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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: I Wasn't Trying to Help
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Imperial General Staff Headquarters.
Daniel Steiner's private office.
Rustle—
Lucy was working in Daniel's office while he was away.
Lucy, who had been reviewing documents and organizing them by importance as usual, looked up.
'Footsteps…'
Footsteps were approaching from the hallway.
'Is it Daniel?'
Today was the day Daniel was scheduled to return, having cut short his leave.
The thought of no longer having to work overtime once Daniel arrived inexplicably brightened her mood.
Lucy, who had been perking up her ears with anticipation, soon shook her head.
'No.'
It wasn't Daniel's footsteps.
Judging by the sound, the stride and the weight of the steps on the ground were different.
'Then who on earth...?'
Just as she wondered if it was Ernst, the Deputy Chief of Operations, the office door opened.
The door opened without a knock, and a man in a navy police uniform slowly stepped inside.
Lucy's hand twitched when she saw him.
The middle-aged man was someone Lucy knew well.
'Karthman Schultz…'
He was a Chief Inspector from the Security Bureau.
She couldn't *not* know him; they had even dined together once at a restaurant while she was in disguise.
"Hm?"
Karthman, who had been looking at the empty desk with a puzzled expression, turned his head.
When his eyes met Lucy's, Karthman paused, then offered an awkward smile.
"Ah. Are you Major Daniel's aide?"
Lucy hesitated to answer.
Because if Karthman, an officer from the Security Bureau, were to suspect her, it could lead to big trouble.
'But back then, surely…'
She had not only hidden her appearance with a wig and sunglasses, but she hadn't uttered a sound either.
Lucy, thinking that a short conversation would be fine, stood up and calmly spoke.
"Yes. What business brings the Security Bureau all the way to the General Staff Headquarters?"
"Hmm. There are various circumstances, but to put it simply…"
Karthman, who had been scratching his head, suddenly stared at Lucy.
"It's about rooting out a spy."
A moment of silence fell between them.
The suspicion in Karthman's sleepy eyes felt chilling.
Being suspected, however, was something Lucy was quite used to.
Lucy accepted Karthman's words without the slightest change in expression.
"Are you saying there's a spy in the General Staff Headquarters?"
At Lucy's words, Karthman let out a hollow laugh.
Usually, people would blurt out something like, 'Are you suspecting me?' and incriminate themselves, but Lucy, cunningly, shifted Karthman's suspicion to the entire General Staff Headquarters.
Karthman, thinking she was not an easy opponent, shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, this is quite something. I truly don't want to suspect those who work so hard for the Empire here at the General Staff Headquarters. But after conducting my own investigation, I found some suspicious circumstances regarding Major Daniel."
"Suspicious circumstances, you say?"
"That's right. Some time ago, I had dinner with Major Daniel at a restaurant. It was a great honor, truly. But there was a woman accompanying Major Daniel at the time."
'She was quite a unique person.' Karthman, stroking his chin as if lost in thought, snapped his fingers.
"Ah! She was said to have been a military doctor on the Eastern Front who suffered an eye injury from an enemy soldier. I couldn't see her eyes because she was wearing sunglasses, but her brown hair was truly beautiful."
Karthman looked at Lucy and gave a sly smile.
"She was quite close to my ideal type. So, I secretly did a little investigation. How many military doctors on the Eastern Front suffered an eye injury from an enemy soldier?"
Karthman, wiping the smile from his face, raised a hand and spread his fingers.
"Five. Among relatively young people, there were five military doctors who were still alive despite suffering eye injuries. Then I thought again: how many of them had brown hair?"
Karthman folded three fingers.
"Two. There were exactly two with brown hair. So then, who among those brown-haired military doctors with eye injuries also suffered from aphasia and couldn't speak at all?"
Karthman clenched his fist.
"None. Unfortunately."
Karthman, who had been staring intently at Lucy, lowered his hand.
"Isn't that strange? The military doctor Major Daniel mentioned doesn't exist in reality? That would mean it was a lie. Why would he lie?"
Karthman tilted his head, then his eyes sharpened.
"Perhaps that woman was a spy, and he was hiding her from me, an officer of the Security Bureau?"
It was an accurate guess, despite being a leap of faith, but Lucy didn't bat an eye.
Instead, she merely frowned, a look of displeasure on her face.
"Are you trying to accuse my superior, Major Daniel, of colluding with a spy?"
