By Zephyria 
But this was a real courtroom. It wasn’t a place for civilians to play detective. I had to wake him up to reality.
“The forensics team has verified his testimony. Exactly how Anderson’s face flew apart when Jonathan Davis fired from where he was standing, and where and how much of the flesh scattered. I can show you the evidence if you wish. However, you’ll find it difficult to eat lunch today—unless you’re a pervert whose appetite remains intact after seeing intestines burst and roll around in clumps.”
At the graphic description, groans and signs of distress could be felt from various directions. But the man did not back down.
“So that just means it’s something that man could have done, right?”
I rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on.
“Um, and your name was…?”
“Ben.”
“Ben, what exactly is it you’re trying to say?”
He took a deep breath before speaking.
“You’re trying to indict Jonathan Davis for murder, aren’t you?”
“That is correct. That is why you are all gathered here.”
I gave a stiff nod. The man glared at me with piercing eyes.
“Murder carries a sentence of death or life imprisonment. I’m saying you cannot judge such a heavy crime based on such flimsy evidence.”
“Flimsy?”
A sharp tone escaped me involuntarily. He continued, as if ready to pounce.
“Yes, Prosecutor, tell me. Is all of this evidence 100 percent accurate and certain?”
“…I am 99 percent certain,” I answered reluctantly. Because 100 percent does not exist in this world. But the man shouted as if he had been waiting for that exact answer.
“99 percent and 100 percent are different!”
He was clearly nitpicking. The problem wasn’t wiretapping; it was the jury. I clenched and unclenched my fists several times to replace the urge to grab the man by the collar and shake him violently. He wasn’t finished yet. He turned his head toward the people and shouted.
“Jonathan Davis is an innocent victim! You’re letting the real culprit go and catching the wrong person. The prosecution made the same mistake last time, didn’t they? I’m talking about the Anton Lee case. While the real culprit fled to Mexico, they tried to throw an innocent man in jail! Even then, the prosecution claimed all the evidence was certain and that Anton Lee was the criminal!”
He tried to persuade the people by bringing up incidents from other states. To anyone, it seemed forced, but the problem was that some people were actually buying it. Seeing the uneasy looks they exchanged, I sharply cut him off.
“That is an absurd leap in logic!”
Without giving Ben any room to intervene, I poured out my words like a rapid-fire gun.
“What is being decided right now is not whether Jonathan Davis is guilty or innocent, or whether he should be executed or thrown in prison for life. And I guarantee that all of this evidence and testimony are clear facts, proven through scientific experimentation and demonstration. There is not a shred of room for doubt. Whether the evidence is insufficient or he is not the real culprit will all be revealed during the trial process. The only issue the jurors need to decide right now is whether to indict or not. That is all. Do we all understand?”
Once I finished in a harsh tone, the room fell silent. I scanned the jurors once.
“Those who agree to the indictment, please raise your hands.”
In the silence, I raised my hand first, as if to lead the way.
“Thank you for your hard work, Prosecutor.”
Anthony Smith’s mother approached me to express her gratitude. It was only the beginning, but I didn’t want to throw cold water on her since she was seeing a glimmer of hope for the first time in a while, so I simply replied, “Yes.” I didn’t bother mentioning that we had succeeded by a razor-thin margin.
“But there’s still a long way to go, right? I heard the other side hired a very expensive lawyer… apparently, they requested a quite famous law firm.”
I forced a smile, swallowing the fact that the firm was the best in the country and had never lost a case, whether it was economic, political, or murder. Regardless, we had managed to overcome the immediate crisis and succeeded in bringing it to a formal trial.
“No one wants to go to prison. Since the opponent has power and influence, they will use every means possible. We must prepare on our end as well.”
“I’ll put my trust in you, Prosecutor.”
She bowed repeatedly and turned away. Feeling as though my collar was tightening, I loosened my tie and left the courthouse. While waiting to cross the street, a newspaper on a stand caught my eye. It was a gossip piece about the mayor’s party from the previous day. An unwelcome face was plastered right on the front page.
It was Nathaniel Miller.
“Must be nice.”
I grumbled while eating a sandwich on a park bench near the court. Unfortunately, the newspaper I bought to check how the articles about the trial were written featured Nathaniel Miller’s face once again. As expected, the theme was the celebrities who attended the mayor’s party. It seemed he had attended with a famous top model. I skimmed the article and folded it shut. Considering how much I’d struggled to persuade the jurors, I couldn’t stand the sight of those law firm people, even in a photo.
“You went too, didn’t you?”
When I glanced at Doug sitting beside me, he flinched.
“Uh, well.”
Doug scratched his head, looking embarrassed. He was ambitious. There was no way he would miss a chance to make an impression on high-ranking officials.
“A lot of people were there.”
“I bet.”
When I answered indifferently, Doug continued.
“Senators from other states were there too. The President even sent wine to congratulate them… it was the first time in my life I’d seen that many celebrities.”
He gave a short whistle and then blinked. “Oh, come to think of it, I saw Miller. Senator Miller.”
I paused with the sandwich halfway to my mouth. When I looked at him with only my eyes, Doug nodded.
“Yeah, Ashley Miller. Nathaniel Miller’s father.”
Naturally, he was also a Dominant Alpha. Nathaniel would likely become like that as he aged. I realized belatedly that the two looked very much alike. Which was obvious.
The White Snake.
Recalling his father’s nickname naturally brought Nathaniel’s face to mind. Following that, the image of him slowly rising from the Jaguar. Even those arrogant purple eyes looking down at me.
Feeling a lump in my throat, I took a bite of the sandwich a beat late. Doug continued.
“His presence was overwhelming. I heard he’s probably eyeing the next presidential election… well, that’s how it always ends for politicians. Anyway, he was incredible; it felt like he was already the President. The way people around him acted, and his own aura was immense. He arrived a bit late, but as soon as he did, all eyes shifted to him. It felt like for a moment, everything else disappeared and only he was visible… But he didn’t seem quite human.”
“In what way?”
“I don’t know, it’s hard to put my finger on exactly where.”
Doug stroked his chin, humming as if choosing his words, and then shrugged his shoulders.