Chapter 103
Taking advantage of the moment, I took a quick look around the office. Overall, it gave off a calm atmosphere. The walls and floors were all made of dark brown wood. Beneath the sofa lay a plush carpet, giving the place a cozy, tranquil, and at the same time very practical feeling.
So this must be a law office run by just two people. A lawyer and a secretary—only the two of them.
I liked the atmosphere of the law office, which felt completely different from the bank.
Frederick finally began to explain.
“This place has been a family of lawyers for generations. They’ve been our family’s legal representatives too. They’ve been helping our family for a very long time. The son has inherited the position now.”
“I see.”
—Creak.
“Thank you for waiting.”
At that moment, the secretary came out of the lawyer’s office.
“Please come in, both of you.”
We followed the secretary into the office.
The lawyer’s office had a similar atmosphere—calm, comfortable, and practical.
The lawyer was seated at a desk facing us, with the window behind him. When he saw us, he stood up and approached.
He looked a little older than us.
Early thirties at most? He looks like he might even be in his late twenties.
Neatly dressed, the lawyer gave off a sharp, intellectual impression.
“Frederick! You little brat!”
Showing obvious delight, the lawyer walked over to Frederick.
“Frederick! It’s been so long. Do you remember your big brother’s face?”
Calling himself “big brother,” the man hugged Frederick tightly.
“Hey, hyung. You’re suffocating me.”
Frederick complained as he pushed him away, but he didn’t seem truly displeased.
So Frederick has someone he’s comfortable with too.
I found the situation amusing and watched the two of them.
The lawyer firmly grabbed Frederick’s arms.
“Looks like this kid works out now, huh? Your thighs are thicker than mine. When you were little, you were so skinny I could lift you with one hand.”
“How long ago was that? Of course I work out.”
Frederick brushed off the lawyer’s arm with an annoyed look.
“Ah, I’m late with introductions.”
The lawyer turned toward me and greeted me.
“My name is Anthony Chevre. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Delphine Fleurigny. Nice to meet you.”
The lawyer responded with a bright smile.
“Lady Delphine Fleurigny! I’ve heard a lot about you. You must have had a hard time turning this brat into a proper human being.”
He lightly patted Frederick on the shoulder.
“Hey, kid! You should’ve lived better. Making such a lovely young lady suffer like this.”
He teased Frederick with an easygoing attitude. Frederick didn’t show it, but a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips, as if he was pleased.
What is this, Frederick? Still, knowing he has friends makes me feel a bit relieved.
The lawyer guided us to the sofa.
“My goodness, look at me. Making such a lovely lady stand. Please, Lady Delphine, have a seat. Frederick, you too.”
His playful tone wasn’t unpleasant—rather, it felt cheerful.
We sat on the sofa facing the lawyer.
The secretary brought us drinks.
I took a sip of my black tea.
“So then. What brings you here?”
The lawyer asked Frederick.
Frederick explained the situation.
“It’s a debt issue.”
As soon as Frederick began speaking, the lawyer’s gaze changed—sharp, elevated, piercing, as if he could see right through a person.
Wow, a lawyer really is a lawyer. The moment work comes up, his eyes completely change.
“There’s a problem with Delphine’s account…”
Frederick explained what had happened at the bank.
“So what I want to know is this. Delphine’s account is frozen—if she buys an apartment now, will it be seized or not?”
“So to summarize, all of the Fleurigny family’s accounts are frozen due to debt, and the debt is massive. But Delphine’s money is currently in your account, Frederick. You want to buy real estate with that money—can it be registered under Delphine’s name?”
The lawyer crossed his legs, leaned back, and thought for a moment.
“I’ve heard a lot about the Fleurigny family. Their debt situation is quite serious. I’ve heard even the Fleurigny estate could be taken.”
“……”
It’s that bad?
The situation was more serious than I had thought. I didn’t want to show it, but anxiety slowly began to creep in.
The lawyer continued.
“In a situation like this, there are only two ways for Lady Delphine to purchase real estate under her own name.”
He smiled brightly and held up two fingers, then looked at me.
