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Chapter – 04
“You seem to be curious about something rather trivial.”
He let out a scoff as if it were absurd.
“It’s not trivial. At the very least, I hope that prayer is for Lady Iz.”
At the mention of his daughter’s name, his faint laughter stopped entirely, and a sharp, unsettling aura emanated from him.
“You know my daughter?”
“Yes. I just met her earlier.”
“…I see. Did she send you?”
“No. Lady Iz doesn’t even know I’ve come to see you. In fact, she’d probably be upset if she found out I met you without saying anything.”
Normally, I would not have gone around aggressively digging into a client’s personal affairs like this. But the memory of her broken expression—her desperate desire to survive even if it meant hiring mercenaries—would not leave me alone.
‘Of course, the fact that I wanted my first case quickly probably mattered more.’
“Then why… are you saying something like that? If my daughter didn’t send you…”
He had already turned his body fully toward me.
“I’m just curious whether you truly love your child—or whether you’re only pretending to.”
How could I phrase this to properly provoke him?
What I wanted was for Baron Stork—famous for his kindness—to become angry. Angry enough to act for his daughter. If that happened, this case would be a guaranteed success.
“Pretending? Who would pretend when praying for their child’s happiness?”
“Then your prayer is for Lady Iz’s happiness, correct?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“Then why do you do nothing?”
“Nothing?”
“If it were me, I would at least check how my daughter is living. If she were someone I cared about that much, I would want to know how she survives. Not just pray to a god I can’t even be sure exists while assuming she’s doing well.”
For a moment, it felt as if a wind swept through the sanctuary.
My hair, which had been neatly settled, fluttered, and even the baron’s eyes wavered.
‘I know Iz doesn’t want anyone to know about her situation. No one wants to reveal their shame to the family they love. But if they never know, how much regret will the family live with afterward? Once something happens, it’s too late.’
At the very least, I didn’t want to leave behind a hell like I had lived through—like I had suffered after my mother’s death, regretting for the rest of my life that I hadn’t made her divorce sooner.
Those words came from that conviction.
The Baron Stork either understood my intention, or realized his own mistake, because he silently stood up.
“I should go.”
“At the very least, the gods will bless a baron who chooses action.”
That was the end of it.
Without even a proper farewell, he left the chapel.
I also stepped outside after finishing what I came to do.
It was a day with unusually warm sunlight. Feeling that things would go well, I quickly returned to the mercenary office. I chose to trust the wavering eyes I had seen in him.
In a better mood than usual, I even received cake from Khan when I returned, then went back to my room to wait for my client.
The mercenary office was a three-story building. After obtaining my law license, I had been staying in the lodging on the third floor at a low cost.
A few days later, someone knocked on my door.
“Lawyer-nim.”
It was Khan.
“Yes.”
“A client has arrived. The client you’ve been waiting for, Lady Laviell.”
Seeing Khan’s satisfied smile, I immediately understood that things had gone well, and I headed down to the first floor.
And there she was.
Iz.
No longer in shabby clothing, but wearing a dress of fine silk, her face far brighter than before.
“Hello.”
“Looks like you didn’t come looking for mercenaries today.”
“Yes. I came looking for a divorce lawyer instead. Lady Laviell, thank you for going to see my father… I was too afraid he would reject me, or that my family would hate me, so I couldn’t even say anything. But thanks to you, I’ve found my place again.”
Sometimes, people only need a small push from behind to take a step forward after standing still for so long.
Iz had lived trying not to disappoint her family. She had endured her pain alone, thinking she must protect their image of her. But realizing that her family also cared for her, she finally chose to move forward.
“Then can I charge a higher fee?”
“Yes. My father and brother have agreed to help me, so please take whatever you need. Just… please make sure I get a divorce.”
Watching her bright smile, I felt a pang of envy.
What must it feel like to have somewhere to return to?
If my mother had had such a place, maybe she could have divorced without hesitation.
Suppressing the heaviness in my chest, I handed her the necessary documents.
The first case of a divorce lawyer with a 100% success rate, a 1% acceptance rate.
After Iz left with instructions on what to prepare, I noticed a man lingering near the lawyer assignment board.
A man wearing a hood.
His gaze was fixed on my profile among the many lawyers listed.
Thinking he might be a new client, I lingered nearby.
“Divorce… lawyer.”
Once I was sure he had seen my listing, I spoke to him. It was a bit of unsolicited enthusiasm due to my excitement over my first successful case.
“Are you seeking a divorce?”
Because of the hood, I couldn’t even see his face or gender clearly. Only his unusually tall frame hinted that he was a man.
Fortunately, his voice confirmed it.
“If I want a divorce without any particular reason, will you still handle it?”
“Of course. We have something called ‘personality differences’—a perfectly valid reason for divorce.”
I looked at him with bright eyes.
The man, who had been staring at my profile, turned and met my gaze.
And then I saw his face clearly.
Red hair like a burning sun, crimson eyes like hellfire, and a face so striking it was almost unreal.
The word “demon” felt like it existed for a man like this. He was almost dangerously captivating.
For a moment, I just stared, startled by his appearance. He was so beautiful it was the only word that came to mind.
Then he slightly curled the corner of his lips.
“But tell me—why do you do this kind of work?”
“This kind of work?”
“Divorce lawyer. Isn’t that the same as breaking apart families?”
“If a family only survives through one person’s sacrifice, maybe it deserves to be broken.”
“Ho…”
His brows furrowed slightly.
As I looked at him, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Laviell, who rarely went outside, had almost no common knowledge about the world beyond books. She had never even attended a single party in her life.
‘Maybe he’s one of those famous nobles my sister mentioned.’
That was the extent of my curiosity.
“Laviell.”
He had apparently read my name from the documents I handed him, because he spoke it in a low, chilling voice like it came from deep underground.
“Yes?”
“There is no perfect family without sacrifice. You should understand how serious your work is.”
I narrowed my eyes at the man who seemed to be picking a fight.
“I know. That’s why I didn’t start this lightly. I want to make unhappy people happy. That’s not wrong, is it?”
“Do you think everyone becomes happy after a divorce?”
“For those who need it, yes.”
“That’s interesting. You even carry a rare kind of arrogance. Laviell.”
He suddenly grabbed my chin roughly.
Then he smirked and shook his head.
“Go on. Struggle more. Make sure I keep hearing about you. So that I can come find you myself. Try your best.”
“Let go of me.”
Like a predator about to bite, he looked down at me arrogantly, irritatingly calm. Then he finally released my chin.
Is this man insane? Just grabbing people like that out of nowhere—
“See you.”
Without even an apology, he turned and left the mercenary office.
“Hah… what is wrong with that man!”
What’s the point of being handsome if he has that personality?
“I absolutely, absolutely do not want anything to do with that man!”
