Nikolai, wrapped in a shawl, glared at his fiancée with displeasure, and then made an uncharacteristic snort.

Katya quickly clutched her stomach in embarrassment.

It was time for lunch.

Seeing this, he walked over to where the knights were, clapped his hands to get their attention, and announced it was time to eat.

They huddled together in the shade and began to dig into the simple food they had brought.

Katya suddenly realized that she hadn’t packed lunch in her excitement to see training.

As she fiddled with her fingers trying to figure out what to do, Nikolai quickly realized what she was thinking and smiled at her.

“I brought your share, so let’s eat.”

“You brought something for me to eat?”

He took out a pack from his bag and unfolded it, revealing two loaves of butterbrot, filled with smoked ham and butter, tightly packed inside.

Nikolai wrapped one of the larger loaves in a cloth and handed it to Katya.

It was barely big enough to cover her tiny face.

He had purposely filled it with only the ingredients he had baked for her, so the butterbrot he held were nearly empty.

Unaware of his consideration, Katya took the loaf with both hands with a happy face.

“I’ll eat it!”

She took a bite, and the juices from the salty, fatty Hersian sausage kolbasa oozed out and spread across her mouth.

The salty ham in unsalted butter that melted smoothly on her tongue, and the whole wheat bread that was rough on the outside but soft on the inside, was a fantastic combination.

Nikolai stopped short of asking her if she liked it.

He could tell by the look on her face.

From what he’s observed so far, Katya has a habit of furrowing her brow and closing her eyes when she eats something really good.

And when she did this, it was perfect.

“Kiya–”

It was the kind of sound you’d expect to hear from a middle-aged man who recognized the taste of alcohol, but Katya made it sound so cute.

“It’s really delicious. How come you’re such a good cook, Grand Duke?”

“It’s probably faster to find something I can’t do.”

“Your self-esteem is first-rate.”

“Of course. That’s how you rule a country.”

Smirking at the haughty look and shaking her head, something bounced in Katya’s lap.

Laika had scratched at the hem of her skirt with her thick front paws.

The dog’s jaw was open, its long tongue hanging out, as if it had forgotten how to close its mouth.

Drool dripped onto the blanket.

“Laika, do you want to eat that much? But what am I going to do, it’s too salty for you…….”

Katya started to tear off the untouched part of the ham and give it to her, but Nikolai stopped her and shoved a chunk of boiled meat into Laika’s mouth.

The dog, who had gotten the meat, looked like he had all the time in the world, and began to eat with a grunt.

“It’s boiled without spices, so it should be fine.”

“When did you prepare everything for Laika?”

“Just in case.”

“You’re a good cook, but how meticulous are you?”

“When we get married, I’ll do it every day. I’ll take care of everything, even the special treats for your dog.”

In fact, when Nikolai asked her if she wanted to go with him to watch the training today, it wasn’t an impulse, but a carefully planned line.

He’d left Luka in the morning and immediately borrowed the inn’s kitchen to pack a lunch for Katya.

The sight of her made him want to feed her like a mother bird.

He even made Laika’s food properly just to make sure he got it right.

The scheming man, whose date had gone perfectly according to plan, lay on her side with his chin in a crooked position, biting into an apple.

He looked as relaxed as ever.

Katya couldn’t think of anything to say in response, so she just stroked Laika’s hair as she frantically chewed, picked, tasted, and enjoyed the meat beside her.

Why does he keep appealing to me like that?

When he tells me not to love him.

“Just looking at her is beautiful.”

“What?”

“I’m talking about Laika. I was petting her head.”

“She’s pretty. It’s admirable how she eats well, walks well, and stays healthy despite her age.”

“If staying healthy is admirable, then haven’t I done fairly well today too?”

Nikolai said, tilting his head slyly toward her.

“It feels like there’s one more dog craving affection. Weren’t you the one who said not to love you?”

“I don’t want love, I just want you to pamper me for as long as I live.”

“If you can’t talk.”

In the end, Katya pretended to give in and gently stroked his head.

“Altough you’re too big to be called a dog. Maybe more like a wolf or a bear.”

“Still, I prefer it to be a dog.”

“Why? You used to dislike being called a dog before.”

“Well, you can’t sleep in the same bed as a wolf or a bear.”

Nikolai looked up with a mischievous gaze.

The trainer, as if refusing to listen any further, stuffed a piece of bread into the mouth of the giant dog alone.

After finishing the meal, Katya, who had been diligently observing the training, felt full and started to doze off.

Whenever that happened, Nikolai would reach out his hand to support her head or let her lean on his shoulder.

Laika boldly rested her chin and front paws on his lap and slept soundly, snoring softly.

Nikolai felt like a tree where birds came to rest, but he was simply happy.

It was truly a peaceful afternoon.

