MGN | Chapter 13

A wrinkled hand briefly touched Maël’s jacket and then withdrew.

“Lawyer Montmatier.”

“Oh, hello, Lawyer Bernardi.”

“What brings you to invite me for a meal at a place like this? Getting a reservation at Le Louis couldn’t have been easy.”

Maël looked at the lawyer, who resembled an old owl. While swallowing his surprise, Thierry Bernardi, the advisor to the Monaco Grand Palace and President of the Monaco Bar Association, confidently entered Le Louis through the white arched tunnel and spoke to the reservation manager.

“There should be a reservation under Maël Montmatier.”

“I didn’t…”

All he had received was a note telling him to come here. But there was no time to be flustered.

“I’ve confirmed your reservation for 7:30. Please follow me.”

The reservation manager, as if expecting them, briskly walked and opened the golden door of Le Louis restaurant.

The restaurant was lavishly adorned in gold everywhere the eye could see. The ceiling was domed in the center, with a Rococo-style blue painting inside. As Maël passed by the tables, spaced far enough apart to prevent overhearing conversations, he tried to gauge the intent.

“There must be a reason.”

The day he received the photos, he found himself at an expensive dining table with someone wrestling over Philippe and Manon’s agreement.

The new executive director of the Riviera Hotel seemed to be in a hurry.

“Shall we order a course? How about a simple wine pairing?”

“Yes, as you wish.”

The numbers next to the dishes were astonishing. But this wasn’t a place to worry about what went into his mouth. As Maël agreed readily, Bernardi chuckled heartily.

“I never thought I’d receive such hospitality from Lawyer Montmatier.”

Maël simply smiled.

Wine and appetizers were served, and trivial conversations ensued. Topics like the health of a lawyer they both knew and the courthouse bathrooms, unusable for two weeks due to prolonged plumbing work.

As Maël hesitated, Bernardi lightly asked first.

“With such a big family event coming up, you must be busy, right? I was so busy before my kid’s wedding.”

Maël, who had lost his appetite, was cutting the asparagus with goat cheese sauce into small pieces and put down his fork. It was a case they both handled. Though he had to be indirect, it was the right moment to bring up what needed to be said.

“Speaking of which, I happened to come across some photos.”

“Photos.”

Bernardi was cautious. He focused on the asparagus without looking at Maël, who continued undeterred.

“They were photos of a victim of violence. The photos alone showed severe physical injuries, including bruises and abrasions on the face, upper limbs, head, and neck, suspected fractures.”

“Oh dear. Such scary stories over a meal.”

Philippe’s lawyer continued cutting the asparagus. Maël didn’t stop.

“I heard they received hush money. But you know, assault can be investigated and prosecuted here regardless of the victim’s wishes. As a third party, I can file a complaint.”

“I wouldn’t be unaware of that.”

Finally, Bernardi looked up. He rolled the glass of transparent golden wine in his hand and chuckled.

“But why stir up trouble for those living well after receiving money? It’s not our job to poke at people’s wounds. As a piece of advice, the first priority is always the client’s protection and respect. Have you taken on a client?”

“No.”

“Then you should save your time even more. They might say they don’t want to press charges. Filing a complaint won’t get you much. It’s a meaningless endeavor. Many people feel ashamed of being beaten. How many would want to reveal that publicly?”

It was a long lecture. Though it was given like advice from a senior in the same field, there was no concern for the junior mixed in.

“There are many ways to pursue justice besides being a lawyer, Lawyer Montmatier.”

“I’m embarrassed to say it wasn’t for justice that I brought it up.”

Maël looked directly at the wrinkled eyes. They had met several times due to the prenuptial agreement negotiations. Each meeting left the impression of a despicable person. He must have known it wasn’t a normal prenuptial agreement, yet he parroted that it was impossible from the grand duke’s perspective, considering various situations.

The negotiations were at a standstill, with time passing. The other family was only pressuring Manon, asking why she wasn’t signing if it was just a standard contract.

“I think you can guess why I’m bringing this up. Do I need to spell it out more clearly?”

“If it’s unnecessary, there’s no good in saying it.”

Blinking his large owl-like eyes, Bernardi wiped his lips. Maël spoke calmly.

“I was shocked and disappointed by the photos, but I’m not the one getting married. I don’t want to bring it up. Moreover, I don’t want my sister to be shocked.”

There was no sincerity in his words. Every word was self-deception. He was disgusted with himself for saying such things.

Beyond disappointment, he wanted to disrupt his sister’s wedding. He wanted to reveal everything, to stop the marriage even if it meant doing something illegal.

But thinking about what came next…

In the end, there was only one thing Maël could do for his sister, who couldn’t give up on the marriage.

“Please acknowledge that the existing prenuptial agreement has unreasonable parts and participate properly in the negotiations. As a lawyer, you must know that the agreement is legally absurd, so I don’t think you need to work hard to persuade your client.”

To say this, he had swallowed food without knowing its taste, and it churned in his stomach.

The opposing lawyer silently scrutinized Maël with murky eyes. At least in this town, he was the most influential lawyer and a close confidant of the grand duke. Maël gathered the remaining courage and spoke again.

“There’s no need to upset your client by letting them know I’m aware. It was a complete coincidence that the photos came into my hands.”

It must have been Bernardi who handed over the hush money. The lawyer would be in trouble once he learned the secret had leaked. At those words, the tension in his jaw eased.

“I understand. Why were you trembling over such a simple matter? I’ll try, so let’s finish our meal.”

Even if there was no other way, his response was surprisingly agreeable.

The asparagus was cleared, and the main course was served. A cheese cart followed, and until the pink pepper sorbet and passion fruit soufflé were served, only minimal conversation passed over the table.

“I’ve had a good meal. Sorry, but I have another appointment, so I’ll leave first. I guess I’ll see you at the next negotiation.”

Bernardi stood up before the bill even arrived. Though he wore a smiling face, he couldn’t have been in a good mood.

Maël, bewildered by the quickly progressing situation without needing to show the terrible photos as evidence, asked for the bill.

He was just catching his breath when—

“Maël!”

The voice calling him was so annoyingly familiar that he looked up. It was Charles, who had taken a seat at the table Bernardi left.

“Was it you who called me here? I’m glad I checked just in case.”

“…What are you talking about?”

The person he didn’t want to see sat down and started spouting nonsense. Despite not hiding his displeasure, Charles burst into laughter.

“You told me to come to Le Louis by 8:30. You left a post-it on my car.”

A post-it. Maël let out a frustrated breath. Trying to suppress it, he stared at the stark white tablecloth until his eyes stung, while Charles couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“I never imagined it was you. Are you eating? Can you even make a reservation at a place like this? I’m kind of impressed—”

“I’ve already eaten. I’m just paying and leaving.”

“What? Oh? Come on… what are you saying? That’s not funny.”

His eye smile was as smooth as ever, trying to pass it off as a joke. It was just like Charles, neat and without edges.

“What should we eat? I heard the wine pairing here is good. I’ll pay today, so order whatever you want. Let’s drink and forget everything, okay?”