By Zephyria 
There was no time to hesitate. To get out of this situation, I had to treat him as favorably as possible, regardless of my true feelings.
“Hello, Mr. Miller.”
Forcing a smile, I took the hand he offered. I intended to pull away after a light touch, but he suddenly gripped my hand firmly. I froze for a moment, but before I could do anything, Nathaniel released his grip.
“It is a pleasure to meet you like this.”
He spoke in a voice lower than usual as he let go of my hand. His long fingers brushed meaningfully across my palm as they slid away. The spot where his fingers had stroked my palm burned as if branded by a hot iron. Unconsciously, I looked up at him, and his gaze slowly swept over my body. His deep purple eyes traced down my neck, chest, and waist, as if the fingers that had grazed my palm were now stroking my bare skin. I stopped breathing. My pulse raced wildly, and a heat surged in my stomach. This pounding, trembling heart was surely due to the alcohol. There could be no other reason. Absolutely none.
‘Prosecutor.’
When that low voice, slipping through Nathaniel Miller’s thick lips, felt as though it were stealthily seeping into my ear.
As if by revelation, the woman standing next to Nathaniel Miller entered my sight. When our eyes met, she tilted her head and smiled, but the smile seemed somewhat professional. The way she naturally held the arm that didn’t support his cane allowed me to guess the nature of their relationship to some extent. Whatever it exactly was, there was no doubt that she was Nathaniel Miller’s partner today. The tall woman with reddish-blonde hair wearing an evening dress was undoubtedly a model. It was hard to imagine her as anything else, given her slender, elongated frame and perfect posture. Despite her high heels, she only slightly surpassed Nathaniel Miller’s shoulder, and in many ways, she seemed to suit him perfectly. Even that enigmatic smile.
“Wow, did you two know each other?”
The host’s eccentric tone snapped me back to reality. Everyone around us was looking at Nathaniel and me. When I turned my gaze back to Nathaniel, I met the eyes of the man standing there with an unchanging expression. Unchanging, always.
The same expression as always.
Suddenly, I came to my senses. What on earth am I doing?
“Yes, of course.”
I answered the host calmly.
“One wouldn’t be qualified as a member of the legal profession if they didn’t know Mr. Nathaniel Miller. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Speaking politely and even offering a smile, I met Nathaniel’s eyes and added at the right timing:
“Though I didn’t expect Mr. Miller to know a mere prosecutor like me.”
Nathaniel Miller’s long eyes narrowed further. He had clearly noticed exactly what I was aiming for. It was a simple wish, but whether Nathaniel Miller would grant it was another story. I was inwardly anxious that I might have ruined the distance I had worked so hard to establish. Just as the pessimistic thought occurred to me that this man was certainly capable of such a thing, Nathaniel Miller slowly moved his lips.
“Ah…”
Everyone’s attention focused on the low sigh that escaped him. However, Nathaniel Miller continued speaking while keeping his gaze fixed solely on me.
“It happened by chance. …It is unexpected to meet you here.”
The latter part was sufficiently meaningful. If the Chief Prosecutor appeared here and said just one word, my facade would be completely ruined. Of course, I intended to quickly leave the area before such an accident occurred. Unfortunately, the problem was that the Chief Prosecutor wasn’t the only one capable of causing an accident.
“Ah, why are you two being like this? You already know each other well enough. Oh, is this the first time you’ve met in person?”
An unexpected voice stopped me just as I was about to turn away. The one who threw cold water on my attempt to play innocent was none other than the man who hosted the party, the owner of the villa. He looked back and forth between me and Nathaniel, continuing with a look of curiosity.
“You’re facing each other in court this time, aren’t you? Everyone must know, since the case has been in the news every day. What was it, let’s see… right. Smith vs. Davis.”
The moment those names were mentioned, it became difficult to maintain my expression. I quickly bowed my head, pretending to brush back my hair to buy some time.
“Yes, I was the prosecutor in charge.”
I intentionally spoke in the past tense and smiled.
“Unfortunately, it is difficult to discuss the case at this time. I trust everyone will understand my position.”
“Oh, I see.”
Seeing the host’s visibly disappointed expression, I wondered what on earth this man had been expecting. At any rate, it seemed certain that he had been praying for some kind of noisy scene to break out. I might regret it if I showed any unnecessary curiosity. So, I decided to quietly withdraw.
“It seems you were very interested in the case, which is a pity. I have nothing to tell you.”
I spoke politely and tried to step back, but the host would not let me go so easily.
“Still, please tell us a bit; as the prosecutor in charge, you must know a lot. Well, just a little bit would be fine, right? Just a tiny bit, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the trial.”
His eyes were full of curiosity. It disgusted me that a murder case where someone had died miserably was nothing more than interesting gossip to some. Of course, I knew there were many such people, but seeing it in person was a different story. If this were a private setting, I would have humiliated this man and left, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Thinking that I might inadvertently offend the Chief Prosecutor who had kindly invited me, I tried to smooth over the situation with as much courtesy as possible.
“The details of the case are confidential, I’m sorry. Furthermore, since Mr. Miller is still handling the case, it is difficult to discuss matters within the same organization.”
When I smiled as if asking for understanding, fortunately, other people began to chime in.
“That’s right, it is an uncomfortable topic after all.”
“Is there any need to talk about such things at a wonderful gathering? Now, now, let’s forget about that and get back to our conversation.”
“What were we talking about?”
“I believe it was about the new golf course in Canada…”
Fortunately, the topic shifted naturally. It was just as I brought my glass to my lips with a sigh of relief. I saw Nathaniel’s partner cover her mouth with her hand and whisper something. Nathaniel leaned his tall frame toward her to listen, and then suddenly let out a silent laugh. The unexpected sight made me feel strange. To think they looked so ordinary, like a normal couple exchanging jokes—was he a man who suited such a thing?
No, he didn’t suit it at all. That’s why I felt even stranger. A man who doesn’t fit is doing something that doesn’t fit, yet there is no sense of incongruity. What on earth is it?
“My, Aveline. You are especially beautiful today. It is a great honor to meet you here.”
Someone spoke to her, acknowledging her. The woman greeted the man with the same smile she had given me, as if such occurrences were common. However, the hand that had shared a brief handshake, as if to signal that her partner was this man, soon returned to Nathaniel’s arm.
It was a clear gesture of possession, but he had no particular reaction. He simply watched the two of them converse, a smile lingering on his face as if enjoying it. Having seen that much, I quietly slipped away from the group and naturally blended into another. I intentionally joined a group as far as possible from where Nathaniel Miller was and spent my time nodding along appropriately.
In truth, I could barely understand half of the conversation they were having. To someone interested in investments and such, it would have been invaluable information, but this too was a conversation that had nothing to do with me. Enduring the time was an ordeal, but it was the choice I had made. I silently blended in among them, wearing a meaningless smile. That was all I could do.
Feeling an endless boredom.
* * *
As the night deepened, the party began in earnest. Everyone dressed in more comfortable clothes, drinking or dancing, appearing far more liberated than before.
Of course, even there, I was the only one unable to truly enjoy myself. I felt awkward because the place was unfamiliar, and in truth, I had always been terrible at socializing with others.