Daniel Just Wants an Idle Post
Daniel Just Wants an Idle Post
Arriving at the General Headquarters in the morning, Daniel took a deep breath in front of his private office.
The thought of having to face Lucy, who had come to assassinate him and then left at dawn, made him needlessly tense.
'Stay calm, Daniel.'
From Lucy's perspective, Daniel had simply been 'asleep' at dawn today.
Obviously, it would be troublesome in many ways if it were discovered that he had actually been awake.
Therefore, acting as naturally as possible was the right thing to do, if only to avoid suspicion.
Muttering to himself that he could do it, Daniel turned the doorknob and opened the door.
When he stepped inside, Lucy, who had arrived earlier, rose from her seat and saluted.
"You've arrived, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."
Her expression was as impassive as ever.
'...To the point where I'd never guess she was the one who'd come to kill me at dawn today.'
It made him realize anew just how competent an intelligence agent Lucy was.
Feeling a strange chill, Daniel nodded and walked to his desk.
Pulling out his chair, Daniel sat down, placed his briefcase on the desk, and spoke.
"By the way, Adjutant. May I ask you a personal question?"
Lucy, now seated, turned to look at Daniel.
"Yes. Is there something you're curious about?"
"Right. Do you remember the conversation we had two days ago?"
"Two days ago... Do you mean the conversation we had at the entrance of the General Headquarters?"
Daniel nodded.
"Back then, you mentioned that the Golden Rose Patisserie sells Stollen as a Christmas special. I looked into it, and given the Christmas rush, you have to reserve it in advance. So, if your schedule is free, I was thinking of making a reservation. Would that be all right? Also......"
Afraid to meet her eyes, Daniel made a show of rummaging through his briefcase.
"It would be a shame to just eat Stollen and part ways on Christmas, so we should look into other amusements as well. As you know, other shops also take reservations during Christmas, so it's best to prepare from now. So, be sure to clearly state your intentions."
Having taken the necessary items out of his briefcase, Daniel glanced at Lucy.
'If Lucy asks me to reserve it here......'
He could at least take it to mean there were no assassination plans until after Christmas.
If she refused, it was safe to assume she intended to attempt another assassination before Christmas passed.
Of course, she could lie, but if she did, a subtle change would come over Lucy's expression, burdened by guilt, and he would easily see through it.
While Daniel watched Lucy with tense vigilance, Lucy herself was interpreting Daniel's proposal in a completely different way.
'Not just a meal and then parting ways, but enjoying other amusements together too...'
No matter how she looked at it, it was a request for a date.
'...Is Daniel attracted to me?'
Come to think of it, saving her from the Security Bureau and hiding the fact that she was a spy would have been impossible unless he had feelings for her.
'But......'
Lucy had never been on a date before.
Naturally, being asked out on a date was also a first for her.
Not knowing how to respond, Lucy's heartbeat began to quicken.
Hesitating while fidgeting with a fountain pen for no reason, Lucy gave a small nod.
"......I have nothing particular to do then, so I think it would be fine to proceed with the reservation."
It was a passive, genuine acceptance.
Thanks to that, Daniel felt a weight lift off his shoulders as he set his briefcase down.
"Then I will make the reservation, so don't change your tune when the time comes. And......"
About to flesh out the plans for Christmas, Daniel paused.
It was because he could hear familiar footsteps coming from the hallway outside his office.
Tok-tok─
Soon, a knock sounded. Daniel stood up preemptively and spoke.
"Come in."
The door swung open the moment Daniel finished speaking, and Ernst walked in.
Ernst, with his plump build, blurted out before Daniel could even salute.
"Daniel! This is no time to be here! Head to the reception room right this minute!"
Somewhat taken aback, Daniel lowered his arm, which he had raised to salute.
"Deputy Director. As I understand it, entertaining distinguished guests is under the General Affairs Office's Protocol Department. So why must I go to the reception room......"
"Because that Distinguished Guest personally summoned you!"
"Summoned me? If it's nobles from the capital or politicians from the National Assembly building, there is no reason for me to meet them."
Ernst thumped his chest as if frustrated.
"I wouldn't have even come to you if it were them! The Distinguished Guest who summoned you is none other than Her Highness the Princess!"
Daniel blinked in baffled surprise.
'Why is Selvia here?'
Swallowing dryly, Daniel quickly started walking.
He wasn't sure of the reason, but it wasn't something he could refuse when it was a summons from the Princess, anyway.
"Deputy Director. From now on, please mention that Her Highness the Princess was the one summoning me first."
Venting his frustration at Ernst was a bonus.
*
Reaching the reception room with swift strides, Daniel could see Selvia seated on the sofa.
On the sofa opposite Selvia sat Cedric, the Deputy Chief of Staff.
Seeing the two of them talking, Daniel approached and raised a salute.
"Your Highness the Princess. I was told you summoned me."
Lowering her cup, Selvia looked at Daniel before letting out an awkward, fake cough.
Seeing his face, she had almost involuntarily broken into a smile out of joy.
Thinking she had to maintain her dignity as the next Empress, Selvia spoke with a somewhat stern tone.
"There is something important we need to discuss. Would you like to sit down?"
"I'm fine. I came out in the middle of work, so I'll likely have to head right back up after hearing Your Highness's words."
Daniel knew all too well, from his experience with the Total War speech, that nothing good came from having a long conversation with Selvia.
That was why he politely declined.
Selvia felt a bit dissatisfied, but she did not let it show.
"Then listen standing up. Daniel Steiner. The Imperial Household was deeply impressed by your Total War speech. So, we wish to present you with a good proposal this time."
"When you say proposal...?"
