I'm just carrying out my assigned duties.
As Daniel watched tensely, Lucy let out a low sigh, calming her anger.
It was true she had given Prien permission to order, and it was also true that she hadn't mentioned wanting anything specific.
'But…'
From Lucy's perspective, who had wanted to try the éclair Daniel raved about, it was indeed a bitter pill to swallow.
So she gazed down at the mint chip ice cream, her eyes half-lidded.
The ice cream, flaunting its bright turquoise color, gave no hint of its flavor.
If the mint chip ice cream turned out to be bad, it would be like ruining her long-awaited break.
Lucy, disliking that thought, scrutinized the mint chip ice cream intently, causing Prien to narrow her eyes to slits.
'Hmm. Her expression isn't good…'
What could be the reason? She didn't have to think hard to know.
'She must dislike having her date interrupted.'
It was clear she was annoyed that someone else had intruded on her quiet time alone with Daniel.
In reality, it was because of the 'mint chip ice cream' Prien had arbitrarily ordered, but Prien was completely oblivious to this fact.
Because, of course, mint chip ice cream was delicious.
In Prien's opinion, mint chip ice cream was a perfect dessert, universally loved.
Of course, there were occasionally those who detested mint, but they were a tiny minority, so there was no need to worry about them.
'Anyway…'
Prien disliked the sight of Lucy, who was acting foxy, clinging to Major Daniel, a saint-like figure who was progressing towards the annihilation of the Allied forces.
While she personally respected Lucy's work efficiency, this was a separate issue.
Prien knew. Historically, countless great figures had suffered greatly because of women.
Love often blinded and clouded judgment.
Therefore, Prien could not stand by and watch Lucy flirt with Daniel.
'If it were a normal romance, she wouldn't necessarily interfere, but…'
Lucy was hiding something.
Others might not know, but Prien could tell that the darkness Lucy was hiding was incredibly deep.
She was wary because she didn't know what negative impact that darkness might have on Daniel.
If she was seducing Daniel for some ulterior motive, she could never forgive her.
'I wanted to try the éclair…'
Meanwhile, Lucy had simply wanted to eat the éclair.
Hesitating, Lucy almost asked Daniel to cut off a bite-sized piece for her, but then shook her head.
She couldn't possibly make such an impolite request to her superior.
Finally, Lucy, deciding she would have to be content with the mint chip ice cream, picked up her spoon.
Lucy took a spoonful of ice cream and, without realizing it, her eyes widened.
The sweet yet refreshing taste spread throughout her mouth, opening up a new horizon of flavor.
Lucy removed the spoon from her mouth and quietly murmured.
"It's delicious…"
Hearing those words, Prien looked slightly surprised, then soon broke into a genuine smile.
"Lieutenant Lucy! You like mint?"
"Yes. I think I do."
"If that's the case, you should have said something earlier! I know a few places in the capital; would you like to go together?"
Lucy blinked a few times with a troubled expression, then looked back at Daniel.
It was as if she were asking if it was alright, so Daniel picked up his coffee cup and said.
"Do as you please. Once we return to the capital, headquarters will acknowledge our contributions and give us ample time off."
Lucy gave a small nod, indicating she understood.
Daniel, seeing this, took a sip of coffee and smiled subtly.
'She seems to be completely hooked on desserts.'
He felt a little sorry for the Allied Nations.
Because the Lucy who disparaged desserts as junk food was now gone.
He had 'stolen' the palate of their capable intelligence agent; he wondered how they felt about that now.
'Her ideology might be impure, but her tongue is honest.'
Daniel, about to eat his éclair with satisfaction, paused as he felt Lucy's gaze.
It was because he saw Lucy glancing at the éclair.
Indeed, it was only natural for her to be curious about the taste, given how much he had raved about éclairs in the office.
Daniel, fully understanding Lucy's feelings, picked up a knife, cut the éclair in half, placed it on a small plate, and handed it to her.
Lucy, with a slightly surprised look, stared at Daniel.
"Major. This isn't for me."
"From now on, it is. I'm quite full, you see."
"…Thank you."
Lucy politely took the plate, speared the éclair with her fork, and took a bite.
"...!"
Simultaneously, Lucy's pupils dilated.
She was even more surprised than when she had eaten the mint chip ice cream.
Lucy flinched, quickly regained her composure, but couldn't help the flush on her face.
Daniel, who had been watching from right in front of her, let out a chuckle.
'I've felt it from the start, but she's not honest with her emotional expressions…'
If Lucy had a tail, it would probably be wagging furiously from side to side right now.
Daniel, entertaining such thoughts, cut his éclair into a bite-sized piece and put it in his mouth.
'Oh.'
Indeed. The éclair was delicious enough to make Lucy's reaction understandable.
*
After finishing their desserts, Lucy exited the shop and sent Daniel and Prien ahead.
