvia,”
Fixing her with his piercing gaze, Sedrick offered sincere advice.
“You must win Daniel Steiner’s heart as soon as possible. Should you fail to do so…”
Pausing for effect, Sedrick continued.
“You’ll end up with a more formidable adversary within the Empire than the Allied Nations.”
