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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Count Khaledra Cannot Understand
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Daniel silently embraced Lucy, who was sobbing like a child.
Letting her release all the pent-up emotions within her.
Only after crying for a long time did Lucy finally calm down.
Confirming that life had returned to Lucy's eyes, Daniel lightly raised a hand.
Daniel, who had gently wrapped his arms around Lucy, spoke, his strength completely relaxed.
He suggested that she first calm down and then clear her head with a bath.
Only then did Lucy realize her appearance must be a mess, and she nodded slightly.
Lucy, who had managed to stammer out an apology, turned to leave.
After grabbing a few clothes from her room, Lucy thanked Daniel for his consideration and entered the bathroom.
Left alone, Daniel began cooking in the kitchen.
From the looks of it, she hadn't eaten properly, so he intended to make her at least a simple meal.
Daniel, who was using a chef's knife to chop carrots into large pieces, suddenly touched his neck.
'I nearly choked when her tie tightened around my neck…'
He couldn't describe how flustered he was when she suddenly approached and yanked on his tie.
Daniel had initially wondered if she was finally revealing her true colors, but upon hearing Lucy's sobs, he had no choice but to change his mind.
Lucy was crying.
And very sorrowfully at that.
By no means was that the behavior one would display in front of an assassination target.
'What on earth was that? Was she really that glad I returned?'
No. There was quite a disconnect for those to be tears of simple joy.
'It was like…'
Tears closer to resolving past injustices.
Remembering Lucy's uncharacteristic behavior, Daniel finished chopping the carrots and set down the knife.
Gathering the carrots, Daniel poured them into a large, boiling pot.
Inside the pot, along with various ingredients, was chicken.
Believing the preparation was complete, Daniel lowered the flame on the gas stove.
'Alright. Now, all that's left is to let it simmer until it's done.'
Daniel, pleased with his cooking, glanced around and then paused.
He had noticed that the door to Lucy's room was open.
'If I examine Lucy's room…'
He might be able to obtain useful information.
Since there was no particular movement from the bathroom, he had plenty of time.
Daniel took a deep breath and cautiously stepped into Lucy's room.
Although he was a spy, entering a lady's room still made him a little nervous, but once inside, a sense of emptiness washed over him.
"It's impeccably clean…"
A bed, a desk, a wardrobe, curtains.
The arrangement was so simple that nothing else could be found.
This made Daniel feel an inexplicable sense of strangeness.
Usually, a room is one of the spaces where an individual expresses their personality.
Yet, in Lucy's room, not even a trace of individuality could be found.
Without even a common doll or poster, the empty room felt devoid of human warmth.
It was a space so desolate, one could believe no one lived there.
'…Does she have no hobbies?'
Or perhaps she never had the chance to develop any.
Daniel, who was unconsciously feeling sympathy for Lucy, glanced at the desk and was startled.
'What is this?'
There were books on the desk.
'Right. It's natural for there to be books.'
But the titles were the problem.
[To Seduce a Wolf-like Man, Become a Fox!]
[Love is War! How to Win on the Battlefield of Love!]
[34 Ways to Steal a Man's Heart!]
There were no less than three books on how to seduce the opposite sex.
And they were simply sitting there in a room that contained nothing else apart from basic necessities.
These were books Lucy had bought in the past when she received the order to seduce Daniel Steiner, but they were so well-preserved that they looked like new.
Daniel was momentarily flustered but quickly regained his composure.
'…Does Lucy have a man she's seeing?'
As far as Daniel knew, she didn't.
In the first place, Lucy rarely opened her heart to anyone, whether of the opposite sex or the same sex.
'Then… could she be trying to seduce *me*?'
It was a reasonable deduction.
The conclusion led to another inference.
'…Is it a honey trap?'
A honey trap was one of the methods frequently employed by spies of this era who were confident in their looks.
Lucy, too, boasted objectively beautiful features, so it wasn't impossible.
'Then her behavior at the front door too…'
Daniel, who had been suspecting Lucy, shook his head.
'No way. It couldn't be.'
If that had been an act, Lucy should quit being a spy immediately and debut as an an actress.
Because Lucy's image, crying so mournfully like a child, could never be considered acting.
What, then, could the meaning of those tears possibly be?
It was at that moment he vaguely thought it might be related to Lucy's past.
*Whoosh—*
The sound of water pouring from the showerhead and splashing onto the floor could be heard.
Realizing Lucy had finished her bath and was rinsing off, Daniel quickly exited the room.
Daniel naturally went into the kitchen and prepared tea, and a short while after the sound of the shower stopped, Lucy emerged from the bathroom.
He turned his gaze and saw Lucy walking out, wrapped in a bath towel.
Her silvery-white hair, damp from the water, shone even brighter than usual.
As Lucy approached, Daniel poured tea into a mug and handed it to her.
"It's chamomile tea. It looks like you haven't been sleeping well, and chamomile tea helps relieve insomnia and stress, so it should help."
