I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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**Imperial General Staff Headquarters.**

Captain Daniel Steiner’s personal office.

Swoosh—

Lucy was busy with tasks in Daniel’s office, even though he wasn’t there.

As she routinely reviewed documents and organized them by importance, she lifted her head.

‘Footsteps…’

Footsteps could be heard from the corridor.

‘Is it Daniel?’

Today was the day Daniel, who had decided to forgo his leave and return, was expected.

Just the thought of Daniel coming back made her feel a little cheerful, thinking she wouldn’t have to work late anymore.

With her ears perked up in anticipation, Lucy soon shook her head.

‘No.’

It wasn’t Daniel’s footsteps.

Judging by the sound, the pace and the weight of the steps were different.

‘Then who could it be…’

Just as she was wondering if it could be Colonel Ernst, the door to the office opened.

A person dressed in a navy blue police uniform stepped in slowly without knocking.

Lucy’s hand twitched at the sight.

She recognized that middle-aged man well.

‘Katman Schultz…’

He was a chief inspector from the Security Bureau.

She couldn’t forget their past meal together disguised in a restaurant.

“Hmm?”

Katman looked curiously at the empty desk in the office.

When he made eye contact with Lucy, he paused briefly, then gave her an awkward smile.

“Oh. You’re Captain Daniel Steiner’s aide?”

Lucy hesitated to answer.

If the Security Bureau officer was suspicious of her, it could lead to big trouble.

‘But back then I definitely…’

She had concealed her appearance with a wig and sunglasses and hadn’t said a word.

Thinking a short conversation would be fine, Lucy rose from her seat and calmly spoke.

“Yes. May I ask why you came from the Security Bureau to the General Staff Headquarters?”

“Umm. There are several reasons, but to put it simply…”

Scratching his head, Katman suddenly focused on Lucy.

“It’s about identifying a spy.”

A silence fell between them in an instant.

The suspicion reflected in Katman’s sleepy eyes was chilling.

However, being under suspicion wasn’t new for Lucy.

Without a flicker of a change in her expression, she accepted Katman’s words.

“Are you saying there’s a spy in the General Staff Headquarters?”

At Lucy’s words, Katman let out a hollow laugh.

Usually, one would blurt out something like, ‘Are you suspecting me?’ but Lucy cleverly redirected Katman’s suspicion toward the entire headquarters.

Realizing she wasn’t an easy target, Katman shrugged.

“Well, it’s true. I wouldn’t want to suspect those working hard for the Empire at the General Staff Headquarters. But in my investigation, certain circumstances around Captain Daniel have come to light.”

“Circumstances that raise suspicion?”

“Well, I had the honor of dining with Captain Daniel at a restaurant previously. It was quite a privilege. However, there was a woman accompanying Captain Daniel at that time.”

She was a peculiar person. As if lost in thought while stroking his chin, Katman snapped his fingers.

“Oh! I heard that she had suffered an eye injury due to enemy fire while serving as a medical officer on the Eastern Front. I couldn’t see her eyes since she was wearing sunglasses, but she had really beautiful brown hair.”

Katman looked at Lucy and grinned slyly.

“She was close to my ideal type. So, I secretly looked into it. How many medical officers from the Eastern Front could have suffered eye injuries due to enemy fire?”

With a serious expression, Katman held up his hand and spread his fingers.

“Five. Among the relatively young medical officers who sustained eye injuries, there were five who were still alive. So, I thought, how many of them have brown hair?”

Katman folded three of his fingers down.

“Two. There were exactly two with brown hair. So, among those brown-haired medical officers who suffered eye injuries, who could be the one who has become mute due to a traumatic injury?”

Katman made a fist.

“None. Unfortunately.”

Katman, staring intently at Lucy, lowered his hand.

“Isn’t it strange? That the medical officer Captain Daniel mentioned doesn’t exist in reality? If that’s the case, it implies a lie. Why would he lie?”

Katman tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

“Could it be that the woman he was with back then was a spy, and he was hiding her from me, a Security Bureau officer?”

Although it was not a baseless assumption, Lucy didn’t flinch even one bit.

In fact, she merely frowned, expressing her displeasure.

“Are you trying to implicate my superior, Captain Daniel, in collusion with a spy?”

As Lucy took a firm stance, Katman fell silent for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head.

