LDPL | Chapter 74

Episode 74

Norman.

He had no surname. The only thing he was granted was his first name. But that didn’t mean he was a commoner.

Unofficially, he was known as Norman Mathieu—the illegitimate son of Count Mathieu. That was who he was.

Though called an illegitimate child, the only difference from a legitimate heir was that his name wasn’t recorded in the family registry. Even that wasn’t much of an issue.

Fortunately, the Count of Mathieu was lenient toward his illegitimate children, allowing him to study as much as he wanted from an early age.

But that was all.

No matter what Norman studied, he was merely a supplement to the legitimate heir.

When his older brother studied estate management, he was praised as a future lord. But when Norman studied the same subject, they said he would make an excellent advisor to the lord.

Why? What made his brother and him so different?

Norman couldn’t understand. The world of nobility was dazzling and beautiful, but its limits were painfully clear to him.

He turned his head and saw commoners dying in misery. How different was he from them? No, what truly separated commoners from nobles?

As that question took root in his heart, Norman walked away from the House of Mathieu.

Together with like-minded individuals, he became a lawyer for the common people.

Fighting for those who suffered under the law’s ignorance, he naturally came to loathe those who stood in direct opposition to his cause.

Those revolting creatures who groveled at the feet of nobles, wagging their tails for favor—Norman mocked them with biting scorn.

And standing before him now was the very embodiment of such a lawyer.

Natasha. A divorce lawyer.

Once employed by the Petrov Duchy, she had since gone freelance, yet still worked solely for the nobility.

A foolish woman who, despite being a commoner herself, refused to aid her own kind, chasing after money and prestige instead.

Norman made no effort to hide his contempt.

But Natasha only smiled. A broad, carefree smile.

“First of all, I’m not here on behalf of any noble family. This is a personal matter. That contaminated water completely ruined my friend’s bakery opening.”

“…….”

“And second, while I might be an exception, you do know that most lawyers are bound to noble families, right?”

So it was rather unfair to say she was some lapdog who exploited commoners for the nobility’s sake.

Lawyers were mere tools wielded by the nobility. How that tool was used depended entirely on its owner.

“And third—lastly—not everyone is as lucky as you.”

“…What?”

“You. You’re lucky, aren’t you? Born as a noble’s illegitimate child, never had to worry about starving, had your law school tuition fully paid by your family, and even got to leave the Mathieu estate without resistance.”

“Don’t speak as if you know everything.”

Norman’s voice was cold and sharp. Others might see it that way, but he had spent years grappling with his own struggles.

“If I had stayed as the noble bastard you say I am, I could have lived a life of comfort. But I didn’t.”

He had given up everything to stand with the common people.

“Insulting me doesn’t change the fact that you are a lawyer for the nobility—”

“Do you even know how much it costs to cover tuition and living expenses until graduating from law school?”

“…About 400,000 to 500,000 gold.”

“!”

Ivan’s eyes widened at the staggering sum.

“Exactly. An absurd amount for an ordinary lawyer to repay. Even noble families don’t usually cover the full cost—they find ways to reduce tuition. That amount? It’s just a leash, meant to keep lawyers under their control.”

“…….”

“Me? I was lucky. If I hadn’t helped the Duchess with her divorce case back then, I’d still be slaving away at the Petrov Duchy like a dog.”

She might put on the act of fighting for commoners, but in Natasha’s eyes, the most aristocratic person here was Norman.

“I won’t deny it. While working for the Petrovs, I definitely exploited commoners.”

“You—!”

“So what? If you refuse to obey, you’re slapped with a 500,000-gold debt. What choice do you have?”

Commoners didn’t have the luxury of worrying about such things.

Just as Natasha took on every case she could to earn money.

Even without saying it aloud, Norman understood.

“…That doesn’t change reality.”

He half-gritted his teeth as he replied.

“Even after leaving the Petrov Duchy, you continued working for nobles. Maybe I was luckier than most, but that doesn’t give you the right to criticize me.”

If she were still shackled by financial burdens, that would be one thing—but Natasha had already gained her independence.

Natasha merely shrugged, offering no further excuse.

“Think whatever you want.”

That idiot thought his world was the whole world. He didn’t even realize that was the true privilege of the upper class.

“All other lawyers are greedy money-grubbers who kiss noble feet, huh? Thinking that must make you feel better.”

There was no need to explain herself to a former junior she hadn’t seen since graduation.

She didn’t need Norman’s understanding.

Let him remain in his little well, blind to the vast world beyond.

“Thanks for telling me about the source of the contamination. But don’t expect me to back down.”

