Hearing the dreadful news that he had gained attention from higher-ups, Daniel resolved that this time, he absolutely needed to visit a dessert shop for some healing.

‘Taking care of one’s mental health amidst a busy and stressful work life is a commendable thing to do.’

With that in mind, Daniel immediately took a shortcut after work and arrived at the Golden Rose Bakery, a newly opened shop on the outskirts of the capital.

Judging by the overwhelming aroma of pastries and bread wafting out, there was a high probability this was a proper dessert shop.

Because of that, Daniel was quite pleased.

If not for the strange woman standing beside him, he might have even started humming in satisfaction.

“This is the place, isn’t it? The one you suggested, Captain.”

When Lucy looked up at the bakery’s sign and spoke, Daniel quietly let out a sigh.

‘…Why the hell did she tag along?’

Looking back, as he was leaving the General Staff Headquarters after work, Lucy had approached him and started a conversation.

During the exchange, the topic of the dessert shop had come up, and Daniel, purely out of courtesy, had mentioned she could come along if she wanted.

Of course, he thought she would decline.

But Lucy had instead accepted, saying she wouldn’t refuse a superior’s offer.

For Daniel, this was deeply uncomfortable.

‘She’s keeping an eye on me.’

It was obvious what Lucy’s intentions were, but Daniel didn’t let it show and simply nodded.

“Let’s go in, then.”

When Daniel pushed the bakery door open and stepped inside, Lucy followed right behind him.

The employee sitting at the counter immediately stood up with a bright smile upon seeing them enter.

“Welcome! This is the Golden Rose Bakery, where we bring you happiness! How many in your—”

The employee stopped mid-sentence.

Not only had two uniformed officers walked in, but their sharp, intimidating gazes made it feel like the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.

In reality, both of them were just expressionless.

But the employee had no way of knowing that.

‘Terrifying…!’

Holding back the urge to cry, the employee forced a stiff smile.

“Two guests, I see. Do you already have something in mind?”

“Yes, I do.”

Daniel took off his cap, tucked it under his arm, and smiled faintly.

“I heard this place is famous for the Dream Parfait. It’s impressive that so many people are already coming here despite it being a new shop. Two, please.”

“Ah….”

When they’d been expressionless, they’d been scary. But now that Daniel was smiling and speaking gently, there was an unexpected charm to him.

An unexpected side, perhaps?

Momentarily distracted, the employee quickly nodded.

“I-I’ll prepare them right away! Please take a seat by the window if that’s all right!”

Acknowledging the suggestion with a small nod, Daniel walked over and sat by the window.

Lucy also sat across from him, setting her briefcase down on the empty seat beside her.

She studied Daniel carefully.

He seemed so relaxed, idly glancing around as if dessert shops were familiar to him.

‘…So he wasn’t lying about heading to a dessert shop yesterday?’

If it had been a lie, that would mean Daniel had known her identity from the start and had been tracking her.

And to cover for that, he would’ve fabricated a hobby like “going to dessert shops.”

But it seemed too natural.

As if this really wasn’t his first time visiting a place like this.

‘Was it really just a coincidence that we ran into each other?’

Lost in thought, Lucy suddenly found herself making direct eye contact with Daniel.

“…Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”

Damn. She’d been too deep in thought to manage her gaze.

Lucy let out a small cough, about to make an excuse.

“Here are your Dream Parfaits!”

A cheerful voice interrupted as the employee arrived with two parfaits and set them down in front of them.

“Enjoy your desserts, and have a wonderful day!”

After a slight bow, the employee retreated to the counter.

As Daniel naturally reached for his spoon, he paused.

Lucy was glaring at the parfait in front of her.

“……”

Well, it wasn’t surprising.

This was Lucy’s first time seeing a dessert like this.

She had spent her entire life eating nothing but rations from the military and research labs.

Daniel still remembered the time, shortly after she was assigned as his adjutant, when Lucy had eaten a freshly baked croissant and been inwardly amazed.

If even a croissant had impressed her, then it was only natural that such an extravagant dessert would leave her completely bewildered.

The parfait, layered in a tall glass with ice cream, biscuits, fruits, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup, looked almost grandiose.

‘…How the hell are you supposed to eat this?’

As Lucy sat there, panicking behind her poker face, Daniel smirked.

He had already figured out what was going on.

“All right, let’s give it a try.”

