By Zephyria 
……Was it someone I knew?
I hurriedly searched through my memories, but nothing came to mind. He wasn’t someone I had been introduced to today. No matter how much I thought about it, the face was unfamiliar. I could have dismissed it as a meaningless glance, but for some reason, it bothered me. Why was he looking at me with that expression?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the man took advantage of a lull in the conversation to speak to me.
“Hello, I don’t think I’ve seen you at these gatherings before. How did you come to attend?”
Ah, so he is a stranger. His smooth voice sounded somewhat artificial. I had seen plenty of people who maintained a polite demeanor while judging and looking down on others internally. This man was likely the same.
Was there anyone attending this gathering who wasn’t like that?
A self-deprecating laugh suddenly escaped me. Feeling a slight sense of guilt at the realization that I was no different, I flashed a smile at the man.
“Hello, I’m Chrissy Jin. I’m attending for the first time through the introduction of the Chief Prosecutor.”
“Chrissy Jin? Prosecutor?”
Another man, who had been repeating my name, suddenly widened his eyes as if remembering something.
“By any chance, are you the prosecutor in charge of the trial Nathaniel is handling?”
Everyone’s attention shifted to me at once. While I stood there momentarily speechless and flustered, he continued with a look of delight.
“I knew it. I saw your photo in the articles, but I wasn’t entirely sure. Wow, you’re much more handsome in person. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The man who first offered his hand was the son of a current Supreme Court Justice and worked in the legal team of a conglomerate whose name everyone would know. After a few more introductions, I realized that quite a few people here were attending to facilitate a generational shift. Parents would first participate in the gathering with their children to introduce them, and after a few appearances, they would naturally send their sons to fill their place. It was similar to why I had come here. Except for the fact that the Chief Prosecutor and I were not related by blood.
Here, they gained advance information on bills or policies, and requests for favors were frequently exchanged. In that sense, it wasn’t a desirable gathering, but by these standards, it could be considered relatively wholesome. After all, wasn’t it just about drinking and chatting with people while doing childish things like playing in the water?
Thinking that, the conflict I felt before coming here seemed futile. A bitter smile escaped me, and I shook my head. When I looked away, the sun was already setting. Here and there, I could see people who were already quite tipsy. Amidst the crimson-stained landscape, the image of the Chief Prosecutor kissing his wife entered my field of vision. Soulmates heading toward old age together. I had no choice but to define them as such.
I watched them silently as they pulled their lips apart and smiled at each other. I had forgotten I was even holding a drink. They were the most perfect couple I had ever known. Partners who filled each other’s deficiencies and believed that they were not alone in the world—that at least this person would stay by their side until the final day of their lives.
That’s an incredible stroke of luck.
I thought indifferently. Yes, that is simply luck. A very, very slim probability, perhaps even less likely than winning the Powerball. So there was no need to think further…
…Huh?
Suddenly, I felt a stir in the atmosphere. Turning my head instinctively, I saw people’s gazes converging in one direction. Someone else must have arrived. Since the number of guests had been steadily increasing throughout the party, it wasn’t particularly unusual. Nevertheless, there was something extraordinary about the mood. Since everyone gathered here was a figure of public interest, this kind of attention felt curious. Just as I wondered who it could be, someone spoke to me from behind.
“Jin, so this is where you were.”
Turning toward the welcoming voice, the owner of the mansion continued with a smile.
“A new guest has arrived, and I wanted to introduce you. I hope nothing urgent has come up?”
At his joking tone, I replied nonchalantly.
“No, I was just about to have some more steak.”
It wasn’t particularly funny, yet he burst into a loud laugh.
“I think you’ll have to put that off for a moment. Come over here. Hurry.”
Because he kept urging me while pulling my arm, I had no choice but to follow him. Since he went out of his way to find me to introduce me, there was no reason to refuse.
The new guest was already surrounded by others. Most of the successful men gathered here were incredibly tall, but this man was peerless. Seeing his head towering over the other tall men, my brow furrowed instinctively. In that moment, an unknown hostility spread coldly through my chest.
…Eh?
Suddenly, I caught a faint sweet scent. A fragrance far more seductive than the sweetness of desserts or flowers. No way. Even as I thought it couldn’t be, my mind already knew. There couldn’t be another man like that in the world, could there?
Still, my heart wanted to deny it. Perhaps it was Ashley Miller. Come to think of it, weren’t the two of them strikingly similar? The same would be true from behind. Wouldn’t Ashley Miller actually fit in better at a place like this?
Just as I thought that, the man turned his head. When our eyes finally met, I could no longer deny it. As I stood there, letting out a pained groan, Nathaniel Miller narrowed his eyes. The gazes surrounding him shifted toward me one by one. But there was only one person I was staring at.
“Hello, Prosecutor.”
He greeted me first with a thin smile. With his dazzling platinum blonde hair, his eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, but I knew what color they were. Of course, how could I not? Those beautiful purple eyes.
Nathaniel Miller.
I stood rooted to the spot, simply staring at the man’s face.
Why didn’t I anticipate this?
For a moment, I stood there blankly, unable to say a word. A belated realization surfaced in my dazed mind, but it was already too late. I had tried to avoid the fox only to encounter the tiger. No, maybe that’s an exaggeration. To think that the candidates for spending the weekend were either that terrible man or Nathaniel Miller—what a shitty choice.
I barely managed to push back the groan that almost escaped my throat. People were still looking at me. Including Nathaniel Miller, who wore his characteristic mask-like smiling expression.