I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 169

But gone was the relaxed air he’d had when entering the room.

His expression now seemed somehow... worn out.

“You must’ve worked hard making that coffee. Sorry about that. I felt like I couldn’t breathe if I stayed in there any longer, so I made my escape.”

“Did something happen?”

“Oh, something definitely happened. Can’t say much about it, but... I’ve met many people on my way up to Director, yet Colonel Daniel is... how should I put it...”

Otto paused, then gave a low chuckle.

“He truly seems like someone who works for the Empire’s sake. From what I can tell, Colonel Daniel views power not as a goal—but as a means to an end.”

Lucy gave a slight nod. From her perspective, he wasn’t wrong.

“He’s a good man.”

“And a frightening one too.”

“Is that so?”

At Otto’s teasing comment, Lucy blinked blankly.

She had never once thought of Daniel as frightening.

Noticing Lucy’s reaction, Otto gave an awkward little cough, as if regretting what he’d just said.

“Ah—more importantly...”

Worried that his honest remark might be taken as slander against Daniel, Otto quickly changed the subject.

“The aroma’s quite nice. I’m not exactly a coffee connoisseur, but I can tell it’s high-grade. If I’d known I’d get to taste coffee like this, I might’ve stayed longer.”

That part was at least half true.

With the Empire’s war dragging on, imports of luxury items like coffee had become extremely limited.

And the few that did ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) make it in were typically redirected to the front lines—for commanding officers and soldiers.

Getting genuine high-end coffee in the capital these days was no small feat.

In fact, instant coffee and chicory-based substitutes were all the rage now.

“Seems the Central Security Bureau has quite a generous welfare budget. Stocking goods of this quality can’t be cheap...”

“I bought it with my own money.”

Otto blinked slowly at Lucy’s reply.

And understandably so.

In this current climate, regularly drinking real coffee—not a substitute—meant shelling out a significant sum.

For a mere lieutenant to afford fresh grounds, she would basically have to spend nearly her entire paycheck.

“...Out of your own pocket?”

When Lucy nodded, Otto gave her a pitying look.

“She might be in the same boat as me.”

He began to suspect that perhaps Lucy, too, had been coerced into loyalty by Daniel.

Of course, the truth was far simpler.

Lucy willingly spent more than half her salary on coffee—because Daniel liked it, and she didn’t mind drinking it herself.

Otto, knowing none of this, offered her a bittersweet smile.

“Let’s both hang in there.”

Placing a hand to his chest, he bowed like a gentleman.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I’ve got quite a few things to handle.”

“Ah. Understood.”

Lucy didn’t feel particularly inclined to stop him, so she stepped aside.

Watching Otto pass her by with a strange expression, she shook her head lightly and opened the office door.

Inside, Daniel was on the phone.

“...Bring them one by one. Yeah. Let’s decide on that after we’ve confirmed it. A formal notice will be issued regarding the Bureau’s restructuring. Just act on it when it arrives. Right. The sooner, the better.”

Finishing the call, Daniel placed the receiver down.

Letting out a low breath, he looked around with a fatigued expression—then noticed Lucy.

“Lieutenant? Don’t just stand there. Come in.”

Lucy gave a nod and stepped forward, placing the coffee tray on his desk.

The aroma reached Daniel’s nose, and a faint smile curled on his lips.

“Smells good. If you’d like, have a seat and join me for a cup.”

“You mean right now?”

“Yes. Even for productivity’s sake, the occasional break isn’t a bad idea.”

“Understood.”

Accepting his offer, Lucy took a seat.

Daniel, watching her, lifted his cup, took a sip, and slowly began to speak.

“Earlier, you asked me something. What you mean to me.”

Lucy seemed visibly surprised—she hadn’t expected him to answer.

“Lieutenant. To be honest, our relationship is... somewhat unsteady. We both have things we’re hiding. We’ve each sensed it, and yet neither of us has said a word. Why? Because the moment we do, there’s no turning back.”

Steam gently rose from the cup in his hands.

“And so, I won’t ask. Not unless you choose to tell me yourself.”

“I...”

“I’m not pressuring you. Everyone has their circumstances. And no matter how deep or dark your secret may be—I won’t care. As long as you want to remain by my side as my adjutant.”

In the quiet office, their eyes met.

“Lieutenant... I don’t know exactly what Johannes said to you, but...”

Daniel paused.

“You’re someone important to me.”

