Leave the Divorce to a Professional Lawyer

“First of all, I am a ‘real’ lawyer.”

Natasha pulled out her lawyer’s license and flaunted it.

“Secondly, you may not know this, but the head of Monchamps is no longer in charge.”

“What are you talking about…!”

“The restriction on participating in the meeting applies to the head of the organization and those with equivalent authority…”

Natasha gave a triumphant smile.

Bang.

What Natasha placed on the table was a declaration with Montchamps’ emblem stamped boldly on it.

Célian sensed that something was going seriously wrong.

“It states that the Elder Council of Monchamps has stripped Célian Monchamps of her authority as head. You’re welcome to contact the organization right now to confirm the truth if you want, though it won’t change anything.”

“The Elder Council? How could they hold an Elder Council meeting without me…!”

“According to Monchamps’ internal regulations, ‘Even without the permission of the head, an Elder Council meeting can be convened if more than half of the elders agree.'”

With a conglomerate as large as Monchamps, no single person could own everything. Those who shared various powers were called ‘elders,’ and the head was merely an appointed position entrusted by these elders.

Of course, because Monchamps was founded by their ancestors, it was customary for the head position to be passed down to descendants.

“The meeting ended exactly 31 minutes ago. The vote was 64% in favor, 32% against, and 4% abstained or were invalid, meaning Célian Monchamps is no longer the head of Montchamps.”

“This is ridiculous! How could this happen while I was away…!”

While Célian frantically read the documents Natasha handed over, she briefly turned to look at Noel and Mikhail.

“Sorry I’m a bit late. The Elder Council meeting took longer than expected.”

“…So that’s why you said you’d be late.”

Mikhail looked bewildered, while Noel smiled slightly, lips tight.

Natasha smiled back at Noel.

“Looks like I won again this time?”

“…”

Noel ground his teeth instead of answering.

“Lucie Monchamps as the next head…? This is outrageous! It’s absurd! I’ve dedicated myself to building Monchamps!”

Célian screamed.

He couldn’t believe it as he yelled upon hearing that his cousin Lucie Monchamps had been appointed the next head.

“What kind of trickery is this? Why did the elders suddenly betray me…!”

“Betrayal?”

Natasha corrected his misunderstanding.

“Did you forget? In the end, Monchamps is a group that seeks profit. You surely know that anything unprofitable is discarded here in the West.”

“What? But just earlier, you said that money isn’t everything…”

“Huh? Who said that?”

“Lord Marquis did! He said, ‘Even though the West is a city of merchants, that doesn’t mean money rules everything!'”

When Natasha glanced at him, Mikhail gave a small nod.

It was a remark he had made to check Monchamps’ constant desire for small and medium-sized enterprises.

“My goodness. That’s just the perspective of noble lords. For those working on the ground, it’s only natural to be driven by money.”

As someone coordinating multiple enterprises, Petrov could afford to make such statements.

But for the merchants struggling to survive, their reality was that they lived and died by money.

“Monchamps no longer needs your methods. That crude approach of mergers and acquisitions—does Monchamps not have any business consultants?”

“Mergers and acquisitions are the fastest way to expand the organization’s scale! Plus, if we absorb the Volodja firm, we can establish a new trade route with the Eastern Continent…”

“There are many advantages, but fundamentally, mergers and acquisitions are a very risky strategy.”

Natasha looked at him as if he were somewhat pitiful.

“Mergers and acquisitions are like double-edged swords and can become poisoned chalices. That’s because the ‘winner’s curse’ lurks within.”

“The winner’s curse?”

“In simple terms, even if you succeed in a merger or acquisition, there are times when it ends up being worse than if you hadn’t done it at all. It’s like getting a stomachache from eating too much at once.”

“But the benefits of acquiring Volodja would surely outweigh the losses.”

Célian wasn’t foolish either. He had thoroughly weighed the losses and gains from acquiring Volodja before reaching this conclusion.

“The most basic rule for avoiding the ‘winner’s curse’! It’s to acquire a solid company at a low price.”

At those words, the head of the Volodja firm flinched.

“Wow, that was a flawless setup. Anyone would have thought Volodja really succeeded in establishing trade with the Eastern Continent.”

“…What?”

Célian looked at the head of the Volodja firm. What on earth was this supposed to mean?

“Don’t you get it? You were completely fooled. It was a trap set up to sell off a debt-ridden firm at a high price.”

The head of the Volodja firm coughed awkwardly and avoided Célian’s gaze, having once pleaded to delay repayment. That attitude was nowhere to be found now.

“The newly discovered sea route Volodja was boasting about? It’s a complete failure. That’s because it’s where sea monsters in the vicinity lay their eggs during the spawning season. While it’s fine now because it’s just before they lay their eggs, for most of the year… that route will only be usable for about two months, or at most three.”

“That… that can’t be…!”

