LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 78
Daniel took a deep breath in front of his personal office as he arrived at the General Staff Headquarters.
He felt a bit tense at the thought of facing Lucy, who had come to assassinate him earlier that morning and then left.
‘Calm down, Daniel.’
From Lucy’s perspective, Daniel was just ‘sleeping’ that early morning.
If it came out that he wasn’t actually asleep, it would understandably cause a lot of trouble.
So, it was crucial for him to act as naturally as possible to avoid any suspicion.
With a strong resolve in his heart, Daniel turned the doorknob and opened the door.
Upon entering the office, Lucy, who had arrived before him, stood up and saluted.
Her expression was as indifferent as usual.
‘…It’s hard to believe she’s the one who came to kill me this morning.’
Daniel was suddenly reminded of Lucy’s skills as a competent spy.
A shiver ran down his spine as he nodded at her and walked over to his desk.
Sitting down, he placed his briefcase on the desk and said, “By the way, Aide-de-Camp, may I ask you a personal question?”
Lucy turned to look at him from her seat.
“Of course. Is there something you’re curious about?”
“Yeah. Do you remember our conversation from two days ago?”
“From two days ago… Are you referring to the conversation we had at the entrance of the General Staff Headquarters?”
Daniel nodded.
“You mentioned that the Golden Rose Bakery was selling stollen for Christmas limited edition. I checked, and apparently, there will be a lot of customers during Christmas, so reservations need to be made in advance. If your schedule is free, would you like me to make a reservation?”
He hesitated for a moment, afraid to meet her gaze, and fumbled through his briefcase.
“Also, since it would be a shame to just have stollen for Christmas, we should look for some other entertainment options too. As you know, other shops also operate on a reservation basis during Christmas, so it’s best to start preparing now. So, please give me a definite answer.”
Daniel stole a quick glance at Lucy as he took out the necessary items from his briefcase.
‘If Lucy asks me to make a reservation…’
Then it could be taken as a sign that she wouldn’t try to kill him until after Christmas.
If she refused, it would mean she might be planning another assassination attempt before Christmas.
Of course, she could lie about it, but then there would be a subtle change in her expression from the guilt of it, which he could easily pick up on.
While Daniel was on high alert, Lucy was interpreting his proposal differently.
‘It sounds like he’s not only suggesting we just eat but also enjoy some other activities together…’
It definitely sounded like a date request.
‘…Does Daniel actually have feelings for me?’
Thinking back, it was impossible for him to have rescued her from the Security Bureau or keep her identity as a spy a secret without some degree of affection.
‘But…’
Lucy had never been on a date. Naturally, this was the first time someone had asked her out.
Unsure of how to respond, her heart began to race.
Fidgeting with her fountain pen, she finally nodded slightly.
“…I don’t really have anything to do during that time, so I think you can go ahead and make the reservation.”
It was a genuine but passive acceptance.
With a sigh of relief, Daniel set down his briefcase and said, “Then I’ll make the reservation, so don’t change your mind when the time comes. And…”
As he was about to discuss the specifics for their Christmas plans, he hesitated.
Familiar footsteps echoed from the corridor just outside the office.
Knock, knock─
As soon as the knock sounded, Daniel stood up and said, “Come in.”
The moment his words finished, the door swung open, and Colonel Ernst entered.
With his robust build, Ernst opened his mouth before Daniel could even salute.
“Daniel! There’s no time for this right now! Head straight to the reception room!”
Thanks to that, Daniel, who was a bit confused, lowered the arm he had raised for a salute.
“Sir, I believe the protocol for receiving distinguished guests lies with the protocol department of the Administration. So, why do I need to go to the reception room…?”
“Because the VIP has personally called for you!”
“Called for me? If it’s nobles from the system or politicians from the Parliament, then I don’t see why I need to meet with them.”
Ernst puffed out his chest, looking quite frustrated.
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have said a word! The VIP who called for you is none other than Her Highness the Princess!”
Daniel blinked in shock, unable to comprehend. “Why is Selvia here?”
Swallowing hard, Daniel hurried his steps.
For reasons he didn’t know, it was a royal summons that he couldn’t refuse.
“Sir, please let me know next time that it’s a summons from Her Highness the Princess.”
Venturing a little frustration towards Ernst was just a bonus.
*
Arriving at the reception room at a brisk pace, Daniel saw Selvia lounging on the sofa.
Across from her sat Cedric, the Deputy of Operations Staff.
Seeing the two engaged in conversation, Daniel approached and saluted.
“Her Highness, I hear you called for me.”
Selvia turned to Daniel after setting her cup down and awkwardly cleared her throat.
Seeing her face, she almost smiled out of joy.
Realizing she had to maintain her dignity as the future empress, Selvia spoke in a somewhat solemn manner.
“I have something important to discuss with you. Please have a seat.”
“That’s alright. Since this is during work hours, I’ll need to get back as soon as I hear what you have to say.”
Daniel was well aware from his experience with warfare speeches that long chats with Selvia wouldn’t bring any good.
Thus, he politely declined.
Though a bit dissatisfied, Selvia didn’t show it and continued.
“In that case, please listen while standing. Colonel Daniel Steiner, the royal family was deeply touched by your warfare speech. So, I’d like to make you a wonderful offer.”
“An offer, you say?”
