“Have you or someone close to you been accused of being involved in an affair? The steps you need to take are quite simple.
Gather evidence that proves you were unaware the other person was married. Letters exchanged or video recordings are often used as evidence.
And the most solid proof is this:
“You know how it works, right? Press the inside of this brooch, and the recording will start. The maximum capacity is about three hours, so be careful not to exceed that. If you want to stop the recording, just touch here like this…”
Natasha stopped explaining and glared with wide eyes.
“Are you listening?”
“Yes, I’m listening.”
But she didn’t feel reassured. Natasha was struck by doubts about whether Denis could properly carry out this mission.
“Denis… if you complete this recording successfully, you won’t have to worry about the trial. But if you fail, the outcome will become uncertain.”
They had stayed up all night reading through the bundle of letters exchanged between Denis and Lydia, but nothing particularly suspicious was found.
There wasn’t any evidence that Denis knew about Lydia’s engagement, but on the other hand, it didn’t seem like solid proof that he didn’t know either.
“The recording that includes your voice is legal, so you’ll have to use that to your advantage.”
“I get it already. I’ll go in and angrily ask Lydia, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged?’ Even if she tries to deny it, I’ll keep insisting I didn’t know. That should work, right?”
Natasha had to find solace in the fact that Denis at least understood the plan.
As she was struggling with her thoughts, Ivan tapped Natasha on the shoulder.
“What?”
Ivan didn’t respond but glanced toward the window. When she turned to look, she saw a familiar bird preening itself outside.
It was a messenger bird, one that was rarely seen outside of the northern regions.
Some of Natasha’s clients were northern nobles, but as far as she knew, there was only one person who would send a messenger bird all the way to the central region.
Click.
When she opened the window, the bird quickly walked inside.
Chirp chirp!
It let out a small cry as it handed Natasha a letter.
“A messenger bird? This is my first time seeing one,” Denis remarked in fascination, staring at the bird. The bird also tilted its head as if curious about Denis.
When she received the letter, Natasha immediately recognized the familiar symbol engraved on it.
A luxurious cage engraved with jet-black ink.
There was only one family in the entire world that would use such a self-deprecating symbol as their crest.
The rulers of the North, Winchester.
“Winchester…?”
Denis repeated the name, puzzled.
‘” heard they’re a very reclusive family. How do you know them?”
“They were my client.”
“Didn’t the Duke of Winchester get divorced?”
“It happened while you were still at the magic tower, so you wouldn’t know much about it.”
Though calling it a divorce was a bit embarrassing. In any case, Natasha couldn’t fathom why this client had suddenly sent her a letter.
“As far as I know, they haven’t remarried yet. And their only brother is still single. Why would they be contacting me…?”
Thinking there was no reason, Natasha opened the letter, only to find something surprising inside.
[…The North is still cold and barren, but watching the snow pile up… Recently, werewolves have been rampant, so I went hunting and discovered a rare flower along the way. Isn’t it amazing how it bloomed through the frozen ground?]
There were a lot of idle musings, but still.
The letter even had a pressed white flower delicately imprinted on the paper. It seemed the flower had been added during the paper-making process.
To go to such lengths for a single letter – how thoughtful.
[…The reason I am writing is that I need your assistance once again. The lawyers of Winchester are inexperienced in these matters, so I would like to request your help again.]
As she read further down, familiar names caught her eye.
[It’s embarrassing, but my younger brother has been… accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the Crown Prince’s fiancée. We’ve received a lawsuit regarding this, and I would like to entrust you with the case. No matter the fee, I ask that you do your best if your schedule permits.]
Natasha couldn’t help but silently ask the words in the letter.
‘You too? you too!’
***
As soon as I replied that I wanted to meet in person and talk, I received a letter with the time and place written on it shortly after.
It seemed like he was already in the capital due to his brother’s situation.
That evening, Natasha decided to go with Dorothea to visit Duke Winchester after enduring Denis’s never-improving acting skills and left the office early to meet the Duke.
When she arrived at the restaurant mentioned in the letter, a waiter guided her inside.
‘How did they know my name when I didn’t even say it?’
Though the question crossed her mind, she figured they might have seen her in that annoying Romanov Weekly.
“You’ve arrived.”
As Natasha entered, a man who had been sitting alone suddenly stood up.
He was at least a head taller than most, dressed in a suit, but his well-trained posture, characteristic of a knight, couldn’t be hidden.
Carlos Winchester.
His long black hair flowed down, and his sharp red eyes softened slightly when they met Natasha’s gaze.
