MGN | Chapter 17

The sound of heels echoed through the corridor.

Even without turning my head, I recognized the voice and the rose scent that grew stronger with each step. Until the man stood right in front of me, I said nothing. Yves Valois, in his monochrome attire, didn’t match the overly bright family portrait behind him.

“You curse well when you’re alone.”

I didn’t even want to look up, so I stared at my toes. Only when it felt like it wouldn’t be considered ignoring him did I lift my head and offer a formal greeting.

“What brings you here, Yves?”

“Summoned by the crown prince.”

“…I can’t understand why you’re so close to them. If they betray you later, it won’t be good for you either.”

“Lawyer’s advice?”

Did I really need a law degree to offer such common-sense advice? I pushed aside my rising thoughts and cut him off.

“I’m not your lawyer yet.”

Our rescheduled consultation was the day after tomorrow. We hadn’t signed a contract yet. Despite my firm response, Yves slowly said after observing me for a moment, “There’s a minimum condition for them to accept me without feeling betrayed. You’d know, having been confessed to.”

I learned history in school. Of course, I knew the lineage of the grand duke of my country. It was only two generations ago that the son of an illegitimate child ascended to the throne.

“I can guess.”

After the outrageous confession, once my head cooled, I vaguely realized. Knowing the situation and logically connecting it made the inference easy.

An illegitimate child who could leave heirs was dangerous.

It wasn’t just to tease me; Yves claimed to be gay to involve the grand duke in a lawsuit. Then he confessed to me, talking about being ‘appropriate’ after I showed him a melodrama.

Did he really need to be this cautious? Honestly, I couldn’t understand it at all.

“So.”

Yves spoke as if there was more to it.

‘What on earth is “so”?’

The gaze that hadn’t left me since earlier was overwhelming. Pretending not to notice, Yves tossed out, “Isn’t Maël Montmatier a dedicated lawyer who goes all out for clients?”

“…What did you just say?”

“A poor Cinderella is hoping for a knight’s help.”

My eyebrows furrowed on their own. The devilish man’s voice, who called himself Cinderella, continued with a hint of laughter.

“I didn’t get an answer back then.”

“What didn’t you hear?”

Wasn’t my behavior back then a clear gesture of refusal to anyone? Now, claiming he didn’t hear an answer, he was talking about professional ethics and dedication right in front of me.

I really hate this.

I’ve never interacted with him without feeling angry. Just as I was about to tell him to stop spouting nonsense and find an actor or hire someone with money, another voice interrupted.

“Maël!”

It was someone I hadn’t needed to hear from for a while, bringing a sense of peace. Without even responding, Charles rushed over and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Today’s the day Manon signs the prenuptial contract, right? I saw my father leave after getting a call from Attorney Croix. He must’ve left the final touches to him. Oh, did you get the bracelet I sent?”

Is putting hands on others’ shoulders a family trait?

Instead of answering, I looked at the hand that had landed on me. Charles, too busy glaring at Yves, didn’t notice.

If I’d known I’d meet him here, I would’ve brought the bracelet. As I glanced at him, Charles started explaining things I hadn’t even asked about.

“Felix called me for Only Watch and the Grand Prix. I turned around just in case, and it seems we’re meant to be. Want to come with me? Felix seems to misunderstand.”

Misunderstanding or Felix, I was just tired of everything. I brushed off the hand that showed no sign of moving. Only then did Charles stop his intense staring contest and look at me. His deep voice, which didn’t suit him, followed.

“I know how you feel.”

“You know?”

“Maël, I know I’ve left you feeling lonely. I understand you were really angry about the past mistakes. You might’ve wanted revenge by embarrassing me. I know, all of it.”

What on earth did he know? My gaze turned cold at his nonsense. Yet, Charles grabbed my hand and took a deep breath.

“Let’s make it public. I’m not ashamed at all about us being together. I won’t hide it anymore. That I love you.”

Even if Charles wasn’t ashamed, I felt like dying from embarrassment.

That someone had witnessed this.

That the someone happened to be the person who had seen a similar scene before.

And that the person watching this ridiculous situation with a blank expression was Yves Valois.

“The admission fee this time won’t be enough even for a jackpot.”

His casual remark made my ears burn. And despite saying such self-indulgent nonsense, Charles, more focused on Yves than me, had a vein bulging on his forehead.

