chapter_0077

76 – Half-Truth

76 – Half-Truth

The next morning.

Lucy stood still, gripping the doorknob of the operations officer’s personal office as she arrived at the headquarters.

It was supposed to be just another ordinary workday, but ever since she received the order to “eliminate Daniel Steiner,” everything felt alien.

“……”

After a deep breath, Lucy opened the door.

There sat Daniel at his desk, reading a newspaper.

It was the same scene as usual.

“Hmm? Ah.”

Daniel folded the newspaper upon noticing Lucy’s entrance.

“You’re late today. It seems like you took longer than usual.”

“I apologize. I couldn’t sleep well last night…”

“No need to apologize. As long as you’re not late, it doesn’t really matter.”

Daniel folded the newspaper once more and placed it on the edge of the desk before opening a drawer.

“More importantly, I have good news for you today.”

“…Good news?”

Daniel pulled a box from the drawer and placed it on the desk.

Lucy recognized the box wrapped in the imperial flag.

As her gaze fixed on the box, Daniel playfully tapped it.

“Congratulations. It seems your contributions have been recognized in the special promotion assessment.”

Lucy remained unresponsive.

After all, she planned to kill Daniel today and leave the empire.

So, being promoted to lieutenant wouldn’t cause her any trouble.

‘Look at this.’

Daniel interpreted Lucy’s indifferent expression differently and secretly smiled.

‘You’re trying hard to act fine, but I bet you’re cursing me inside.’

Daniel knew all too well the emptiness and anger that came with an unwanted promotion.

He thought Lucy would feel the same way, and he stood up.

“I’ll personally change your rank insignia.”

After unfolding the flag and opening the box, the lieutenant badge revealed itself.

Daniel walked over to Lucy, holding it, and personally replaced her badge.

With careful movements, he affixed the lieutenant badge to both shoulders of Lucy’s uniform, wearing a satisfied smile.

“Congratulations on becoming a lieutenant. As my adjutant, continue to fulfill your duties.”

Lucy, who had been about to respond reflexively, hesitated without realizing it.

Daniel would die today.

So there would be no ‘from now on’ for him.

“…Adjutant?”

Daniel, puzzled by her reaction, spoke up, and Lucy snapped back to reality.

“It’s an honor to be promoted early. I will do my best moving forward.”

Daniel nodded vaguely at Lucy’s delayed response.

She seemed to be hiding something, but he couldn’t ask outright.

–

After finishing her work as usual and leaving for the day, Lucy began preparing for the assassination.

She thoroughly studied the geography around Daniel’s residence through maps, planning both the entry and escape routes.

After changing into combat gear, she inserted a bulletproof plate and packed the half-magic barrier bullets, just in case Daniel Steiner might retaliate.

Once all preparations were complete, Lucy used optical camouflage and headed to Daniel’s residence during the early hours when there were few people around.

Arriving in front of Daniel’s residence, Lucy grasped the doorknob and gently turned it, but, as expected, it did not open.

Naturally, she knelt on one knee and took out a lockpick from her pocket, starting to unlock the door.

Click—

Hearing the lock disengage, Lucy turned the handle and quietly opened the door.

Confirming that the door was open, Lucy put the lockpick away and stood up.

After taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped inside, immediately closing it behind her.

As she surveyed the living room, she froze.

She could see Daniel’s back as he sat on the sofa.

‘Could it be…?’

Had he sensed her and stayed awake all night?

She thought it was unlikely, but this was Daniel Steiner.

Uncertain, Lucy drew her pistol and slowly approached Daniel.

As she aimed the gun at him, relief washed over her.

Daniel was leaning against the back of the sofa with his eyes closed.

His breathing was steady, and his head was gently drooping, indicating he seemed to be asleep.

Exhaling softly, Lucy took out the silencer from her pocket and attached it to the muzzle of her pistol.

After skillfully attaching the silencer, Lucy deactivated her optical camouflage and aimed at Daniel’s head.

All she had to do was pull the trigger, kill Daniel, and escape the empire.

Killing the empire’s hero would undoubtedly lead to all sorts of pursuit once the body was discovered in the morning, but that was a problem to think about later.

‘What’s important is…’

To remain loyal to Count Caledra, who had granted her grace.

Thus, Lucy had to kill Daniel Steiner.

With her finger on the trigger, Lucy held her breath for precise aiming.

Now, all that was left was to shoot.

