I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

There are moments in life when one unexpectedly faces an unforeseen situation.

For instance, discovering that a shop you thought was thriving had suddenly closed down, or a celebrity at the peak of their career abruptly announcing their retirement.

For Daniel, an event of comparable magnitude was "arriving at work and not seeing Lucy."

As he entered his private office at the General Staff headquarters, Daniel briefly furrowed his brows in confusion before shrugging.

"Something must have happened."

No matter how punctual someone might be, like a well-oiled machine, unforeseen incidents and accidents were bound to occur at some point.

"But still… Lucy, being late?"

Just as Daniel was thinking that this was an unusual event, he set down his briefcase and draped his coat over the chair.

Click-clack, click-clack—

Urgent footsteps echoed down the hallway.

"Someone’s running."

He was wondering who it could be when the door to his private office suddenly swung open.

Standing at the entrance, clutching the doorknob and gasping for breath, was Lucy.

In her hand, she held a thermos.

"Apologies… I had trouble sleeping last night…."

She immediately apologized, even though Daniel hadn’t asked.

It was a rare sight.

Even rarer was seeing her so out of breath that she struggled to speak properly.

Daniel considered teasing her for a moment, but he wisely decided against it—provoking her unnecessarily could backfire.

"There’s no need to apologize. You barely made it on time, so technically, you’re not late. But I must say, it’s quite surprising to hear that you had trouble sleeping. Did something happen last night?"

He subtly probed, but Lucy simply shook her head instead of answering.

Perhaps from running to avoid being late, her flushed face was tinged with a faint red hue.

Daniel, observing her closely, pointed at the thermos.

"What’s that? Did you bring tea?"

"Ah."

Lucy, having caught her breath, stepped closer and held out the thermos to him.

"I made some beet soup. It should help with your hangover."

"…You made this for me?"

"Previously, you brewed chamomile tea for me at my lodging and made chicken broth soup. Think of this as my way of returning the favor."

Even as she said this, the tips of Lucy’s ears were subtly reddening.

Daniel wondered if it was just from exertion as he accepted the thermos.

"I’ll enjoy it. But how did you know I drank last night?"

Lucy’s shoulders twitched slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, as if she had anticipated the question.