Chapter 19

Why am I sharing an office with an enemy spy?

As much as I wanted to report her as a spy to the Chief of Operations, doing so without evidence would only earn me a reputation as a lunatic.

Thus, my only option was to act naturally.

Taking a deep breath to calm my chaotic thoughts, I opened the office door.

As I did, Lucy, who was looking at me oddly, raised an eyebrow.

"The hinges on this door are strange. Did you notice that? I'll need to call someone to fix them soon."

I closed and reopened the door a few times, as though checking the hinges' condition.

Having improvised a passable explanation, I strode over to the desk, pulled out my chair, and sat down.

"So, what's your name?"

Placing a bag of bread on the desk and sitting back, I waited. Lucy snapped to attention, saluting crisply.

"Second Lieutenant Lucy Emilia, assigned as an aide to the Operations Staff Office as of today. It is an honor to serve as the aide to the esteemed Operations Officer. I will carry out my duties to the best of my ability, ensuring I uphold the trust placed in me."

A flawless formal introduction.

Still, she used her real name.

Then again, within the Allied Nations, very few people knew Lucy's full name. Perhaps she believed there was no need for an alias.

Whatever her reasoning, the fact remained: the strikingly beautiful woman before me was a spy for the Allied Nations.

Of course, spying on the Empire didn't bother me in itself.

It's not as though I have any particular loyalty to the Empire.

The problem is that the person who will one day be known as the Empire's Nightmare is now both my aide and a spy.

I am not a patient enough person to keep a ticking time bomb as my aide.

'So, I have to get rid of her.'

Somehow, I had to make it clear to higher-ups that Lucy Emilia was unsuitable for her role as my aide.

'That means I need a valid reason…'

As I tapped the desk pensively, an idea clicked into place.

'Wait. Weren't there human rights activists preparing an anti-war protest in front of the Operations Headquarters earlier?'

If I handled this well, I might just get Lucy reassigned.

Suppressing a smirk, I returned Lucy's salute.

Then, as she shifted to a relaxed stance, I addressed her with a grave expression.

"Good. Second Lieutenant Lucy Emilia, you mentioned earlier that you are prepared to fulfill your duties faithfully, did you not?"

"Yes, sir."

"A bold response. In that case, I will assign you a task to determine whether you are qualified to be my aide. Go outside and suppress the protesters."

Lucy hesitated briefly, her confusion apparent, before answering.

"...The protesters, sir?"

"Yes. Specifically, the ones conducting an illegal protest without royal approval. Initially, the numbers were small, so it was overlooked, but recently their movement has gained momentum."

"I understand, sir. However, isn't this a matter for the Military Police?"

"Any protest in front of Operations Headquarters falls under our jurisdiction as well. According to wartime law, imperial officers have the authority to take action against disruptive forces within their territory."

Lucy nodded in understanding.

"You are correct, sir. I will comply with the order."

"Good. Now, proceed with the task. Report back upon completion."

"Understood. May I make one request before I go?"

"A request?"

Lucy raised her hand and pointed a finger at me.

"Bread."

…What? Is this some kind of veiled threat to shoot me?

As I tensed at her cryptic gesture, Lucy blinked and continued.

"Didn't you mention earlier that you'd share some bread? If you allow it, I'd like to take one."

Ah. That bread.

"Go ahead, take one."

I pushed the bag of bread toward her, and Lucy walked over, selecting a croissant. She bowed her head slightly and exited the office.

Once she was gone, I let out a deep breath and leaned back in my chair.

The tension left me, leaving my body feeling heavy and drowsy.

'At least…'

I'd laid the groundwork for my plan.

Expecting Lucy to single-handedly suppress a protest was impossible.

How could she quell an angry crowd on her own?

All I had to do was wait in my office for her inevitable failure and then use that as a reason to have her removed.

It wouldn't all be resolved in one go, but stacking the cards in my favor was essential.

Feeling reassured by my progress, I pulled out some documents from my drawer and began reviewing them.

There was no time to waste while waiting for Lucy's return.

It was while I was in the middle of reviewing a few documents.

Bang!

The sound of a gunshot from outside startled me, making me flinch.

A terrorist attack? No, a terrorist wouldn't fire just a single shot like that.

Besides, the sound was close—right outside Operations Headquarters.

Bang!