Wearing a suit instead of his usual uniform, he looked like a sleek black panther, a stunningly handsome man.
‘Wow, your face is still the same.’
That was Natasha’s only thought.
“It’s been a while, Duke. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been well, thanks to your concern.”
Honestly, don’t they pick nobles based on their looks?
How else could every nobleman she met look this good?
But then, Noel’s shiny face popped into her mind, and she dismissed that theory.
As Natasha sat down, the servers began skillfully bringing out the food. They were the only two people in the vast hall.
“By the way, you must be deeply distressed. I’m sorry to hear about your brother.”
“… I scolded him harshly because of this. There won’t be such incidents in the future.”
His face was stiff, so it wasn’t easy to tell, but he seemed slightly embarrassed.
‘He’s nothing like the rumors.’
Who would have thought that the Duke of Winchester, known for his brutal and fierce reputation, was actually like this?
Natasha only realized he had a kind heart behind his cold exterior after encountering him multiple times for business.
“In these cases, what matters most is whether your brother knew the other party was engaged. Did he?”
“I didn’t get the chance to ask, but… I’ll ask him immediately when I return.”
“Even if he knew, without any proof, it’s easy for him to deny it. I recommend looking into the letters or video orbs exchanged with Miss Lydia.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
He replied politely.
Given his status, a Duke might have subtly looked down on Natasha, but he didn’t show any signs of that.
That was why Natasha felt a certain fondness for him as a person.
“Will you be staying in the capital for a while?”
“… I plan to stay until my brother’s trial is over.”
“You should try to wrap it up as quickly as possible.”
Unlike most nobles who appointed managers to run their estates, the northern nobles often managed their lands themselves. Due to the harsh and monster-filled terrain of the north, the highest authority had to stay alert and be prepared for any situation.
Perhaps that’s why the northern nobles were more like soldiers than nobles. Carlos Winchester gave off that well-trained soldier vibe too.
“… No, that’s not really necessary.”
“Sorry?”
“Never mind.”
Carlos trailed off and mumbled.
“More importantly, I wanted to ask if you would consider taking on my brother’s case.”
“Ah, about that… I’m sorry, but I think it’d be better for you to find another lawyer.”
“… I’ll double your fee.”
For a moment, Natasha’s eyes glimmered with the image of money.
But she quickly regained her composure. She was already too busy with Denis’s case, and no matter how similar it was, handling two large cases at the same time would be too much.
“It’s not about the money. I already have a case I’m working on. You should probably find a lawyer who can focus on your case.”
Natasha barely managed to suppress her greed. If it weren’t for Denis’s life being on the line, she would’ve taken the case without hesitation.
“I see.”
Carlos nodded in understanding. But if Natasha were to say she saw drooping puppy ears above his head, would that have been just her imagination?
“I was hoping to entrust this to you, Natasha. It’s a shame.”
It was a typical polite phrase, but when Carlos said it, it sounded genuine.
That’s because he wasn’t the type to say things he didn’t mean.
“Hmm…”
Natasha pondered for a moment before making a suggestion.
“It’s not that there’s no way at all.”
“Really?”
“You see, the case I’m handling is quite similar.”
“What?”
Seeing Carlos’s bewildered expression, Natasha felt her face grow hot as she confessed.
“… Yes, someone like a younger brother to me has also been sued by His Highness the Crown Prince. For the same charges as your brother.”
“Ah.”
Carlos made a brief sound of understanding as if he had grasped the situation.
‘Denis…!’
She couldn’t believe how embarrassing her younger brother was!
“Ahem. Anyway, since both cases are quite similar, if we jointly sue Miss Lydia, we might be able to prepare for the trial together. If we’re lucky, the trials could even be held together.”
“As long as you’re handling the case, I don’t mind how it’s done.”
Carlos’s eyes sparkled with trust.
“As I mentioned, there aren’t many lawyers in the North skilled in these matters.”
Of course, that made sense.
A divorce trial in the North? It’d probably be quicker for a sword fight to break out.
Northern people were known for being rough and belligerent, with the lowest number of trials in the empire. Although, crime rates were high.
People living in such harsh conditions tend to be that way.
Though for someone leading the North, Carlos seemed rather mild-mannered.
“Then, please send all the letters or video orbs exchanged with Miss Lydia to my office. I’ll review them, and if the cases are indeed similar, I’ll handle it.”
“Thank you, Natasha.”
As their conversation wrapped up, both sighed in relief at the same time.
Having troublesome younger siblings had certainly caused them both plenty of headaches.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
