I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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Though he didn’t show it, Belvar’s breath started to come in short gasps.

Moreover, I could see his pupils quivering slightly as we locked eyes.

Thanks to that, Daniel was sure.

‘He’s rattled.’

The expression Belvar was wearing was that of a person desperately trying to hide their fear.

‘Thank goodness.’

If Belvar had just laughed it off, it would have been Daniel in trouble.

‘If Belvar thought of me as just some insignificant staff officer, that would definitely have happened.’

But Belvar was genuinely wary of Daniel.

Daniel’s guess that Belvar was overestimating him turned out to be true.

‘So…’

It was in Daniel’s best interest to keep acting as the “worst version of Captain Daniel Steiner” that Belvar imagined, in order to make this negotiation a success.

‘If I fail in this negotiation, I will end up dead.’

Gathering his resolve, Daniel feigned calm and pulled out a document from his cloak.

Seeing that, Belvar gulped.

“That’s…”

Daniel nodded and said, “This is a copy of the documents collected after capturing the Dawn of the New Dawn, a private organization of His Highness the Prince. I’m sure you know what this document implies, Your Grace.”

He handed the document over to suggest Belvar check it.

Belvar, receiving the document, examined its contents.

The date and outline of the operations were meticulously detailed, indicating it wasn’t fabricated evidence.

As a result, Belvar’s hands began to tremble slightly.

“Your Grace.”

As Belvar trembled, Daniel spoke slowly.

“What would happen if this document were to be made public? The path for His Highness the Prince to become Emperor would be obstructed, and the citizens of the Empire would raise their voices to demand the execution of the rebels.”

Belvar bit his lip.

He knew what Daniel was about to say next.

“At that time, we will inform the citizens of the Empire. Before punishing the rebels, we investigated and found that a certain noble family was connected to them. That family is…”

Daniel grabbed the upper part of the document Belvar was holding.

Gently pressing it down, he whispered just loud enough for Belvar to hear, “That would be Your Grace’s Bahatran family.”

With his eyes wide, Belvar glared at Daniel across the document.

He was displeased that a mere orphan was daring to threaten a noble family of high standing in the Empire.

Belvar, his face full of rage, slammed the document onto the table.

“You filthy scumbag…! The rumors about you are not a single bit false. I can’t fathom how such a lowly and wicked creature stands beside Her Highness the Princess!”

Belvar raised his voice, but Daniel only wore a troubled expression.

“No matter how you evaluate me, Your Grace, I will humbly accept it. However, I would appreciate it if you recognized that this is a place for making choices, not for criticizing me.”

“Choice? What the hell do you mean by choice right now!”

“I would think that the wise Duke Belvar already knows…”

Belvar opened his mouth to shout something but closed it.

From Daniel’s words, he guessed what the negotiation terms were.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. If Your Grace withdraws from the succession struggle, we will guarantee complete confidentiality. Then the Bahatran family will have no connection to this incident.”

Belvar swallowed hard.

Though it was wrapped in euphemism, it was basically asking him to betray the Prince.

However, it was a proposal too tempting to dismiss outright.

“Your Grace, it’s not difficult. All you need to do is nod your head once here, and you and the Bahatran family can continue to live honorably in the Empire as you do now. So why are you trying to refuse?”

From Belvar’s disadvantaged position, the notion of “We won’t ask about the crimes you committed if we take power” was enough to shake his resolve.

If he just nodded his head once as Daniel suggested, the family could survive without any repercussions.

‘But since I’ve pledged my loyalty to His Highness the Prince…’

He couldn’t let himself be swayed by that cunning tongue.

“Don’t test my loyalty! I will never partner with you!”

Belvar spoke resolutely, but Daniel just blinked apathetically.

Then he smiled wryly and stood up.

“You won’t join hands? I shall respect that, but I don’t understand. Have you forgotten what I just said?”

Walking elegantly, Daniel passed by Belvar.

“I told you that if you refuse, it won’t be a matter of just your life. Oh, you have a whiskey display in the reception room, I see.”

