「The drink made with mint that I mentioned last time was a big hit! From now on, we’re planning to create a drink mixing mint and chocolate to launch in the market. I was worried that it might not be well-received here, but as expected, people really do like mint chocolate, right?」
Natasha briefly wondered, ‘What is mint chocolate?’ but then turned the page without dwelling on it.
「By the way, how have you been, Natasha? It’s always nice to see your name in the weekly magazines. It’s surprising that they even sell Romanoff weeklies here. Isn’t that interesting? Although, I must say, the articles aren’t usually filled with pleasant content!」
Damn Romanoff.
Natasha clenched her pipe between her teeth and muttered that name under her breath.
「I heard you recently resolved a big case? Make sure to tell me about it next time we meet!」
So the rumors have spread overseas, too. Natasha leaned back deeply in her chair.
The lawsuit had been neatly concluded. The divorce was successful, and since Chloe didn’t want to waste time on dividing assets, there were no drawn-out proceedings.
‘I heard Yelena has disappeared to some other region.’
Originally, Chloe was planning to file a lawsuit against Yelena as the “other woman,” but ultimately decided it was a waste of time.
Instead, Yelena promised never to appear before Mikhail and Chloe again, so there would be no further encounters.
「By the way, it’s almost debutante season again, isn’t it? I heard the second daughter of the Dorothea Duke’s household has returned from studying abroad in the new kingdom? Just so you know, it’s probably best to avoid getting involved with her.」
Natasha had also heard of the second daughter of the Dorothea household.
Lydia Dorothea. She was the cousin of the current Empress, Evelyn Dorothea, and had just returned after a long period of studying abroad for reasons unknown.
She was distantly related to Olga Dorothea, a branch family member, but they were hardly close.
It was well-known that Lydia Dorothea would be making her debut at this upcoming debutante season.
‘Well, she’s just another socialite, so it’s unlikely that I’ll get involved with her…’
Still, the repeated mentions of her name left Natasha feeling uneasy.
Was it a coincidence? Her former client, Chloe, had said something similar.
– Natasha, I know this might sound strange, but there’s something I need to tell you.
– What is it?
Chloe had visited Natasha just before packing up to leave her temporary residence. Her words of thanks were accompanied by an ominous remark.
– There’s going to be a major shakeup in society soon. I hope you won’t get caught up in it.
– What?
– I have a good sense about these things.
A sense? Chloe didn’t seem like the type to speak so irrationally.
Apparently, Natasha’s thoughts showed on her face, because Chloe gave a small laugh.
– I’m not just saying this. Be careful.
– I’m a lawyer, not a noblewoman. I don’t see how I’d get caught up in some social shakeup.
– No, you will get involved.
She sounded quite certain.
– I’ve experienced something like this before.
It was a cryptic remark. Natasha’s expression turned puzzled again, but Chloe didn’t seem to mind.
– Of course, now that I’m divorced, it may not unfold exactly the same way, but… it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
– I don’t really understand what you’re talking about. If you’d mentioned this earlier, I could’ve used it as evidence for mental instability in the trial.
– I know it sounds crazy.
Chloe took a sip of the dreadful coffee Ivan had brought her and, miraculously, set the cup down without showing any discomfort.
It was a remarkable display of patience.
– Just remember this: if you get involved in that matter, it’s going to be quite the ordeal.
Most clients’ words were nonsense.
How many had Natasha dealt with who claimed to be from the future, from another world, or even legendary heroes from ancient times?
There was even a noblewoman who insisted she had been a valiant knight in a past life.
If she entertained every ridiculous story, it would never end.
Normally, Natasha would’ve dismissed it, but Estelle’s letter coincidentally aligned perfectly with Chloe’s warning.
「A debutante for Lady Lydia is certainly enough to cause a stir in society. She’s the only daughter from the Four Great Dukes’ families who hasn’t had her debut yet…」
What kind of storm was Lady Lydia expected to bring, that people around Natasha were so worked up about?
Her curiosity would soon be answered.
***
“…What?”
Natasha doubted what she had just heard.
Even after blinking a few times and cleaning her ears, the words remained unchanged.
“…You’ve been sued?”
“Yep.”
“By the Crown Prince, no less?”
“Uh-huh.”
Denis smiled sweetly and answered nonchalantly. Natasha’s mouth fell open in shock.
What on earth had he done to get sued by the Crown Prince?
“As you know, the household is a bit of a mess right now. I’d like to resolve this quietly if possible, and you’re the only lawyer I know.”
“…That’s true, but…”
She had heard that Mikhail had been refusing to eat since his divorce from Chloe. There were also rumors that Jerome had been filling in for him as a stand-in.
And since Denis had joined the Magic Tower at a young age, he didn’t know many people.
“Did you tell Madame? Does she know?”
“No, I didn’t tell her. Do I really need to?”
Among the three Petrov brothers, Denis was rather unique. While his two older brothers couldn’t defy Olga, Dennis had a distant relationship with her.
Which was probably why he had come directly to Natasha instead of going through Olga.
“Why are you so calm about this?”
Natasha felt a bit wronged by how the person in question was more composed than she was.
“I expected She’d have a fiancé. I just didn’t think it would be the Crown Prince.”
