Chapitre 30: Chapter 30
Hearing the dreadful news that he had drawn the higher-ups' attention, Daniel resolved that this time he absolutely needed to go to a dessert shop to heal himself.
"Taking care of your mental health in a busy and exhausting work environment is a commendable thing."
With that thought, Daniel headed straight to a newly opened shop, the Golden Rose Patisserie, located on the outskirts of the capital using a shortcut as soon as he finished work.
The fact that the scent of cookies and bread was already wafting through the air made it highly likely that this was a proper dessert shop.
Thanks to that, Daniel was quite satisfied.
If not for the strange woman beside him, he might have even hummed a tune.
"This is the place, isn't it? The one you suggested we visit, Captain."
When Lucy spoke while looking up at the patisserie's sign, Daniel inwardly sighed.
'…Why did she tag along?'
Looking back, on his way out of the staff headquarters after work, Lucy had approached him and started a conversation.
Daniel had answered her perfunctorily, and during that exchange, the topic of the dessert shop had come up. Out of mere courtesy, he had offhandedly mentioned that she could join him if she wanted.
He had fully expected her to decline, but Lucy, unwilling to refuse an offer from her superior, had readily accepted.
From Daniel's perspective, this was highly inconvenient.
'Is she here to keep an eye on me?'
Although Lucy's intentions were all too obvious, Daniel nodded without letting his discomfort show.
"Let's go."
When Daniel opened the patisserie door and stepped inside, Lucy followed suit.
As the two entered, the staff member at the counter stood up with a bright smile.
"Welcome! This is the Golden Rose Patisserie, here to bring you happiness! How many of you will be dining today…?"
The staff member trailed off mid-sentence.
Seeing not one but two military officers in uniform step in, their stoic gazes directed at her, the sheer intensity was overwhelming.
Though both were simply expressionless, the staff had no way of knowing that.
'Scary…!'
Internally on the verge of tears, the staff member forced herself to regain composure and plastered on an awkward smile.
"Two of you, then. Do you already know what you'd like to order?"
"Yes, I do."
Daniel, removing his cap and tucking it under his arm, replied with a faint smile.
"I heard that the Dream Parfait here is quite famous. Even though this shop is new, so many people have been coming just for it. It must be delicious. Two, please."
"Oh…."
The staff, who had found him intimidating when expressionless, now found herself unexpectedly charmed by his polite demeanor and gentle smile.
Was this an unexpected side of him? The staff was briefly dazed before hurriedly nodding.
"I-I'll have them ready right away! Please feel free to sit by the window!"
Daniel responded with a slight nod before heading to an empty window seat.
Lucy also sat across from him, placing her briefcase on the adjacent empty chair.
She then began observing Daniel closely.
Judging by the relaxed way he surveyed the surroundings, it seemed he was quite familiar with dessert shops.
'…So, he wasn't lying yesterday when he said he was heading to a dessert shop?'
If that had been a lie, it would mean Daniel already knew who she was and was tailing her.
He would have crafted the "dessert shop" cover story as a false hobby to throw her off.
But it all seemed too natural. He acted as if he had visited similar shops countless times.
'Was it really just a coincidence that we ran into each other?'
As Lucy turned over various scenarios in her head, her gaze accidentally met Daniel's.
"…Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Oops. Distracted by her thoughts, she had failed to manage her gaze properly.
As Lucy cleared her throat and tried to come up with an excuse, the staff's cheerful voice broke in.
"Here are your two Dream Parfaits!"
The staff carried over two parfaits, placing one each in front of Lucy and Daniel.
"Enjoy your meal and have a sweet day!"
With that, the staff bowed and returned to the counter.
As Daniel naturally reached for his spoon to dig into his parfait, he hesitated.
Lucy was glaring at the parfait in front of her, almost as if she was trying to bore a hole through it.
"…"
The reason was simple: Lucy had never seen anything like this before.
Having grown up eating nothing but military and research rations, Lucy was new to most civilian foods.
This was the same person who, upon becoming Daniel's adjutant, had been awestruck by her first taste of freshly baked croissants.
If a croissant had evoked such a reaction, it was no wonder that this elaborate dessert baffled her.
A tall glass was layered with ice cream, cookies, fruits, cream, and chocolate syrup in what seemed an almost intimidatingly intricate combination.
'…How do you even eat this?'
