Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 26
The Security Bureau Officer and the Spy

Swallowing nervously, I adjusted my tie.

‘First…’

It would be best to act as natural as possible.

I cleared my throat and walked towards Lucy.

“I’m a bit surprised to see you here. By the way, there’s blood on your coat. Did something happen here?”

Lucy paused for a moment, then replied casually,

“There was a bit of a commotion.”

“…A commotion, you say?”

“Yes. To explain, I’m an emergency medicine specialist and surgeon working at the Central Hospital. While walking home from work, I came across a citizen who was attacked by a robber and bleeding. I was in the process of applying emergency first aid when I got some blood on my coat.”

Her tone was incredibly calm and composed.

Moreover, it was astonishing how she came up with such a plausible excuse in less than 30 seconds after our eyes met and I questioned her.

‘As expected of an intelligence agent.’

As I approached her with inward admiration, Lucy asked,

“May I ask why you’re here, officer?”

Unlike Lucy, I didn’t need to lie.

“I’m a bit embarrassed to say, but I heard there’s a new dessert shop on the outskirts of the capital, and I got lost trying to take a shortcut.”

“…A dessert shop, sir?”

Lucy asked incredulously, and I felt a strange sense of shame.

Judging from her reaction, it seemed that in this era, it wasn’t considered normal for a man to go to a dessert shop alone.

However, I couldn’t give up something I liked just because of other people’s opinions.

“Is there a problem with that?”

Lucy hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

“No, I was just a bit surprised. That Captain Daniel Steiner, known for being ruthless, enjoys junk food that children would like.”

That stung a little.

“Please be mindful of your words. Desserts are not junk food.”

“…My apologies. But if you’re lost, I can guide you.”

Guide me? It was a bit unsettling, but I didn’t mind if it was just until we were out of the alley.

“It wouldn’t be virtuous of me as an officer to refuse a citizen’s kindness. I’ll gladly accept your help. As you may already know, I’m Captain Daniel Steiner from the General Staff Headquarters.”

“My name is Myrin Seabright, a surgeon at the Central Hospital.”

Lucy and I shook hands lightly and walked down the alley.

I followed half a step behind, observing her.

Perhaps thinking that discarding her coat in front of me would raise suspicion, she had turned it inside out to hide the bloodstains and draped it over her arm.

She was carrying a shoulder bag, and it seemed like she was keeping a pistol and other assassination tools inside.

‘…I need to make sure she doesn’t open that shoulder bag.’

Who knows what kind of tragedy might unfold if she did.

Lucy Emilia’s combat abilities were beyond imagination for a mere intelligence agent.

She might not realize it yet, but if she used all her abilities, she could single-handedly wipe out a small battalion.

That’s why I wanted to avoid encountering her as much as possible, but not only was she now my adjutant, she was also pretending to be a doctor in front of me, which was giving me a headache.

One fortunate thing was that Lucy must also be uncomfortable being with me, so we could part ways cleanly once we were out of the alley.

“Here we are.”

As Lucy and I exited the alley, a street with trams passing by came into view.

It seemed to be early evening now, as the streetlights were all lit.

The chatter of passersby mingled with the cool breeze.

As I was enjoying the scenery, I was about to say goodbye to Lucy when I paused.

“Oh! Captain Daniel? Is that you, Captain Daniel?”

A passerby in a police uniform walking along the sidewalk recognized me.

He looked at me closely as he approached, then exclaimed in admiration.

“Ah! It is Captain Daniel! Oh my goodness! To think I’d see the hero of the Empire on the street!”

I had expected that some people might recognize me, but it felt ominous to run into a police officer while I was with Lucy in disguise.

‘Moreover…’

As far as I knew, only members of the Security Bureau could wear that navy blue police uniform.

The Security Bureau was commonly known as the “Secret Police” or the “Thought Police.”

They were personnel trained solely for counter-espionage.

Lucy also seemed to realize this, as she adopted a slightly tense posture.

Of course, the passerby, unaware of our situation, smiled and extended his hand towards me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Daniel. I’m Chief Inspector Cartman Schulz from the Security Bureau.”

Since he had even offered a handshake, I couldn’t ignore him, so I smiled and shook his hand.

“I’m Captain Daniel Steiner from the General Staff Headquarters. It’s not every day you meet someone from the Security Bureau on the street.”

“Ahaha, this area isn’t exactly under my jurisdiction, but I have a reservation at a restaurant nearby. Coincidentally, it’s around closing time, so I came here in my uniform.”

Cartman snapped his fingers as if a good idea had come to mind.

“Since we’ve met like this, how about we have dinner together? Of course, it’s on me. And if it’s alright with you, I’d like to invite your friend as well.”

This wasn’t good. Should I just say she’s not my friend?

