A Villainess' Lawyer - I'll Help You Get The Palimony You Deserve

Chapter One: The Hidden Card - The Palimony Agreement

When he had first set out to execute his plan of annulling his engagement and convicting Clarissa of her crimes earlier this night, Wilhelm Dale the Third, could have never predicted that things would have turned out this way.

"What?!"

A crisis has come.

'A palimony agreement!?'

Wilhelm was stunned, he had never heard of such an agreement like this coming into existence. Yet, what was more shocking to him was the fact that the Crown had been involved.

"My father?"

"That's right."

Rebecca smiled, cheerfully as she gestured once more the crucial document in her hand.

"This right here is an official agreement,"

She guided the Crown Prince's attention more specifically to a section of the document, where the Royal family's distinguished star emblem was clearly stamped in fine red wax for all to see. It was undeniable proof of his father's involvement.

"And if you can't read, their names are right here on the top in fine print, you damn prick."

He refused to believe it.

'No, it can't be.'

"It must be a fake."

That was the only logical explanation for it, there was no other way.

For the longest time, his father had never even once discussed with him about his engagement to Clarissa in the slightest, nor even concerned himself with matters aside from those that were key to the Kingdom's affairs.

"My father would never; how dare you create a forgery like this! It is a crime against the Crown. I ought to have you thrown into prison, and your family stripped of their title for this."

Within the crowd of observing nobles, one spectating Jonathan Vanderwood silently clutched his chest in anguish as he felt a part of his soul disintegrate.

The poor young man always knew that his elder sister's outlandish behaviour would get her in big trouble someday, but with the threat of the fall of their family name before them, the Vanderwood heir could only pray that Rebecca had something planned to refute the Crown Prince's claims.

And indeed, she did.

'I thought you might say that.'

"Oh, so you believe it is a fake, do you?"

Wilhelm crossed his arms across his chest defiantly, he was certain.

"It must be."

"So then, there is no absolute way that an official document like this was approved by the Holy Temple, yes? So, this signature and stamp of approval by the Archbishop must be a forgery then?"

If one was to look closely, you could almost see a fox-like tail poking out from behind her, swishing at her every word.

"Well, of course."

"So, you wouldn't mind then if I asked the Archbishop himself if he signed and gave his approval to this document?"

"Ye – wait, what?"

But Rebecca was already on the move, disappearing from his sight within seconds.

From the crowd of attendees, a single elderly man took that as his cue to leave.

It was not often that an elder man such as himself would take time off to attend grand events like these, but when you receive a personal invitation from the King, himself, it would have been much too rude to decline the invite. However, from the way the night's events have gone so far, he could not help but suspect that his sudden invitation might not have been out of common courtesy after all, or even from the King at hand.