By Zephyria 
I was instantly on guard, but Nathaniel Miller, reaching out from across the bar table, seemed completely unbothered. He must have known that my entire body was tense. In fact, the loose, upturned corner of his mouth seemed to prove that very point. In that moment, all hostility and anger toward the man vanished, replaced by a sense of futility.
Did my desperate resistance seem like nothing more than a joke to him?
Biting my lower lip firmly, I slowly stepped forward. He simply waited for me as I drew closer, step by step. Without a single tremor, he kept his hand extended.
However, instead of placing my arm in that empty hand, I held it in the air. Everyone would burst out laughing if I said that placing my arm in his hand felt as chilling as putting my neck in a noose. Yet, even while thinking how foolish I was being, I couldn’t bring myself to give him my wrist. Nathaniel, staring at me with narrowed eyes, let out a short, airy chuckle and moved his waiting hand to seize my wrist.
I wondered what this man thought of my reason for resisting, knowing full well I would be caught so easily.
But I couldn’t pull my arm away now. I simply stood there in silence, feeling a chill flow over the skin he was gripping. Holding my hand with one hand, Nathaniel Miller leaned his cane against the bar table with the other and opened a nearby drawer. He took out an individually wrapped alcohol swab and tore the corner with his teeth. With a faint sound, the packaging ripped open, revealing the damp white cotton.
Just as I suddenly recalled my own drawer filled with condoms, Nathaniel Miller placed the swab on the table and began to remove the bandage from his arm. I watched with a strange fascination as his long, delicate fingers skillfully removed the needle and pressed down with the cotton. Unexpectedly, I could easily picture this man as a doctor.
Suddenly, our eyes met. As if he could see right through my imagination, Nathaniel Miller tilted his head and gazed at my face. Once again, his scent diffused subtly around us. Why did he pour out his pheromones like this, knowing I was a Beta? He must know it’s completely meaningless.
“Prosecutor.”
He spoke slowly. I unconsciously contorted my face. Seeing my reaction, Nathaniel asked,
“Does it hurt?”
It was a short question, but I flinched instinctively. Only then did I feel the pain in my arm. Looking down, I saw that the area Nathaniel was gripping had turned white. Suddenly, Nathaniel frowned and glanced toward the spot.
“I can’t seem to control my strength. Press it yourself.”
He pointed to my free hand. As I hurriedly pulled my arm back while pressing the cotton over the spot where the needle had been, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh. Suddenly, this arrogant man looked absurdly exhausted. Blinking in a state of slight bewilderment, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already past 2:30 AM.
“…Did you just get here?”
At my question, Nathaniel stopped rubbing his brow and stared at me through his fingers, speaking nonchalantly.
“I had a lot of work.”
Then, he slowly let go of my hand and gave a thin smile.
“Taming a stray cat takes quite a bit of time.”
“Stop with the jokes; they aren’t funny.”
I gave him a sincere piece of advice. Having no intention of listening to any more frivolous nonsense, I immediately changed the subject.
“Where did you put my clothes? Is stripping me down to my underwear your hobby?”
The last part was, naturally, sarcastic. As expected, Nathaniel Miller answered without any hesitation.
“I detest anything dirty.”
I suddenly remembered Nathaniel Miller’s polished shoes, which hadn’t shown a single speck of dust. Similarly, every corner of the house was polished to a shine without a single mote of dust. Belatedly remembering that he was wearing slippers, I glanced down at my bare feet. Just as I imagined the footprints that would be clearly left on the marble, Nathaniel Miller added,
“It’s also pleasing to the eye.”
When I reflexively looked up, I saw his eyes fixed elsewhere. I wondered with a sense of distaste if legs were his preference, but something felt off. Nathaniel Miller was looking even lower than that.
…No way.
As I frowned in doubt, he abruptly spoke.
“Would you like something to eat?”
Startled by the sudden remark, I looked up to find Nathaniel opening the refrigerator and taking something out, without even waiting for an answer. That man, cooking? That’s ridiculous…
I was right. After slicing several types of cheese from the fridge, he broke apart chunks of chocolate, piled them on one side of a plate, and set it on the bar table. Only after seeing the completed plate, which even included crackers, did I finally speak.
“I thought you meant you were going to actually cook.”
As I let out a bitter laugh at my own absurd imagination, he replied indifferently.
“I told you, I’m tired.”
At those words, I found myself staring at the man’s face again. Without asking, he poured whiskey into an empty glass for me, then poured a drink for himself and downed it immediately. Since I wasn’t in the mood for alcohol, I picked up a small piece of cheese and put it in my mouth. Along with a tangy aroma, the cheese melted softly in my mouth. As I slowly savored the taste, I eventually found myself reaching for the whiskey. As the cold alcohol slid down my throat, strangely, my mind seemed to clear.
Time was racing toward 3 AM. Dawn would break soon. I would return home, and then there might be no more opportunities. Then I should say it now.
“I want to know about Anthony Smith.”
At the sudden change of topic, Nathaniel, who was about to refill the empty glass with whiskey, paused. Holding the whiskey bottle in mid-air, he silently turned his gaze toward me. Without waiting, I asked again.
“What is it that I don’t know? What did you use to threaten Mrs. Smith? Tell me, I need to know. What on earth happened to Anthony Smith?”
At my rapid succession of questions, Nathaniel slowly set the whiskey bottle down. A very small clack sounded, followed by silence.
“That is a very difficult question,” Nathaniel murmured as if talking to himself. With a face that didn’t look troubled at all, he continued.
“I am a lawyer. I cannot disclose the secrets of a client learned during a trial.”
“Anthony Smith isn’t your cli—”
I stopped mid-sentence. It wasn’t just Anthony’s secret. It was a secret linked to Jonathan Davis as well. A secret that had forced Mrs. Smith to give up everything…
Perhaps it was something fatal to both of them.
I felt a chill in a corner of my heart. This secret might be larger than I thought. Should I insist on digging up a secret that even the victim’s family wanted to cover up?
…But.
“If it’s a crime, I have to know.”
I glared intensely at the man.
“If a crime was committed, it must be punished by law. No matter what the crime is, big or small, it shouldn’t be handled privately. This isn’t a problem for Jonathan Davis to solve; he has no such right.”
Nathaniel stared at me silently. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his expression alone. I simply waited for his words. Finally, the man’s lips slowly parted.
“Let’s do this.”
A low voice flowed into my ears, making me unconsciously hold my breath.
“Every time you satisfy me, I will give you one clue. How does that sound for a condition?”
At the unexpected proposal, my eyes widened. I was bewildered by the unforeseen suggestion.
“Satisfy… how?”
My voice sounded lacking in confidence. As he gazed at my bewildered face, his eyes drifted downward again. Once I became certain that his gaze had moved even more explicitly toward the floor, Nathaniel spoke.
“That is for you to figure out. After all, my professional reputation as a lawyer is on the line.”
Then, he gave a faint smile and looked back up. As if it were now my turn to choose.