Imperial General Staff Headquarters.

    Daniel Steiner’s Private Office.

    Rustle—

    Lucy sat alone at Daniel’s desk, diligently working through paperwork in his absence.

    As usual, she was sorting documents by priority when she suddenly paused and lifted her head.

    Footsteps...

    The sound echoed faintly through the hallway.

    Could it be Daniel?

    Today was the day Daniel was supposed to return, having cut his leave short.

    The thought of him finally arriving and putting an end to her late-night shifts lifted her mood unexpectedly.

    Perking up, Lucy strained her ears to confirm.

    No...

    Her expression cooled.

    The sound didn’t match Daniel’s footsteps.

    The rhythm, stride length, and weight distribution were all different.

    Then who...

    Just as Lucy considered whether it might be Ernst, the Operations Chief, the door swung open without a knock.

    A man in a navy-blue police uniform stepped in slowly.

    Lucy’s hand twitched.

    She knew this man well.

    Kartman Schultz.

    He was a Senior Inspector from the Security Bureau.

    They’d even shared a meal once at a restaurant while she was in disguise, so there was no mistaking him.

    “Hmm?”

    Noticing Daniel’s empty desk, Kartman looked around curiously before turning to face Lucy.

    Their eyes met, and after a brief pause, Kartman gave her a strained smile.

    “Ah. Are you Major Daniel’s adjutant?”

    Lucy hesitated.

    Kartman’s suspicion could mean trouble if he decided to dig deeper.

    But back then...

    She’d hidden her appearance with a wig and sunglasses. She hadn’t even spoken.

    Deciding that a brief exchange wouldn’t expose her, Lucy rose from her seat and responded calmly.

    “Yes. What brings the Security Bureau to the General Staff?”

    “Hmm. Well, to put it simply...”

    Kartman scratched his head, then fixed his sharp gaze on her.

    “Spy investigation.”

    A tense silence fell between them.

    The faint suspicion in Kartman’s sleepy eyes was unsettling.

    But suspicion was something Lucy was well-accustomed to.

    Without betraying a hint of emotion, she responded evenly.

    “You mean there’s a spy in the General Staff?”

    Kartman let out a dry chuckle.

    Most people would have blurted out, ‘Are you accusing me?’ and fallen into their own trap, but Lucy cleverly redirected the focus to the entire General Staff instead.

    Realizing she wasn’t an easy target, Kartman shrugged.

    “Explain what this is.”

    Daniel’s voice carried an edge sharp enough to make Kartman shrink back.

    Still, Kartman wasn’t ready to retreat just yet.

    “Explain? I’m simply doing my job. The higher-ups authorized my access to the General Staff...”

    “Then did you secure an internal security warrant?”

    Kartman fell silent.

    Internal security warrants held higher authority than access permits.

    Even the Security Bureau couldn’t obtain one without clear evidence.

    When Kartman failed to answer, Daniel’s eyes narrowed.

    “Don’t tell me you barged in here without a warrant—and harassed my adjutant?”

    “Major Daniel, this is a misunderstanding. Everything I’m doing is for the Empire. I wasn’t harassing your adjutant. I merely—”

    “Kartman Schultz.”

    Daniel interrupted him, lowering his head slightly.

    “Let me make this clear since you don’t seem to understand.”

    Their eyes met.

    And Kartman saw it—the glint of a predator’s snarl, like a wolf ready to pounce.

    “Get out. Now.”

    Cold sweat trickled down Kartman’s temple.

    Overwhelmed by a sudden sense of dread, Kartman nodded hastily and fled the office.

    Only after Kartman was gone did Daniel let out a quiet sigh of relief.

    ‘I knew Duke Belvar would make a move, but to send someone this quickly...’

    Granting Kartman access to the General Staff could only have been orchestrated by Belvar.

    ‘With Security Bureau agents snooping around here...’

    It meant they were desperate for evidence.

    ‘For now, it’s a relief. If Lucy had put on those sunglasses, things would have spiraled out of control.’

    If Lucy was accused of being a spy, Daniel would be implicated as well.

    In the worst-case scenario, both could be executed for treason.

    That was why Daniel had driven Kartman out so forcefully.

    But this was only a temporary fix.

    ‘Belvar won’t stop. He’ll keep coming at me.’

    If Daniel wanted to end this, he had to crush Belvar’s will to fight entirely.

    And Daniel had both the means and the power to do it.

    “Lieutenant.”

    Having made up his mind, Daniel turned to Lucy.

    “I’m heading out to meet Her Highness the Princess. Stay here and watch over the General Staff. Also, don’t go anywhere near the Security Bureau today. Understood?”

    Lucy, still staring at Daniel in disbelief, nodded slowly.

    Without another word, Daniel left the office.

    Lucy exhaled deeply, as if releasing all the tension that had built up inside her.

    Why...

    Why had Daniel taken such a dangerous risk to shield her?

    From her perspective, Daniel had essentially staked his life to protect someone suspected of espionage.

    Lost in thought, Lucy placed a hand over her chest.

    “....”

    The steady thumping of her heartbeat echoed faintly through her fingertips.