Another shot rang out, freezing my thoughts.

'Could it be…?'

Had Lucy fired her gun?

Realizing the possibility, I quickly stood up.

This wasn't the time to remain in the office.

"All five protest leaders apprehended. Excellent work."

Warrant Officer Wendelin, a Military Police interrogator, stared at the woman before him in stunned silence.

Swallowing nervously, Wendelin mentally replayed what had just happened.

The woman, who introduced herself as "Captain Daniel Steiner's aide," surveyed the riot control officers facing the protesters, drew her revolver, and fired two warning shots into the air.

Startled by the sudden gunfire, the protesters panicked and scattered. The woman then requested the riot officers' assistance and skillfully subdued the five protest leaders.

In truth, the riot officers had done little more than assist with the arrests.

This fact left not only the riot officers but also Wendelin speechless.

While they stood dumbfounded, the woman spoke again.

"What is this commotion?"

Startled by the voice, Wendelin turned to see Captain Daniel Steiner approaching, his officer's coat billowing as he walked. His imposing demeanor commanded attention.

Fearing repercussions, Wendelin shouted orders to those around him.

"Attention!"

The thirty riot officers snapped to attention as Daniel's sharp gaze swept over them, eventually settling on Lucy.

"Report."

Lucy saluted crisply and answered.

"Per your orders, I suppressed the violent protesters. In the process, I fired warning shots. As a result, the illegal protest was dispersed, and five ringleaders were apprehended."

Hearing this, Wendelin finally understood and nodded.

'So it was Captain Daniel Steiner's order. That makes sense.'

A newly commissioned officer wouldn't take such decisive action on her own.

Meanwhile, Daniel felt like screaming internally.

'When did I ever tell her to fire warning shots?'

He wanted to protest but refrained; under wartime law, Lucy had done nothing wrong.

Instead, Daniel extended a hand.

Lucy promptly handed over her revolver, and Daniel opened the cylinder to check. Sure enough, two chambers were empty.

Finding it absurd, Daniel let out a small, incredulous laugh. Lucy then spoke up.

"Captain, these individuals violated assembly laws and wartime regulations. Among their offenses is the attack on a military officer. If you order it, I will execute them immediately."

For a moment, Daniel wondered if he'd misheard her.

Wouldn't the protest organizers be on her side?

'Why would she want to kill her own allies?'

…Or maybe, to avoid suspicion, she was going out of her way to support the Empire.

'This woman is utterly ruthless! Doesn't she feel any pity for these people?'

He wanted to lecture her on morality but couldn't, not with so many witnesses.

Military Police officers, riot control teams, and even journalists snapping photos—there were too many eyes on him.

Here, he had to act like a model imperial officer.

"No."

Click.

Closing the cylinder, Daniel handed the revolver back to Lucy.

"They're not worth killing. Warrant Officer Wendelin."

"Yes, Captain Daniel Steiner, sir!"

Wendelin straightened at Daniel's call.

"Interrogate them. Find out what kind of subversive ideologies they hold to defy the Empire and incite citizens."

"Understood!"

An anxious Wendelin barked orders to his subordinates, who moved quickly to detain the protest leaders.

Watching this unfold, Daniel closed his eyes briefly in silent exasperation.

'What a disaster.'

The next morning.

Awakening to my alarm, I headed to the kitchen for my usual coffee.

After brewing a cup and filling a mug, I walked to the door to collect the morning paper.

Settling at the kitchen table, I took a sip of coffee and unfolded the newspaper.

The moment I saw the front page, I froze.

There it was—a black-and-white photo of me, checking the revolver's cylinder in front of five kneeling protest leaders.

It looked as though I was deliberating whether to execute them.

Breaking into a cold sweat, I scanned the headline.

"Captain Daniel Steiner Apprehends Illegal Protest Leaders!"

The article's content was even worse.

"…Upon interrogation by the Military Police, three of the apprehended leaders confessed to being funded by the Allied Nations. This revelation solidifies suspicions that the Allied Nations are orchestrating anti-war protests. Warrant Officer Wendelin expressed gratitude for Captain Daniel Steiner's significant contributions…"

By the time I finished reading, I folded the newspaper and reached for my coffee.

I took a deep breath and a sip, but the coffee no longer tasted good.

This is exhausting… truly exhausting.