Leave the Divorce to a Professional Lawyer

Is it a burglar or a kidnapper? That suspicion was quickly dispelled.

“There are no signs of a struggle, and it seems like all the valuables have been taken. They even took the fake ID we made for them.”

“Did they leave on their own?”

“Probably.”

Whatever it was, it seemed like there was an urgent reason they had to leave.

“Any guesses?”

“Not really. As you know, Janet wasn’t one to talk much about herself.”

She was like that from the start. When I first met her, she was cradling a much younger Lowell in her arms, her eyes filled with an intense fierceness.

On that first day, she had collapsed in front of the door, covered in snow.

Even though her body was frozen stiff and she could barely move, she still huddled over to protect the child, her piercing gaze remaining unwaveringly sharp.

“What should we do?”

“…There must be a reason why she left so suddenly.”

While Ivan seemed restless, Natasha remained calm.

“She left as suddenly as she came. No need to make a fuss about it.”

It’s not like she left in silence on purpose. There must have been circumstances she couldn’t explain.

From the moment I first saw her, she seemed like someone with a heavy past.

“She might have gone back to her homeland.”

Now, it was hardly noticeable, but at first, her speech had an accent from another country.

“Hammond Kingdom?”

“Probably.”

Her speech had that distinct rolling ‘r’ pronunciation of someone from the Hammond Kingdom.

“But still, this is way too sudden…”

“Yeah. I wonder if she’ll have a place to stay tonight.”

It looked like she barely managed to gather her belongings. She probably didn’t have time to grab any money. The coins from the bakery’s earnings were scattered around, a clear sign of that.

“…What about this letter?”

The letter without an owner fluttered in Ivan’s hand.

“Let’s wait for a few days. If she doesn’t return within a week, we’ll clear out the room and rent it to someone else.”

“That’s unfortunate. It was the best bakery around here.”

Ivan shrugged.

Partings were always sudden.

Swish.

The layers of skirts brushed against each other, making a soft sound. Natasha’s blue dress, perfectly matching her sky-colored eyes, fit her as if it had been tailored just for her.

The jewels embedded in the fabric sparkled, and the bare shoulders gave a cool, refreshing feel.

“You look beautiful.”

Ivan stated the fact in a calm voice.

Usually, she dressed in the simplest of gowns, but today, the ornate dress made her beauty shine even brighter.

When she added long, dangling diamond earrings, everything looked flawless. She was more elegant than any noble lady.

“What’s the occasion? Speak honestly.”

“Where’s your modesty?”

“I have eyes too, you know. Don’t you think I know how pretty I look right now?”

Her confident attitude left Ivan chuckling softly without a retort.

“It’s a shame you’re not going with me.”

He mumbled quietly.

“If it were me…”

“Oh, the carriage is here!”

Natasha cut off his musings. The carriage sent by Carlos had arrived in front of the door.

“Take care of the office while I’m gone! And if I’m late, feel free to leave early.”

“Safe travels.”

Ivan waved her off lightly without saying much more. Just as the door was about to close, Natasha poked her head back out and said casually,

“If you wait patiently, I’ll give you a dance when I get back.”

Her face broke into a mischievous grin.

“I’ll have to see if our little boy’s dancing skills are still sharp.”

“Who are you calling—”

“I’m off now!”

Bang!

The words “Who are you calling little?” never left his lips. All he could do was stare blankly at the closed door.

Not long after, Ivan covered his face with his hands and let out a stifled laugh. Judging by height alone, no one would call him little.

Memories from the past muddled his thoughts.

“One, two, step, step! One, two, step, step! You have to match the rhythm!”

“Sis, do I really have to learn this? It’s not like we’ll ever go to a ball anyway…”

“Ivan.”

What kind of expression had Natasha been wearing back then? He couldn’t quite remember.

“When the time comes, it’ll be too late. If you’re not prepared in advance, you’ll miss the opportunity even if it comes.”

“…”

“If you’re going to live as a commoner your whole life and only mingle with commoners, then you don’t need to know this. But if you want a better life, you have to aim higher.”

Young Natasha had always been more desperate.

She moved with a sense of urgency, as if something were constantly chasing her, fighting fiercely just to survive.

Forcing young Ivan, who seemed even smaller for his age, to learn ballroom dancing might have been a part of that.

“Come on, let’s try again. I’ll step slower, so follow along. You can do it, right?”

“Yeah…”

One, two, step, step. One, two, step, step.

In time with Natasha’s slow rhythm, Ivan moved his feet.

He placed his hand where her waist would be and moved smoothly.

It was a solo dance without a partner.

Carlos stood waiting for her outside the carriage, dressed handsomely.

He was dressed almost like he was in a uniform, though it was a bit militaristic for a wedding.

“…!”

He didn’t speak for a moment when he saw Natasha.

As she waited for his escort to get into the carriage, she looked at him quizzically. Only then did he clear his throat awkwardly and extend his hand.

