Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 78 - Daniel Just Wants a Desk Job

『 Translator – Divinity 』

The next morning, Daniel arrived at the General Staff Headquarters and took a deep breath in front of his private office.

He felt nervous at the thought of facing Lucy, who had come to assassinate him last night and then left.

'Calm down, Daniel.'

From Lucy's perspective, he was "sleeping" last night.

It would be troublesome if she found out that he wasn't actually asleep.

Therefore, to avoid suspicion, he had to act as naturally as possible.

I can do this, he told himself and turned the doorknob, opening the door.

As he entered the office, Lucy, who had arrived earlier, stood up and saluted.

"You've arrived, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."

Her expression was as impassive as ever.

'It's hard to believe she came to kill me last night.'

It made him realize once again that she was a capable intelligence agent.

Feeling a strange chill, Daniel nodded and walked to his desk.

He pulled out his chair, sat down, placed his briefcase on the desk, and said,

"Adjutant, may I ask you a personal question?"

Lucy, who had also sat down, looked at him.

"Yes, sir. Is there something you're curious about?"

"Yes. Do you remember the conversation we had two days ago?"

"Two days ago... Are you referring to the conversation we had at the entrance of the General Staff Headquarters?"

Daniel nodded.

"I mentioned that the Golden Rose Bakery was selling stollen as a Christmas special. I looked into it, and it seems they're quite busy around Christmas, so we need to make a reservation in advance. So, if you're free on Christmas, I was wondering if it would be alright to make a reservation. Also..."

He rummaged through his briefcase, avoiding eye contact with her.

"It would be a shame to just eat stollen and leave on Christmas, so I was thinking we should plan some other activities. As you know, other places also require reservations around Christmas, so it's best to prepare now. Therefore, please let me know your thoughts."

Daniel took out the necessary items from his briefcase and glanced at Lucy.

'If she asks me to make a reservation here...'

It would mean that she had no plans to assassinate him before Christmas.

If she refused, it would be safe to assume that she was planning to try again before Christmas.

Of course, she could lie, but in that case, there would be a subtle change in her expression due to guilt, which he would be able to detect easily.

While Daniel was watching Lucy cautiously, she was interpreting his proposal in a completely different way.

'He's not just asking for dinner, but to enjoy other activities together...'

No matter how she looked at it, it was a date request.

'...Does Daniel have feelings for me?'

Thinking about it, it wouldn't make sense for him to save her from the Security Bureau and hide the fact that she was a spy unless he had feelings for her.

'But...'

Lucy had never been on a date before.

Naturally, this was also the first time she had received a date request.

Unsure of how to react, her heart started pounding.

Fidgeting with her fountain pen, she finally gave a small nod.

"...I don't have any plans then, so I think it would be alright for you to make a reservation."

It was a hesitant acceptance without any lies.

Relieved, Daniel put down his briefcase and said,

"Then I'll make a reservation, so don't complain about it later. And..."

Daniel, who was about to discuss their Christmas plans in more detail, paused.

He heard familiar footsteps approaching from the hallway outside his office.

Knock, knock—

Soon, a knock came, and Daniel stood up and said,

"Come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened, and Ernst entered.

Ernst, with his large build, spoke before Daniel could even salute.

"Daniel! This isn't the time to be relaxing! Go to the reception room right now!"

Daniel, puzzled, lowered his arm that he had raised to salute.

"Sir, I believe the protocol department in the general affairs division is in charge of receiving guests. Why should I go to the reception room...?"

"Because the guest specifically requested to see you!"

"Requested to see me? If it's some noble from the capital or a politician from the National Assembly, there's no reason for me to meet them."

Ernst tapped his chest impatiently and said,

"If that were the case, I wouldn't have even told you! The guest who summoned you is none other than Her Highness!"

Daniel's eyes widened in surprise.

'Why is Sylvia here?'

Swallowing nervously, he hurried out of the office.

He didn't know the reason, but he couldn't refuse a summons from the princess.

"Sir, please tell me next time if it's Her Highness who summoned me."

He made sure to grumble at Ernst, just in case.

***

Arriving at the reception room with hurried steps, Daniel saw Sylvia sitting on the sofa.

Cedric, the Deputy Chief of Operations, was sitting on the sofa opposite her.

Seeing them in conversation, Daniel approached and saluted.

"Your Highness, I heard you summoned me."

Sylvia put down her cup, looked at Daniel, and then coughed unnaturally.

She had almost smiled unconsciously at the sight of him.

Remembering that she had to maintain her composure as the future Empress, Sylvia spoke in a rather stern tone.

"I have something urgent to discuss with you. Please have a seat."

"It's alright. I came straight from work, so I'll have to head back up as soon as I hear what you have to say."

Daniel knew from his experience with the all-out war speech that it wasn't a good idea to have a long conversation with Sylvia.

That's why he politely declined her offer to sit.

Sylvia was a bit dissatisfied, but she didn't show it and said,

"Then listen while standing. Daniel Steiner, the Imperial family was deeply moved by your all-out war speech. So we'd like to make you a good offer."

"What kind of offer, Your Highness?"

