Soon the door opened and closed, and at last I was alone.“Ha……”A sigh slipped out before I could stop it. Only then did I press a hand to my forehead, squeeze my eyes shut, and shake my head. Late as always, the back of my neck and my entire face burned. What had I done? My stomach lurched at the thought that I’d sat naked on the bed like some harlot, deliberately arousing a man.Was I still drunk?I could think of no other explanation. Filled with disgust at myself, I drew in a deep breath and let it out. The clock on the wall read past noon. Realizing I ought to prepare to leave, I swung my legs off the bed—only to be halted by something odd in my line of sight.…Huh?I froze and tilted my head. The sheet I’d yanked around me barely covered my hips and part of my thighs. Below my knees, my skin was fully exposed. My hand traced the bare expanse of my leg until it paused at my ankle. For some reason, the skin there was reddened.Frowning, I tugged the sheet back up and examined my ankle from every angle but could identify no cause. Had I seriously injured it somewhere?The answer was simple: I must have bumped into something while drunk. Dismissing it as nothing more than that would have been easy—yet something about this bruise nagged at me. It was an even, oval stain, unlike any random bump. Like…a hickey.Suddenly I recalled Nathaniel Miller’s glance before he left.“No way… That’s absurd.”I shook my head vigorously. It was a ridiculous fantasy.Nathaniel Miller wouldn’t do something like that—if he weren’t drunk, he’d be crazy.“Get a grip, Chrissy Jin. Now’s not the time for stupid thoughts.”I said it loud enough for the walls to hear, then hopped off the bed and grabbed my clothes from the back of the tea-table chair. The garments, soaked the night before, were now freshly laundered and completely dry. ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) That, too, must have been Nathaniel Miller’s doing.It wasn’t hard to picture him removing my clothes, handing the sopping ones to his staff, and seeing me properly dressed again. I simply couldn’t believe he’d shown me such kindness.“Tch.”I muttered irritably as I held the fluffy, dry underwear. Slipping into my clothes, I ignored the cold mug on the side table, splashed water on my face in the connected bathroom, and stepped back out.I hurried downstairs to find people already departing. Spotting the Prosecutor General and his wife, I made a beeline for them.“Oh, Jin. Slept well?”He greeted me with a booming laugh a beat after noticing me. Though I felt sheepish, I also breathed a sigh of relief. His tone suggested I hadn’t made a complete fool of myself.“Thanks to you, I rested soundly. Ahem… um, did anything unusual happen last night?”I asked cautiously. He patted my arm, still chuckling.“Don’t worry—nothing happened. You passed out drunk, and Miller carried you to a room, right?”“How did you know?”A chill ran down my spine as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.“I heard it from the host. Miller found an empty room and laid you down. How much did you drink? When did you get so friendly with Miller? I was surprised to hear he was the one who helped you. Did you guys get along over drinks? Or did you find you had something in common?”He fired question after question, curiosity shining on his face. I could only break into a cold sweat and stammer.“No… nothing special—just drank too much.”That was all I could manage. He seemed to expect more, but I couldn’t say anything else. Forcing a smile, I looked at him.“Honestly, we hardly spoke. I only just realized he was the one who helped me.”If I’d told him the truth—that Nathaniel undressed me and waited until I woke up—he might have fainted on the spot. Even I still wondered if I’d dreamed it.“Thank you for inviting me to your event. I really did enjoy it.”Shifting the topic with a polite line, I watched him nod, pleased.“I told you you’d like it. Next time there’s an opportunity, let me know.”“Yes—thank you.”After seeing him and his wife off to their car, I turned to find the host. People were already gathering around him to say goodbye. I waited for the previous guest to finish, then approached.“Mr. Field, thank you for everything. I appreciate your hospitality.”He looked momentarily puzzled, then broke into a warm smile as he remembered me and gave my arm a hearty squeeze.“Well, well. I’m glad you had a good time last night. Please do join us at the next party, okay? Of course you will?”His laughter rang out exaggeratedly, perhaps to spare my embarrassment. I chuckled politely, made a few more empty pleasantries, and hurried away—hoping to avoid running into Nathaniel Miller.But as always, luck was not on my side. Just as I rounded a corner toward my car, I saw him standing by a sleek, black sedan. Reflexively, I ducked behind a pillar. When my heart settled, I peeked out: his partner was climbing into the passenger seat, and Nathaniel himself took the driver’s seat. In no time, he started the engine and drove away. Only once his car had vanished did I emerge.After that, I didn’t need to rush. Once the traffic eased, I strolled to my rental car, started the engine, and left the estate with no further incident.“Haah.”A sigh of relief escaped me as I hit the road. Fatigue washed over me. I wanted nothing more than to get home and rest—but hours of driving still lay ahead. I gripped the steering wheel, pressed the accelerator, and increased my speed. By the time I returned the rental, it was nearly midnight. I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep before I knew it.――――――◊――――――“How was it, Prosecutor?”As soon as I arrived at work, the deputy prosecutor—barely able to contain her excitement—peppered me with questions. She must have thought about it all weekend. I forced a bitter smile and offered a vague reply.“Not bad.”“Not bad?”She hovered behind me until I sat, then thrust her face forward.“They said a lot of celebrities came. How many did you see? Just politicians, or entertainers too?”She clearly wanted gossip. I knew of only one.Abeline.The moment I said her name, the deputy lit up.“Abeline? Capital-A Abeline? She’s the hottest model right now! Fiery red hair, that height—gorgeous. And that tiny waist.”She pinched a small circle between her fingers. Assuming it was the same one I’d seen, I managed a hesitant, “Yes.”“I’m not sure if she was someone’s partner or directly invited.”“Probably a partner—who’d turn down such a beauty? I’d jump at the chance to date Abeline.”She sighed dreamily, but I had nothing more to add. All I’d done was disgrace myself in a drunken stupor. I’d rather go back and dive into the Hudson than attend that party again.“Sorry—really nothing happened. I didn’t catch half their conversation.”I smiled ruefully, and she slumped in disappointment—yet refused to give up.“Next time, be more proactive.”With that, she left. I finally let out a tired sigh. I felt bad, but resolved never to attend such a party again. It was far beyond my ambitions.Determined, I pulled a case file from the pile and began to read.Mrs. Smith came to see me three days later. I was at my desk, poring over paperwork, when the deputy prosecutor informed me of her visit—and I leapt to my feet in surprise.

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