MGN | Chapter 21

The contract was filled with signatures on every page, as if guaranteeing the listed terms. It was no different from the final prenuptial agreement Maël had sent last. Except for one thing.

[Manon Juliette Matier]

The name of the contractor was written above Manon’s childishly round signature.

Maël bit his lip and opened his phone. He checked the attachments in the last email he sent to the Grand Duke’s legal team. The contract appeared on the screen. After fumbling a few times with trembling hands, Maël finally found the contractor’s name section.

[Manon Juliette Montmatier]

Unlike the original contract, Manon’s real name was correctly written there.

Maël flipped through the paper contract again. Not a single page with a signature had Manon’s last name correctly.

“Manon, this is the one you brought from them, right?”

“Yeah. I printed it out… Why? It’s the same as what you told me to look at.”

The smile disappeared from his sister’s face, which had brightened at the sight of the packaged food. Maël hesitated for a moment before pushing the contract towards her, pointing right above Manon’s signature.

“That’s not your name. Even if you’re called Matier in newspapers or outside, that’s like a stage name. On paper, that person doesn’t exist. You’re Montmatier.”

“Well, I tried to ask about it then, but…”

Manon’s lips twisted. Seeing that, Maël urgently asked again.

“You tried to ask? And then?”

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I signed without noticing the name on the first few pages. But later, I thought it was strange…”

“Did you ask Lawyer Duverger? Why the name wasn’t your real one?”

“They were laughing and talking among themselves… I just pointed out that the contract seemed a bit strange.”

Maël knew his sister’s nature. She wasn’t outgoing or assertive, and she was so kind-hearted that she’d rather take a loss than push her point. Above all, she felt extremely uncomfortable around authoritative older men. It was an influence from her childhood.

‘I should have been there.’

He hadn’t thought of it. He just wanted to borrow the prestige of Antoine’s lead lawyer. So they wouldn’t underestimate Manon. It seemed better both procedurally and visually.

‘Was this a mistake?’

Suddenly, that thought crossed his mind. Diane’s sudden accident and Antoine’s unexpected presence at the signing. He even took the contract copy without time to verify it. The documents were mixed in the document storage, making them hard to find.

He wasn’t sure if it was the worst luck or some intention.

“What did he say then?”

“He said since you prepared the contract well, as long as the content wasn’t different, it was fine… just to sign it as it was…”

“He said that?”

When Maël’s voice rose, Manon froze, unable to nod.

Inside the grand palace of the principality, two old and reputable lawyers, and the remaining one was the groom and prince of this principality.

It was a place where questions required courage and energy. Manon, overwhelmed by the situation that day, wouldn’t have had any of that.

Maël swallowed a sigh. His head throbbed, but he had to make one thing clear.

“This isn’t the contract I prepared. How could I forget your name?”

“That’s… wrong, right? What do I do then?”

Tears welled up in his sister’s light brown eyes, mixed with anxiety.

“Oppa, my wedding is tomorrow.”

Right. The wedding was tomorrow. With less than a day left, the prenuptial agreement, which he thought was already done, hadn’t even been finalized.

‘Should I change it to a postnuptial agreement?’

If that happened, they might have to renegotiate. The most important condition of the contract before marriage, and their leverage, would be completely nullified.

Biting his lip, Maël looked at his watch.

“There’s still time. We have to fix it. We will fix it.”

Saying that, Maël called his boss, Diane. She didn’t answer. She was likely still in a meeting with American lawyers about the Bezzo case.

Even though it was late, there was no time for courtesy. Maël found Lawyer Bernardi’s number and called. He thought he wouldn’t answer because of dinner at Le Louis, but a hoarse voice soon came through.

― Attorney Montmatier. I was just about to contact you.

“I just checked Manon’s prenuptial agreement. There’s a problem.”

― Oh, you’re looking at the same thing. I was just checking the marriage certificate for tomorrow. It seems the princess consort’s name is different from the contract.

His attitude was nonchalant, almost brazen. Suspicion deepened, and Maël asked pointedly.

“Yes, it’s different. Can you tell me why the contract was printed like that?”

― It’s a mistake, isn’t it? Didn’t they send it wrong? Names are basic, but they’re also a common mistake. It’s all human work.

“I checked, and it wasn’t our mistake. We verified the name issue several times.”

