Sniffle, sniffle.
Watching a grown adult cry uncontrollably is never an easy sight, and even seasoned lawyer Natasha found it difficult.
“Alright, you should stop now.”
“Hic, I-I’m so, so sorry… hiccup!”
He was hiccupping so hard from crying that he couldn’t even speak properly.
After the Crown Prince left, he continued sitting at the tea table for quite a while. The gazes of the waiting maids, who were ready to clear the dishes, started becoming more and more awkward.
“I… I wanted to, hic, become a knight of the imperial order, hic, and I’ve dedicated, sniff, my whole life to it…!”
“Yes, yes. And now, your dream has been shattered in an instant, and you’re finding it hard and distressing, and you’re worried about how to go on with your life, correct?”
At that, Aidan’s eyes widened, as if wondering how she knew.
Well, it wasn’t exactly a unique story.
“Let’s get up now, shall we? Dropping the lawsuit is out of the question, so it’s better to focus on preparing for the trial.”
“Hic, yes, you’re right… sniff, you’re right…”
It seemed like his tears had momentarily stopped, but then he suddenly burst into tears again.
“I just didn’t know that Lydia, hic, had a fiancé…!”
“Yes, yes. Of course, you must feel wronged. You didn’t know she had a fiancé, and you developed feelings for each other, and now this happened. You must feel like you’ve been deceived.”
“Deceived? Lydia would never, hic, she’s not that kind of person…”
He still wasn’t thinking clearly.
Natasha clicked her tongue inwardly. Seriously.
“Aidan, I’m not good at comforting people, you know…”
Her exhaustion was evident in her tone, and she couldn’t help but sigh.
‘Being a lawyer is just a thankless job.’
Thinking about how extreme this profession could be, Natasha shook her head.
***
It was only after sending the grown man, who had been crying like a child, away that she could finally return to her office.
“How did it go? Any progress?”
“No. It feels like I only made things worse.”
Natasha responded as she sank deep into her chair, answering Ivan’s question.
“How was the Crown Prince? Was he really all gallant, like a majestic lion, radiating an imposing aura?”
Natasha couldn’t believe Ivan’s sparkling eyes.
“You should’ve gone yourself if you were so curious.”
“Idols are best left as idols. That’s when they’re the most beautiful.”
“Then you made the right choice.”
A lion? An aura?
“His personality is absolutely awful.”
“I could sue you for insulting the royal family.”
“The complaint form is right over there, dear client.”
The Crown Prince was particularly beloved by the people.
Many had benefitted from him as he traveled the empire alone in pursuit of his right to the throne. Stories about him, like the ones in heroic novels, circulated frequently.
“Just prepare for the trial.”
Ivan seemed like he wanted to ask more about Leon, but seeing Natasha’s foul mood, he obediently followed her advice.
Though he busied himself with paperwork in one corner of the office, his eyes kept drifting towards Natasha.
Ring! Ring!
Just then, the bell rang.
“The communication orb is going off?”
“I know…”
Not a moment of peace. Natasha pressed her throbbing head with her hand as she reached for the communication orb.
“Hello, this is Natasha’s law firm~.”
– Is this a good time for a chat?
“Oh, Miss Chloe.”
A surprising caller.
After finishing her case, she had returned to the Richard estate in the east, and since then, they had only exchanged the occasional letter.
Her silver hair shone brightly, even through the communication orb.
“What brings you here?”
– I heard the news. You’ve taken on a big case, haven’t you?
“It’s not just one case, it’s two.”
No matter how you looked at it, there was no denying that Natasha had taken on a headache of a case. She absentmindedly took out her pipe.
– So my warning didn’t matter, I see.
“…I had no choice.”
If Denis hadn’t gotten involved, she would never have willingly taken on this case.
– Now that it’s come to this, there’s nothing you can do. I contacted you because there’s something else I wanted to say.
“What is it?”
– Lydia Dorothea. That woman’s been hanging around my brother.
“…What?”
Again, just to clarify, Chloe and Claude had been staying at the Richard estate in the east since their divorce.
Lydia Dorothea’s family was from the south, and her residence was in the capital. But now, out of the blue, she’s in the east?
‘And in front of Claude?’
Estelle’s mutterings crossed her mind.
‘The heroine Lydia…’
– Just so you know, I’m against the idea of them being together.
“Well, that’s understandable. Lydia is, after all, the Crown Prince’s fiancée.”
What on earth was this woman doing, leaving her fiancé behind?
– It’s not just because of that.
What other reason could there be? Natasha found it hard to understand, but clients were often incomprehensible, so she let it slide.
– To put it simply, I once saw them together, and it didn’t end well.
“Hm. Was Miss Lydia ever the Duke of Richard’s ex-girlfriend?”
– No, nothing like that.
It was all just a bundle of mysteries.
– Hmph… Anyway, with the cases you’ve taken on, and the fact that I owe you, I think our interests align, so I reached out.