“And if Monchamps were to acquire such a sinking company, even Monchamps’ stability would be shaken. The elders decided to oust the head who almost brought down the organization and appoint someone new. Whoa~. Explanation over.”

She added a deadpan “whoa,” her tone tinged with some mockery toward Célian.

“It seems like the one who should be leaving isn’t me, but you.”

Natasha delivered the final blow.

Célian collapsed into his seat with a hopeless expression, and shortly after, he was dragged out by the guards.

Even as he was being removed, he kept muttering, “This can’t be, it’s impossible…”

After he left, Natasha confidently stood behind Mikhail.

“Well, it looks like this issue has been dealt with, so… let’s move on to the next item. Incidentally, I’ve just learned something new.”

Mikhail’s cold gaze turned to the head of the Volodja firm.

“Is everything Natasha said true? That the new sea route to the Eastern Continent… can only be used for three months out of the year?”

The head of the firm started sweating profusely and stammered out a lengthy excuse.

“Uh, well, that part hasn’t been fully confirmed yet, so we were still reviewing it internally…! We had no intention of deceiving you, my lord! Monchamps was just so forceful in trying to acquire us that we just wanted to delay things…”

“Have you been in business for just a day or two? You were just trying to jack up the price before selling, weren’t you? Your excuse is rather unconvincing.”

Natasha’s words from behind Mikhail made his expression grow even colder.

“That’s not it… I sincerely apologize, my lord!”

“Hoo…”

Mikhail ran his hand through his hair as if dealing with a headache.

“The new head of Monchamps will probably attend the next meeting, so we’ll have to confirm their exact intentions then, but it seems no one is going to want to acquire Volodja now.”

The head of the Volodja firm’s face darkened rapidly, but he made no further complaints.

As other matters continued to be addressed, Natasha subtly signaled to Noel standing beside her.

‘Did you see that? You saw it, right?’

Noel stubbornly kept his gaze straight ahead, pretending to ignore her.

But Natasha, never one to miss a chance to tease him, leaned in to whisper.

“So, after this meeting, you’ll be my servant for a week, right?”

“……”

There was no response, but Natasha continued on, undeterred.

“Oh, I’m just so torn. Noel, how should I use you so that everyone says I’ve made the best use of my dear lawyer? Hmm? I can’t quite figure it out. I wonder if our Noel, with such predictable thoughts, is even useful anywhere~.”

The sound of teeth grinding was not her imagination.

Natasha thoroughly enjoyed watching this normally composed man lose his cool because of her.

“Oh, I can’t wait for this next week to start.”

But Natasha’s mood was quickly dampened not long after.

Mikhail’s aide quietly entered the room and whispered something to him. Since Natasha was standing just behind him, she overheard bits and pieces.

“……has arrived…….……waiting in the living room…….”

It was her.

Mikhail’s secret lover had survived the carriage accident and finally arrived at the estate.

A faint gleam of joy appeared on Mikhail’s face, so subtle that only those very close to him would notice.

“Hmm. I have other engagements after this, so I’ll need to take my leave. Natasha, Noel, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Yes, leave it to us, my lord,” Noel replied politely, bowing as Mikhail exited.

Natasha glanced at the clock.

“Exactly one hour from now.”

In one hour, she needed to somehow enter Mikhail’s living room and retrieve the tiny recording device.

Mikhail stepped out of the meeting room and adjusted his clothes lightly. He could barely keep himself from smiling as he was informed that Yelena had already arrived and was waiting for him in the drawing room.

‘Yelena.’

He whispered his beloved’s name in his heart as he walked.

At first, his steps were relaxed and unhurried, but they soon quickened. The path to the living room felt far too long.

His love for her was deepened by the fact that he couldn’t see her often.

Step by step, he practically ran to the living room.

Finally, when he opened the door and entered.

A head of fine, dark brown hair cascaded down to her waist in gentle waves. It wasn’t flashy, but its color was neat and pure, like a tree soaked in rain.

In a place where colors were generally pale, it was a rare kind of beauty.

She was gazing out the window, but turned her head when she heard the door open.

Her bright green eyes met his, and she smiled warmly.

“Mishka!”

Yelena called him by his pet name.

It was a sweet sound.

He rushed over and pulled her into his arms.

“Lenushka. My Lena…!”

When he heard about the overturned carriage, his heart had burned with worry. He hadn’t been able to focus on work for a while.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Do you feel any discomfort? An overturned carriage… I’ll fire that coachman immediately and hire a better one. Stay here at the estate for a while and rest, okay?”

“There’s no need for that. It happened because I insisted on taking a shortcut to see you sooner, Mishka. If there’s any fault, it’s mine, not the coachman’s. You should punish me instead.”

Despite standing before a duke, she spoke with ease and confidence.

Mikhail was deeply captivated by Yelena’s charm.

Unlike Chloe, who withered inside the house, Yelena was always full of life and energy.