This ti, Charles kept his promise, heading to the officers' club that very night to et his "girlfriend." After all, this was part of his spy work, and constantly forgetting about it would make him seem unprofessional.
Lucia looked delighted. She handed Charles a coffee with a delicate heart shape drawn in the cream on top.
Charles noted to himself that Lucia had a true talent for espionage—her portrayal of a "girlfriend" was flawless.
"What's the occasion?" Charles asked.
"Oh, just happy," Lucia replied with a smile. "There's nothing to be disappointed about."
Charles raised his eyebrows, assuming Lucia was referring to the victory at Ypres.
After all, Lucia was Belgian, and the "Lady in White" was a Belgian intelligence agency. Ypres was a Belgian city, and their victory ant Belgium wasn't falling—sothing certainly worth celebrating.
"You share in this success," Charles said, acknowledging the work of the Lady in White. "Without your intelligence, I would never have known the Germans were planning to use gas."
As he spoke, Charles handed her a check for ten thousand francs.
Lucia's expression shifted instantly.
"Are you mocking us, Colonel?" Lucia glanced at the check without looking at the amount. "Is this supposed to be a reward?"
We don't need rewards.
You helped us—you saved Belgium and countless Belgian lives. Again.
"No," Charles replied. "This is for my 'girlfriend's' expenses. Rember?"
Lucia paused, recalling that Charles had ntioned he'd use her role as his "girlfriend" to provide funding for the Lady in White.
"You're supposed to act the part of a 'girlfriend,' Lucia," Charles reminded her.
Lucia forced a smile, accepting the check with a slightly bitter feeling. So this was the first "gift" he'd given her?
To cover her embarrassnt at receiving paynt, she stirred her coffee with a spoon and quietly asked, "So, the rumors are true? You really shot at Hali?"
"Yes," Charles replied, a bit stiffly.
News of the incident had spread across France as quickly as news of Charles's victory. People could hardly believe it:
"But that was Hali! Not only was Charles immune to her charms, but he even shot at her?"
"Maybe Charles isn't interested in won?"
"Maybe it's because he already has a girlfriend!"
…
"Was it because of ?" Lucia asked, sneaking a glance at him, a slight smile tugging at her lips.
Charles looked puzzled, not quite understanding. Then he realized that Lucia had completely misunderstood.
"No," he said, lowering his voice. "She's a spy, Lucia—a German spy."
Lucia stared at him in shock, her hand montarily freezing as she stirred her coffee. "A spy?"
Charles nodded. "I'd noticed her a few tis before, casually coaxing officers for information. She's also the mistress of the Navy Minister…"
Lucia looked doubtful. "Are you sure? That's a serious accusation."
Hali's own status was humble, but her connections were extensive. She had "relationships" with various influential people, and even when she was arrested with solid evidence, high-ranking officials, both dostic and foreign, pleaded for her.
"I'm sure," Charles confird, nodding. "I deliberately leaked information to the Navy Minister, and without fail, the Germans received it."
Lucia imdiately understood—Charles had been using Hali to feed false intelligence to the Germans.
She looked at him with a newfound respect.
Maybe Charles was the one truly suited for espionage. To so thoroughly manipulate a spy like Hali, feeding her false information without exposing himself, all while keeping her under his control—how did he manage it?
What she didn't realize was that Charles had told her all this for a reason.
Eventually, Hali's identity as a spy would be uncovered, and at that point, military intelligence would likely co knocking, asking, "How did you know Hali was a spy, and why did you feed her false information?"
Charles wouldn't have a simple explanation.
But if the Lady in White was also aware, he could easily say, "I have my own sources—they told ."
It was a perfect cover.
As to whether Charles had discovered Hali's identity first, or the Lady in White had, ti would blur those details.
Charles even mused that, in the future, he could attribute any "suspicious knowledge" he had to the Lady in White.
Would the intelligence bureau investigate the Lady in White?
Not likely. Any official probe into this secret intelligence network would effectively expose them to the world.
anwhile, Lucia was thinking of none of this. She gave Charles an indifferent glance, thinking to herself that she'd misread the situation. Of course, he'd shot Hali because she was a spy, not because of her.
…
Charles had not returned ho since the regint's arrival, despite the fact that Dawaz was only a short distance from Paris. The soldiers, and even the French public, could understand, but Charles still chose not to.
French Military Discipline clearly stated that soldiers must obey orders and not act independently or defy commands. Charles believed he should lead by example, ensuring he upheld the sa standards he expected of his n.
Still, he did call ho to reassure them of his safety, but even this alard Camille.
"Are you hurt? Is it because of the gas?"
"Why aren't you coming ho?"
"You never used to act like this!"
…
"I'm fine, Mother," Charles assured her. "Truly. The army hasn't given any leave, and my unit is beginning a new training regin, so I need to stay with them."
This was true.
Under the threat of German gas attacks, demand for gas masks was surging at an explosive rate. The army, civilians—everyone needed them urgently.
Currently, only the military was being supplied, with frontline units taking priority, followed by dical teams and support units heading to the front.
The 105th Infantry Regint, having firsthand experience with the masks, was assigned to the police training base to train other units in using them. They also provided guidance on essential precautions for using them in combat.
Camille found Charles's explanation reasonable and relaxed a bit.
Charles ended the call with, "Steed will send over a few sets of gas masks for you."
It wasn't strictly necessary, as German gas attacks were unlikely to reach Paris, but it was always good to be prepared.
Perhaps it was this ntality that made Charles's gas masks a best-seller. Even at fifty francs per unit, they couldn't et the demand!
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