“Well… that’s quite an interesting proposition.”
– I’ll send you something fun soon.
Chloe’s smile, paired with a quiet laugh, seemed quite ominous.
***
Rustle.
He hurriedly grabbed the hem of his robe as the wind tried to sweep it away. The fingers revealed under the moonlight were pale and long.
Though the back of his hand was smooth, his palms were full of calluses from wielding a sword.
Claude, cloaked in a black robe, stepped outside and inhaled the cool air deeply.
Whenever he felt suffocated, as though he couldn’t breathe, he would come to this place.
Swoosh!
A small tributary from the continent’s great river, yet still massive compared to humans.
It was a rugged valley behind the Duchy of Richard. Since it was also the Duke’s private property, few people ventured there, aside from the occasional peasant sneaking in to find food.
‘Who could it be at this late hour?’
Claude’s sharp instincts detected the presence of someone.
‘They’re not trained. Just an ordinary person. Are they lost?’
The air had grown quite chilly. If left alone, the person might die from hypothermia.
‘Tch.’
As a lord, he couldn’t just let one of his people die. Claude immediately headed toward the source of the presence.
Crackle, crackle.
Before long, he heard the sound of a crackling fire and saw a small figure.
The flickering firelight revealed a woman with cascading red hair.
“Ah.”
She noticed Claude a beat too late and looked up.
She had an oddly dreamlike quality about her.
“Hello.”
Her awkward greeting showed no sign of caution.
“Are you from the village below? Didn’t you hear the warning not to trespass on this land? It’s private property.”
The woman just stared blankly at him. Claude, who wasn’t known for his patience, quickly continued.
“Once evening falls, the wild animals start to move. It’s dangerous here. You should head back down.”
“I know.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
“I got lost.”
Despite her words, her face seemed far too calm for someone lost.
“…I’ll guide you back. Let’s go.”
“I’m too tired to move.”
Claude narrowed his eyes at the bold request. ‘What kind of woman is this?’ he thought.
It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced since Estelle and Natasha.
As he stood there, momentarily at a loss for words, the woman spoke first.
“Duke.”
Claude flinched and instinctively took a defensive stance. He was still cloaked in a dark robe.
“Why did you get married?”
“Are you here to target me? Who told you I come here?”
“You did.”
“What?”
“You wouldn’t remember, but you told me yourself.”
The woman stared blankly into the air and mumbled, “Was it the 38th time? Or the 40th?”
“What nonsense are you spouting…?”
“Oh, right. That’s not important. Why did you get married?”
“Are you mocking me?”
Asking a divorced man why he got married was nothing short of insulting.
‘What’s giving her this confidence? She has no weapon, and there’s no one nearby.’
Honestly, if Claude decided to kill her, she was so weak that she could be dead in seconds.
“I thought you were only supposed to stay as a fiancée. Why did it lead to marriage and even divorce?”
“…”
“Contract marriage… Was that a thing?”
“If this is a joke, stop it.”
“A joke? I’m asking out of genuine curiosity.”
Her wide eyes briefly focused, then grew hazy, like smoke.
“Duke. Don’t be so serious. After all, it’s just a dream.”
“A dream?”
“Yes. A dream that will disappear by morning.”
It was more plausible that this was an unfounded dream than the idea of some strange woman trespassing on his property and confronting him alone.
“So, in a dream, you can do anything you want. Anything at all.”
“What I want is for you to return to the village quietly.”
“Boring.”
The woman giggled and took a few steps toward Claude.
Soon, she was standing right in front of him. If she took one more step, she’d be in his arms.
“How about it? A sweet dream for just one night….”
“Enough.”
Claude wasn’t a fool.
He understood well enough what her suggestive words implied.
“I’m not sure what you think of me.”
“Why? You liked it.”
“This is our first meeting.”
The woman gave him a faint smile.
“If you’re aiming to spend a night and somehow raise your status, you’re mistaken.”
“I won’t beg you to take responsibility.”
“That’s not the point. I… ahem.”
Swallowing his mild embarrassment, he continued.
“I have someone in mind.”
“That can’t be.”
Her eyes wavered slightly. It was a stark contrast to how she had dismissed his words until now.
“It’s true. So, return…”
“That can’t be right. You’re… you’re one of the male leads…”
Male lead?
Claude paused, recognizing the strange term.
“You’ve fallen for another woman? That’s not supposed to happen. This run is all wrong. Everything’s a mess!”
“Wait, calm down…!”
“What is this? Is there a level harder than hard mode? Or an update to the storyline? How am I supposed to complete this game…?”
Muttering to herself, she looked far from normal. Claude quickly grabbed her wrist.
Thud!
“Hey!”
Suddenly, she broke free and sprinted into the woods. Startled, he chased after her, but it was as if she had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
“What… just happened…?”
Crackle, crackle.
The only thing that remained was the crackling fire, proving that she had been real.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