“Sunbae, you know how these environmental lawsuits go. They take years, drag on endlessly.”

This time, Norman’s voice took on a pleading tone as he tried to dissuade her.

“Proving a direct link between the water pollution and the damage isn’t easy. And we’re up against the Mage Tower. This is a head-on clash with noble power. Can you handle that?”

Natasha folded her arms and listened quietly.

There was a clear reason why Norman was so desperate to keep her out of the lawsuit.

When multiple lawsuits were filed over the same issue, the court usually consolidated them into one case.

Even if Natasha and Norman filed separate suits, they would still be treated as a single legal team.

Norman wanted to frame the case around the health and livelihoods of the commoners affected.

Establishing a legal precedent was the priority.

But if Natasha got involved, things would change.

To Norman, she was a lawyer devoted solely to the nobility.

If she joined the case, the focus would inevitably shift. Instead of the harm done to commoners, the trial would center on “how much noble property was damaged due to the water contamination.”

That was the last thing he wanted.

“…There’s a really good bakery on the first floor of my building.”

It was an abrupt remark. Norman was about to question what she meant when he saw the seriousness in Natasha’s face and held his tongue.

“They had to close for a while due to some issues, but they recently reopened. They carefully selected high-quality grains and shared their bread with the villagers. But both the villagers and the owner ended up sick. He never imagined this would happen.”

“…….”

“The Riette Merchant Guild, which sold the grains, also has no clue what went wrong. So I came to investigate myself. If you include this case in your report of the victims, I’ll step back.”

Natasha had no particular reason to insist on handling the case herself.

Doing so would make things easier, but as one of the most expensive lawyers in the Illyhad Empire, it wasn’t exactly worth her time.

It was far more profitable to take on another case instead.

“Did this happen in the capital?”

“Yes. I don’t know how far the grains were distributed, but by now, similar reports should be coming in from all over the country.”

This wasn’t just a typical water contamination case.

Environmental lawsuits were difficult because the damage was gradual and hard to prove.

But this? The scale was different.

“Most of them will be silenced.”

Norman shook his head.

“Do you realize how much tribute the Mage Tower sends to the imperial family? They wouldn’t just dump waste into the river without reason.”

There was always a reason behind such boldness.

“The problem is that all the victims are commoners.”

“…….”

“Even if thousands—tens of thousands—of commoners die, they won’t bat an eye.”

So people were dying from contaminated water sources, yet there was nothing they could do about it.

This area was surrounded by mountains, making it difficult to procure supplies.

“What if that’s not the case?”

“Excuse me?”

“What if the victims aren’t just commoners?”

“That’s impossible. The staple foods consumed by nobles are entirely different in variety. The Rochelle and Dijon grains grown here are primarily consumed by commoners.”

But there was one. A noble who had eaten grain grown in this land.

“Even if such a case exists… I don’t want that.”

“Why? You know that including a noble as a victim is the fastest way to win this case.”

“That would completely undermine the significance of this lawsuit.”

Natasha clicked her tongue at Norman’s stubbornness.

No matter the process, as long as the commoners received compensation, did it really matter?

But Norman remained resolute.

“If this case is reduced to ‘compensation for noble victims,’ then there will be no next time. The true victims of this incident are the commoners, and the compensation must be focused on them.”

She understood what he was getting at. Legal precedents influence future interpretations of the law.

‘This is a golden opportunity. If commoners sue the Mage Tower for damages and win…’

It would set an unprecedented legal precedent. Though it would require overcoming numerous challenges.

“How do you plan to prove the damages?”

“I’ve already gathered both chemical analyses of the contaminants and documented cases of affected residents. We’re currently collecting secondary cases caused by the contaminated grain as well.”

“What about proof that the contaminated water is linked to the mage factory?”

“I’ve secured it.”

Then only one thing remained.

“And proof of intent?”

“…That part…”

So they hadn’t found it yet.

Legally, if pollution caused harm to others, liability for damages existed regardless of intent.

However, proving intent would determine the severity of the offense and significantly impact the scope of compensation.

“That’s internal information from the mage factory. There’s no official way to obtain it—”

“Norman. You still lack the fundamental mindset of a lawyer.”

His face stiffened in frustration. Natasha looked at him as if he were a naive fool.

“To win, you must do whatever it takes.”

That was the essence of being a lawyer. Somewhere in her mind, she could almost hear Estelle yelling, ‘That kind of thinking is what corrupts society!’ But she ignored it.

“I’m going to infiltrate the factory.”

A playful smile curled at her lips. Natasha’s eyes gleamed with determination.