The next day, Felix woke up, tidied himself briefly, changed into a fresh military uniform, and left the temporary office where he was staying. On his way to the cafeteria, he greeted each subordinate he encountered along the path.
Greeting people as he went, Felix unconsciously arrived at the cafeteria. Picking up a tray, he approached the serving window.
The soldier on duty recognized Felix and greeted him with a smile, enthusiastically recommending the day's offerings.
"Captain, we have your favorite dish today. Would you like an extra portion?"
"Give me more."
Felix responded with a faint smile and a gentle tone. The soldier cheerfully acknowledged and served Felix's meal.
In under a minute, the food was ready.
Felix smiled at him.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it, Captain."
The soldier replied respectfully.
Without another word, Felix carried his tray toward an empty seat.
On the way, he spotted Lacus eating in the cafeteria. She noticed him too, her beautiful eyes conveying a trace of resentment.
It was as if she were referencing last night's incident.
Seeing this, Felix felt inwardly exasperated.
What's this about? It was your own foolish overthinking—what does it have to do with me!
He grumbled to himself.
Suddenly, a mischievous impulse rose within Felix, and a playful expression spread across his face. Sitting at the empty seat facing Lacus, he pulled a napkin from the table and pretended to examine it, turning it over and over.
Lacus was momentarily puzzled by Felix's behavior but quickly grasped his intention.
Noticing her reaction, Felix's teasing grin widened. He stopped fidgeting with the napkin, fixed his gaze on it, and remarked with a laugh,
"It's just an ordinary napkin!"
His voice, neither too loud nor too soft, reached Lacus's ears.
Though others heard Felix's words, they couldn't decipher his meaning and, after a brief glance, returned to their meals.
Lacus, who understood the subtext of his comment, shed her stunned expression, replaced by one of embarrassed indignation.
She shot Felix a fierce glare with her lovely eyes, picked up her chopsticks, and viciously stabbed at the vegetables on her plate. Lifting the somewhat mangled greens, she parted her crimson lips and took a forceful bite.
Her cheeks puffed out as if she were exerting all her strength to chew the vegetables.
Watching her reaction, Felix chuckled delightedly, picked up a piece of chicken cutlet from his tray, and took a bite.
"Today's chicken cutlet tastes even better."
Eating the cutlet, Felix commented with a smile.
His words traveled the distance between them, reaching Lacus's ears. Pausing mid-bite, she felt even more frustrated.
Her regret over her own foolish behavior from the previous night deepened.
Annoyed at her own foolishness, annoyed at overthinking a blank piece of paper.
Lacus swallowed the vegetables in her mouth, deciding that out of sight meant out of mind. She lowered her head and quietly ate her meal, avoiding looking at Felix.
Seeing Lacus lower her head and ignore him, Felix wiped the teasing expression from his face and also lowered his head to eat the food on his tray in silence.
After the meal, Felix returned to his office and sat down to continue drafting the combat plan for the attack on Endymion Base.
While working on the plan, Felix suddenly stopped what he was doing, stood up, and gazed out the viewport at the scenery outside, murmuring to himself.
'The outcome of the First Battle of Victoria Space Port has changed. The deployment time of the Neutron Jammer has shifted. Many things have already been altered.'
'It seems likely that the future will undergo many changes as well. Some outcomes I'm familiar with might disappear under the current timeline. That's not a good result.'
At this thought, a cold glint flashed in his deep eyes, and he clenched his fist tightly at his side.
'In that case, I should plan more carefully, keeping all developments as much as possible under my control to avoid unforeseen circumstances.'
After resolving himself, Felix turned back and sat down in his chair again. Leaning against the backrest, he lightly tapped his fingers on the desk, pondering various matters.
As he thought, Felix recalled a person.
Meer Campbell.
As this name surfaced in his mind, an image of her appeared in Felix's thoughts. Simultaneously, a plan began to take shape in his mind.
A slight smile touched his lips. He stopped tapping the desk, his gaze shifting to the computer screen as Felix pulled up a list. After reviewing the list, he called Aric.
"Captain."
Aric's voice came through as the communication connected.
Felix gave him a direct order.
"Aric, you're not on the Alighieri right now, are you?"
"No, I'm off duty today. I'm resting, not on shift."
Aric shook his head as he replied.
Felix continued, "Bring Corey Gutierrez to my office."
"Yes, sir."
Uncertain what the captain intended, Aric knew it was best to simply follow orders without overthinking. After acknowledging, he waited quietly for further instructions.
Felix looked at Aric and said, "Go ahead and do it quickly!"
With that, Felix ended the communication.
A few minutes later, Aric arrived at Felix's office with Corey.
"Captain, Corey is here!"
Standing before Felix, Aric saluted, his voice clear and strong. Felix looked up at him and gave a slight nod.
His gaze then shifted to Corey, and he asked with concern, "How is your injury?"
"Thank you for your concern, sir. My injury has improved a lot."
Touched by Felix's caring tone, Corey felt a warmth in his heart as he responded.
Felix nodded slightly and continued, "Corey, I plan to send you back to PLANT so you can receive better treatment."
"Captain, I—"
Hearing that he was to be sent back to PLANT, Corey grew anxious and hurriedly tried to explain himself. Felix raised a hand to cut him off, then patiently clarified.
"While the medical facilities here at Corey Lorenz are quite advanced, they ultimately can't compare to those in the rear since this is the frontline. Your injuries can be treated here, but for your long-term recovery, it's necessary to receive superior medical care."
As he spoke, Felix stood up and walked over to Corey, placing a hand on his shoulder as he continued with genuine concern.
"Corey, I don't want to see you risk permanent disability from not receiving the best possible treatment. I want you to recover completely—to be truly well without any complications."