Lucy, who had been staring blankly at Daniel, took the mug with both hands.
"...Thank you."
Daniel nodded and pointed behind him.
"What's simmering in the pot behind you is chicken broth soup. I could make other dishes, but it seems you haven't eaten for days, so I prepared soup. You need nutrition without irritating your stomach."
Lucy felt the warm comfort from the mug and turned her gaze to the pot.
Steam was rising invitingly from the pot.
"After about two hours, turn off the heat and eat. It might be a bit bland, so adding pepper and salt would be good."
Daniel's calm explanation came as a warm comfort.
After a moment of hesitation, Lucy nodded, and Daniel let out a low sigh.
"There's a limit to putting yourself in someone else's shoes. A subordinate making their superior work like this. My dignity is in tatters."
Feeling apologetic, Lucy lowered her gaze.
Daniel lightly grasped Lucy's shoulder.
Just as she expected to be scolded, Daniel lowered his voice and spoke.
"If you're concerned about my dignity, then don't starve yourself arbitrarily next time. And don't get sick. Understand?"
Lucy's eyes widened slightly, not expecting such comfort.
Daniel patted Lucy's shoulder gently and then withdrew his hand.
"Make sure to recover your strength before Christmas. I don't want to look pathetic going to a shop bustling with lovers all by myself."
"...Christmas, you said?"
"Didn't I say we'd go eat Stollen together?"
Stollen.
At that single, seemingly insignificant word, Lucy once again realized that her current situation was not a dream.
The Christmas she thought would never come again.
Lucy's time had begun to flow.
"I will keep that in mind."
Confirming a faint smile had appeared on Lucy's lips, Daniel nodded.
He figured she had recovered some of her strength, so he could leave now.
"Then, I'll take my leave now."
Daniel picked up his uniform cap from the kitchen table and put it on.
It was the moment he walked past Lucy.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."
Her voice was still hoarse, but the words were clear.
After a brief silence, Lucy bravely continued.
"I will surely repay this kindness."
At her words, Daniel let out a low chuckle.
"Kindness, huh. A doctor I once saved said the exact same thing. It's a strange feeling."
Daniel, collecting himself from his laughter, said in a playful tone.
"I'll look forward to it."
Daniel, giving a faint smile, turned and left the quarters.
Inside the quarters, now empty of Daniel, Lucy hugged the mug tightly, her face strangely flushed.
'I suppose before Christmas…'
She thought she should get herself a pretty dress.
*
Adria, a permanent member state of the United Nations.
Count Khaledra's office.
[Bellanos Trend Report No. 3346272]
Khaledra, reading the report from the Central Intelligence Agency's intelligence department, frowned.
The report stated that Daniel Steiner had pressured Bellanos's Prime Minister to successfully conclude negotiations in a way favorable to the Empire.
"Is this true?"
Beck, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, nodded.
"Yes, sir. This report has been cross-verified."
Khaledra, in response, closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.
'Not only is his survival from the ship sinking absurd…'
Daniel went a step further, using his supposed death as a weapon to force Bellanos's Prime Minister into submission.
Thanks to this, the Empire was virtually safe from attacks coming from the sea.
As long as Bellanos allowed the Empire's military to be stationed there, Bellanos would act as the Empire's breakwater and vanguard, repelling enemy attacks.
'This is a headache.'
Originally, the Empire's downfall was predetermined.
Everything had been proceeding according to plan, with no minor flaws detected.
'The Allied Nations' victory was almost within grasp, but…'
Suddenly, a figure named Daniel Steiner appeared and began disrupting the plans one by one.
Just like a hero in a story resisting their impending fate.
Khaledra, gritting his teeth in frustration, slowly opened his eyes.
'No matter how brilliant you are…'
A single human being could not possibly alter the direction of an overwhelming tide.
The Empire would be annihilated, and the Allied Nations would prosper.
'I will make sure of it.'
The war situation also favored the Allied Nations, so there was no need to rack his brains unnecessarily.
'However…'
Due to Daniel's survival, it was impossible to tell what decision Lucy would make.
There had even been a recent report from the Palentia branch of the capital that Lucy might have changed her allegiance.
With Daniel's return, it was truly a headache.
For Khaledra, who had originally been setting the stage for Lucy to absorb Daniel's vacant position, this was nothing short of a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
'Lucy's change of heart must not become a foregone conclusion.'
He could give up other things, but Lucy Emilia was someone he could not surrender.
Feeling a sense of crisis, Khaledra glared at Beck and spoke.
"Issue an order for Lucy to return. Immediately!"
Realizing the severity of the situation, Beck nodded without a word.
As Beck turned and exited the office, Khaledra raised a hand to his forehead.
His heated forehead felt as hot as if he had a fever.
The root cause of this stress was, naturally, Daniel Steiner.
'Emperor of the Empire. Why are you merely observing him?!'
From Khaledra's perspective, it was utterly incomprehensible.
Because all indicators pointed to one thing.
'That man…'
Was a monster who would eventually devour the Empire.