“…”
“Besides, I’m a magician, aren’t I?”
It was a known fact that becoming a magician dulls human emotions. But to remain this calm after being sued?
“…Hah.”
Natasha let out a brief sigh but quickly surrendered—she couldn’t stand by and watch her beloved younger brother end up in prison.
“Did you bring the summons?”
“Yeah, here.”
“If the Crown Prince uses the royal legal team, things could get complicated. There are a lot of former judges on that team, and because of the preferential treatment they receive, it can be difficult to deal with them.”
It was rare for someone who had once donned a judge’s robes to switch to being a lawyer, but one of those few cases was when they were summoned by the royal family.
Of course, judges, who were duty-bound to deliver fair judgments, should never receive preferential treatment after leaving the bench. But as with all human affairs, things didn’t always follow logic and principle.
Preferential treatment for former officials might be whispered about, but it undeniably existed.
“No, seriously, how in the world did you, fresh out of the magic tower, end up getting tangled with the Crown Prince? You didn’t accidentally insult him or something, did you?”
“I’ve never even met him.”
Denis made a face, as if he were the one who was wronged.
If it had been a case of insulting the royal family or treason, even Natasha wouldn’t have been able to defend him. But as long as it wasn’t that, there was room to maneuver.
Relieved, she unfolded the summons—only for her face to harden immediately.
“What…”
The summons read: “Charged with adultery with the Crown Prince’s fiancée.”
She read it carefully, word by word, but her mind refused to process it properly. What was this?
Natasha trembling placed the summons down. Meanwhile, Denis, with his usual bright expression, was telling Ivan, “Does this taste like tea to you? It tastes like steeped garbage to me.”
“…Denis. I just need to ask you one thing—this girlfriend you mentioned last time… Is she, by any chance, the Crown Prince’s fiancée?”
“Huh? I’m not sure. She might’ve said she was engaged, but I didn’t really catch the details.”
His clueless response, like that of a naive child, frustrated Natasha to no end. She had no choice but to face reality.
‘My brother is the other man!?’
And not just anyone’s—he was the other man to the Crown Prince’s fiancée!
***
Life has a way of taking unexpected turns. Although Natasha hadn’t anticipated such a sharp detour, in hindsight, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
After all, how many parents of adulterers ever expected their children to become involved in such scandals?
By the same logic, it wasn’t impossible to accept that someone like her beloved younger brother could turn out to be someone’s hated “other man.”
‘Does infidelity run in the Petrov bloodline?’
Or else how could both the father and son end up like this?
It only proved once again how wise Olga had been to leave the Petrov family early.
“Denis, did that woman clearly tell you she had a fiancé?”
“Hmm… I don’t think so. There might have been hints, but nothing direct.”
“So she never explicitly told you?”
Under Natasha’s fiery gaze, Denis nodded, slightly taken aback.
“Phew.”
That was at least some relief.
If someone had committed adultery without knowing their partner was engaged, they couldn’t be held accountable for the crime of adultery. In fact, they could even file a countersuit against the person who pretended to be single, which was a small silver lining.
‘Even if he had known, we could have just claimed ignorance, but it’s easier when he genuinely didn’t know.’
“Dennis, if you don’t want to live your life on the run, break up with that woman and file a countersuit, claiming you didn’t know she was engaged. That way, they won’t have any grounds against you. If you hesitate, you’ll end up branded as the adulterer and might even end up in jail.”
Natasha grabbed Dennis by the collar, muttering grimly.
“Break up with her? Hmm… I feel a bit reluctant to do that, though.”
“Unless you value her more than your own life, just break up with her.”
She immediately shut down any protest.
“Do you even realize how serious this is? No matter how much Illihad is a nation governed by law, the royal family’s power is still solid.”
The royal family, the law, and faith—these were the three pillars holding up the Illihad Empire.
“I get it. But you’ll figure something out for me, right?”
“You…”
Natasha barely resisted the urge to smack him.
Sure, he had a good-looking face and a sharp mind, but what would happen if she hit that brain?
“Even if you’re madly in love, break up with her, at least for now. Just make it look good. Got it?”
“Love? Well, it’s not exactly like that, but fine.”
Barely paying attention to Denis’s half-hearted agreement, Natasha stared down at the summons, feeling uneasy.
Was this really a coincidence?
If it was, the timing was nothing short of extraordinary.
Because the name of the Crown Prince’s fiancée written on the summons was painfully familiar.
Lydia Dorothea.
Estelle’s letter, begging her to stay out of this, and Chloe’s ominous warning flashed through her mind.
Everyone was telling her to stay away from this case.
But if she did, her brother would be arrested for adultery! What a nightmare.
‘What if I leave it to Noel and things go wrong? Denis’s life will be over…’
In the Illyhad Empire, there were very few ways for a noble who had crossed the royal family to survive.
Most fled to foreign lands, or they lived wretched lives in obscurity. While the Petrov name might protect Dennis, he’d never be able to hold public office again, and with the stigma of being the other man, he could forget about marrying into a decent family.
Natasha imagined Denis, wearing tattered clothes, tearfully calling out, “Sister…” and shook her head vigorously.
That was a future she could never allow to happen.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