Yet for some reason, her finger showed no sign of moving.

Amidst the unknown hesitation, as the assassination stalled, Lucy became aware of something in her peripheral vision.

Reflexively turning her gaze, she noticed Daniel’s officer coat draped over the back of the sofa.

A piece of old paper was sticking out of the inside pocket of the turned-over coat.

“……”

Curious about the paper’s identity, Lucy lowered her pistol and examined the coat’s inner pocket.

She pulled out a piece of paper, charred and folded in half, along with an old photograph.

First, she checked the photograph.

‘This is…’

It was a picture of Daniel with the orphans from the monastery.

Younger Daniel was smiling in the center, while the orphaned children clung to him like glue, playfully fighting among themselves.

Being popular with children inevitably meant he was a good person.

As Lucy observed Daniel’s sleeping profile, she shook her head.

Whether he was a good person or not was irrelevant to her mission.

Turning the photograph over, she unfolded the paper.

As she felt the rough texture of the old paper and began to read, her hand paused.

‘…According to recent materials provided by the Allied Nations, there is said to be a successful specimen from the experiments.’

‘Allied Nations?’

Lucy couldn’t believe that the Allied Nations had conducted biological experiments.

However, the next sentence was even more unbelievable.

‘Currently, it is unique, and its magical enhancement far exceeds expectations. Thanks to this, our research team pays tribute to the Allied Nations and names the upcoming project after this specimen: the Lucy Project.’

The Lucy Project.

According to the paper, the name of the specimen that the Allied Nations had succeeded in experimenting on was none other than Lucy herself.

As a result, Lucy trembled as if denying reality.

‘That can’t be true.’

The empire, not the Allied Nations, had conducted the experiments.

‘Count Caledra saved me from the empire’s human experiments.’

So this document was a lie.

Yet for some reason, this paper looked quite old.

The surface of the paper had to have been exposed to air for a long time to become this rough.

No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like a hastily fabricated document.

Amidst the confusion, Lucy’s gaze fell on Daniel.

She couldn’t understand how he had this paper.

What was even more incomprehensible was Daniel’s demeanor, who, despite knowing the contents of the paper, showed no outward signs of it.

While this document might not serve as evidence to expose a spy, there was certainly enough reason to suspect.

Yet Daniel treated her as usual, without a hint of suspicion.

‘On the contrary…’

He even stepped in to protect her when the Security Agency came to investigate.

Recalling that memory, Lucy’s breath trembled lightly.

‘He knew I was a spy…’

Daniel had risked his life to confront the Security Agency for her.

But why? Lucy couldn’t understand, no matter how much she thought about it.

In the midst of not knowing what was happening, Lucy gripped her pistol tightly.

─ Lucy. Those who do not appreciate grace are no different from beasts. Moreover, everything except for what comes from my mouth is a lie.

Count Caledra’s words echoed in her mind.

‘The contents of the paper are lies.’

So she just had to remain loyal to Count Caledra and the Allied Nations as usual.

Lucy, holding the pistol to kill Daniel, steadied her rapid breathing.

All she had to do was kill Daniel and return to the Allied Nations.

With her finger on the trigger, Lucy narrowed her eyes sharply.

But she couldn’t bring herself to pull the trigger.

For some reason, the words Daniel had spoken echoed in her head.

─ I just thought you looked particularly beautiful today, so I was looking at you.

Her finger, poised to pull the trigger, lost its strength.

─ The skin of my adjutant doesn’t smell. In fact, it’s fragrant. So don’t rely on luxuries like perfume.

She bit her lower lip hard.

─ Don’t put my adjutant in a difficult position.

As the confusion intensified, her previously steady breath became rapid again.

─ If possible, I hope we can rise to great heights together.

Lucy silently sobbed, tightly closing her eyes.

As she felt an unprecedented emotion in her recollections, her hand trembled lightly.

‘Even if the contents of the paper are lies…’

It meant that Daniel knew she was a spy.

But Daniel hadn’t told anyone that she was a spy.

Instead, he had risked his life to save her from the Security Agency.

Lucy owed a debt to Daniel.

And those who do not appreciate grace are no different from beasts.

Lucy was not a beast, so she could not bring herself to kill Daniel.

Caught in intense conflict, Lucy ultimately lowered the pistol she was holding.

Her head felt like it was going to split open.

In the silence, as she exhaled her roughened breath, Lucy became aware.

‘Right now, I…’

Could never kill Daniel.