I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

The following day.

After arriving at the General Staff Headquarters for duty, Daniel entered the staff room to report on operational support and converse with Ernst, the Chief of Staff.

Upon completing the formal report, Ernst wore a satisfied smile as he informed Daniel that, as a capable talent, he could henceforth work from his own private office instead of alongside the staff room personnel.

While Daniel vehemently refused, Ernst insisted it was an ‘order’ from above, leaving him no choice.

As a result, even as the workday transitioned into the afternoon, Daniel found himself in his private office.

Lucie happened to be reviewing documents not far away.

Watching Lucie intently focused on her work at her desk, Daniel felt fatigued and leaned back in his chair.

‘I may have returned to the Capital, but…’

Unfortunately, it was not the situation he desired.

Having accumulated an overwhelming amount of military achievements on the battlefield, the risk of becoming entangled in the power struggle between the Crown Prince and Princess had increased.

While he had temporarily averted it, there was no telling when their treacherous machinations might reach him here.

‘Not to mention His Majesty the Emperor appears to distrust me as well…’

In Daniel’s view, the Emperor’s attitude yesterday seemed like an attempt to gauge his intentions.

While uncertain of the conclusions drawn, they were undoubtedly unfavorable.

‘Even the headquarters personnel seem to be subtly avoiding me.’

When Daniel had entered the staff room for the report today, he could only feel bewildered by the awkward silence.

He had expected a warm welcome, but the staff instead appeared subdued, cautiously gauging his reactions.

A few approached to greet him, but even their demeanor was stiff.

M-Major Daniel! It is a relief to have you back safely!

Please, do not hesitate to give us your orders!

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

Their tones and expressions conveyed a palpable sense of fear, which lingered vividly in Daniel’s mind.

‘Has a rumor spread that I ruthlessly coerced the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister to secure the negotiations…?’

A clear misunderstanding, yet one he could not refute from his position, leaving him perplexed.

In his attempt to untie one knot, he had inadvertently created several more.

Letting out a silent sigh, Daniel turned his gaze towards Lucie, grasping at straws.

“Aide. Do you find me intimidating as well?”

Raising her head, Lucie blinked a few times before responding.

“I’m not sure I understand the intent behind your question, but in my view, you are not an intimidating person, Major.”

‘Won’t you at least be a little afraid of me?’ Concealing his true thoughts, Daniel nodded vaguely before pretending to focus on his work.

Lucie, too, averted her gaze and resumed reviewing the documents.

After observing Lucie’s reactions, Daniel ruffled through some papers before setting them down.

He found himself unable to concentrate on work today.

“I should visit the Officers’ Club after work for a change…”

At Daniel’s murmur, Lucie’s ears perked up.

‘…The Officers’ Club?’

As far as Lucie knew, the Officers’ Club at the Imperial General Staff Headquarters was a social gathering in the form of a bar serving beverages and cocktails.

Perceiving this as an opportunity, Lucie glanced at Daniel as she slowly formulated a plan.

After work, Daniel unhesitatingly made his way to the Officers’ Club.

Witnessing this, Lucie lingered nearby for about an hour before entering the club herself.

She had allowed that interval to pass to create the impression of a coincidental encounter.

‘Alright. Let’s begin.’

After entering the Officers’ Club, Lucie surveyed her surroundings.

Elegant lighting softly illuminated the interior, with wooden panels and velvet sofas contributing to a classic ambiance.

Observing the junior and senior officers mingling and sharing drinks, it certainly lived up to its reputation as a social gathering place.

‘Now, where is Daniel Steiner…?’

As Lucie scanned the room, her gaze fell upon Daniel, seated alone at the bar counter.

Taking a deep breath to dispel her tension, Lucie approached and sat beside him.

“Major? So you were here.”

Despite her casual greeting, Daniel did not respond.

Glancing over, he was gripping a glass on the table with one hand while the other pressed against his forehead, his eyes closed.

He appeared deep in thought.

While uncertain about the nature of his contemplation, Lucie felt it unwise to disturb him and looked up at the bartender instead.

“Excuse me…”
“Yes? Ah, miss. What can I get for you?”

Momentarily hesitating at the bartender’s friendly tone, Lucie replied.

“I’ll have the same as Major Daniel, please.”
“Ah, a Scotch whisky connoisseur, I see? The Johnny Walker, to be precise. A smooth yet refined taste. An excellent choice.”

Retrieving a clean glass, the bartender added a large ice cube before pouring in the Johnny Walker whisky.

“Here you are.”

