Bang, bang, bang!
The sound of the gavel echoed crisply through the room.
Natasha loved this noise. It would not be an exaggeration to say she almost loved it.
“Considering Count Velocita’s negligence towards his family, the excessive burden the Countess had to bear alone, and the ridiculously low maintenance funds allocated to the Countess, it is determined that the cause of this family’s breakdown lies with Count Velocita.”
The judge recited the verdict in a steady voice.
She could see the lawyer representing Count Velocita on the other side stiffen visibly.
Natasha smiled leisurely.
“The court orders Count Velocita to pay 200,000 gold as alimony.”
As soon as those words were spoken, Count Velocita jumped to his feet.
“That’s too much, Your Honor!”
He shouted boldly without fear.
“How could you say I neglected my family! Such an unfair statement…!”
“How many times in the past month have you had dinner with your wife?”
“Th-that’s… I just couldn’t have meals together, that’s all…”
“Answer the question.”
“…About three times.”
The judge shook his head as if there was nothing more to hear.
Seeing that the judge was unwavering in his decision, Count Velocita changed his target this time.
“Maria! Are you really going to end it like this?”
Desperation crept onto his face. Natasha turned away, fearing that Maria might be swayed by the whisper of someone she once loved.
But the woman’s face remained cold and unyielding.
“I admit I wasn’t the best at expressing myself. But I still love you…”
“Philip.”
Maria’s voice was chillingly cold.
“Do you think I don’t know you?”
A sharp glint flashed unavoidably.
“You’re just upset about losing the 200,000 gold, aren’t you?”
A scoff escaped her lips, and his face flushed red with anger.
Then, he turned his fury toward her.
“How could you say such a thing…!”
“The trial seems to be over. May I leave now?”
Natasha responded on her behalf.
“The divorce will be finalized af”er a one-month deliberation period.”
“I wish time would fly.”
Maria stood up, still without a smile.
Natasha smiled as if she had painted it on and greeted the judge, while Count Velocita tried to follow Maria, only to be stopped by his lawyer.
“You must hold back!”
“How can you just let it go when that woman insulted me!”
“If you don’t hold back now…!”
The lawyer swallowed his words with difficulty.
‘That wicked woman will find a way to ruin the Count!’
Defamation, property damage, insults, threats—she would throw all these charges at him one by one.
If that happened, the Velocita family would face another crisis, and the legal team would be overworked.
“You’re dealing with Natasha!”
Finally, the lawyer uttered that name.
Natasha.
The Empire’s top divorce attorney.
‘Once they brought her in, the outcome was already decided…!’
The lawyer suppressed the urge to demand additional fees and tightly held onto the enraged Count Velocita’s waist.
***
Maria looked visibly relieved as soon as the trial ended.
This long and grueling mudslinging battle was finally over!
“Thank you, Natasha.”
“It’s my job.”
Natasha exaggeratedly bowed.
“If you want to push for a bit more on the property division, feel free to contact me anytime. It’s not official yet, but Count Velocita’s territory is one of the candidates for harbor development. Land prices will skyrocket in the coming months.”
Natasha added, “So, you can get more money during the property division.”
Maria burst into laughter at Natasha’s playful wink.
“This is more than enough.”
200,000 gold was an unimaginable amount for commoners.
“I was unsure at first, but I’m glad I came to you, Natasha.”
“I hear that a lot.”
Natasha accepted the compliment without hesitation.
There wasn’t even a trace of modesty—because it was all true!
“In fact, when I first went to my family’s lawyer, they suggested a settlement. They said there’s no need to make the divorce noisy…”
“People without confidence in their skills say such things.”
“…Besides, there was a prenuptial agreement, so I thought I’d be kicked out with nothing.”
Some families still considered divorce a disgrace and ostracized those who went through it.
Unfortunately, Maria’s family had a similar attitude, which is why she endured for so long.
“200,000 gold is just the right amount to start a new life.”
Natasha winked with her other eye this time.
“I thought I was helpless because of the notarized contract…”
“If you go for a consensual divorce, that’s one thing. But if it turns into a court battle, the prior agreement becomes null and void. This is basic knowledge for lawyers.”
Furthermore, the right to divide property arises ‘after’ the divorce, so pre-divorce agreements often aren’t recognized.
Of course, ordinary people wouldn’t know this.
‘That’s why people like me are needed.’
Natasha smiled contentedly.
***
As the sun streamed through the window, Ivan’s deep red hair shone with its true color. His delicate eyelashes fluttered over his gray eyes as he brewed tea.
Natasha smiled brightly at him, and Ivan asked reluctantly.
“Why do you seem so happy?”
“I just finished a trial today.”
“I know, but that’s not why you’re happy.”
Ivan squinted at her. He knew Natasha well—winning a single trial wouldn’t get her this excited.
“Why? Are you curious~? Are you dying to know?”