The reason was that she had something else to do.
Daniel and Prien, though puzzled, nodded, and after confirming the two had walked far off, Lucy approached a man leaning against a pillar outside the shop.
The man, wearing a black beanie, turned to look at Lucy.
"...What is it?"
"If you tail someone so obviously, you're bound to be caught. You were circling five days ago, and you've appeared again today."
At Lucy's words, the man frowned.
"What? What nonsense are you…"
"An eagle flying high in the sky never knows the situation on the ground below."
The man's hand twitched.
That was a type of code used within the Allied Forces Intelligence Department.
The man, realizing Lucy was an intelligence agent, swallowed dryly.
Lucy, who had been staring intently at the man, quietly conveyed her message.
"Follow me naturally."
Lucy turned and began walking somewhere.
The man wasn't sure what was going on, but it seemed he had no choice but to follow, so he trailed behind Lucy at a distance.
Lucy continued walking as if she had a specific destination, and with each step, the presence of people grew sparser.
'Where is she taking me?'
The man, growing anxious, unnecessarily bit his lower lip.
The man, continuing to scan his surroundings as he walked, eventually arrived at an empty construction site.
The workers had all gone home, and no civilians lived nearby, making it a completely deserted area.
The man, wondering why she had led him to such a place, spoke first in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"Wow! I never expected to meet a comrade in a place like this! And disguised as his subordinate, no less. This works out perfectly. I'm planning to assassinate Daniel Steiner; could you help me?"
Lucy let out a low sigh.
"That is not an order from the Allied Nations."
The man fell silent. Because it wasn't a lie.
"My investigation into you is complete. You have a history of acting unilaterally."
"…So? Have my unilateral actions ever harmed the Allied Nations? Besides, Daniel Steiner is someone who could inflict immense damage on the Allied Nations in the future. It's right to eliminate him."
"I will say it again. That is not an order from the Allied Nations."
The man gritted his teeth. He thought she was a woman who was impossible to reason with.
"Then what do you want me to do? Just stand by and watch? Or are you going to offer some other help?"
"You are mistaken. I came here to eliminate you."
"…Eliminate?"
Kill a teammate? Just as he wondered what nonsense this was, Lucy turned her body.
Standing backlit by the full moon, Lucy's figure exuded an inexplicable sense of intimidation.
"I cannot disclose the details, but the Allied Nations desire the Kingdom's defeat. If you assassinate Daniel Steiner, it would be considered an act against the will of the Allied Nations."
"Wait a minute…"
"Furthermore, my assigned mission is to 'eliminate agents who have betrayed or disobeyed orders.' Your actions fall under both categories."
From her words, it didn't seem like she was lying.
The man let out a hollow laugh, then suddenly pulled a pistol from his pocket.
Before Lucy could even utter a word, the man pulled the trigger repeatedly.
With gunshots, flashes erupted, and bullets flew.
However, the bullets did not pierce Lucy's body.
Vwoom—
This was because the bullets were embedded in a blue barrier Lucy had formed, unmoving.
'She blocked it? In that split second?'
While the man was dumbfounded, Lucy dissolved the barrier.
As the barrier vanished, the bullets, which had been suspended in mid-air, fell to the ground and rolled weakly.
"I apologize. There is no ill intent."
Lucy pulled a revolver from her pocket.
Seeing this, the man screamed amidst the surging fear.
"You crazy bitch! No matter how high the command, you're going to murder a fellow agent right now...!"
Unfortunately, the man's words did not continue.
Bang!
This was because the flying bullet had pierced the man's head.
The man staggered for a moment before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
…
Confirming the man's death, Lucy lowered her revolver.
Then, the moonlight reflecting off something bothered her eyes, so she turned her head.
There, a cracked full-length mirror lay discarded.
Lucy looked into the mirror.
Silver hair shimmering with moonlight, and crimson eyes.
Lucy, quietly gazing at her own reflection, unconsciously recalled what Daniel had said earlier today.
—Just. Your beauty seems particularly striking today, so I was looking.
…What exactly did that mean?
For Lucy, who had never once thought of herself as beautiful, it was quite an abstruse compliment.
From the start, the only words Lucy ever heard from men were screams or curses.
Because Lucy's mission from the Allied Nations was to execute traitors.
Lucy, pondering Daniel's words, suddenly looked up at the sky.
'The Milky Way…'
Seeing the abundant stars, it seemed night had already deepened.
She should start heading back soon, even just to prepare for work tomorrow.
Lucy cleared her mind of her thoughts and slowly began to walk.
As she did, she unconsciously sighed.
Lucy had, until now, experienced countless incidents and killed all sorts of people.
To traitors, Lucy was an object of terror, to the extent that she earned the moniker 'Red-Eyed Reaper.'
But even Lucy, like that, had one fear.
'I don't want to go to work…'
Regrettably, that was going to work.