Acting like he was talking to himself, Daniel dug his spoon into the ice cream, carefully scooping up some along with a sliced strawberry and whipped cream.

Putting it in his mouth, the flavors spread—smooth, sweet, and tangy all at once.

Pleased, Daniel set his spoon down with a faint smile.

Lucy followed suit.

Not that she had high expectations.

After all, what could an Imperial dessert possibly offer?

But the moment she put the spoonful of ice cream into her mouth—

Lucy’s eyes widened.

“Hhngh…!”

 

Lucy let out a strange, almost obscene gasp and set her spoon down, blinking blankly.

The overwhelming sweetness swirling in her mouth felt divine—something out of this world.

It was incomparable to the rations she had endured in the military.

Of course, it made sense. Military food prioritized nutrition over flavor.

Having lived a life sustained by those rations, tasting a dessert designed purely for pleasure had left her in shock.

Watching her reaction was immensely satisfying for Daniel.

‘Yesterday, she had the nerve to dismiss it as junk food. Turns out she’s never even had anything like this before.’

Smirking to himself, Daniel spoke with a smug air.

“So, how is it? Does dessert suit your tastes?”

Lucy snapped out of her daze, narrowing her eyes at him.

The realization that she had let a single dessert crack her composure filled her with shame.

To make matters worse, it wasn’t just any dessert but one from the Empire.

Feeling humiliated, Lucy’s cheeks flushed faintly as she mumbled,

“…It’s edible.”

The slight tremor in her voice betrayed her true feelings.

“Edible, huh? Good to know.”

Daniel casually pulled out one of the biscuits stuck in the parfait and bit into it.

The satisfying crunch paired perfectly with the dessert’s sweetness.

As he savored the parfait, Daniel gazed out the window, momentarily lost in thought.

‘My adjutant is a spy, and things haven’t exactly been going my way lately, but…’

Maybe he should be grateful to be stationed in such a peaceful rear-line position.

After all, the front lines were locked in a brutal struggle as they spoke.

‘No way in hell would anyone be eating parfaits on the battlefield.’

More than anything, Daniel hoped to stay in the rear for as long as possible.

Because throwing his life away in combat was the last thing he wanted.

*****

Meanwhile, at the General Staff Headquarters—

In the Deputy Chief of Operations’ office.

Rustle—

Surrounded by stacks of classified documents, Brigadier General Cedric Bendel calmly flipped through a newspaper.

His sharp, pale eyes scanned the articles with rapid precision.

In less than thirty seconds, he had finished reading and set the paper down.

‘Wiped out a mafia organization, huh…’

The article described how Captain Daniel Steiner had single-handedly obliterated an entire mafia syndicate.

‘Why?’

Cedric found himself questioning the motive.

Daniel Steiner had already earned multiple commendations and was on the fast track for an early promotion.

If he simply kept his head down for the next two years, he would be promoted to major without issue.

Surely, Daniel was aware of this.

And yet, he had gone out of his way to hunt down a mafia group after hours, acting completely alone.

Slowly blinking, Cedric mulled over the situation and quickly came to a conclusion.

‘…So he can’t afford to wait two years.’

In the current war, even a year was enough to render prior intelligence obsolete.

From Daniel’s perspective—someone deeply committed to serving the Empire—it must have been infuriating to be stuck in his current position.

No matter how celebrated he was as the “Hero of the Capital,” a captain’s authority was still too limited to make any real impact.

So Daniel had taken matters into his own hands, wiping out the mafia as a statement to his superiors.

‘I get it. He’s saying he doesn’t want to rot away at headquarters—he wants to be deployed to the front lines.’

It was obvious Daniel was aiming for a special promotion to major, and he knew that only battlefield achievements would make that happen.

Once promoted to field officer, his authority would increase dramatically compared to his current rank.

Cedric could already picture Daniel thriving on the front lines, wielding that newfound influence to further the Empire’s cause.

‘A bold young man. Like a flame burning brightly.’

With the Empire embroiled in internal strife over succession and under constant attack from the Allied Nations, talents like Daniel Steiner were worth their weight in gold.

‘This works out perfectly. I was just considering sending reinforcements to the Northern Front.’

If a capable young officer wanted to rise through the ranks, it only made sense to give him the opportunity.

After all, it would ultimately benefit the Empire.

‘Good. Captain Daniel Steiner—I’ll place my faith in you.’

‘Now go ahead and tear up the battlefield.’