“There’s a wine cellar downstairs. No one ever comes down there, so it’s perfect.”His voice dropped as if confessing a secret, but the breath mingled in it was thick with excitement. He stared into my eyes and whispered passionately.“It might be a bit chilly, but that’ll only make things better. We’ll warm up soon.”I offered only a smile in reply. His hand still caressed the bare skin at my waist. Then, as if by accident, he slid his palm down and stroked my hip over my trousers. We both knew precisely what that gesture meant. He drained the rest of his champagne and, holding out his empty glass, added,“I’ll go ahead and wait for you.”With that, he waved one hand. He held up the same hand that had just fondled my hip, then took a couple of steps back and turned away, walking off. I watched his retreating figure for a moment, set my empty glass on a passing waiter’s tray, then, after a pause, finished my champagne and followed in his direction—never once turning back, though I could feel those violet eyes burning into my skin.I thought I heard the faint chirp of insects. Or maybe it was people talking. I didn’t care. Lying stretched out on a beach chair, I stared up at the sky.Why am I lying down here?I drew a blank—no reason came to mind. I’d never intended anything with that man; I’m past the age to stumble around drunk in a concrete cellar with someone whose face I couldn’t even recall. Maybe it was a spur-of-the-moment move, fueled by alcohol. But in hindsight, it had been a good choice.“Hah…”A contented sigh escaped me. My body, still warm from just enough intoxication, was cooled by the night breeze. Sex wasn’t necessary to feel satisfied. I wondered if he was still waiting anxiously for me in the wine cellar. But he no longer concerned me. It wouldn’t be bad to rest here; in fact, it felt good. I could worry about tomorrow once I sobered up. For now… I felt good.I must have dozed off, because a dull sense of awareness suddenly stirred me. After a few seconds of blankness, I realized the sound was footsteps on grass. Annoyed, I opened my eyes slowly. Maybe he’d wandered here looking for me. Or perhaps the owner had come to check on her guests, or a servant on an errand…But none of those proved true. The unsettling irregularity in the grass-crunching sound gave way to a steady tapping on deck boards. Each step fell in perfect rhythm, announcing that my assumptions were wrong—and revealing the walker’s identity. It wasn’t ordinary footfalls, but the unmistakable tip of a cane striking the wood in measured beats.A gigantic figure leaned on his cane, taking slow steps toward me. I stared, dumbfounded, as he approached in a straight, unwavering line.He halted two or three paces away. Dressed in casual chinos and a polo shirt with a couple of buttons undone, he leaned on his cane and regarded me. I watched silently as his sensuously full lips parted. Whether my lack of surprise came from numbed senses or something else, I couldn’t tell.“Ah, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Prosecutor.”…Perhaps because I’d already anticipated this.Heavy with drink, my murky mind registered his words almost matter-of-factly.2｜The world around us was oppressively still. Apart from an occasional gust rattling the trees, there was no sound. It struck me, strangely, that it was natural for this man and me to be alone here. I still lay with my limbs utterly slack, vaguely aware of how defenselessly I’d thrown myself before him—but not moving a finger.Perhaps the moment I caught his gaze in the hall, I’d known this would follow. That must be why there was no confusion, no shock.Maybe it was simply the drink.I blinked slowly, horizontal on the chair. Looking up, he seemed impossibly large—damn it. A laugh escaped me at the ridiculous feeling of a child curled beneath a giant’s feet. Nathaniel Miller, who’d watched me in silence until then, tilted his head and spoke for the first time.“I didn’t expect to find you in a place like this.”I thought:“Lie.”Nathaniel froze. I merely watched the faint smile retreat from his lips. After a short silence, he spoke again, wearing that damned thin grin.“I didn’t think you’d reveal your thoughts so easily.”Only then did I realize why I’d heard my inner voice aloud. Shame should have flushed me, yet no emotion surfaced. Instead, the corner of my mouth quirked in a snort of laughter. Oh, I’d drunk too much champagne. The thought felt more like clarity than regret, and I frowned, blinking. There was no one else—no matter how hard I looked.“…Where is your partner?”The woman who’d clung to him earlier was nowhere in sight. When I questioned the man standing over me alone, Nathaniel replied casually:“She’s not a child—she’s enjoying herself somewhere.”He wasn’t wrong: Even if someone comes with a partner, they often split up if someone more interesting appears.Then what was their relationship?As if reading my mind, Nathaniel spoke again.“In gatherings like this, it’s convenient to have a partner.”His tone implied it was purely transactional. He added, with pointed emphasis,“You avoid unwanted advances that way.”A clear barb directed at me. I met it head-on.“So you’re saying it’s just business? A platonic arrangement?”It sounded absurd, yet he answered matter-of-factly:“Even teenagers don’t believe that having sex means marrying the other person.”His tone hinted at pity, but he was right. Who was I to care what his arrangement was?Silence fell again. After an uncomfortable pause, Nathaniel spoke once more.“What happened to that other man?”“I couldn’t say. I don’t know. You might want to look elsewhere—he’s not here.”I glanced around deliberately and added,“Unless you came to scold me for stealing your type.”I smiled, more kindly than intended. Unexpectedly, his long eyes narrowed slightly.Huh…?Surprised, I watched as he suddenly leaned over me. He balanced on his cane with one hand and reached out with the other. I held my breath as his hand drifted toward my cheek, fleetingly recalling how his heat might ignite my chilled skin.My body reacted before my mind. Incredibly swiftly, I sprang up from the chair. I brushed past his hand and darted several paces away. Nathaniel Miller said nothing as he watched me. A cool breeze brushed my face. Slowly, he straightened. His gaze remained locked on mine as he stood upright, and I held my breath.“Hmm.”In his characteristic deliberate drawl, Nathaniel Miller sighed. He swept back his neatly arranged hair with the hand that had nearly touched my cheek and continued speaking.

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