“What are you saying…?”

“Oppa!”

As if on cue, the door opened. Manon was the first to emerge from the reception room, as if spat out with the stale air.

“How was it?”

Finally standing up, I moved past the two men to face my sister. Even though she had only been inside for a moment, Manon was trembling slightly, clutching the original prenuptial contract and biting her lip.

“You know, that…”

“The contract was exactly as we saw it, unchanged. She signed everything well. You can tell by the time it took.”

Manon seemed like she had something to say. But Antoine, who followed her out, skillfully took over the conversation. He was holding documents too, so I spoke up.

“Is that a copy? If you give it to me, I’ll check and store it.”

“Oh, Attorney Montmatier, you’ve finished a big project today, so you should rest. Diane said the same earlier. Don’t overwork and take a break. I have to go to the office, so I’ll handle it. Just head home today.”

His generous smile, with wrinkles around his eyes, resembled the son standing right next to him.

As I was about to agree, Philippe and his lawyer, Bernardi, emerged from the reception room. Philippe dismissed his lawyer with a nod and wrapped his arm around Manon’s waist, looking around.

“What are you all… doing here? Charles, and Yves too.”

“The crown prince called me.”

After Charles’ response, Philippe twisted his lips briefly but didn’t ask further. He spoke to his fiancée.

“Let’s go… Manon. You need some sleep.”

Hesitating, Manon asked for permission.

“Oppa, I’ll take a nap and go home later. Philippe reserved a restaurant for dinner to celebrate this. Is that okay? But you didn’t bring your car…”

“Sounds fun. Don’t worry about me; I’ll manage.”

Though not officially, Manon already had a place she shared with Philippe inside this centuries-old palace, a place she could call her own.

Of course, it was the same outside the Monaco palace. It was a semi-cohabitation that started as soon as marriage was discussed, and she wasn’t at an age to ask for permission. Her question was just a courtesy.

“Make sure you keep the original contract safe. Losing it would be a big deal.”

Adding a word, Manon, who seemed like she had something to say, smiled and waved.

Depending on the country, prenuptial contracts were often the raw face of marriage and an obstacle to its progress. Usually, the wealthy party proposed it first, and the essence of most prenuptial contracts was to ensure their share of the assets was protected in case of divorce. No one would be happy receiving a contract that anticipated divorce.

Even though I hoped they’d break up, they managed to get past that part. I was the one who helped them. As I tried to soothe my aching heart, a deep voice asked.

“Attorney Montmatier, are you planning to go home to rest?”

“Ah, yes, I think I should.”

“I’ll give you a ride.”

Charles, who seemed disappointed that the dreadful confession was interrupted, interjected into my conversation with Antoine. Then, with a serious tone, he declared to Antoine, who was stroking his beard and looking between me and his son.

“Father, I think you might have guessed from the rumors about my relationship with Maël. It’s not just a rumor; it’s true. I’m seriously seeing Maël. Even if you don’t understand, I don’t care.”

“Well… that’s a bit different from what I heard from Attorney Montmatier. Whatever it is, this isn’t the place to discuss it. We’ll talk later.”

Once again, the confession left no significant impression on anyone and dissipated.

“I’ll be off first. Good work today.”

At Antoine’s farewell, I bowed my head. Watching his back, Charles grabbed my hand.

“You’re not bothered by Father’s reaction, right? I’ll give you a ride home.”

“Weren’t you here to see the crown prince?”

I said, letting go of his hand. His hand lingered in the air, and his face showed awkwardness. Charles couldn’t defy Felix, whom he had to please closely.

“Well, that’s true. Then… shall we go together?”

“Go with Mr. Valois. He said the crown prince called him too.”

If I could, I’d like them both to disappear. It was clear from my words, and Yves chuckled. At that laugh, a spark ignited in Charles’ blue eyes. His lips twisted, and his voice rose.

“Maël, think about it. Even if we were both called, how can I go with someone like that parvenu who crawled out of nowhere? We’re on different levels.”

Parvenu. A derogatory term for a nouveau riche, a social climber, spoken right in front of someone.

Even though it wasn’t directed at me, I gritted my teeth at the shame that surged near my ears.

“Please, just stop!”

“Huh, what?”

“I’m already dying of embarrassment for having dated you.”

Even though Yves didn’t stop laughing, it was I who spat out the words.