A moment where he could momentarily forget about everything weighing on his shoulders.

While Katya dozed off and woke up repeatedly, watched the training, and fell asleep again, the sun set and the training ended.

“Tia, wake up. We should go now.”

“Huh?”

Katya, who had been leaning against Nikolai’s shoulder, suddenly opened her eyes.

It felt like just a brief moment, but the sun had already set.

“Is it over already?”

“You seemed really tired. I’ve been trying to wake you up for a while.”

“Really?”

“If you kept refusing to wake up, I was going to lift you up and carry you.”

Upon hearing those words, Katya fully regained her senses and quickly stood up.

She pulled the blanket tightly and hurriedly stumbled, causing Laika, who had been sleeping on the blanket, to roll onto the grass.

Startled, the dog took a defensive posture and barked at the air.

“Woof!”

“Sorry, Laika. That was me. It’s time to go home now. Let’s go.”

Katya apologized while holding the leash.

In response, Laika remained seated, firmly planted on the ground.

The owner tried to pull with all their might, but Laika remained motionless.

She seemed completely unwilling to get up due to exhaustion.

“Are you really going to do this? Making this sister carry you?”

Even with that remark, seeing the unyielding dog, Katya sighed and tried to pretend to hug Laika by lowering her upper body.

At that moment, Nikolai swiftly scooped up the tired old dog.

Despite its considerable weight, he effortlessly lifted the dog in one arm, as if carrying a loaf of bread.

“Oh, I was going to carry her.”

“It’s fine. Let’s go.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m fine, so hurry up and follow me. Or do you want me to carry you too?”

When Nikolai shook his free arm, Katya clapped her hands and quickly held onto the blanket, chasing after him in small steps.

Arriving at the front of the carriage, Nikolai opened the door and let Katya board first, then he brought Laika inside.

Afterwards, he turned towards Boris.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

Katya leaned her head out of the window and asked.

“Oh, I have something to discuss about the training today.”

As he said that, he gently brushed his hand against the back of his neck with his left hand.

When Nikolai told a lie, this gesture unconsciously emerged.

It was a habit of his that Katya was still unaware of.

“I’ll be back soon, so just wait a bit.”

Nikolai walked toward Boris, whispering something secretly before returning.

His final plan, which would adorn the climax of today, was about to commence.

***

The shops located in the bustling streets of Padovangrad all closed their businesses and returned home by 6 p.m., except for the bars.

The law firm that had been operating on three floors in a corner of the busy area was no exception.

After the managing lawyer left, the apprentice lawyers locked the door and went upstairs to their bedrooms in the attic.

Like other lawyers who resided in the office to gain experience and accumulate knowledge, they lived inside the office.

The reception area was kept open to accommodate people who urgently requested legal consultations or entrusted their cases, as there were those who came late at night.

The apprentice lawyers were practically on standby 24 hours a day in exchange for accommodation and meals.

Due to the previous night’s overtime, the exhausted apprentice lawyer changed into pajamas and went to bed earlier than usual.

As he tried to turn off the lamp and fall asleep, suddenly, there was a banging sound on the door downstairs.

“Ugh, there’s no way to let me sleep early.”

He sighed and got out of bed.

As he tried to change his clothes, the urgent knocking on the door from outside continued incessantly. Eventually, he gave up and, still in his pajamas, took the lamp and descended the attic stairs.

When he opened the door, a man who had been standing silently in the dimly lit street pushed his way in without saying a word.

“Who are you?”

The apprentice lawyer shot him an annoyed look.

“I’ve come to entrust a lawsuit.”

The man said abruptly, using informal language.

“If it’s a simple legal consultation, I can handle it, but if it’s a lawsuit, you can meet the managing lawyer tomorrow. Write down your name here, and as soon as we open the office tomorrow morning, I’ll arrange a schedule for you to meet the lawyer first for a consultation.”

The lawyer yawned and extended the ledger on the desk.

It was a line he repeated day after day, a phrase that had become stuck in his mouth before he knew it.

According to the testimonies of those around him, he even muttered this sentence in his sleep.

It seemed like he couldn’t escape from dealing with clients even in his dreams.

Anyway, when he usually said this, almost everyone obediently wrote down their names and left.

However, this man didn’t write down his name and looked directly at him.

“Ivan Petrozky.”

“Yes, please write it down like that.”

“You don’t need to write down the name.”

“Pardon?”

“I would like you to handle the lawsuit.”

“I’ve only been an apprentice and have never directly handled a lawsuit…”

The apprentice lawyer scratched his head in confusion and stumbled over his words.

“Don’t you want to become famous? You should become independent and start your own practice.”

“What…?”

“I have an interesting story that will make a sensation. Would you like to hear it?”

Ivan said, one corner of his mouth twitching up.