No, if I did that, he would ask why we came out of the alley together if we weren’t friends.

Being suspicious of everything was an occupational hazard for Security Bureau officers.

So, to prevent the situation from getting complicated, the best course of action was to pretend to be friends with Lucy but refuse the dinner invitation.

I searched for a natural way to decline and said,

“I appreciate the dinner invitation, but I’m quite tired after wandering around for so long.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, there’s no need to worry. The restaurant I’m going to is just around the corner. See that?”

Cartman pointed with his hand, and indeed, the restaurant was literally a block away.

Thinking that I couldn’t refuse any further, I nodded.

“If you insist, then I won’t decline any longer. Let’s go.”

I saw Lucy gulp nervously, but there was nothing we could do.

This was force majeure.

***

The restaurant Cartman took us to was a high-class establishment frequented by the upper class.

The cutlery, the interior, and even the waiters’ attire were all so luxurious that it was a feast for the eyes.

We were led to a window seat overlooking the city by a polite waiter. After placing a simple order, Cartman looked at me with a gentle smile.

“It’s amazing, no matter how many times I see it. It’s truly moving to be able to see the hero I’ve only seen in newspapers and on TV right in front of me.”

“You flatter me, Inspector.”

“There’s no need for modesty, Captain. Even in the Security Bureau, there are quite a few fans of yours. Myself included, haha. I’ll be bragging about this encounter for generations to come.”

Cartman, who had been keeping the conversation lighthearted, shifted his gaze to Lucy sitting next to me.

His eyes held a hint of suspicion.

“…But your friend isn’t taking off her sunglasses. There’s no need to keep wearing them indoors, is there?”

He wasn’t wrong. But the moment Lucy took off her sunglasses, her red eyes would be revealed.

There was no telling what she might do if she couldn’t hide her identity any longer.

“You haven’t said a word this whole time. You know it’s impolite to remain silent in this setting, right? If your hands are uncomfortable, I can take off your sunglasses for you…”

Cartman reached for Lucy’s face.

Lucy, seemingly deciding that she couldn’t fool both the Security Bureau officer and me at the same time, moved her hand under the table to open her shoulder bag.

It was a critical situation. Breaking out in a cold sweat, I quickly grabbed Cartman’s wrist.

“…Hmm? Captain?”

I gave Cartman, who looked back at me, an awkward smile.

“Oh dear, I forgot to introduce her. This lady next to me served as a military doctor on the Eastern Front. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury to her eyes from enemy soldiers… You understand what I mean?”

Cartman let out a sympathetic groan.

“Oh my goodness, I had no idea such a terrible thing happened. I apologize. She’s wearing sunglasses to cover her scars, and I almost made a blunder. But the reason she’s so quiet is…”

As expected of a Security Bureau officer.

He didn’t readily let go of his suspicion.

After a moment of quick thinking, I said with a sad expression,

“She developed aphasia from the shock of that incident. She’s unable to speak even if she wants to.”

Cartman withdrew his hand and fidgeted with his fingers, looking apologetic.

“…Now that I hear it, I’ve been terribly rude. I sincerely apologize. It’s my job to be suspicious of others. Hmm, I’ll excuse myself to the restroom to gather my thoughts.”

Cartman pushed his chair back, stood up, and bowed politely to Lucy.

After watching Cartman walk towards the restroom, Lucy turned to me.

She seemed quite flustered.

I cleared my throat and whispered, just loud enough for her to hear,

“I know you’re innocent, Doctor. But he’s a Security Bureau officer. You’ve heard of their special arrest authority, right? It means they can arrest you based on suspicion alone.”

First, it was crucial to dispel any suspicion Lucy might have, such as, ‘Does Daniel know my true identity?’

“Judging from the fact that he’s reached the position of Chief Inspector, he must have arrested many innocent people. There’s a saying, ‘If you’re dragged to the Security Bureau, even an innocent person comes out a spy,’ for a reason.”

I shrugged.

“I was just trying to help you avoid any unnecessary trouble, Doctor. So, Myrin Seabri… what was your name again?”

Lucy remained silent at my question.

She even seemed a bit angry.

Seeing this, I snapped my fingers with a smug look.

“Ah, that’s right. You have aphasia. Excellent acting. You need to maintain that concept until we’re away from the Security Bureau officer. Do you understand?”

Lucy still didn’t answer. Frustrated, I spoke again.

“Answer me with your actions. With your actions.”

Perhaps her pride was hurt, as Lucy turned her head away from me and bit her lower lip.

This was troubling. I wanted a clear answer, so I tapped the table and said,

“Answer me.”

Finally, Lucy let out a soft sigh and gave a small nod.

She must have decided that following my lead was the safest option for now.

—————

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