chapter_0055

54 – Temptation is Never Easy

54 – Temptation is Never Easy

The next day.

Daniel Steiner arrived at the headquarters and entered the staff room to report on operational support, where he spoke with the chief of staff, Ernst.

After finishing the formal report, Ernst smiled satisfactorily and informed Daniel that he could work from his personal office from now on.

The reason was that someone as capable as him didn’t need to mingle with the staff in the office.

Daniel vehemently refused, but it seemed that the decision had already been made from above, and Ernst insisted, even adding the word “order.”

Thanks to that, even as the afternoon rolled in, Daniel was working in his personal office.

Not far away, Lucy was reviewing documents, which was an added bonus.

Watching Lucy, who was focused on her work at her desk, Daniel leaned back in his chair, feeling tired.

“I’ve returned to the Imperial City, but…”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the situation Daniel had hoped for.

Having returned with an overwhelming amount of military achievements from the battlefield, he found himself at greater risk of getting entangled in the succession struggle between the prince and princess.

For now, he had managed to temporarily block it, but it was uncertain when their claws would reach this place.

“Moreover, it seems His Majesty the Emperor does not trust me…”

To Daniel, the Emperor’s attitude yesterday felt like he was testing the waters.

He wasn’t sure what conclusions the Emperor had drawn from that process, but it certainly wasn’t a good direction.

“Even the people in the headquarters seem to be subtly avoiding me.”

Entering the staff room for today’s report, Daniel couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by the awkward silence.

He had expected a warm welcome for his return, but the staff seemed to be nervously glancing at him, feeling somehow intimidated.

A few members approached to greet him, but even that felt somewhat stiff.

— M-Major Daniel! It’s truly a relief that you returned safely!

— If you have any tasks for me, please let me know at any time!

— The Golden Cross Medal…! I heard His Majesty personally awarded it to you?

The fear that resonated in their voices and expressions was still vivid.

“Has the rumor spread? That I ruthlessly threatened the foreign minister of the enemy nation to bring about negotiations…”

It was a clear misunderstanding, but he couldn’t exactly say it was a misunderstanding, leaving him in a difficult position.

It was like trying to untie one tangled knot only to create several more.

With a quiet sigh, Daniel looked at Lucy as if grasping at straws.

“Lieutenant. Do I seem scary to you?”

Lucy, who had lifted her head, blinked a few times before responding.

“I’m not sure what you mean by that question, but from my perspective, you are not a scary person, Major.”

Couldn’t you be a little scared of me? Daniel, hiding his true feelings, nodded vaguely and pretended to focus on his work.

Lucy then turned her gaze back to her document review.

Watching Lucy, Daniel flipped through a few papers before putting them down.

Today, he simply couldn’t concentrate on work.

“I guess I should go to the officer club after work for the first time in a while…”

At Daniel’s muttering, Lucy perked up her ears.

‘…Officer club?’

As far as Lucy knew, the officer club set up at the Imperial Headquarters was a social gathering in the form of a bar that served drinks and cocktails.

Thinking this was an opportunity, Lucy glanced at Daniel and slowly began to plan.

–

After work, Daniel headed to the officer club without a moment’s hesitation.

Seeing this, Lucy loitered nearby for about an hour before entering the officer club.

The hour-long wait was to give the impression that they had run into each other by chance.

‘Alright. Let’s get started.’

Once inside the officer club, Lucy took a quick look around.

The luxurious lighting softly illuminated the interior, while wooden panels and velvet sofas added to the classic atmosphere.

Seeing junior and senior officers mingling and sharing drinks, it was indeed a place for socializing.

‘But where is Daniel Steiner…?’

As she scanned for her target, Lucy spotted Daniel sitting alone at the bar table.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Lucy sat down next to Daniel.

“Major? So you were here.”

She spoke naturally, but Daniel didn’t respond.

When she glanced over, Daniel was holding a glass on the table with one hand while the other rested on his forehead, eyes closed.

He seemed to be lost in thought.

Lucy wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she felt it would be best not to disturb him, so she looked up at the bartender.

“Excuse me…”

“Yes? Ah, lady. What would you like to drink?”

After a moment of hesitation, Lucy replied, “I’d like the same as Major Daniel, please.”

“You enjoy Scotch whiskey? Johnny Walker, in particular. It’s light yet has a luxurious taste. An excellent choice.”

The bartender took out a clean glass, added a large ice cube, and poured in the Johnny Walker.