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, Daniel admired the whiskey display and opened the door.

As he looked at the Johnny Walker bottle, he continued speaking.

“Perhaps I was unclear, so let me repeat it. This time, let’s talk about the future you’ll experience.”

Belvar was at a loss for what to say.

While Belvar broke into a cold sweat, Daniel casually called over a nearby servant.

When the servant approached, Daniel asked him to bring ice.

The stiff servant bowed and hurriedly exited the reception room.

Once the servant left, Daniel picked a glass from a nearby shelf.

“Let’s see. I heard Your Grace’s eldest son runs the Ride Sharp Company. It’s a well-established firm leading our Empire’s automotive industry. Famous for being the first to implement automated assembly lines.”

As he withdrew the glass, Daniel took out a handkerchief from his cloak.

“Thanks to that, mass production became possible, allowing many citizens of the Empire to purchase cars at a low price. Truly, commendable work.”

After lightly wiping the glass with the handkerchief, Daniel spoke in a worried tone.

“I guess he would be the equivalent of a thumb in terms of fingers. People always use their thumbs to express excellence. Isn’t that so?”

Belvar remained silent, staring straight ahead.

He lacked the courage to turn around.

“I have no disagreements with the idea that Your Grace’s eldest son is the best in the automotive field. But I wonder if Her Highness the Princess would think the same.”

After thoroughly cleaning the glass, Daniel spoke with concern.

“If Her Highness becomes Empress, I would have to advise her to conduct a thorough investigation on the Ride Sharp Company. Wouldn’t it belong to the family of the rebel Belvar?”

Belvar’s breath became ragged.

Noticing this, Daniel continued in a gentle tone.

“If it turns out during the investigation that Your Grace’s eldest son provided funds to the rebels, things will get complicated. Just imagining it is truly horrific.”

Just then, the servant returned with the ice.

When Daniel gestured, the servant approached and filled the glass with ice.

After thanking the servant, Daniel opened the Johnny Walker bottle and poured it into the glass.

As he lifted the filled glass, Belvar scarcely managed to speak up.

“…My eldest son has nothing to do with this. It’s true.”

Daniel shrugged as he took a sip from his glass.

“Well, I think he might be involved.”

“Stop slandering me! Daniel Steiner…!”

“Oh, my bad. It’s not that he might be involved, but…”

Daniel approached from behind Belvar, gently gripping his shoulder.

“I’ll make it so he is involved.”

At those chilling words, Belvar’s eyes widened.

As Daniel looked down at the pale Belvar, he walked back toward his original seat.

“Just to say, don’t expect help from the Security Bureau. When the time comes, they will follow the new Emperor’s commands.”

Sitting on the sofa, Daniel placed the glass on the table.

“Also, it won’t end with just your eldest son. I’ll entangle your second son who works in the electrical industry and your youngest son running an oil company as well.”

“T-that, that’s…”

Belvar’s breath grew increasingly ragged, as if he were hyperventilating.

As he observed the trembling old fox filled with dread, Daniel offered a pleasant smile.

“Oh, it seems Your Grace will quickly lose three fingers. Would you be able to shake hands with others without three fingers? I imagine everyone would avoid you completely.”

While Belvar, panting heavily, suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sound close to a scream.

“Y-Your Grace!”

Seeing this, the servant hurried over with medicine and water.

Belvar quickly shoved the medicine into his mouth and swallowed it down with water.

Finally, Belvar’s breath began to calm down gradually.

However, he still kept his eyes closed.

Watching Belvar quietly, Daniel leaned forward and snapped his fingers.

Snapped—

The dull sound startled Belvar, who opened his eyes and found Daniel offering a handshake.

Belvar couldn’t sense a single trace of humanity in Daniel’s smile.

“What are you doing?”

Daniel lightly shook the hand he’d offered for a handshake.

“Now that you’re back in the moment, you must make the right choice this time.”

Grab my hand before it’s too late.

That’s clearly what Daniel was saying.