My instincts were screaming at me.

Something big involving Lucy was going to happen today.

Not to brag, but my instincts were usually right.

So, I spent the day carefully observing and staying on guard against Lucy. But contrary to my expectations, Lucy remained as composed and efficient as ever, quietly handling her work.

“It’s time to go, Captain.”

From inside my personal office, Lucy finished organizing the documents and looked at me.

‘…It’s already time to leave?’

I glanced at the wall clock. It was 6 PM.

Momentarily dazed, I cleared my throat and stood up.

“Alright. Let’s head out.”

I stuffed a few documents into my briefcase and stepped out of the office, with Lucy following close behind.

We descended the central staircase and exited the General Staff Headquarters.

“Captain.”

Turning to see what she wanted, I found Lucy holding out an umbrella.

“This is the umbrella you lent me earlier. Thanks to you, I didn’t get drenched in the rain. I intended to return it sooner, but you’ve been so busy that I didn’t have the chance.”

Ah, right. I did lend her an umbrella.

“I’m glad it was useful.”

As I accepted the umbrella, Lucy blinked her crimson eyes and added,

“Congratulations on receiving the Gukseon Medal. Given the favor you’ve earned with the higher-ups, it’s only a matter of time before you’re promoted to Major.”

…Was that a threat?

Unable to read her intentions, I froze. But Lucy simply bowed her head.

“Well then, I have another appointment, so I’ll take my leave.”

With that, Lucy walked ahead and disappeared into the distance.

Was my gut wrong? Nothing had happened after all.

I stared blankly at her retreating figure before opening my briefcase and tucking the umbrella inside.

‘Well, no news is good news.’

I closed the bag and glanced up at the sky, which was completely clear without a single cloud.

‘Is it summer already?’

Even at 6 PM, the sun hadn’t set.

The breeze that brushed past me felt warm and gentle.

Taking a deep breath, I started walking lightly.

‘I heard there’s a new dessert shop on the outskirts of the city. Maybe I’ll check it out.’

After getting caught up in one crisis after another lately, I felt like I deserved some kind of break.

*****

“Boss, we’ve secured distribution rights in Raven Street, Block 23. We paid the patrol officers more this time, so they’ve agreed to turn a blind eye for now.”

Inside a dimly lit room with a rattling ventilation fan, mafia boss Nickel let out a satisfied chuckle.

“See? What did I tell you? If they refuse once, just give them more money. That’s how we expand operations and build a network of cells.”

Nickel bit into his cigar, and one of his subordinates rushed over to light it for him.

After taking a few puffs and exhaling the smoke, Nickel waved the man away.

Tapping the ash into a tray, Nickel grinned.

“Tell everyone to dress up. We’re meeting with the customs inspector today. Greasing his palms should make smuggling opium a whole lot easier.”

“Yes, boss!”

As his subordinate shouted in response and left the room, Nickel took another puff and heaved his massive body up.

Shoving his creaky chair aside, he adjusted his clothes in front of a full-length mirror.

His fingers, adorned with gold rings, glistened under the dim light as he admired his reflection with a greedy smile.

‘This is too easy…!’

Nickel had originally been a spy for the Allied Nations.

Smuggling opium had merely been a means of securing local funding.

But as the scale of operations grew, and he amassed a crew of thirty men, Nickel’s desire for wealth overtook his loyalty to his homeland.

And so, he betrayed both his country and his network.

Running an opium business in the Empire was far more comfortable and profitable than risking his life as a spy.

Over a year had passed since he last responded to his handlers, and he felt no guilt about it.

‘They treated me like disposable trash anyway…’

He no longer saw any reason to follow orders.

Having finished justifying his actions, Nickel turned to leave for his meeting with the customs inspector.

Click—

The chilling sound of a silencer pressed against the back of his head stopped him.

Confused, he looked at the mirror and saw the air behind him shimmer and distort.

‘Optical camouflage…!’

A high-level technique that used mana to bend and reflect light, rendering the user nearly invisible.

Very few people—either in the Empire or the Allied Nations—could wield such technology.

So who was this person now deactivating their optical camouflage?

Cold sweat dripped down his face as the figure slowly revealed herself—a woman with crimson eyes.

“…!”

Nickel’s heart pounded violently.

He had heard the rumors.

The “Red-Eyed Reaper,” tasked with eliminating traitors to the Allied Nations.

But he had dismissed it as nothing more than an urban legend.

Trembling, Nickel stammered,

“W-Wait! Killing me would be a mistake! I’ve been spreading opium in the Empire! Even if I betrayed the Allied Nations, I’ve still been undermining the Empire!”

“That’s no excuse.”

“Please! Look, I’ll give you all the money I’ve earned—”

Lucy pulled the trigger.

Pfft—

The silenced gunshot echoed faintly, followed by the sound of Nickel’s body thudding to the floor.

“….”

Lucy looked down at the corpse dispassionately, brushed off her hands, and opened the window.

It was a three-story drop, but it didn’t matter.

She leaped down like a cat, landing lightly before slipping into a nearby alley.

Weaving through the streets to avoid beggars and onlookers, Lucy finally entered an empty alley where she could change clothes.

Feeling a sense of relief, she pulled out sunglasses from her coat’s inner pocket and put them on.

Her red eyes always drew attention, so it was better to hide them.

After readjusting her wig and removing her bloodstained coat, Lucy turned her head—and froze.

A soldier had entered the alley.

Worse, their eyes met.

Initially, she just thought it was annoying to have another problem to deal with—

But then she recognized him.

‘…Daniel Steiner?’

The black-haired soldier with sharp, wolf-like eyes was unmistakably Daniel Steiner.

For once, Lucy’s expression faltered.

‘This is bad.’

Daniel Steiner wasn’t just a skilled soldier; he was also infamous for exposing and interrogating spies.

And his reputation for combat prowess—killing Colonel Jeremy in a single strike and taking out eight Allied agents—was well-known.

Even if she could neutralize him, she’d never escape the fallout of killing a Gukseon Medal recipient.

Lucy made a split-second decision.

She’d have to bluff her way out.

Meanwhile, Daniel was thinking the exact same thing.

‘I just wanted dessert and got lost… and now I’ve run into Lucy covered in blood. Fantastic.’

Despite her disguise, Daniel had caught a glimpse of her red eyes before she put on the sunglasses.

‘She’s definitely on some kind of mission.’

Revealing he knew could get him killed, so he reached a conclusion.

‘I’ll have to pretend I don’t recognize her.’

The two locked eyes in silence, each thinking:

‘I have to deceive him.’
‘I have to play along.’

Ironically, both were completely aligned—just in opposite roles.