“Ah, stop it!”
As Natasha grinned, Ivan recoiled in horror.
“No~. It seemed like Ivan was curious about me~.”
“If you don’t want to say, then don’t. Just drink your tea.”
A cup of strong black tea was placed in front of Natasha. She instinctively grimaced.
“Your threats are getting better.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll tell you.”
Natasha then recounted what had happened in court that day.
It was a fantastic story of how she screwed over yet another noble. In the process, she even saved a lost soul.
For now, let’s put aside the fact that Maria was also a noble. She was far from the typical noble image that Natasha despised.
“That’s no different from usual.”
“No. Here’s the important part.”
Natasha added with a subtle smile.
“Count Velocita was also on that list.”
“…….”
Ivan’s expression hardened instantly.
“In other words, we got our revenge. Well, it’s a bit petty, but still.”
Natasha felt even better as she recalled Count Velocita’s desperate face.
So much so that she accidentally took a sip of the tea in front of her.
“Ugh…”
The aroma lingered in her nose, and the bitter taste slid down her throat. She drank it gracefully, but the taste was dreadful.
“How is it?”
Ivan asked, smiling.
“I feel like throwing up.”
“Oh dear.”
“Your tea-making skills haven’t improved at all.”
Even so, Natasha took another sip of the tea. Ivan’s tea brewing skills were astonishing.
Or was the bitterness so overwhelming that it made her mouth hang open? Natasha pondered briefly and then shook her head.
That wasn’t the important thing.
“In fact, I thought about having someone tail him, but Maria didn’t like the idea.”
“She probably didn’t want to see his mistress, even if it was for evidence.”
“If we had found out about that, the alimony would’ve been much higher.”
Natasha clicked her tongue.
“Anyway, check this out first.”
Ivan handed Natasha a leaflet he was holding.
“Why? Is there something special in the news?”
“This damn weekly magazine is slandering you again today.”
Ivan’s eyes gleamed sharply.
Natasha took the newspaper titled *Romanov News* and read through it.
“Let’s see. ‘Recently, the divorce rate in the Illihad Empire has risen by more than 30% compared to five years ago, largely due to a certain divorce lawyer. As a result, the sacred vow before God to live together forever has lost its meaning, reaching the peak of frivolity…’ Same old story.”
“It’s annoying because it’s the same old story.”
Ivan responded with a bite in his tone.
“Why is the rising divorce rate your fault? It’s because too many noble lords are unfaithful to their spouses.”
“Oh my, so our Ivan is worried about his sister already~. How sweet!”
“Who’s my sister!”
Ivan shouted, but when Natasha reached out, he hesitated before bringing his head closer.
“There you go, good boy.”
“Ugh…”
Even though he bit his lip in frustration, he didn’t pull his head away.
“Well, you’re right.”
Even today’s case, which Natasha handled, was similar.
The husband was always out and neglected his family, and since he had signed a prenuptial agreement stating that he would leave with nothing if they divorced, the wife couldn’t even think of getting a divorce.
‘Such a shallow move.’
Legally speaking, the agreement was invalid, but daughters from weaker families, who couldn’t afford proper legal advice, often fell for such tricks.
Even families with lawyers sometimes forced consensual divorces, feeling ashamed to drag the matter to court.
During the consultation, Maria had half her face hidden behind a fan, but her trembling fingers betrayed her fear.
“In any case, this job is not easy.”
Natasha expertly pulled out a pipe and lit it.
Smoke filled the room.
“I told you to quit!”
Ivan frowned as he threw open the window.
“Oh my, Ivan has grown up so much that he’s now worrying his sister…”
“Stop teasing me!”
“And it’s not tobacco leaves, it’s herbs, so it’s fine.”
“Even herbs can be poisonous if overdosed.”
Natasha ignored the comment and took another puff from her pipe.
As she skimmed through other articles, she found the state of the world to be a spectacle.
“Let’s see. Hmm, the price of tobacco leaves has gone up again.”
“Is that really a surprise?”
“Madam Yelena is leading the trend again by showcasing a new dress.”
Ivan cleared away the tea that Natasha had barely touched after taking just two sips.
Before discarding it, he decided to taste it out of curiosity, but the bitterness was so intense it gave him chills.
“The rest isn’t worth mentioning. Stop reading and start preparing for the trial. You have another one this afternoon.”
“Don’t worry. Everything is ready.”
Natasha was an experienced divorce lawyer.
For some reason, this empire was filled with couples looking to divorce for various reasons.
For example, husbands who suddenly became obsessive or wives who abruptly decided they wanted a divorce and were willing to step back.
Thanks to this, Natasha was making a tidy profit by helping them.
Especially when she charged a fee as a percentage of alimony or divided assets, she was practically sitting on a gold mine.
‘What lawyer would refuse that?’
Natasha hummed to herself.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