“Here you go.”

Nodding, Lucy accepted the glass handed to her.

The whiskey, resembling the color of a sunset, matched the soft lighting and created quite an atmosphere.

Lucy lightly swirled the glass, watching her reflection in the drink.

‘Alcohol…’

It was a vice she had avoided until now, as it offered no help in her espionage activities.

However, to establish a rapport with Daniel and ultimately ‘seduce’ him, it was a necessary indulgence.

Raising the glass, Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and took a sip of the whiskey.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

“Ugh…”

It felt like a fireball was sliding down her throat.

Moreover, the alcohol taste lingering in her mouth was unpleasant.

Why on earth was Daniel drinking this? Lucy, puzzled, turned to look at him, only to be startled by his unchanged posture.

‘Could it be…?’

Is he asleep? As she blinked in confusion, Lucy glanced at the bartender.

“I’m sorry, but I have a question.”

“What question do you have?”

“Has the Major had a lot to drink?”

The bartender, glancing at Daniel in response to Lucy’s question, smiled and shrugged.

“Yes. He seemed to have had a tough day today and drank seven glasses in a row. What was it he said? Life is a continuous series of pains? He was mumbling philosophical words and then fell into this state.”

Thanks to that, Lucy was left speechless.

“….”

She had intended to pretend to be drunk to seduce Daniel, but it turned out he was the one who was completely wasted.

With a low sigh, Lucy stood up and bowed her head to the bartender.

“I apologize on behalf of the Major for the trouble he has caused you.”

“Huh? Ah, no. Major Daniel is quite polite when he drinks. I wish I had more customers like him.”

“Thank you for saying that. Major Daniel is…”

Looking down at Daniel, Lucy continued as if there was no other choice.

“I’ll escort him back to his accommodation.”

Now she found herself unexpectedly taking care of her superior.

–

Arriving at the accommodation, Lucy opened the door and laid Daniel down on the bed.

As Daniel lay on the bed, he stirred and quietly mumbled.

“Water…”

The effort it took Lucy to bring Daniel to his accommodation made veins pop out on her forehead.

‘Should I kill him?’

If an assassination mission had been issued at that moment, she might have pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Looking down at Daniel with annoyance, Lucy entered the kitchen and poured water into a cup.

She thought it wouldn’t be too much trouble to give him a glass of water.

Returning with the cup, Lucy knelt on the bed and gently shook Daniel’s shoulder.

“Major. I brought water.”

It was a signal for him to sit up, as drinking while lying down could risk choking.

However, Daniel, already completely drunk, had no intention of getting up.

At that moment, feeling dissatisfied, Lucy shook his shoulder a bit harder.

Suddenly, Daniel grabbed Lucy’s arm and pulled her in.

“……!?”

Before she could resist, Lucy was dragged along, dropping the cup of water.

Instinctively squeezing her eyes shut, she slowly opened them to find Daniel’s chest in her line of sight.

As she processed the situation, Lucy realized she was now in Daniel’s embrace.

“……!”

Her eyes widened in surprise like a startled cat.

While she was at a loss for what to do, Daniel gently held the back of Lucy’s head and pulled her closer.

“Don’t go…”

His deep voice tickled her ear.

At that moment, Lucy recalled what Frien had told her.

— Men are basically wolves.

Right. No matter how cold-blooded Daniel Steiner was, he was still a man in his prime.

‘Even so…’

She never expected to find herself suddenly in his arms like this.

Though she wanted to shake him off, she couldn’t do so given her mission.

So, just as she was about to tense up, Daniel spoke again.

“That place is a muddy field… You’ll get scolded by the headmaster…”

The headmaster? Blinking a few times, Lucy let out a low sigh.

‘Was he sleep-talking?’

Realizing the situation, Lucy felt a sense of relief as she released Daniel’s arm and got up.

Looking down at Daniel, who was still lying there in a deep sleep, Lucy shook off her strange feelings and hurriedly left the accommodation.

Thud.

Hastily closing the door behind her, Lucy exhaled as if her strength had drained away.

As she organized her chaotic thoughts, she leaned against the door and clenched her fists.

‘That was dangerous…’

Even though she thought it was dangerous, Lucy couldn’t quite define what exactly had been perilous.

Gripping the hem of her innocent uniform skirt, Lucy felt her face flush.

Eventually, she opened her eyes halfway and bit her lower lip.

For some reason, the pounding of her heart showed no signs of slowing down.