While Lucy fretted internally, her expressionless face failing to hide her anxiety, Daniel stifled a chuckle.
He had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
"All right. Let's give this a try."
Feigning a casual tone, Daniel took a spoonful of ice cream, ensuring some sliced strawberries and cream came up with it.
He slowly lifted the spoon and took a bite.
The creamy sweetness, the fruity tang, and the soft textures melded into a symphony of flavors that spread across his palate.
Pleased, Daniel smiled faintly and set his spoon down. Lucy followed his actions, albeit with little expectation.
After all, how good could an imperial dessert really be?
However, the moment she took her first spoonful of ice cream, her eyes widened.
"Gasp…!"
Lucy even let out a small gasp, setting the spoon down as she blinked in surprise.
The rich sweetness flooding her mouth was nothing short of heavenly.
It was incomparable to the military rations she had known all her life.
Of course, it made sense. Military meals prioritized nutrition over flavor.
Having grown up on such fare, the flavor-packed dessert was a revelation.
For Daniel, this reaction was deeply satisfying.
'She mocked it as junk food yesterday. Had she never tried anything like this?'
Suppressing a low laugh, Daniel spoke smugly.
"So, how is it? Does the dessert suit your taste?"
Lucy, snapping back to reality, half-closed her eyes.
Failing to maintain her stoic composure over a mere dessert made embarrassment bubble up within her.
To make matters worse, it was an imperial dessert that had defeated her, adding a sting of humiliation.
Feeling a twinge of shame, Lucy's face flushed faintly as she muttered.
"…It's passable."
The slight tremble in her voice betrayed her true feelings.
"I'm glad to hear that."
Smiling, Daniel picked up a cookie embedded in his parfait and bit into it.
Its crisp texture was delightful.
While savoring his parfait, Daniel gazed out the window, lost in thought.
'My adjutant is a spy, and things haven't been going smoothly lately…'
But perhaps he should be thankful for having the chance to work in the peaceful rear lines rather than the brutal front lines.
After all, the front was currently embroiled in fierce battles.
'You wouldn't even dream of parfaits on the battlefield.'
With that thought, Daniel silently wished to continue working in the rear.
Anything was better than risking his life on the front lines.
Meanwhile, at Staff Headquarters.
In the operations deputy commander's office.
Rustle—
Surrounded by classified documents, Brigadier General Cedric Bendel calmly flipped through a newspaper.
His pale eyes scanned the articles with lightning speed.
Less than thirty seconds later, having read the article in its entirety, Cedric set the newspaper down.
'Single-handedly dismantled a mafia organization…?'
The article detailed how Captain Daniel Steiner had obliterated an entire mafia ring.
'Why?'
Cedric was curious about the reason.
Captain Daniel Steiner was already on the list of candidates for early promotion, thanks to his numerous achievements.
If he spent the next two years without any major incidents, he would be smoothly promoted to major.
Surely Daniel was aware of this.
Yet he had gone out of his way to dismantle a mafia organization after hours and on his own time.
Cedric, blinking slowly, could fully understand Daniel's mindset.
'…He can't afford to wait two years.'
In the current volatile battlefield, information older than a year was practically obsolete.
For someone like Daniel, who was eager to contribute to the empire, the wait would feel unbearable.
No matter how celebrated he was in the capital, as a captain, his influence within the military was limited.
So, Daniel was using the mafia incident to make a statement to the higher-ups.
Cedric nodded to himself, his understanding deepening.
'I see. He's signaling that he doesn't want to rot away here and is ready to be deployed to the front.'
Daniel sought battlefield experience—achievements that would fast-track his promotion to major.
The rank of a field officer came with far more authority than a junior officer's.
It was clear that Daniel intended to wield that authority in service of the empire on the front lines.
'A brave young man. He burns as brightly as a flame.'
At a time when the empire was plagued by the royal succession crisis and an allied offensive, a talent like Daniel Steiner was invaluable.
'Excellent timing. I was just considering dispatching reinforcements to the Northern Front.'
If a talented young officer desired a special promotion, it was only right to grant him the opportunity.
It would ultimately benefit the empire.
'Very well, Captain Daniel Steiner. I'll place my trust in your potential.'
With that thought, Cedric rose from his seat.
The next day.
Having just been reassigned, Daniel let out a sigh after reading his orders.
'…The front lines?'
The battlefield he had so desperately hoped to avoid had become his new destination.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
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