Chapter 04
“You seem curious about something very trivial.”
He let out a scoffing laugh, as if it were ridiculous.
“It’s not trivial. At the very least, I hope that prayer was for Lady Iz.”
At the mention of his daughter’s name, even his forced laughter stopped. A dangerous air rose from him.
“Do you know my daughter?”
“Yes. I just met her earlier.”
“…I see. Did my daughter send you?”
“No. Lady Iz probably doesn’t even know I came to see you. She’d likely be upset that I met you without telling her.”
Normally, I would never pry into a client’s personal matters so aggressively.
But her desperate expression—her willingness to hire mercenaries just to survive—kept flashing through my mind.
Of course, wanting to land my first case quickly was also part of it.
“Then why… say such things? If my daughter didn’t send you…”
He turned his body fully toward me.
“I was wondering whether you truly love your child—or are just pretending to.”
How should I say this to gently provoke him?
What I wanted was for the Baron of Stoke—famous for his kindness—to get angry.
Angry for his daughter’s sake.
If that happened, this case would succeed no matter what.
“Pretending? Who would pretend when praying for their child’s happiness?”
“Then that means your prayer was for Lady Iz’s happiness.”
“Why are you asking?”
“Then why haven’t you done anything?”
“…Done what?”
“If it were me, I’d at least check how my daughter is living. If she’s truly that precious, you’d want to see her life with your own eyes. Not just pray to a god who may or may not even exist, hoping she’s doing well.”
For a moment, it felt as if a wind swept through the quiet chapel.
My neatly settled hair fluttered, and the Baron’s eyes wavered.
I know Iz doesn’t want anyone to know about her situation. Who would want to expose their shame to loved ones? But if the family never knows… how much regret will they live with once the truth comes out? By then, it’s too late.
I didn’t want them to live in hell like I did—
like me, who lived burdened by guilt for never divorcing my mother sooner.
Those feelings poured into my words.
Whether he understood my heart, or finally realized his mistake, the Baron stood up without a word.
“I should go.”
“At least the gods will bless a baron who chooses to act.”
That was the end of it.
Without even a proper farewell, he left.
I, too, stepped outside the chapel.
On a day warmed by gentle sunlight, I felt a good feeling about how things would turn out and hurried back to the mercenary office, choosing to trust his shaken eyes.
Seeing me return with a brighter expression than ever, Khan even treated me to cake.
Then I went back to my room to wait for the client who would return.
The mercenary office was a three-story building.
After earning my lawyer’s license, I had been staying cheaply in the lodging on the third floor.
And a few days later, someone knocked on my door.
“Lawyer.”
It was Khan.
“Yes?”
“A client has arrived. The client you’ve been waiting for, Ms. Rabiel.”
Seeing Khan’s bright smile, I knew things had gone well. I immediately went down to the first floor.
Iz was there.
Not in shabby clothes anymore, but wearing a fine silk dress, her face much brighter than before.
“Hello.”
“It doesn’t look like you’re here to find mercenaries today.”
“No. Today, I came to find a divorce lawyer. Ms. Rabiel, thank you for going to see my father. I was afraid my family would reject me… hate me… so I couldn’t even bring myself to speak. Thanks to you, I found my place again.”
Sometimes, all people need is a small push from behind to start walking again.
Iz, who had grown up loved, didn’t want to disappoint her family.
So she endured pain alone.
But after realizing that her family cherished her just as much as she cherished them, she decided to move forward—because she had a place to return to.
“Then… may I charge an expensive fee?”
“Yes. My father and brother said they’d help. So take as much as you need. Just make sure the divorce is final.”
Watching her smile so brightly made me feel envious.
What could be more reassuring than having a place to go back to?
If my mother had a family like that, she could have divorced without fear.
I pressed down the heaviness in my chest and laid out several documents in front of her.
A divorce success rate of 100%.
A case acceptance rate of 1%.
It was the first case of a divorce lawyer.
After Iz left with instructions on what documents to prepare, I noticed a man lingering near the lawyer recruitment board.
A man with his head covered by a hood.
And among all the lawyers listed, his gaze was fixed on my profile.
Wondering if he might be a new client, I moved closer.
“Divorce… specialist lawyer.”
When I was sure he was looking at mine, I spoke to him—overstepping a little, carried by the joy of my first case going well.
“Are you looking to divorce?”
With his hood pulled low, I couldn’t clearly see his face—or even his gender.
If not for his tall frame, it would have been impossible to tell.
Thankfully, his voice was unmistakably male.
“Even without a major reason… can you still make a divorce happen?”
“Of course. There’s always the excellent reason known as irreconcilable differences.”
My eyes sparkled as I looked at him.
The man, who had been staring at my profile, turned his head and met my gaze.
And then, I saw his face clearly.
Red hair like a blazing sun.
Red eyes that looked as if hellfire burned within them.
A face so handsome it was almost cruel.
Perhaps the word devil existed just to describe a man like this.
Startled by his striking appearance, I stared for a moment.
He curled the corner of his lips into a faint smile as he looked at me.
“Then tell me—why do you do such a thing?”
“Such a thing?”
“Being a divorce lawyer. Isn’t that breaking a family apart?”
“If a family can only survive through one person’s sacrifice, shouldn’t it be broken?”
“Hoh…”
His brows furrowed slightly.
As I looked at him, I felt something strange.
A vague sense of déjà vu.
Rabiel had rarely gone outside and barely knew the world beyond books. She had never attended a single party.
Maybe he’s one of those famous nobles Rabiel heard about from her sister.
That was as far as my curiosity went.
“Rabiel.”
In a low voice that echoed like it came from a cave, he called my name—probably after seeing it on the document.
“Yes?”
“There is no perfect family without sacrifice. You should know how significant the work you’re doing really is.”
I narrowed my eyes at the man 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.”
“Do you think everyone will be happy after divorce?”
“For those who need it—yes.”
“Interesting. You even carry a rare kind of arrogance, Rabiel.”
Suddenly, he grabbed my chin roughly. Then he chuckled and shook his head.
“Go ahead. Cause more trouble. Make sure news of you reaches my ears again—so I can come find you. Do your best.”
“Let go of me.”
He looked down at me with the arrogant, unpleasant expression of a predator, then finally released my chin.
Was this man insane? Grabbing someone out of nowhere like that!
“We’ll meet again.”
Without a single apology, he left the mercenary office.
“Unbelievable… that man!”
What’s the use of a handsome face when his personality is rotten?
“I absolutely, absolutely do not want to get involved with that man.”
