Captain Daniel Steiner silently embraced Lucy, who was sobbing bitterly like a child.
He wanted her to let out all the pent-up frustration inside her.
After crying for quite some time, Lucy finally calmed down.
Seeing the life return to Lucy’s eyes, Daniel raised his hand lightly.
Daniel, having loosened his strength as much as possible, gently hugged Lucy and spoke.
He suggested she calm down first, take a bath, and then gather her thoughts.
Only then did Lucy realize how disheveled she must look, and she nodded slightly.
With difficulty, Lucy muttered an apology and turned away.
Lucy gathered a few clothes from her room, thanked Daniel for his consideration, and entered the bathroom.
Thanks to this, Daniel was left alone in the kitchen cooking.
Judging by her appearance, it seemed like she hadn’t eaten properly, so he decided to make something simple for her.
While cutting carrots into large chunks with a chef’s knife, Daniel suddenly rubbed his neck.
“Damn… I nearly choked on my own tie…”
He couldn’t believe how startled he’d been when she suddenly grabbed his tie and pulled.
Was she finally showing her true colors? But hearing Lucy’s sobs made him change his mind.
Lucy was crying…
And not just any kind of crying. It was heart-wrenching.
No way could that be the reaction of someone facing an assassination target.
‘What was all that about? Was she really that happy to see me come back?’
No. There was definitely something off about those tears compared to mere joy.
‘It’s more like…’
The tears felt closer to releasing years of pent-up grievances.
Thinking about Lucy’s uncharacteristic behavior, Daniel finished slicing the carrots and put down the knife.
Gathering the carrots together, Daniel dumped them into a large pot already boiling.
Inside were various ingredients including chicken.
Thinking everything was ready, Daniel turned down the gas stove flame.
“That’s it. Just keep boiling and it’ll be done.”
Satisfied with his cooking, Daniel looked around and hesitated.
He noticed Lucy’s bedroom door was open.
‘If I check Lucy’s room…’
Maybe he could find some useful information.
Since there was no movement coming from the bathroom, he had plenty of time.
Taking a deep breath, Daniel cautiously stepped into Lucy’s room.
Even though it was a lady’s chamber, being a spy’s room still made him a bit tense, but upon entering, he felt oddly deflated.
“Seriously, it’s immaculate…”
Bed, desk, wardrobe, curtains.
That was pretty much it – nothing else to see.
This minimal setup gave Daniel a strange sense of alienation.
A room usually reflects the personality of its occupant.
But there was no trace of Lucy’s personality here.
Not even a single doll or poster – this place lacked any human warmth.
It felt like a space where no one actually lived.
‘…Does she have no hobbies?’
Or maybe she never had the chance to develop any?
Feeling sympathy for Lucy despite himself, Daniel glanced at her desk and froze.
“What is this?”
There were books on the desk.
“Yeah, sure, books can be there…”
But their titles were problematic.
“How to Seduce a Wolfish Man by Becoming a Fox!”
“Love is War! How to Triumph on the Love Frontline!”
“34 Ways to Steal a Man’s Heart!”
There were three whole books teaching how to seduce someone.
Especially odd since this barren room had almost nothing except basic living essentials.
These were the same books Lucy bought when ordered to seduce Daniel Steiner in the past, but they looked practically brand new due to their pristine condition.
Though Daniel feigned confusion, he quickly regained his composure.
“Does Lucy have a boyfriend?”
As far as Daniel knew, she didn’t.
Besides, Lucy rarely opened up to anyone, male or female.
“Could she be trying to seduce me?”
That seemed like a reasonable inference.
Which led to another conclusion:
“Is this some kind of beauty strategy?”
Using beauty as a tactic was common among modern spies confident in their looks.
And Lucy objectively had a beautiful face, so it wasn’t impossible.
“So that move at the entrance…”
But Daniel shook his head.
“Nah, can’t be. Must be something else.”
If it had been acting, Lucy should quit spying and start acting – no way could that heartbreaking cry be fake.
Then what did those tears mean?
Just as he started thinking they might relate to Lucy’s past…
Shhhhhh…
The sound of shower water hitting the floor came through.
Realizing Lucy was washing up, Daniel quickly left the room.
Returning naturally to the kitchen, Daniel prepared tea, and not long after the shower stopped, Lucy emerged from the bathroom.
Turning his head, Daniel saw Lucy walking out wrapped in a bathrobe.
Her silver-white hair, damp with water, shone even brighter than usual.
As Lucy approached, Daniel poured her a cup of tea.
“This is chamomile tea. You don’t seem to have slept well, and chamomile helps with insomnia and stress, so it should help you.”
Lucy, staring blankly at Daniel, took the mug with both hands.
“…Thank you.”
Nodding, Daniel gestured behind him.