“May I have the honor of escorting you, my lady?”

“By all means.”

Placing her hand on top of the one wearing a white glove, she climbed into the carriage. The Winchester crest was prominently displayed on the carriage, and its spacious interior was comfortable.

Carlos, who followed her into the carriage, had a slightly stiff expression. To others, he might have appeared angry, but Natasha quickly realized he was nervous.

“Why are you so tense? Is it because it’s your brother’s… girlfriend’s wedding?”

Natasha hesitated briefly, as the complicated relationship was still something she couldn’t fully comprehend. She still didn’t quite understand their polyamorous relationship.

“Oh, no. I’ve talked to my brother about it many times. I was surprised at first, but now I understand.”

What? This?

Natasha wanted to ask in disbelief but held back. It would be rude to question his understanding when he said he had come to terms with it.

‘But how can you really understand that?’

She bit her lip, struggling to suppress her thoughts.

“It’s not that… I was just surprised by your dress, Miss Natasha.”

“Oh, it’s quite a fancy dress, right? It was a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince and Miss Lydia.”

“Yes? Well, that too, but what I meant was…”

With a face that had hardened even more, he conveyed his sincerity.

“…You look absolutely beautiful today.”

“I know. Thank you for the compliment. You look dashing today as well.”

Natasha responded nonchalantly, leaving Carlos with an expression that said, ‘That’s not what I meant.’

But as mentioned earlier, Natasha was no fool.

Anyone with eyes would agree that Natasha looked stunning today.

Since this was an undeniable fact, hearing it said aloud didn’t have much of an impact.

“Excuse me? Just ‘Natasha’?”

Natasha nodded. The servant looked slightly puzzled but quickly regained his composure.

After clearing his throat, he announced their entrance.

“Duke Carlos Winchester and his partner, Miss Natasha, are entering!”

Bam-ba-bam!

A light musical cue announced their arrival. The name ‘Carlos Winchester’ was followed by murmurs when the crowd realized his partner was a commoner with no surname.

“A commoner? How did a commoner without even a surname end up here…?”

“I heard she’s a lawyer favored by Madame Olga… Recently, she handled the Duke of Richard’s divorce case…”

“She was raised by the Petroff family as if she were one of their own… She’s a divorce lawyer…”

“There are rumors that she’s an illegitimate child that Madame Olga brought in from outside…”

Natasha’s personal information spread quickly throughout the ballroom.

Her head throbbed slightly due to her sharp senses, and she habitually fumbled for her pipe in her pocket.

‘Why doesn’t this dress have pockets?’

As the headache grew, her irritation surged.

“They say the Duke of Winchester is still single and doesn’t even have a fiancée…”

“I heard the Parker family proposed a marriage, but he refused.”

“Considering his bad experience from the previous marriage, it’s understandable…”

While people were careful with their words about Carlos, they still shot curious glances in his direction. Natasha, standing beside him, seemed invisible.

Middle-aged noblewomen eyed Carlos, hoping to pair him with their daughters, while young noblewomen admired his handsome appearance. Everyone had their own reasons for glancing at him discreetly.

“If you’re uncomfortable in this setting, I can…”

Carlos began, trying to offer his support, but Natasha was already surrounded by people.

“Oh my, Attorney Natasha! We owe you so much for what you did for us last time. Thanks to you, my daughter is doing much better!”

“I’ve read a lot about you in the papers. Hoho, you’ve been involved in quite a few big cases…”

“We meet again.”

Amid the voices of people who recognized her, a familiar voice reached Natasha.

“It’s been a while, Natasha. I wanted to visit and thank you properly, but I’ve been so busy lately.”

— “I sentence Count Velocita to pay 20,000 gold in alimony.”

— “Maria! Are you really going to end it this way?”

— “Thank you, Natasha.”

“Ah!”

An exclamation escaped her. If it weren’t for her voice, Natasha might not have recognized her, as her appearance had changed so much since then.

“Miss Maria! Wow, how have you been?”

“Of course! With the 20,000 gold alimony I received back then, I made some investments.”

She proudly displayed a large gemstone ring on her finger. It was clear that her investments had paid off handsomely.

“I owe it all to you, Natasha. Without you, I’d still be wasting my time waiting for a husband who never came home.”

Back when she was going through her divorce, Maria had been timid and downtrodden, but now she looked much more confident and radiant after her success.

Seeing her confidence and glamorous dress made Natasha feel a deep sense of pride.

“I’m really glad to hear that. Truly.”

Their touching reunion didn’t last long, as many noblewomen, eager to consult with the famed divorce attorney Natasha, soon gathered around.

“Attorney, I’ve been wanting to visit your office, but it’s been difficult for me to find the time. Could I invite you for tea to discuss things?”

“Miss Natasha, I just need 10 minutes of your time!”

“I’d like to discuss something in private—could I have your contact details for a video call…?”

In an instant, the women who were too proud to visit a lawyer’s office came flooding in.