“That wouldn’t be the case. Not yet. As of now, it’s just my foolish imagination. I truly hope it’s just a fantasy. But there’s no harm in being sure about it. In that vein…”

Katman pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a sunglasses case.

When he opened the case, inside was a pair of sunglasses that matched the ones Lucy had worn.

“Would you mind trying these on? I’m not particularly suspecting you, Lieutenant Lucy, but if that woman from back then is definitely a spy, I’d think she’d be operating within the General Staff Headquarters.”

It meant that others had tried on the sunglasses, so now it was Lucy’s turn.

Thanks to that, cold sweat began to bead on Lucy’s forehead.

The moment she put on the sunglasses, the suspicion would likely increase.

She could claim it was just a similar appearance, but if Katman’s relentless investigation began, she wouldn’t last long.

Besides, it would seem odd to outright refuse to wear the sunglasses.

Feeling cornered, Lucy took a deep breath and reached for the sunglasses.

She thought that, for now, complying with Katman’s request might be the best course of action.

And then—

“What are you doing?”

Daniel’s voice stopped Lucy’s hand in its tracks.

With a reflex, Lucy turned her head and saw Daniel looking at her from the entrance of the office.

Caught off guard by his sudden entrance, she blinked, forgetting to salute.

Katman also turned his head at the sound and spotted Daniel.

“Oh. Captain Daniel. The thing is…”

As he spoke casually, Katman’s words trailed off.

This was because Daniel had stepped closer, glaring down at Katman as if he were about to devour him.

The pressure from Daniel’s towering height and sharp gaze was palpable.

“Explain what this is all about.”

The tension laced in his voice intimidated Katman.

But being in a position where he couldn’t back down, Katman opened his mouth.

“Explain? I’m just doing my job. I was granted access to the General Staff Headquarters by higher-ups…”

“Then did you receive the internal security surveillance permit?”

Katman had no choice but to shut his mouth.

The internal security surveillance permit is above the access authority.

No matter how much of a big shot the Security Bureau was, they wouldn’t hand over a warrant without solid evidence.

As Katman fell silent, Daniel furrowed his brow.

“Could it be that you barged in here without a warrant? Moreover, you’re making things difficult for my aide.”

“Captain Daniel, it’s a misunderstanding. Moreover, this is all for the sake of national interests. So, I didn’t make your aide uncomfortable—”

“Katman Schultz.”

Cutting off Katman’s words, Daniel stiffly bowed his head.

“It seems you don’t understand, so let me clarify.”

Katman saw it in Daniel’s eyes.

The ferocity lurking beneath his gaze was like a snarling wolf.

“Get out of here right now.”

Cold sweat began to trickle down.

In a moment of fear, Katman nodded and fled the office.

Only after confirming that Katman had left did Daniel heave a sigh of relief.

‘I knew Duke Belvar would take action, but I didn’t expect him to send someone so soon.’

It was evident that Duke Belvar had granted Katman access to the General Staff Headquarters.

‘Seeing Security Bureau officers roaming about the General Staff Headquarters…’

It suggested they were hell-bent on finding evidence.

‘For now, that’s a relief. If Lucy had put on the sunglasses, things would have gotten complicated.’

If Lucy were implicated as a spy, it wouldn’t end well for Daniel either.

In the worst case, he could be sentenced to death for colluding with a spy.

That’s why he forcefully expelled Katman.

However, this was merely a temporary solution.

‘Duke Belvar will continue to pressure me. Therefore…’

He needed to eliminate any means for such pressure to continue.

At the moment, Daniel had the strength and capability to do so.

“Aide.”

Having concluded his thoughts, Daniel turned to Lucy.

“I’m going to meet Her Highness the Princess now, so you stay and guard the General Staff Headquarters. Also, don’t go near the Security Bureau today. Understood?”

Lucy, who had been gazing up at Daniel in a daze, nodded her head slightly.

Seeing this, Daniel hurriedly left the office.

Once Lucy looked at the spot where Daniel had stood, she let out a long sigh.

‘Why…’

She couldn’t understand why Daniel, who had been confronting the Security Bureau officers, dove in to save her, who was under suspicion of being a spy.

From Lucy’s perspective, it felt as if Daniel was risking his life to save her.

After a moment of deep thought, Lucy half-opened her eyes and placed her hand over her heart.

“…”

The heartbeat resonated through her fingertips.