Lucy’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Caught completely off guard, she said nothing—only stared.

Daniel smiled and lifted his cup again.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, his hand was trembling faintly.

“I have to win her over. Now that I’ve become Emergency High Commissioner, the Allied Nations will be desperate to kill me. If Lucy were to turn on me—I’d be as good as dead.”

He wanted to trust her.

But there were too many unknowns.

As long as Lucy was a former test subject, there was no telling what Count Kalhedra might’ve embedded inside her.

Of course, no such device existed.

While Daniel anxiously fidgeted—unaware of the truth—Lucy’s mind was in complete disarray.

He said I was important...

From Lucy’s perspective, who had quietly loved Daniel from the depths of her heart, those words felt almost like a confession.

But...

She might be mistaken. It could be something she was imagining all on her own.

Wanting a clear answer, Lucy curled her fingers together on her lap and asked:

“How important am I to you, exactly? Compared to Kelly...”

It was a bold move for Lucy.

She had just brought up the one woman Daniel had never been able to forget.

Daniel, on the other hand, was simply confused.

Why is she asking me to compare her to a dog?

Kelly had been a cherished childhood companion—a dog Daniel still missed dearly. But comparing a person to a pet? That didn’t even register as a dilemma.

He responded without hesitation.

“Of course, you’re more important.”

At those words, Lucy’s face instantly turned crimson.

She gasped, her breath catching in her throat, as her mind went blank.

That was how much Daniel’s reply had shaken her.

Even just hearing “you’re both important” would’ve made her happy—but “you’re more important” was far beyond anything she had imagined.

And yet, Daniel had no idea why she’d suddenly frozen.

“...Lieutenant?”

Snapping out of it, Lucy stood up from her seat.

She had managed to restore her neutral expression, but the redness in her face and ears betrayed her.

“I’ll head to the break room. I left something behind...”

There was nothing she had actually forgotten, but if she stayed here any longer, she feared she might say something reckless.

She needed to calm herself down—so that was the excuse she gave.

Daniel nodded.

“All right. Go ahead.”

“Thank you.”

As Lucy hurried out of the office, Daniel was left alone.

What was that all about...?

He couldn’t figure it out.

Just as he took another sip of coffee, there came a knock.

Knock knock—

Setting the cup down, Daniel spoke up.

“Come in.”

He thought Lucy might’ve returned already—but it was Phelp, his intelligence officer, who stepped in through the open door.

His hands were full of newspapers from The Imperial Daily.

Exactly what Daniel had requested—gathered by date.

“Colonel Daniel.”

Offering a brief salute, Phelp approached and laid the stack of papers on Daniel’s desk.

“As you asked, I brought every issue of The Imperial Daily from the time of our defeat on the Eastern Front up to the present.”

“You’ve done well. Let’s take a look.”

Daniel picked up the papers and began flipping through them in chronological order.

Has the War Hero Lost His Edge? Colonel Daniel Steiner Defeated on the Eastern Front!

Daniel Steiner, the Traitor Revealed at Last! Intelligence Confirms His March Back to the Capital at the Head of the 7th Armored Division!

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We Condemn the Treacherous Jackal Daniel Steiner!

Guard Division’s Armored Regiment Mobilizes to Relay the Empress’s Orders! Brave Warriors, Bring Down the Traitor Daniel Steiner!

Guard Division’s Armored Regiment Joins Daniel Steiner! Is He a Fox of the Battlefield? How Did He Persuade Them?

Military Genius Daniel Steiner to Arrive in the Capital Within Three Days! Citizens Suspect His March Has Purpose!

Colonel Daniel Steiner—The Empire’s Sole Hope and Her Majesty’s Loyal Servant—Eradicates the Traitors Hidden Within the Capital!

The final article was dated just three days ago.

Seeing through the obvious shift in tone, Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle.

“They’re begging for their lives, aren’t they?”

At the comment, Phelp gave a slight nod.

“They appear to be in a state of panic. How do you plan to respond?”

“If they’d resisted, things might’ve gotten complicated. But if they’re going to grovel like this, it’s simple.” Daniel’s voice was cold.

“Major Phelp. Select twenty soldiers with solid physiques.”

“...Do you mean—”

“Yes.”

Daniel rose from his chair and took the uniform cap resting on his desk, placing it squarely on his head.

Beneath its brim, his black eyes gleamed with a frigid light.

“They’ll pay the price for all the attacks they so tirelessly hurled at me.”