"Currently, the Empire is pursuing various public works with the money raised from selling war bonds. Furthermore, since bond sales were higher than initial expectations, we intend to push forward with additional projects."
Selvia looked up at Daniel with meaningful eyes.
"In that regard, I wish to delegate authority to you, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel. I mean the authority to design projects and proceed as the person in charge."
"......Your Highness? I fear this is too heavy a responsibility for a mere operations staff officer to take on."
"I, as well as the rest of the Imperial Household, do not consider you a mere operations staff officer. So, I would like you to speak your honest opinion without reservation."
Although Selvia spoke with a smile, she was testing Daniel.
If Daniel was truly the wolf that would swallow the Empire, as her father said, he would take this proposal and proceed with national-scale projects now.
He would try to further strengthen his influence through it.
On the other hand, Daniel saw this as a good opportunity to get away from the Empire, even temporarily.
"Your Highness. If you insist, then I would like you to appoint me as diplomatic ambassador to Bellanos."
"......Bellanos?"
Bellanos was a neutral nation located west of the Empire, across the sea.
It was Selvia who asked back, unable to understand why he would go there as a diplomat.
However, Daniel explained the reason he intended to go to Bellanos in a serious tone.
"Yes. As Your Highness knows, the Empire will soon have to face the Three Kingdoms. Ultimately, what the Empire needs most now are weapons and manpower. Therefore, I believe going to Bellanos to import weapons and hire mercenaries is the right course of action."
He wasn't wrong.
It was something the military leadership itself was considering.
However, there were plenty of people who could be appointed ambassador to Bellanos.
It meant it was a job anyone, not necessarily Daniel Steiner, could do.
Yet, his insistence on doing it personally left Selvia simply bewildered.
"Are you serious? So... you mean you want to be dispatched as ambassador to Bellanos."
"That is correct. I am sincere."
From Daniel's perspective, he wanted to 'flee' to Bellanos right this instant.
Just look at the domestic situation.
Politicians and nobles were desperate to devour him, the Emperor was wary of him due to some misunderstanding, and his adjutant, Lucy, was aiming for his life.
He couldn't shake the feeling of being in the eye of the storm, literally.
So, Daniel intended to temporarily hide out in a foreign country under the pretense of diplomatic duties to catch his breath.
Of course, Selvia, not knowing Daniel's true feelings, had no idea what he was thinking.
After pondering for a moment, Selvia nodded to signify she understood.
"It appears your will is firm. I will have it reviewed favorably. Now, you may return."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Showing his respects with a bow, Daniel turned and walked away.
Selvia, staring blankly at his neat figure, turned to look at Cedric, who was sitting across from her.
"......What do you think?"
Cedric, who had been listening to the conversation between the two from the side, answered.
"In my opinion, it is a truly wise judgment."
Cedric let out a rare laugh.
"Daniel Steiner has a history of subjugating Duke Belvar backed by Your Highness's authority. That was enough to incur the wrath of the nobles, and the politicians who are funded by them."
Picking up the tongs on the table, Cedric grasped a sugar cube and dropped it into his coffee with a plop.
"That rage has likely reached its peak due to this Total War speech. They must have considered Daniel Steiner a threat to their positions. Among them, the most extreme might be arguing that Daniel Steiner must be politically isolated."
With a practiced gesture, Cedric picked up a spoon and stirred his coffee around.
"There are even scandalous rumors that His Majesty the Emperor is also wary of Daniel Steiner. Think about it. What would happen if, in this situation, Daniel tried to expand his influence by meddling in major state affairs?"
"......Politicians and nobles might join forces to attack Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."
"That's right. So, Daniel intends to dispel their discontent by being appointed as the sinecure diplomatic ambassador to Bellanos and vanishing from the capital."
The sugar cube was gently melting inside the coffee.
"Once the discontent subsides, the opinion that Daniel might be someone acting for the country, not twisting politics for personal gain, will begin to bloom among the congressmen. Once that happens......"
Setting down the spoon, Cedric picked up a napkin and wiped off the part stained with coffee.
"Factional strife will inevitably break out. Representatively, the Central Nationalist Party and the Liberal Society Party, with their opposing ideologies, will clash. This is what you call divide and conquer. From Daniel Steiner's perspective, it's clearing your nose without using your hand."
Setting down the napkin, Cedric took a sip of his coffee and put the cup down.
"Of course, all of this is merely my speculation, but it seems hard to find another reason for Daniel to deliberately choose the sinecure of Bellanos ambassador."
Having heard Cedric's entire analysis, Selvia broke out in a cold sweat without realizing it.
If Cedric's words were true, Daniel really was as dangerous as her father had said.
However, it was too early to jump to conclusions.
"......In the Deputy Chief of Staff's opinion, does the loyalty Daniel shows to the Imperial Household seem false?"
Blinking once, Cedric shook his head.
"From what I see, Daniel Steiner's loyalty is genuine. Because there are incongruities in many ways if you view all his actions as solely for personal gain. However, I am not sure whether this loyalty is toward the Imperial Household or toward the Empire itself."
There would be no problem at all if Daniel Steiner's loyalty was toward the Imperial Household.
But what if that loyalty lay with the Great Empire... meaning the development of the nation itself?
The events that would unfold the moment Daniel Steiner judged the Imperial Household to be incompetent would never be pleasant.
"Your Highness the Princess."
Gazing intently at Selvia with his characteristic pale eyes, Cedric advised with sincerity.
"You must win Daniel Steiner's heart as soon as possible. If you fail to win Daniel Steiner's heart......"
Pausing for a moment, Cedric spoke.
"You will have an adversary more troublesome than the Allied Nations, right here within your own borders."