I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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Daniel, having heard the terrible news that had caught the higher-ups’ attention, resolved that this time he truly needed to go to a dessert shop for some healing.

“Taking care of my mental health amidst a busy and tough work life is certainly a commendable thing.”

Thus, Daniel hurried home from work, taking a shortcut to arrive at the newly opened Golden Rose Bakery on the outskirts of the city.

The strong aroma of sweets and bread wafting through the air indicated that this was indeed a proper dessert shop.

Thanks to that, Daniel felt quite satisfied.

If it weren’t for the strange woman beside him, he might have been humming a little tune.

“This is the place. The one you mentioned, Captain.”

As Lucy looked up at the bakery’s sign, Daniel couldn’t help but let out a quiet groan.

‘…Why is she following me?’

Looking back, it all started when Lucy struck up a conversation as he was leaving the General Staff Headquarters after work. Daniel had responded to her in a businesslike manner.

During that exchange, talk of dessert shops had come up, and Daniel had merely suggested that if Lucy wanted to, it was fine to accompany him—just out of politeness.

He expected her to decline, but Lucy accepted the offer, stating she wouldn’t turn down a kind gesture from a superior.

That made Daniel feel quite uncomfortable.

‘Is she trying to keep an eye on me?’

Although he could see through Lucy’s intentions, he didn’t let it show and simply nodded.

“Let’s go inside.”

As Daniel opened the bakery door and stepped inside, Lucy followed right behind him.

Upon their entrance, the staff member sitting at the counter quickly smiled and got to his feet.

“Welcome! This is the Golden Rose Bakery, where happiness is delivered! How many of you…?”

He halted mid-sentence as he took in the sight of two military officers in uniform—his eyes filled with dread.

In reality, both Daniel and Lucy were expressionless, but the staff member had no way of knowing that.

‘Scary…!’

As the overwhelmed staff member struggled to compose themselves, they managed to force a stiff smile.

“It’s just the two of you. Do you have any particular menu in mind?”

“Ah, yes.”

Daniel took off his officer’s cap and resting it on his side, smiled gently as he spoke.

“I’ve heard the Dreamy Parfait here is famous. Many people seem to be coming here despite it being newly opened, so it must be delicious. We’ll take two, please.”

“Ah…”

Seeing Daniel smiling and speaking softly was unexpectedly charming, despite how intimidating he had initially seemed in uniform.

The staff member, momentarily spellbound, quickly nodded.

“I’ll have it ready for you right away! If that’s alright, please have a seat by the window!”

After giving a slight nod, Daniel followed Lucy to an empty table by the window.

Lucy sat across from Daniel, placing her briefcase on the vacant chair while observing him intently.

She looked relaxed, as if accustomed to visiting dessert shops.

‘…Was the story about going to a dessert shop yesterday not a lie?’

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

To hide that, she would have created a fictional hobby of “going to dessert shops.”

Still, she seemed so natural at it, as if she’d come to similar places numerous times before.

‘Could it be that our meeting was truly a coincidence?’

As Lucy pondered all this, her eyes suddenly met Daniel’s.

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

Oops! Getting lost in thought had made her neglect her gaze.

Clearing her throat, Lucy was about to make an excuse when—

“Here are the two Dreamy Parfaits you ordered!”

The cheerful voice of the staff member announced as they placed two parfaits in front of Lucy and Daniel.

“Have a delicious day!”

The staff member bowed their head slightly before returning to the counter.

As Daniel naturally picked up his spoon to taste the parfait, he suddenly paused.

Lucy was literally glaring at the parfait placed in front of her.

“…”

It made sense; it was the first time Lucy had ever seen such a dessert.

Lucy had lived a life where, until now, she had only eaten military rations and those from research facilities.

So when Daniel’s aide had first introduced her to freshly baked croissants, she had been internally marveling at the taste.

If croissants were that surprising, then these elaborate desserts were outright alien to her.

In a tall glass, the ice cream, pastries, fruits, cream, and chocolate syrup were chaotically layered, adding a touch of grandeur to the presentation.

‘…How do I eat this?’

With an expressionless face full of anxiety, Lucy was causing Daniel to stifle a laugh.

He had finally grasped the overall situation.