With a nod, Lucie accepted the glass from the bartender.

The whisky’s sunset-like hue complemented the soft lighting, creating quite an atmosphere.

Lucie gently swirled the glass, observing her reflection in the liquor.

‘Alcohol…’

A indulgence she had hitherto avoided, as it offered no benefit to her intelligence activities.

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

Raising the glass, Lucie tightly shut her eyes and took a sip of the whisky.

Simultaneously, she could not help but furrow her brow.

‘Ugh…’

It felt like a ball of fire had slid down her throat.

Moreover, the alcoholic aroma lingering in her mouth was unpleasant.

Why did Daniel consume such a beverage? Lucie could not comprehend it as she turned towards him, only to be taken aback by his unchanging posture.

‘Could he be…?’

Was he asleep? Blinking in bewilderment, Lucie glanced back at the bartender.

“Excuse me, I have a question.”
“…What would you like to ask?”
“Has the Major consumed a lot of alcohol?”

After Lucie’s query, the bartender glanced at Daniel before shrugging and smiling.

“Yes. It seems he had a rough day, as he downed seven glasses in a row. Let me think… Something about life being a continuous struggle, or some philosophical mutterings. Then he closed his eyes and has remained in that state ever since.”

Consequently, Lucie could only feel exasperated.

‘…’

She had intended to pretend being drunk to seduce Daniel, but he had preemptively become inebriated and passed out instead.

Letting out a low sigh, Lucie rose from her seat and bowed her head towards the bartender.

“I shall apologize on the Major’s behalf for any inconvenience he has caused you.”
“Pardon? Ah, no need. Major Daniel is actually quite a polite patron. I wish all my customers were like him.”
“Thank you for your understanding. I will escort Major Daniel back to his quarters.”

Unexpectedly, she found herself tasked with caring for her superior officer.

After arriving at Daniel’s quarters, Lucie unlocked the door, entered, and laid him on the bed.

As Daniel shifted on the bed, he muttered softly.

“Water…”

Lucie’s brow furrowed with frustration from the effort of dragging Daniel back.

‘I should just kill him.’

In the current situation, had she received an assassination order, she might have unhesitatingly drawn her gun and pulled the trigger.

Giving Daniel a disgruntled look, Lucie entered the kitchen and poured water into a cup.

She reasoned that providing him with at least a cup of water was the least she could do.

Returning with the cup, Lucie climbed onto the bed and knelt beside Daniel, gently shaking his shoulder.

“Major. I’ve brought you water.”

Her intention was for him to sit up, as lying down while drinking could risk choking.

However, in his inebriated state, Daniel showed no signs of rising.

Dissatisfied, Lucie shook his shoulder more firmly.

Suddenly, Daniel grabbed Lucie’s arm and pulled her towards him.

“…!?”

Unable to resist, Lucie was yanked forward, dropping the water cup.

Reflexively squeezing her eyes shut, she slowly reopened them to find Daniel’s chest in her field of vision.

Blankly processing the situation, Lucie realized she was now cradled in Daniel’s embrace.

“…!”

Her eyes widened like a startled cat.

As she floundered, Daniel gently drew Lucie closer, holding the back of her head.

“Don’t leave…”

His deep voice tickled her ear.

Then, Lucie recalled Prien’s words.

Men are inherently wolves, after all.

Yes, even the cold-blooded Daniel Steiner was still a man in his prime.

‘But still…’

She had not expected to find herself so abruptly embraced by Daniel.

While part of her wished to extricate herself, bound by her mission, she could not.

As she tensed in that moment, Daniel’s lips parted once more.

“That’s a muddy field… The headmaster will scold us…”

The headmaster? After blinking a few times, Lucie let out a low sigh.

‘He’s sleep-talking.’

Realizing the context, Lucie inwardly felt relieved as she freed herself from Daniel’s embrace and sat up.

Casting an enigmatic gaze at the slumbering Daniel, Lucie regained her senses, swiftly climbing off the bed and fleeing the quarters as if in retreat.

Thud.

After hastily closing the door behind her, Lucie exhaled as if drained of strength.

Organizing her jumbled thoughts, Lucie leaned against the door, clenching her fist.

‘That was dangerous…’

Yet, even as she acknowledged the danger, Lucie could not properly define what had been so perilous.

Unconsciously clutching the hem of her innocent uniform skirt, Lucie’s face flushed.

Then, her eyes half-lidded as she bit her lower lip.

For some inexplicable reason, the pounding of her heart showed no signs of subsiding.