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“Wh-what? What are you saying?”
“Duke Aleksandr and Lady Aleksandra were, of course, aware. They knew exactly what form was required to truly betroth His Grace Aleksei and Lady Kira, and that His Majesty the Emperor’s approval was necessary. And yet, this letter was what they prepared.”

The letter was thrust sharply at him, and Novadin was rendered speechless.

“Knowing full well it was insufficient, Duke Aleksandr drafted this letter, and Lady Aleksandra signed and sealed it. That means neither of them truly desired this betrothal. Truth be told, Duke Aleksandr often acted this way. When asked for something difficult, he would hand over a letter like this, smile, and say, ‘I’ve granted your wish.’ He claimed it was simply because he didn’t want to disappoint people. —Oh, now that I think of it, Count Novadin, you were a friend of Duke Aleksandr, weren’t you? You must have known he possessed… this brand of kindness?”
“D-Don’t lump me in with them! I’m special! I was his closest friend!”

Though he insisted on this, sweat beaded on Novadin’s forehead.
This man knew it well, didn’t he? Aleksandr’s brand of ‘kindness’. He had even mocked those who had been falsely encouraged by that kindness. Immersed in the superiority of believing only he was different. Bringing that up would only further negate the validity of this letter.

“Duke Aleksandr seems to have been a very charming man. One who made many believe they were special to him.”

Daniil nodded, feigning admiration. His words implied, without saying it outright, that Novadin wasn’t truly special.
Probably, not a single person who believed themselves special was truly special to Aleksandr Jurnova. Not a single one.

“With all due respect, however favored she might have been, did Lady Aleksandra truly desire Lady Kira’s betrothal with His Grace Aleksei? Your family’s title is only Count.”

The lawyer’s words plunged the great hall into silence.

“How dare you! You call yourself a lawyer? You young upstart! What do you know? You won’t discredit this letter! This was indeed prepared by both of them wishing to make Kira Duchess!”

Novadin roared, but the people wore expressions of sober disbelief. The lawyer’s words held such persuasive power that even those who had taken the earlier engagement announcement at face value now felt ashamed of themselves.
Some still remembered how Aleksandr’s very own wife, Anastasia, had been reviled by the former Imperial Princess as some lowly girl during the brief days she had had with her husband. And Anastasia was the daughter of a distinguished marquis family, no less.

“Everyone! How can you possibly listen to such words?!”

Trying to change the atmosphere, Novadin raised his voice even louder.

“Duke Aleksandr didn’t concern himself with trivialities! Princess Aleksandra believed formal procedures were matters for commoners to arrange. They thought that if they simply expressed their will, those around them would make the necessary arrangements. You should know this! And you, young upstart calling yourself a lawyer! I don’t know how many years you’ve had your license, but you’re nothing but a greenhorn. You know nothing about distinguished families, yet you spout such arrogant nonsense! Don’t think you’ll get away with this! If you ever face a seasoned lawyer in court, you’ll be crushed!”
“—Hah.”

Daniil’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly.
He pushed his glasses up again and grinned. His face was intellectual, yet terribly—aggressive.

“You’re giving me the chance to fight in court? I’m truly looking forward to it. Tell that seasoned lawyer: a young upstart who passed the bar at eighteen will meet him head-on with everything he’s got.”

Those in the know widened their eyes. In the Empire, the bar qualification was granted only to those who had studied law at university and passed the examination. However, even without a university degree, one could take the bar exam if deemed to possess equivalent knowledge. It was an extremely narrow gate.
If he had passed the bar at eighteen, that meant Daniil had cleared that narrow gate at the youngest age possible.
Moreover, the bar exam itself is notoriously the most difficult. Passing at eighteen is simply unheard of.

“Ah, and as for distinguished individuals, I am somewhat acquainted through my father’s connections. My father’s name is Maxim Rygal. He served as legal advisor to the Imperial Household. He has since left the Imperial Household and now serves as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.”

This time, the great hall truly murmured in astonishment.

The Supreme Court oversees the empire’s judiciary. Its Chief Justice is the supreme authority within the empire’s legal circles.

“My father was also on friendly terms with His Grace Aleksei’s grandfather, Duke Sergei. He was a nobleman of the highest caliber, fully aware that his words and actions influenced many. Now, if I may be so bold, this Daniil Rygal was raised from infancy on legal texts instead of storybooks, his daily conversations with his father resembling courtroom debates. Though my experience as a lawyer spans only twelve years, I ask you not to judge me by that alone. To repay the trust His Grace Aleksei placed in me by appointing this young upstart as legal counsel to the ducal house, I shall devote my utmost efforts.”

Placing a hand over his heart, Daniil bowed with utmost courtesy.
If the highest authority in the legal world personally instilled legal knowledge and courtroom debate techniques from infancy, then passing the bar at eighteen makes perfect sense. This lawyer is absolutely not someone to be dismissed as a mere young upstart. And twelve years of experience is by no means short.

“Guh—kku… ugh.”

Novadin’s eyes darted wildly.
He scanned the grand hall, searching for help, but no one met his gaze. Not even his own entourage. Some were already slipping away, blending into the crowd.

This must have been unforeseen—that Aleksei would handle this with such calm, such cold detachment.
Common sense dictated that even if the legal requirements weren’t met, the late father’s wishes should be respected. Moreover, there was even the signature of his grandmother, Lady Aleksandra. Disrespecting it would invite accusations of disloyalty and ingratitude. Even if Aleksei didn’t desire the engagement to Kira, it was standard practice to resolve the situation peacefully.
Had that happened, Novadin would have declared that Aleksei had accepted the engagement.

Yet the lawyer steered the conclusion toward ‘Aleksandr and Aleksandra actually did not desire this engagement.’ The people in the great hall accepted that conclusion. And the lawyer flaunted the prestige of being a super-elite, the son of the legal world’s highest authority, with his theatrical delivery.
Novadin no longer held any cards to overturn this atmosphere. Even his entourage understood this.

He had bluffed that he held the trump card, maintaining his charisma by acting boldly and arrogantly toward Aleksei. And that veneer had now completely shattered.

Novadin collapsed to his knees with a thud.