"Currently, the Empire is promoting various public projects with the funds raised from selling war bonds. And since the sales exceeded our initial expectations, we're planning to launch additional projects."

Sylvia looked up at Daniel with a meaningful gaze.

"We'd like to share the authority with you, Lieutenant Colonel. The authority to plan and lead these projects."

"...Your Highness? Wouldn't that be too much for a mere Operations Staff Officer to handle?"

"Neither I nor the Imperial family sees you as a mere Operations Staff Officer. So please speak your mind freely."

Although Sylvia was speaking with a smile, she was testing him.

If Daniel was the wolf who would devour the Empire, as her father had said, he would surely try to lead these national projects after hearing this offer.

He would try to further strengthen his influence through them.

However, Daniel saw this as a good opportunity to escape the Empire, even if temporarily.

"Your Highness, if you insist, I'd like to be appointed as the ambassador to Bellanos."

"...Bellanos?"

Bellanos was a neutral country located west of the Empire, across the sea.

Sylvia, unable to understand why he would want to go there as an ambassador, asked him again.

However, Daniel explained his reasons for wanting to go to Bellanos in a serious tone.

"Your Highness, as you know, the Empire will soon have to face three nations. Therefore, what the Empire needs most right now are weapons and manpower. So, I believe it's best to go to Bellanos and import weapons and hire mercenaries."

He wasn't wrong.

It was something the Empire's leadership was also considering.

However, there were plenty of people who could be appointed as the ambassador to Bellanos.

It wasn't something that only Daniel Steiner could do.

Therefore, Sylvia was perplexed that he was volunteering for the job.

"Are you serious? You mean... you want to be dispatched as an ambassador to Bellanos?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I'm serious."

From Daniel's perspective, he wanted to "escape" to Bellanos right now.

Look at the domestic situation.

The politicians and nobles were eager to bring him down, the Emperor was wary of him due to some misunderstanding, and his adjutant, Lucy, was trying to kill him.

He couldn't help but feel like he was in the eye of a storm.

So, he was planning to take refuge in another country under the guise of carrying out diplomatic duties.

Of course, Sylvia, unaware of Daniel's true intentions, couldn't understand what he was thinking.

After a moment of contemplation, she nodded in agreement.

"Since you seem determined, I'll consider it favorably. Then you may leave."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Daniel bowed his head and turned to leave.

Sylvia watched him go, then turned to Cedric, who was sitting across from her.

"...What do you think?"

Cedric, who had been listening to their conversation, answered,

"In my opinion, it's a wise decision."

Cedric smiled, a rare sight.

"Daniel Steiner has a history of subduing Duke Belvar by using Your Highness's authority. So it's natural for him to be resented by the nobles and the politicians who are funded by them."

Cedric picked up the tongs on the table and dropped a sugar cube into his coffee.

"That resentment must have reached its peak after his recent all-out war speech. They must see Daniel Steiner as a threat to their positions. Some of the more extreme ones might even be arguing that he should be politically isolated."

Cedric stirred his coffee with a casual gesture.

"There are even rumors that His Majesty is wary of Daniel Steiner. In this situation, what would happen if Daniel tried to expand his influence by meddling in national affairs?"

"...The politicians and nobles might join forces to attack Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."

"Indeed. That's why Daniel is trying to appease them by being appointed as the ambassador to Bellanos, a remote post, and disappearing from the capital."

The sugar cube dissolved in the coffee.

"Once their discontent subsides, the opinion that Daniel isn't acting for his own benefit but for the sake of the nation will arise among the politicians. And if that happens..."

Cedric picked up a napkin and wiped the coffee stains off his fingers.

"It will inevitably lead to factional strife. For example, the Central National Party and the Liberal Social Party, with their differing ideologies, will clash. This is what they call 'using one enemy to defeat another.' From Daniel Steiner's perspective, it's like getting something for nothing."

Cedric put down the spoon, took a sip of his coffee, and then put down the cup.

"Of course, this is just my speculation, but I can't think of any other reason why Daniel would choose the remote post of ambassador to Bellanos."

Sylvia, having heard Cedric's analysis, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

If what Cedric said was true, then Daniel was indeed a dangerous man, just as her father had said.

However, it was too early to jump to conclusions.

"...Deputy Chief of Staff, do you think Daniel's loyalty to the Imperial family is fake?"

Cedric blinked and shook his head.

"In my opinion, Daniel Steiner's loyalty is genuine. There are many inconsistencies if you consider all his actions to be for his own benefit. However, I'm not sure if his loyalty is towards the Imperial family or the Empire itself."

If Daniel Steiner's loyalty was towards the Imperial family, there would be no problem.

But what if his loyalty was towards the great Empire... that is, the development of the nation itself?

If Daniel Steiner were to deem the Imperial family incompetent, the consequences would be far from pleasant.

"Your Highness."

Cedric stared intently at Sylvia with his unique gaze and offered his sincere advice.

"You must win over Daniel Steiner's heart as soon as possible. If you fail to do so..."

Cedric paused for a moment, then continued,

"You will have a more troublesome adversary than the Allied Nations, within your own ranks."