“But I don’t know if either will work. It depends on your circumstances.”
“Please tell me.”
Interlacing his fingers and resting his elbows on his thighs, he began.
“The first is for Lady Delphine to sever all ties with the Fleurigny family. In other words, to remove yourself from the family registry. Officially, on paper, you would cut all connections with the Fleurigny family. Then, no matter what assets you acquire, the Fleurigny family wouldn’t be able to touch them.”
“I see.”
I fell into thought for a moment.
Frederick listened silently and attentively to our conversation.
“The problem is that removing yourself from the family registry isn’t easy. Of course, we can help. However, you would need the consent of your family members.”
“Hm… the consent of family members…”
Seeing my hesitant reaction, the lawyer proposed another option.
“There’s a second method. Marriage.”
“Marriage…?”
“Yes. If you marry and form a new household, Lady Delphine will be recognized as an independent entity. That means you won’t have to repay any of the Fleurigny family’s debts.”
“Marriage…”
I let out a sigh.
“Neither removing my name from the registry nor marriage seems easy.”
“Hyung, what about this?”
Frederick spoke up.
“I buy the property. I buy it, and then Delphine and I sign a contract. Whenever Delphine wants, I sell the property and give her the money. Something like that.”
The lawyer shrugged.
“Well, that’s possible too. But—”
He looked back and forth between Frederick and me.
“In cases like that, contracts don’t really have much legal force. In the end, it’s a matter of trust between the two of you. If Lady Delphine can fully trust this brat, then that’s the simplest option. It’s not illegal either.”
Leaning back in his chair, he added,
“But people aren’t that trustworthy, you know. No matter how much of a brat he is. As a lawyer, I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“I suppose so…”
I fell into deep 고민. Three options in total—the two the lawyer suggested and the one Frederick proposed.
Marriage wasn’t realistic right now. I couldn’t marry Thiago immediately, and I didn’t want to marry because of the Fleurigny family’s debt.
Removing myself from the family registry was also risky.
If my family finds out I have money, they’ll never let me go.
The Fleurigny family would cling to me and try to squeeze money out of me by any means necessary.
But I can’t put everything under Frederick’s name either…
I trusted Frederick. After all, all my money was already in his account.
But there was one variable—Charliez. It was obvious he wouldn’t be pleased with this situation.
Ah, what about this?
I asked the lawyer.
“Would it be okay to combine the two methods? First, buy the property under Frederick’s name, and when I get married, transfer it into my name.”
As I spoke and thought about marrying Thiago, my face slowly turned red on its own.
The lawyer glanced at me.
“That’s good. A very good approach. It seems Lady Delphine has already made up her mind toward marriage.”
Feeling embarrassed, I changed the subject.
“Well… marriage is something that could happen someday.”
“Excellent. Very good.”
The lawyer turned his head toward Frederick. Frederick’s expression had hardened, colder than before.
Frederick…
“Alright. I’ve asked everything I needed to.”
Frederick brushed off his hands and shifted the conversation.
“We’ll think it over and come back. Oh right, hyung. Any good properties available nearby?”
“There is. A very good one just came up.”
The lawyer looked at me.
“Are you looking for a place to live, Lady Delphine?”
“Yes.”
“How many people will be living there?”
“…One or two.”
The moment I said “two,” my heart began to race. Frederick’s expression stiffened even more at my answer.
“Then there’s a property that would be perfect.”
The lawyer stood up and walked toward the window.
“Please come over here. There’s a property in that building.”
He pointed to a building ahead.
“You see that building? The tallest one on that street. The entire building is a luxury residential complex. There are about three units per floor. Two or three bedrooms, plenty of space. The design and durability are excellent as well.”
I looked at the building visible outside the window.
Wow, it’s gorgeous.
The building looked like a small palace. Each window frame was decorated ornately, and the balconies were beautifully designed. The large windows faced south, and there were no tall buildings nearby, so the view would likely be excellent.
I always wondered who would live in a place like that…
“You like it, don’t you?”
The lawyer said.
“Coincidentally, one of my clients just moved out, and I’m organizing the paperwork. Shall I check if it’s still vacant?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
