Chapter 07
“Iz…?”
“I’m here!”
“Is it okay for you to be this cheerful? The divorce is over, so you don’t need to come find me anymore, right?”
“My father said my ex-husband might try to harm you, Rabiel, so he assigned the family’s knights to accompany me.”
Iz’s face was glowing, as if she’d been nourished with some special tonic. She introduced nearly ten knights she had brought along.
The atmosphere in the mercenary office grew tense—those who feared losing their positions were on edge.
“It’s really okay. Since I’m staying at the mercenary office, it might be better to hire your people instead.”
“But… just two or three. They’ve protected me since I was little, so they’ll be trustworthy for you too.”
“Thank you.”
Unable to refuse, I accepted Baron Stoke’s knights.
I thought that would be the end of Iz’s visits. But the next day, and the day after, she kept coming.
By the third day, Iz hurried to find me.
“You must have something urgent, Rabiel.”
Half-awake, I reluctantly went down to the first floor of the mercenary office. At first, I thought maybe her ex-husband was causing trouble, but now it wasn’t urgent. I dressed lightly and went down at a relaxed pace.
Iz brightened upon seeing me and grabbed my hand seriously.
“This is a pass!”
“Excuse me? A pass for what?”
Before I could ask, she had put me in the Stoke family carriage and stared at my face for a long moment.
“Where are we going…?”
Thanks to the success of the first case, I didn’t need to worry about finances for a while. Still, waiting at the mercenary office made sense since clients could come at any time.
“Don’t you need a new client?”
“You do, very much. But Iz… are you trying to bring a new client?”
“Yes. It’s difficult for them to come here in person, so they asked to meet me separately.”
“Thank you… for taking so much care.”
I felt moved. Being a divorce-specialist lawyer truly brings clients directly to you. Satisfaction in this profession was unmatched.
Iz looked proud as she watched me, but she quickly corrected herself.
“Actually… this isn’t really my help.”
“No, without you, there would have been no client at all.”
I suddenly remembered that strange man who had caused trouble last time. Handsome, but irritating. I shook my head quickly—such arrogant clients were not welcome.
Iz, misunderstanding, took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her tears.
“I didn’t expect you to think of me this way. But honestly, this isn’t because of me. I just told you what I went through during my divorce.”
“My lady?”
“Yes! And I realized something. The first day I met you, Rabiel, I didn’t understand what you meant. But after my divorce, I understood—the face of someone wanting a divorce. So I honestly told you everything, without hiding anything.”
She then explained briefly what had happened.
Her ex-husband, Devon Reddick, quit his job as soon as they married and never worked again, leaving the household responsibilities to Iz.
A noblewoman like Iz had almost no skills to work. Eventually, she took a position as a servant in another household.
The client that day was the lady of that household. Iz, skilled with her hands, had earned the lady’s favor. Yet no matter how the lady helped, the abuse by Devon Reddick continued—he would take any money given to her and physically punish her. Eventually, even the lady could do no more.
But now Iz appeared, unusually bright and cheerful, telling her story directly to the lady. She explained she had recently divorced and returned home.
“We’ve arrived!”
Iz’s excited voice announced a magnificent mansion.
“Where is this…?”
“The Azbeck Marquis family.”
“And the lady you called…?”
“The wife of the Azbeck Marquis! I originally came as a servant, but now I visit to keep the lady company.”
The Stoke family carriage entered the mansion without obstruction. Compared to the Avalon estate, this mansion was enormous. I suppressed my amazement and followed Iz into the garden. There, I saw a woman with black hair tied neatly, drinking tea.
“Ma’am.”
“Has Iz arrived?”
“Yes! This is the lawyer I told you about.”
The lady slowly raised her head, smiling kindly at me.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lily Azbeck, wife of the Marquis. I heard you’re a divorce-specialist lawyer.”
“I’m Rabiel.”
“Rabiel… could it be…?”
“May I sit first?”
“Yes.”
Unlike Iz, who was distant from high society, the Marquis’s wife immediately recognized who I was. I awkwardly smiled and sat.
“You don’t seem to care about your own family. Is there a reason?”
“I don’t think my family matters in this work.”
“Understood.”
My father was still looking for me, no matter what. If he found me, he’d grab me by the hair immediately.
‘He might have already found another wealthy target,’ I thought.
No use worrying further. The important thing was why the Marquis’s wife had called me.
“So, why did you seek me out?”
“Divorce lawyers have one purpose: I want a divorce.”
“Are you able to do it amicably?”
“No. The Azbeck Marquis will never agree.”
“Then it must go to court… Can you tell me the story?”
“You want me to tell it in a way that’s favorable?”
“Yes. Everything, including that.”
“This might be a long story. First, have some tea.”
The Marquis’s wife signaled to her attendants, who placed the tea and withdrew. Then she began.
“I married the Azbeck Marquis at age twenty. Through our marriage, he rightfully inherited the Marquis title. Our marriage seemed normal at first.”
Though she spoke lightly, her expression was sad.
“I lived as the Marquis’s wife without lacking anything. Coming from a fallen noble family, I lived comfortably thanks to him. But wealth doesn’t mean happiness.”
“Hmm…”
“He didn’t hit anyone, didn’t drink excessively, had no other vices. Outwardly, he seemed perfect, favored by the Emperor, competent in every way.”
The Azbeck Marquis appeared flawless to the outside world.
“If I asked for a divorce, he would say: ‘I’ve let you live in comfort all your life, and now you want a divorce? What is this?’”
“Have you mentioned divorce before?”
“Yes. He will never agree, for the sake of his own honor. He knows I won’t ruin my reputation, and that’s why I’ve endured all this time.”
“There must be reasons you couldn’t speak before?”
“Yes, but now I’m ready to talk.”
After finishing her tea, she smiled awkwardly.
“Thanks to him, I lived comfortably. But… the children of the Azbeck Marquis? The five who are alive are all from other women.”
…What a damn dog, I thought. Almost said it out loud.