― Really? Maybe we got confused. Anyway, Montmatier, that last name is unique. There are only two in the world. Who knows if the document program auto-corrected it?

A major error requiring a contract redo was reduced to a trivial mistake. Typical lawyer talk. Ha, Maël let out a hollow laugh, but Bernardi continued as if he hadn’t heard.

― Fixing it is the priority. We’re sending a car to you tomorrow morning, right?

“Yes.”

― We’ll send the corrected contract with Prince Philippe’s signature. Just sign it again and hand it over. Let’s finish it before signing the marriage certificate.

“Understood. I’ll call you again then.”

Maël only realized he had been holding his breath after ending the call. The situation was that urgent. Looking at his sister, who was staring at him without asking, Maël nodded.

“It’s roughly resolved. They’ll bring the correct one on the way to the wedding tomorrow. Don’t worry and eat dinner. It’ll get cold.”

With that, Manon finally picked up her spoon. She sipped some pho broth, but it seemed like she couldn’t eat, so Maël changed the subject.

“Did you pack for your honeymoon?”

“Yeah. We’re just staying a night at the Riviera Hotel anyway.”

“Still, you should pack in advance. It’s hectic.”

“I know. I packed and sent it the day before yesterday. Oppa, I’m not a kid.”

Her expression finally relaxed at his nagging. She pretended to stir the broth, then looked up again.

“Oppa, what if I trip going to the church or city hall tomorrow? In front of everyone.”

“Then get up. Philippe will catch you. You’re family now.”

But Maël held back the urge to add that it was a family that could break anytime. Manon repeated the word “family” and then spoke.

“Hey, about what I was going to say earlier. Tomorrow.”

“What? What did the crown prince say? What is it?”

“You’ll hear it tomorrow too. You’ll be really surprised. I was so happy when I heard it. It’s supposed to be a wedding gift for me and Philippe. But especially for you, oppa, it’ll feel like a real gift.”

“For me? What? I don’t need a gift.”

“No, you’ll really like it. Others too.”

Manon finally smiled and bit into a spring roll.

‘Are they giving us a house in Monaco?’

The grand duke’s sons had mentioned it a few times, so if it was a gift, that seemed the most likely.

But he truly meant it when he said he didn’t need a gift. The greatest gift this marriage could give Maël was Manon’s broken engagement, followed by her divorce, and lastly, Philippe’s reformation, and that was really it.

* * *

“Congratulations!”

“Look this way! Manon! Manon!”

The navy sedan sent from the Monaco Grand Palace to Nice, France, stopped at the entrance. The wedding staff provided by the Grand Duke’s family had been there since dawn, clearing away the noisy reporters and crowds for hours.

A few minutes before nine. The wedding, set to start at noon, was not far off. Maël, in a suit, led the way to avoid stepping on the hem of the wedding dress, and Manon followed into the car.

“I have the medicine with me. Let me know if you need it. Are you really okay?”

Talking about the nausea medicine she needed, Manon nodded.

“I think I wasn’t in my right mind because of it when I signed the contract. I’ll hold out until the reception.”

Her face was pale as she spoke. Her arms, wrapped in white lace, trembled.

“Aren’t you nervous, oppa?”

“All I have to do is hold your hand and walk. Who’s going to pay attention to me?”

He spoke boldly, but he was nervous. As he secretly exhaled a long breath, the sedan, flanked by escort vehicles, quickly hit the road.

Once the crowd dispersed and the car settled into its course, the woman in the passenger seat handed over a document envelope and pen. She was the protocol officer from the Grand Palace.

“I’ll check it first.”

Maël took it and opened it, while Manon spoke in a bright voice.

“More than that, oppa, you haven’t heard the news yet. Could you turn on the radio? To the Monaco news channel. They promised it would be on around nine.”

What kind of news would be on the radio? Maël looked up, pausing from opening the prenuptial agreement.

The protocol officer in the passenger seat turned on the radio, and an excited anchor announced unexpected news.

[It seems His Highness Lucien III of Monaco has changed his mind. When the Monaco Parliament passed a law allowing same-sex marriage in 202X, His Highness exercised his veto, saying it violated Monaco’s public order and contradicted church teachings. However, according to the official congratulatory letter from the Grand Palace for the marriage of Prince Philippe de Broglie and Manon Matier, it includes a statement about supporting equal marriage rights for all genders in celebration of their wedding. This makes the joyous day even more…]