“The pot back there has chicken broth soup boiling. I could make other dishes, but you look like you haven’t eaten in days, so I made soup. We need to nourish your body without irritating your stomach.”
Lucy felt the warm mug in her hands and glanced at the pot.
Steam was rising from the pot.
“After two hours, turn off the heat and eat. The flavor might be a bit light, so feel free to add pepper and salt.”
Daniel’s matter-of-fact explanation brought unexpected comfort.
After hesitating briefly, Lucy nodded, causing Daniel to sigh softly.
“There’s such a thing as moderation, you know. A staff officer abusing their superior isn’t right. This is embarrassing.”
Lucy, feeling guilty, lowered her gaze.
Suddenly grabbing Lucy’s shoulder lightly, Daniel lowered his voice.
“If you care about my dignity, stop starving yourself from now on. And don’t get sick either. Got it?”
Lucy, expecting a scolding but receiving comfort instead, widened her eyes slightly.
Patting Lucy’s shoulder twice, Daniel released her.
“Regain your strength before Christmas. I don’t want to go to those couple-filled stores alone looking pathetic.”
“…Christmas?”
“I did say we’d go eat stollen together, didn’t I?”
“Stollen…”
At this seemingly meaningless word, Lucy realized once again that this moment wasn’t a dream.
The Christmas she thought would never come again.
Time began flowing for Lucy.
“I will remember this.”
Seeing the faint smile forming on Lucy’s lips, Daniel nodded.
Judging she’d recovered some energy, he thought it was fine to leave now.
“Well, I’ll be going then.”
Picking up the uniform cap he’d placed on the kitchen table, Daniel put it on his head.
Just as he passed Lucy…
“Colonel Daniel.”
Though her voice was still cracked, it came out clearly.
After a brief silence, Lucy summoned her courage to continue.
“I will repay this favor someday.”
Hearing this, Daniel chuckled softly.
“Favor? Funny, every doctor I’ve saved said the same thing. Quite the coincidence, huh?”
Collecting himself, Daniel spoke in a teasing tone.
“Looking forward to it.”
Smiling faintly, Daniel walked away and left the quarters.
After Daniel disappeared, Lucy remained in the quarters, hugging the mug tightly with a strangely flushed face.
‘I should probably…’
Buy a nice dress before Christmas, she thought.
*
Permanent Council Member State Edria.
Count Kaledra’s Office.
Reading the intelligence report No. 2537690-Belanos Situation Report-1913295625 from the Central Intelligence Agency’s espionage department, Count Kaledra furrowed his brow.
According to the report, Daniel Steiner had pressured Belanos’ Deputy Prime Minister, successfully negotiating in ways favorable to the Empire.
“Is this true?”
Deputy Director Beck of the Central Intelligence Agency nodded.
“Yes sir. This report has been cross-verified.”
Kaledra clenched his teeth tightly with his eyes closed.
‘To survive the ship sinking was bad enough…’
Not only did Daniel survive, but he used his supposed death as leverage to subdue Belanos’ Deputy Prime Minister.
With this, the Empire was essentially safe from naval attacks.
By allowing the Empire’s military presence, Belanos would serve as both a breakwater and vanguard against enemy assaults.
‘Headache-inducing.’
Originally, the Empire’s downfall was certain.
Everything had gone according to plan, with no minor flaws detected.
‘The Allied Nations’ victory seemed within reach…’
But then Daniel Steiner appeared and started messing things up one by one.
Like a hero resisting fate in a story.
Grinding his teeth while pondering deeply, Kaledra slowly opened his eyes.
‘No matter how talented you are…’
One single human couldn’t possibly change the direction of an overwhelming wave.
The Empire would fall, and the Allied Nations would flourish.
‘I will ensure it happens.’
Since the war situation favored the Allied Nations anyway, there was no need to worry unnecessarily.
‘However…’
He couldn’t predict what decision Lucy might make due to Daniel’s survival.
Recently, there was even a report suggesting Lucy might have changed her loyalty at the Palentia branch.
With Daniel returning alive, the headache was immense.
From Kaledra’s perspective, who had planned to have Lucy fill Daniel’s void, this was like a bolt from the blue.
‘Lucy’s change of heart cannot become fact.’
He could give up many things, but not Lucy Emilia.
Realizing the crisis, Kaledra glared at Beck and ordered.
“Issue an order for Lucy to return immediately!”
Understanding the severity of the situation, Beck nodded without a word.
After Beck left the office, Kaledra raised his hand to his forehead.
His burning forehead felt feverish.
The cause of this stress was obviously Daniel Steiner.
‘Emperor of the Empire. Why do you simply stand by watching him!’
From Kaledra’s standpoint, it was incomprehensible.
All judgment indicators pointed to the same conclusion.
‘That man is…’
A monster destined to devour the Empire.