“Currently, our Empire is making significant investments in various public works funded by the sale of war bonds. Due to the higher-than-expected sale of bonds, we are planning to expand our projects.”
Selvia looked at Daniel with meaningful eyes.
“I intend to grant you authority related to this. The authority to conceptualize projects and take on the role of supervisor.”
“…Your Highness? Isn’t that too heavy a responsibility for just a mere operations staff officer?”
“Neither I nor the royal family considers you just a mere operations staff officer. So, please feel free to express your thoughts candidly.”
Selvia spoke with a smile, but it was clear she was testing him.
If Daniel truly was the wolf who would devour the Empire as his father suggested, then he would likely take on such a project that would be of national consequence.
He would seek to strengthen his influence even more.
On the other hand, Daniel saw this as a perfect opportunity to momentarily escape the Empire.
“Your Highness. If you insist, please appoint me as the Ambassador to Belanos.”
“…Belanos?”
Belanos was a neutral state to the west of the Empire, across the sea.
Thus, Selvia couldn’t wrap her head around why he would want to go there as an ambassador.
However, Daniel explained his serious intentions, detailing his reasons for wanting to go to Belanos.
“Yes. As you well know, the Empire will soon be facing three nations. The most critical things the Empire needs are weapons and manpower. Therefore, I believe that going to Belanos to import weapons and hire mercenaries is the right move.”
That wasn’t incorrect.
This was a matter the top brass of the Empire was also considering.
However, there were many candidates for the position of Ambassador to Belanos.
It wasn’t something that had to be Daniel Steiner. Thus, Selvia was left perplexed.
“That’s right. I mean it.”
At that moment, Daniel desperately wanted to ‘escape’ to Belanos.
Just look at the domestic politics.
Politicians and nobles were itching to devour him, the Emperor was on edge with a misunderstanding, and his aide, Lucy, was out to get him.
He felt like he was in the eye of a storm.
Thus, Daniel was thinking of pretending to handle diplomatic duties while temporarily hiding abroad.
Of course, Selvia, unaware of his true intentions, couldn’t fathom what he was thinking.
After a moment of contemplation, Selvia nodded, signaling her understanding.
“You seem quite determined, so I shall consider this positively. Now, you may return.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
With a bow as a sign of respect, Daniel turned to leave.
As she watched his neat figure walk away, Selvia turned to Cedric, who was seated across from her.
“…What do you think?”
Cedric, who had been overhearing their conversation, answered.
“I think it is indeed a wise decision.”
For once, Cedric smiled.
“Daniel Steiner has a history of subduing Duke Belvar while riding on the royal family’s prestige. Hence, he has certainly raised enough ire among the nobles and the politicians who work with them.”
Holding tongs from the table, Cedric dropped a sugar cube into his coffee.
“Given the speech he just gave, that ire must have reached its peak. They would have thought that Daniel Steiner was threatening their positions. Among the dogs, the most radical ones might even claim they need to politically isolate Daniel Steiner.”
Stirring his coffee with a spoon in an elegant manner, Cedric spoke on.
“There are even rumors that the Emperor himself is wary of Daniel Steiner. If, in this situation, Daniel aimed to expand his influence while meddling in significant national affairs, what would happen?”
“…The politicians and nobles might unite to attack Colonel Daniel.”
“Exactly. This is why Daniel is choosing to become the Ambassador to Belanos, practically making himself invisible within the system, to quell their discontent.”
As the sugar cube dissolved into the coffee, Cedric continued.
“Once their discontent subsides, there will emerge an opinion among the legislators that Daniel isn’t trying to leverage politics for personal gain but is genuinely acting in the interest of the country. In such a case…”
Cedric finished stirring and picked up a napkin to wipe the coffee-stained part.
“Inevitably, factional strife will arise. For instance, the Central National Party and the Liberal Social Party, which hold opposing ideologies, will clash. This is what they call ‘using the enemy’s enemy as a tool.’ For Daniel Steiner, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone.”
Setting down the mint spoon, Cedric took a sip of coffee and set down the cup.
“Of course, all of this is mere speculation, but I can’t think of any other reason for Daniel to choose to be an ambassador to a distant place like Belanos.”
After hearing all of Cedric’s insights, Selvia couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.
If Cedric’s words were true, then Daniel was indeed the dangerous person her father had mentioned.
However, it was too soon to jump to conclusions.
“…Deputy of Operations Staff, do you think Daniel’s loyalty to the royal family might not be genuine?”
After blinking once, Cedric shook his head.
“From what I can see, Colonel Daniel Steiner’s loyalty is genuine. It would be unreasonable to consider all actions stemming from mere self-interest. However, whether that loyalty lies with the royal family or the Empire itself remains uncertain.”
If Daniel’s loyalty were to the royal family, that would pose no problem at all.
But what if that loyalty were directed towards the greatness of the Empire… in other words, the progress of the state itself?
The moment Daniel Steiner judged the royal family to be incompetent, the situation could turn quite ugly.
“Your Highness.”
Cedric gazed at Selvia with his characteristic penetrating look and earnestly warned her.
“You must win Daniel Steiner’s heart as soon as possible. If you fail to do so…”
After a brief pause for effect, Cedric added,
“You will have a more difficult foe than the United Nations right within your own walls.”