By Zephyria 
“Of course, that is so.”
Judge Regan looked at me as if asking what I intended to do. I unconsciously licked my dry lips with my tongue and looked back and forth between the judge and Nathaniel.
“I have no objections either, but…”
My voice trailed off, feeling a sense of unease. As I glanced at Nathaniel with a frown, Judge Regan let out a small groan and spoke.
“As you know, we need to select a jury and get a trial date assigned, so a week is impossible… Anyway, we’ll set the date as soon as possible. Understood.”
Judge Regan looked toward me this time, as if seeking confirmation. I had no choice but to nod.
“I understand.”
“Then.”
Nathaniel didn’t waste any more time and rose from his seat. Following the screech of the chair sliding back, he stretched his body, and for a moment, I found myself looking up at him with full intensity.
“I will see you again, Judge Regan.”
After a brief handshake with the judge, Nathaniel gave me a short nod of acknowledgment and turned away. Just as when he had entered the room, he leaned on his cane and walked out slowly, one step at a time.
Coming back to my senses, I hurriedly greeted Judge Regan and followed after him. Once I stepped into the hallway, I spotted him immediately. Perhaps due to his labored gait, Nathaniel hadn’t gone very far.
“…Mr. Miller!”
At the sound of my voice, he stopped and looked back. Nathaniel waited in silence while I walked toward him, almost running.
“What is going on?”
Only then did I ask the question that had been bothering me all along. Nathaniel tilted his head to one side, as if asking what I meant. I asked again patiently.
“About the lawyer—why did you step in personally?”
“Ah…”
Only then did he let out a low sigh of realization. He seemed somewhat disappointed, but that was none of my concern. There was a more important issue at hand.
As far as I knew, this man’s specialty was the economic sector. He was a renowned powerhouse, famous for representing all sorts of corporate corruption and tyranny, turning victims into rags. For such a man to suddenly take on a criminal case was unexpected. Above all, the idea of Nathaniel Miller personally appearing at a trial was something I had never imagined. I couldn’t fathom his intentions, but his subsequent answer was even harder to accept.
“Because I fired the previous lawyer.”
For a moment, I went blank and blinked. Fired? He cut him loose?
Vaguely recalling the face of the man who had been swaggering in an expensive suit, I belatedly understood his words. No way, really? It seemed unbelievable, but it was unthinkable that Nathaniel Miller would joke about such a thing.
“Firing him just because the negotiation failed…”
I muttered unconsciously, but the reason was different from what I had thought. Nathaniel narrowed his eyes and corrected me.
“He put my client on trial.”
“Are you saying that going to trial was a mistake?”
When I asked back instinctively, Nathaniel answered as if it were obvious.
“Of course. It should have ended at the grand jury.”
To my speechless state, he spoke with an expressionless face.
“I have no need for incompetent people in my law firm.”
I was completely at a loss for words.
“Anything else to say?”
Nathaniel gave me a chance, but no words came to mind. He gave a slight tilt of his head in place of a greeting and turned back.
…Tap.
The sound of the cane hitting the floor suddenly snapped me back to reality. Nathaniel walked down the hallway with slow steps. I could only stare blankly at his receding back. It was less than three days later that I discovered the reason behind his confident attitude.
* * *
“What do you mean the evidence was excluded?”
I replied as nonchalantly as possible to the detective’s agitated voice.
“Exactly what it sounds like. The opposing counsel raised an objection, and it was granted.”
“No, how, what on earth…”
The detective stammered, unable to form a proper sentence. Having gone through the same process, I understood his reaction all too well. I watched for a moment as he slammed his fist into his other palm, pouring out coarse curses while another detective patted his shoulder to calm him down. Once their emotions had subsided somewhat, I spoke.
“It wasn’t that crucial of a piece of evidence, so it’s fine. Above all, we have a reliable witness, and the core evidence remains.”
When I offered a bit of consolation, the detective who had been comforting his colleague asked with a frown.
“Are you okay with this, Prosecutor? Aren’t you frustrated?”
“Since we’re the ones who ran around all night gathering the evidence, I guess it doesn’t matter to you.”
The man, who had been suppressing his anger with a voice full of grievance, responded with heavy sarcasm. An unnecessary arrow had been aimed at me, but I responded calmly.
“I am frustrated, too.”
Under the gaze of two pairs of eyes, I added as I gathered the documents on the desk for show.
“That’s why I’m planning to go for a drink after work.”
“Shall we join you?”
As I stood up, one of them asked as if they had been waiting for the opportunity. I smiled thinly and gently declined.
“The bar I go to prohibits married men. Maybe next time.”
Of course, it was a lie. But there was no need to inform them of my sexual preferences. Seeing the detectives return to their sulking expressions, I stepped around the desk and smiled.
“Everything will be fine. As you said, we still have the evidence we gathered day and night.”
After patting the men on their shoulders and ushering them out of the office, I let out a deep sigh. My head was starting to ache. I needed something other than alcohol. Something to relieve this stress and irritation.
* * *
Sex, of course.
Leaning one arm on the bar table, I sipped my beer and slowly observed the interior. Between the pairs of people engaged in conversation, men who hadn’t found a partner yet were glancing around like hyenas searching for prey. Rushing was bad, but taking too much time was worse. The number of decent men would only dwindle.
Since it was just a one-time thing and a conversation partner anyway, it might be better to lower the bar a bit.
If I thought about it that way, I was so busy I didn’t even have time to die. However, since the days of being stuck in the office and barely even going home would repeat until the trial ended, it was better to release this exploding stress now.
I believed I was sufficiently prepared, but the opponent was Miller. I could never let my guard down. I had to review the materials over and over and find every loophole. There was no telling where they would strike.
“Hey, are you alone?”
The moment I recalled the sweet scent lingering around a platinum-blonde man, a husky voice abruptly intruded. Startled, I looked up to find a man staring at me. With a carefully groomed beard and a fairly neat outfit, he wasn’t exactly handsome, but he wasn’t so ugly as to kill my libido. The moment I decided to compromise, a man who fit exactly that criteria appeared.