As Lucy took a firm stance, Karthman, who had been silent for a moment, let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
"Of course not. For now, it's just my foolish delusion. I sincerely hope it is a delusion. But there's no harm in being certain, is there? In that sense…"
Karthman fumbled in his pocket and pulled something out.
It was a sunglasses case.
When Karthman opened the case, inside was a pair of sunglasses identical in shape to the ones Lucy had worn at the time.
"Would you mind trying these on? It's not that I particularly suspect Lieutenant Lucy, but if the woman I met back then was indeed a spy, I suspect she might be operating within the General Staff Headquarters."
He implied that since he'd had everyone else try on the sunglasses, she should too.
Thanks to this, Lucy secretly broke out in a cold sweat.
Because the moment she picked up and put on the sunglasses Karthman offered, his suspicion would only intensify.
She could try to dismiss it as a similar appearance, but if Karthman's persistent investigation began afterward, she wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
But refusing to wear the sunglasses would also be strange.
Trapped in a desperate situation, Lucy took a deep breath and reached out for the sunglasses.
She figured there was no other option for now, so complying with Karthman's request was the best course of action.
It was then.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Daniel's voice made Lucy's hand stop.
Lucy, who had instinctively turned her head, could see Daniel looking at her from the office entrance.
Surprised by his unexpected appearance, Lucy, forgetting even to salute, simply blinked.
Karthman also turned his head, drawn by the voice, and spotted Daniel.
"Ah. Major Daniel. It's not that…"
Karthman's calm words trailed off.
Because Daniel, who had approached, was glaring down at Karthman as if he would devour him.
The imposing presence of his tall stature and sharp gaze was truly considerable.
"Explain what exactly you're doing."
The voice, laced with an intimidating edge, made Karthman shrink.
However, Karthman, who was in a position where he couldn't back down, opened his mouth.
"Explain? I'm simply doing my job. Since I was granted access to the General Staff Headquarters by my superiors…"
"Then did you obtain a warrant for internal security surveillance?"
Karthman had no choice but to shut his mouth.
An internal security surveillance warrant superseded mere access permission.
Even the Security Bureau wouldn't issue a warrant without concrete evidence.
As Karthman remained silent, Daniel frowned.
"Don't tell me you burst in here without a warrant. And what's more, you've put my aide in a difficult position."
"Major Daniel. This is a misunderstanding. Furthermore, this is entirely for the national interest. So, I wasn't putting your aide in a difficult position, but rather—"
"Karthman Schultz."
Daniel, cutting off Karthman, dipped his head slightly.
"It seems you're not getting it, so I'll say it again."
Karthman, whose eyes met his, could see.
Daniel, snarling like a fierce wolf.
"Get out of here at once."
Cold sweat trickled down.
Karthman, feeling a certain dread, nodded and fled the office as if escaping.
Only after confirming Karthman's departure did Daniel sigh in relief.
'I knew Duke Belvar would act, but to send someone already…'
Granting Karthman access to the General Staff Headquarters was clearly Belvar's doing.
'Seeing Security Bureau officers wandering around the General Staff Headquarters…'
It could be interpreted as them being desperate to find evidence.
'For now, it's a relief. If Lucy had put on those sunglasses, things would have gotten complicated.'
If Lucy were suspected of being a spy, Daniel, as her superior, wouldn't be safe either.
In the worst case, he could be accused of colluding with a spy and be sentenced to death.
That's why he had desperately driven Karthman away.
But this was only a temporary measure.
'Belvar will continue to pressure me. In that case…'
He had to break their will to fight, so they could no longer pressure him.
Daniel currently had the power and ability to do so.
"Aide."
Daniel, having finished his thoughts, turned to Lucy.
"I'm going to meet Her Royal Highness the Princess now, so you stay here and guard the General Staff Headquarters. Also, don't go anywhere near the Security Bureau today. Understood?"
Lucy, who had been staring blankly up at Daniel, gave a small nod.
Seeing this, Daniel hurried his steps and left the office.
Lucy, staring blankly at where Daniel had exited, let out a long breath.
'Why…?'
She couldn't understand Daniel, who had just clashed with the Security Bureau officer who was pressuring *her*.
From Lucy's perspective, it was as if Daniel had risked his life to save her, who was under suspicion of being a spy.
Lucy, who had been lost in thought for a while, half-opened her eyes and placed a hand on her chest.
"…"
The beating of her heart was transmitted through her fingertips.