I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 129

Late at night.

‘Another fruitless search today...’

Lucy sighed as she entered the park and disabled her optical camouflage.

Currently, she was dressed in civilian clothing and a wig—a disguise used to secretly gather data on biological experiments related to the “Lucy Project.”

However, the results were disappointing.

Despite infiltrating several Imperial laboratories over the past few weeks, suspecting their involvement in biological experiments, she’d found nothing.

‘If the Empire truly isn’t behind these experiments, and it’s the Allied Nations instead...’

If that turned out to be the case, she genuinely had no idea what decision she would need to make.

Lost in complicated thoughts as she walked, Lucy suddenly noticed a familiar figure across the street.

Under the glow of the streetlamp, a man dressed impeccably in military uniform was slowly walking.

At first, Lucy thought she was mistaken. But upon seeing the half-closed black eyes beneath the officer’s cap, she stopped dead in her tracks.

‘...Daniel Steiner?’

It was none other than Daniel Steiner, Lucy’s superior and the man known throughout the Empire as a hero.

One thing stood out as unusual—his slow steps and unfocused gaze.

And judging by his aimless wandering, without a clear destination, his usual confidence was nowhere to be seen.

‘Is he ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ drunk?’

He must have attended the banquet following the coronation and clearly drank too much again.

Lucy felt a strange mix of irritation and concern rise within her.

After a brief hesitation, Lucy glanced around to confirm no one else was nearby, and then quietly followed after Daniel.

Completely unaware that Lucy was trailing him, Daniel stumbled over to a nearby bench and practically collapsed onto it.

“Ugh... Dizzy...”

Daniel groaned, holding his forehead, and then suddenly began nodding off.

Watching Daniel from behind a tree, Lucy broke into a cold sweat.

‘He’s really going to sleep here?’

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

On such a chilly night, sleeping outside would surely lead to catching a cold.

‘Even if he doesn’t...’

If the citizens of the capital witnessed Daniel Steiner sleeping on a park bench, the rumors would spread uncontrollably.

At worst, he could be targeted by robbers looking for easy money and end up killed.

Feeling uneasy, Lucy decided she had no choice but to approach Daniel.

At least she had to prevent him from sleeping out in the open.

“Excuse me...”

As Lucy approached and spoke, Daniel’s shoulders flinched slightly.

Slowly lifting his head, Daniel noticed Lucy and stared blankly at her for a moment before finally speaking.

“Why is a young lady out at this hour...?”

Maybe because he was drunk and confused, Daniel didn’t seem to recognize Lucy in her disguise.

Deciding it wasn’t necessary to reveal herself, Lucy chose not to offer any explanation.

“I was at the park working on a school assignment and lost my way. And you?”

“You must be a student from the nearby university. I attended the Emperor’s coronation banquet, and afterward, my superior convinced me to drink far too much...”

Daniel gave a small shrug, implying further explanation was meaningless, then rose from his seat.

Given Daniel’s considerable height, Lucy found herself naturally looking up at him.

“I’ll escort you to the exit. It’s dangerous for a woman to wander alone.”

“Ah...”

Lucy found Daniel’s gentle tone somehow unfamiliar.

Although he usually spoke informally, Daniel typically addressed Lucy with a stiff and formal tone. But right now, his voice lacked any such formality.

‘Is it because he’s drunk, or because he thinks I’m just a student?’

She wasn’t sure, but Lucy didn’t exactly dislike it, so she nodded quietly.

“I won’t refuse your offer.”

Daniel chuckled softly and began walking.

“Follow me. The exit’s not far. But...”

Glancing sideways at Lucy, Daniel spoke casually.

“You remind me of someone I know. My lieutenant, actually. Your vibe, even your manner of speaking...”

Lucy’s eyes widened, wondering if she'd been discovered.

But Daniel was simply smiling loosely, looking like he might melt away at any second.

‘He smells strongly of alcohol...’

Reassured that she hadn’t been recognized, Lucy let out an awkward laugh.

“It must be your imagination.”

“Maybe. After all, my lieutenant wouldn’t be as warm as you. She’s frightening, always glaring at me. Every time she does, it feels like my blood dries up.”

Lucy stared at Daniel with mild irritation.

It wasn’t pleasant to hear Daniel badmouthing his lieutenant—to a stranger, no less (though she was hardly a stranger).

But what Daniel said next changed Lucy’s mind in an instant.

“Though lately, she looks more pitiful than scary. Turns out she had a terribly dark past. So...”

A bitter smile tugged at Daniel’s lips.

