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Hobert said, "It turns out your wife had a child before the marriage, and fearing you would harm the child, she kept the truth hidden…"
He briefly explained the child's origins, and Mr. Barron smiled bitterly, "I've wronged Penny. The lack of children was really my fault."
He had suspected this for a while, but today he confirmed that it was indeed his own issue.
Hobert continued, "Mr. Barron, I've discussed divorce with your wife. She said that as long as you don't harm her child, she is willing to propose the divorce."
Ultimately, Penny hadn't really betrayed the marriage, as the child was born before the wedding. However, her concealment had indeed made their marriage unhappy.
Barron chuckled, "Lawyer Hobert, I'm not some rude villager; how could I possibly vent my anger on a child?"
He added, "My previous conditions remain unchanged. Let's just end this matter."
---
Meanwhile, Penny was extremely nervous in the carriage, fearing for Benny's safety and dreading the sight of Mr. Barron's angry eyes.
At that moment, she regretted believing the young lawyer so easily.
Penny's father was even more anxious, gripping his axe clumsily, feeling it was foolish to bring it along.
However, seeing his daughter's helpless expression gave him strength.
After what felt like a long wait, they finally saw Mr. Barron walking briskly toward them, holding Benny.
At this moment, the father and daughter felt relieved; what was meant to happen had finally arrived.
When they saw Hobert waving to them, they got out of the carriage somewhat awkwardly.
"Penny!" Mr. Barron called out loudly. "You should have told me sooner!"
"I'm sorry, Barron," Penny said, looking down. "I, I…"
"Alright, let's part amicably," Mr. Barron said. "While we don't yet hate each other, let's end it here."
Hobert took on the role of the villain: "The condition is that you must propose the divorce; otherwise, I will pursue the matter of your deception against Mr. Barron."
Penny covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for hiding this from you for so long."
She regretted the concealment, realizing she should have known that Mr. Barron wouldn't be angry over a child.
Or perhaps Mr. Barron wouldn't have married her at all, saving her from the fear she felt for the past three years.
Mr. Barron smiled. "I will give you the wool processing workshop, so you and your child will have a stable income."
The situation was finally resolved, and Mr. Barron found that he felt less burdened than before.
His promise left Penny and her father somewhat at a loss.
Mr. Barron waved his hand, said nothing more, and slowly returned to the farmstead.
Hobert said, "Madam, I don't know if you remember Benny's biological father, but such a man who would abandon his child isn't worth your time."
He took out the prepared divorce agreement. "Now you believe it, right? No one will harm your child. Mr. Barron has even thought of a future income source for you both. Come, sign your name and personally end this marriage."
Penny wiped her tears. "You are a trustworthy gentleman and a responsible lawyer."
Holding Benny, she signed the divorce agreement.
Penny's father felt completely relieved, believing this was the best outcome.
After receiving Penny's signature, Hobert took the three of them back. Once they returned to the village, the old man asked Hobert to wait outside for a moment.
About two or three minutes later, Hobert saw the old man come out with a crumpled handful of silver coins. "Mr. Hobert, thank you very much today. I…"
Hobert interrupted with a smile, "Old man, if you really want to thank me, just give me two pumpkins."
Though he only facilitated communication, it was the most effective kind, protecting his client's interests and leaving a way out for Penny and her child.
The yard was filled with pumpkins, and without waiting for the old man to respond, Hobert grabbed two and loaded them into the carriage. "Goodbye, old man!"
The old man stood helplessly at the gate, and after a while, he sighed, "Goodbye."
By the time the carriage had left, they were already far away.
Upon returning to the law firm, Barton called Hobert to his office. "Mr. Barron's steward just came by."
He said, "He expressed Mr. Barron's gratitude for your diligence and has settled the ten-pound fee, so you will receive one pound as payment."
He smiled, "How does it feel? A bit of a letdown, isn't it? Most of the cases we encounter at this law firm are trivial matters like this."
Hobert smiled. "The good news is that I don't have to pay taxes on this payment.
"Also, the fee is actually ten pounds plus two pumpkins. The pumpkins are a tip; you should take one home too."
"Oh, we can have pumpkin pie tonight," Barton said with a smile.
Hobert chose to accept rather than complain, and his composure reassured Barton. Sometimes he even wondered if this was really a university student who hadn't yet graduated?
The soul within Hobert wasn't a novice in the workplace; his previous job had far more pressure! Sometimes he even had to "freely work overtime" on Sundays.
As the day drew to a close, Hobert finally received a letter from the mercenary club. A buyer hoped to trade jewelry and gold with him at noon the next day.
Hobert calculated the time and wrote to Mr. Robin, inviting them to come in the afternoon to discuss the case.
That evening, Christian's family enjoyed pumpkin porridge while listening to Hobert recount the origins of the pumpkins.
After hearing his story, his adoptive mother, Melissa, remarked, "Hobert, your handling of this matter, while it didn't maximize your client's interests, certainly cared for the mother and child in a vulnerable position."
Christian smiled as well, saying, "Things in life are often the hardest to handle; your kindness and wisdom were evident in how you dealt with this matter."
Hobert smiled, "I just feel that the world should have more beauty."
Christian raised his glass. "To this great ideal."
---
In the southern continent, there are no small towns.
Elder Calvin took the characteristic from Elliott, reflecting on the fact that the Balk family in the southern continent hadn't gained any new Beyonder characteristics in nearly nine years.
Calvin gazed at the Beyonder characteristic in his hand for a few seconds before addressing Elliott, "Your achievements are enough for you to advance to the Sequence 7 left by your father."
"Uncle Calvin, what is the potion for Sequence 7 called?"
"Briber!"