The paper analyzes the character of Laura in Ante Kovačić's novel "U registraturi." Kovačić's novel is set in the context of Croatian literature and the realism period when many female characters appear, and Laura's character, romantically shaped, particularly stands out in the context of fatalism. Kovačić's novel is interesting, among other things, because it combines two opposing literary styles - romanticism and realism, and the characters of Ivica and Laura precisely present this opposition. The analysis examines various aspects of Laura's character, including her childhood, beauty, and malice, with a special emphasis on her role as a fatal female character in the plot development. While Laura represents the femme fatale, the contrasting character is the timid and gentle Anica, the femme fragile or the so-called "angel in the house." Laura is a key figure in Ivica's development (she makes him a "man") but also in the development of the entire novel. Laura's genetics are one of the key factors for understanding the novel and the importance of her character, and the paper seeks to answer the question of whether Laura committed all her misdeeds and ended tragically by her own decision or if her maternal blood determined her fate.