“...I can’t help but worry about her.”

Lucy’s lips parted slightly.

She’d never imagined Daniel was actually concerned about her in such a way.

Feeling a subtle pang of guilt, Lucy placed her hand gently against her chest, feeling her heartbeat through her fingertips.

To push away the embarrassment rising within her, Lucy took a deep breath before glancing carefully at Daniel again.

“T-That aside...”

Her voice unintentionally squeaked.

Clearing her throat to steady herself, Lucy spoke again.

“...Are things going alright lately? Being a war hero must be tough.”

Daniel shook his head. It obviously wasn’t all right.

“It’s terrible. I’m trying my best, but things just keep getting complicated. Plus, I’m surrounded by people who despise me. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I must’ve swallowed a potion of hatred or something.”

Daniel spoke lightly, but his voice was weak.

Perhaps due to his weary tone, the dark circles under his eyes appeared deeper tonight.

As Lucy silently looked at Daniel with concern, a sudden noise erupted behind her—a loud ‘pop’.

“...!”

Instinctively spinning around, Lucy immediately reached into her coat.

She was about to draw her pistol to shoot at the enemy but abruptly stopped herself.

The explosion hadn’t been caused by an enemy attack.

“Oh... fireworks.”

As Daniel said, fireworks were going off in the sky.

Fireworks exploding over the Imperial Palace’s grand banquet hall painted the night sky in a variety of colors.

Lucy glanced at Daniel, who was innocently staring up at the fireworks, and quietly let out a sigh.

‘I thought I’d been discovered...’

Relieved, Lucy slipped the half-drawn pistol back into her coat pocket.

‘Daniel already knows I’m an Allied spy, so it wouldn’t have been a big deal if he’d found out, but...’

If Daniel realized she had approached him while disguised, it would cause trouble in various ways.

So, it was best to keep her identity hidden for now.

‘I should act like an ordinary university student.’

Glancing sideways at Daniel, Lucy then lifted her head to gaze up at the sky filled with fireworks.

‘An ordinary student would probably admire the fireworks...’

Lucy’s thoughts stopped right there.

She became mesmerized by the vivid explosions of fireworks rising high into the sky.

For Lucy, who was far more familiar with dark, enclosed rooms than the outside world, the fireworks—paintings composed entirely of light—were more beautiful than anything else she had ever seen.

Captivated like a child, Lucy stood watching until the final burst of fireworks.

“...Pretty...”

Having unconsciously murmured the words aloud, Lucy glanced to her side and immediately flinched in surprise.

Daniel was looking down at her with a relaxed gaze.

“It seems like this is your first time seeing them.”

“...Huh?”

“The fireworks, I mean.”

Although it really was her first time seeing fireworks, Lucy felt inexplicably embarrassed to admit it.

Biting her lip, she remained silent, and Daniel quietly chuckled as he resumed walking.

“Let’s go. We’re almost at the exit.”

“...Understood.”

Feeling slightly sulky for no particular reason, Lucy silently followed behind Daniel.

After walking for about five minutes, the two reached the exit of the park.

Perhaps Daniel had sobered up slightly during the walk, as he took a deep breath and turned toward Lucy.

“Well, I should be going now. You should hurry back to your lodging as well.”

Daniel waved goodbye and began walking down the street.

Watching his receding figure quietly, Lucy was suddenly gripped by an inexplicable anxiety.

Perhaps it was because of their earlier conversation, but Daniel’s back looked especially lonely tonight.

Thinking that she couldn’t just let him leave like this, Lucy took several quick steps forward.

Catching up to Daniel, Lucy reached out her hand.

Her hand hesitated briefly in mid-air, but summoning courage, she grabbed the sleeve of Daniel’s coat.

Daniel turned around at her touch, and Lucy, her face turning red despite herself, quietly spoke.

“Not everyone hates you, Colonel Steiner. So...”

After a short silence, Lucy bit her lip and lowered her eyes.

Her blush, spreading from her face to her ears, clearly betrayed her embarrassment.

“At least one person...”

But the rest of her words didn’t come out.

Thinking it was impossible after all, Lucy quickly lowered her head, turned around, and started walking away.

Daniel watched Lucy’s back quietly, an enigmatic smile forming on his lips.

‘So clumsy. As if she wanted me to recognize her from the start, wearing that disguise...’

He wasn’t entirely sure whether even her awkwardness was part of a thoroughly planned honey trap, but from Daniel’s perspective, it had definitely been a dangerous confession.

‘If I hadn’t known it was a honey trap...’

He might have foolishly fallen for it.