“Alright. Let’s give it a try.”

Pretending to mumble to himself, Daniel pressed his spoon into the ice cream in the parfait.

Carefully lifting his spoon to take a bite of ice cream along with the halved strawberries and cream, he felt the smooth, sweet, and tangy flavors burst in his mouth.

Satisfied, Daniel set down his spoon with a slight smile, only for Lucy to do the same without thinking.

Of course, she didn’t have high expectations.

Desserts from the Empire couldn’t possibly taste good.

But then came the moment Lucy placed the spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

Her eyes widened in shock.

“Gasp…!”

Lucy let out a strange sound, setting her spoon down and blinking in disbelief.

The myriad of sweet flavors mixing in her mouth felt nothing short of heavenly.

It was something that couldn’t even begin to compare with military rations.

Naturally; military food prioritized nutrition over taste.

Having only eaten those types of meals, the mere shock of indulging in a dessert devoted to “flavor” was overwhelming.

To Daniel, her reaction brought a sense of delight.

‘Yesterday, she dismissed it as junk food. Had she never even tried it before?’

Daniel chuckled softly, exuding an air of triumph.

“How is it? Does the dessert suit your taste?”

At Daniel’s words, Lucy snapped back to her senses, her eyes half-opening.

Feeling embarrassed for nearly losing control over her expression over a single dessert, she felt her cheeks burn as she mumbled.

“…It’s… edible.”

The slight tremor in her voice conveyed exactly how she felt inside.

“Glad to hear it’s edible.”

Daniel took a cookie sticking out of the parfait and popped it into his mouth.

The crisp texture was delightful.

As he savored the parfait’s taste, Daniel glanced out the window and fell into contemplation.

‘My aide is a spy, and things aren’t going according to plan lately…’

Maybe I should be grateful for the chance to serve in a peaceful rear area instead of the front lines.

Because right now, intense battles must be raging at the front.

‘There’s no way one could dream of parfaits on the battlefield.’

He hoped he could continue serving in the rear, as he certainly detested having to fight a desperate battle on the front lines.

*

Meanwhile, in the General Staff Headquarters.

In the office of the Deputy of Operations Staff.

Rustle—

Surrounded by various confidential documents, Major General Cedric Wendell calmly flipped through the newspaper.

His four-eyed gaze raced across the articles printed on the pages.

Within less than thirty seconds, Cedric had finished reading the article and set the newspaper down.

‘They managed to wipe out a mafia organization…’

The article he had just read detailed how Captain Daniel Steiner had decimated a small mafia group.

‘Why?’

Cedric was curious about the reason behind it.

Captain Daniel Steiner had already achieved several commendable feats and was on the promotion list for early advancement.

If he could manage to stay accident-free for just two more years, he would have no trouble being promoted to the rank of Major.

He likely knew that himself.

Yet, he was out hunting for more accolades, going after a mafia group on his own after working hours.

Cedric, slowly blinking, fully understood Daniel’s mindset.

‘…He can’t wait for two years.’

In this current battlefield, even one year’s worth of intelligence could quickly turn to garbage.

From Daniel’s perspective, filled with a desire to contribute to the Empire, it was only natural he felt such frustration.

No matter how much of a hero he was within the system, holding merely the rank of Captain came with limited influence in the military.

Thus, Daniel was signaling to the higher-ups that he was capable of crushing a mafia organization.

‘I get it. He doesn’t want to rot away in the General Staff Headquarters; he wants to be sent to the frontlines.’

Daniel was aiming to accumulate experience… in other words, achievements that would make his promotion to Major possible.

Once he became a senior officer, he would have far greater authority than a junior officer.

It was clear that Daniel wanted to wield that authority and make a mark for the Empire.

‘A brave young man. He shines like a bright, blazing flame.’

With the turmoil within the country due to the heir apparent issue and the allied forces’ offensives, someone like Daniel Steiner was worth his weight in gold.

‘This is fortuitous. I was just thinking of sending operational support to the northern front.’

It was only right to provide opportunities for capable young men who sought promotion, as it would ultimately benefit the Empire.

‘Good. Captain Daniel Steiner. I’ll let you have your chance…’

Let’s see how you thrive on the battlefield.