The two didn't hurry to enter the exclusive club; instead, they lingered outside, talking quietly in the cool night air.
After Shin used his ability on Tristan, the latter finally felt better. He blew out a lungful of smoke and shook his head.
"I didn't know that much happened in the short time I was away," he said. "But I still can't believe Lianna really wants to divorce Zahn, and that she approached you. Forget her being timid, I'm pretty sure she's terrified of you before."
Shin took a slow drag from his own cigarette. It was already past three in the morning. He glanced at the time again, wondering what the hell he was even doing there.
Tristan suddenly remembered the call Shin made before, about the strange change in Zahn's wife and the trace of a high-ranking demon clinging to her.
"By the way, did you find the source of that demonic ability on Lianna?"
Shin paused, and answered with casual indifference. "Hmm. It's Yeri."
He had suspected it from the beginning.
Lianna Neri having that trace on her the same day Yeri collapsed at the hospital wasn't a coincidence. Yeri using her ability must have pushed her human body past its limits.
Moreover mental abilities of that level weren't normal, unless one was a succubus. A succubus could slip into anyone's dreams or memories and even alter them, as long as they were granted permission.
Lianna Neri's own words when she suddenly went looking for him had only confirmed it further.
But the thing that bothered him now was simple: how much did Yeri remember about her life as a succubus?
He was also annoyed that she seemed to have no regard for her own well-being. As a child, her fragile health all these years stemmed from being merely a fragment of a soul, a body constantly compensating, constantly adjusting. But now, just as her body was finally adapting, she had to go ahead and strain it again with a demon ability.
Since when did his cold, unemotional empress care about other people anyway?
Should he be relieved she was different now?
Tristan grabbed Shin's shoulder, eyes wide in disbelief. "Hold on. Yeri knew her past and still chose to help a human? That destructive, malevolent, unloving empress suddenly turned benevolent now that she's human? That calls for celebration! Her memories must be tangled, she probably doesn't know who you are or how toxic your relationship was."
Shin shook Tristan's hand off, staring at him with murder in his eyes. "Who are you calling malevolent? She was created that way. It was never her fault."
Tristan raised both hands in surrender as they finally walked in.
Despite his notorious reputation, Tristan knew he wasn't one for complicated relationships, whether demon or human.
The relationship between Emperor Hexion and Jewel was one he had never managed to understand.
The two had plotted, deceived, harmed, and scarred each other countless times. Love and malice intertwined until neither could tell where one ended and the other began.
---
Inside the private suite, Zahn was long gone, slumped over a couch, fully drowned in alcohol. Saeki wasn't far behind, half-drunk and rambling when Shin and Tristan entered.
Saeki squinted through his haze. "Oh look who's here. Should I thank you for coming thiiiis late?"
"Who are you talking to?" Tristan asked. "Me or Shin?"
Saeki blinked, eyes widening. "Tristan?! You're back? I thought you were touring continents hooking up with all kinds of women! How were they? Did you bring some for me?"
Tristan: "…"
No point talking to the dead drunk.
In the corner, Zahn was slumped on the couch. In his current state, no one would have guessed he was the stern, upright, and renowned Dr. Zahn Neri.
"What happened to him?" Tristan pointed at the limp figure on the couch as Saeki downed another drink.
Is he trying to drink himself to death?
Saeki suddenly burst out laughing and slapped the table.
"Guess! When I got here he was already drunk mumbling his wife's name. Never thought I'd see the day. He always looked down on me for being too carefree. Now his wife doesn't want him anymore! Serves him right."
Shin sat across from Saeki and poured himself a drink.
A knock came at the door, and two beautiful women peeked inside.
Rumors had spread fast that young masters from noble families were in the club tonight, obviously, the women couldn't sit still.
Unfortunately for them, Zahn Neri, despite his inner turmoil had warned the staff earlier not to let anyone disturb him.
Now that he was drunk, some wanted to take advantage, but froze when they saw more people inside.
Recognizing Tristan, their shyness turned to excitement.
Tristan gave them a polite smile. His reputation had clearly traveled far and wide. But he wasn't a hooligan with no boundaries, thank you very much, he had standards too.
"Oh, are they the souvenirs you brought?" Saeki blurted.
Tristan's mouth twitched. Just as the women tried to enter, he blocked the door. With Shin's temper, he didn't want any accidents. After dealing with that demon orb earlier, he only wanted peace.
He motioned for the staff guarding outside to escort them away. The club, despite its prestige, wouldn't risk offending anyone in this group and immediately went to work.
"Big bro, why'd you chase them out?" Saeki complained.
Annoyed, Tristan smacked him. "Can you focus? What happened to Zahn?"
Saeki coughed and leaned back, dizzy. "What was I saying again? Wait- I still haven't complained to big bro Shin! Where is he? I asked him to hang out, but only this stone face Zahn's here. He lied to me… I wanted to ask what the Lin family did to offend him."
"Lin family?" Tristan repeated, turning to Shin.
Shin swirled his drink lazily. "Their second son disrespected Yeri. While you're at it, take care of Hexion and look into the establishment's activities lately."
Before Tristan could react, Saeki suddenly shouted, laughing.
"Oh yes, stone face! I remember why he's like that…" He snickered. "He went to find Lianna today but she scolded him instead. When he tried to force her to go home, she already called the police on him! Hahaha!"
Tristan: "…"
Shin: "…"
Saeki laughed so hard his eyes teared up.
"Can you imagine his face when the police arrived?"
Indeed, Zahn, who had never tasted humiliation in his life, being reported by his wife? That must've felt like divine punishment.
"That woman really changed," Tristan muttered. "But what if this is the real her? Didn't she drug Zahn before?"
"I don't think that was her either," Saeki said, shaking his head. "Sister-in-law believes so too. Just wait. I sent someone to investigate already."
"Which sister-in-law?" Tristan asked, since Saeki had several siblings.
Saeki hiccupped and grinned. "Yeri, of course! We're totally in sync on this matter."
Shin: "…"
Why did she ask this idiot to investigate instead of him? His men were far more capable than Saeki's.
Tristan quietly distanced himself from Saeki. The man had no sense of self-preservation. He'd reminded Saeki many times that Shin was especially sensitive to anything involving Yeri, but the warning went straight out the other ear.
"Oh? You two are close?" Shin asked, voice cool, gaze sharp as ice.
Saeki nodded vigorously. "Yeah. She's easy to talk to. If I wasn't so busy, I'd ask her out for a meal, she'd love the gossip I know."
"What happened after Lianna called the police?" Tristan cut in, diverting the conversation before Shin snapped.
Saeki blinked and thought hard.
"Stone face is stone face… he still brought her home. What could the police do? They're legally married. If there's no crime, it's just a domestic issue, normal couple fights."
Shin's brow tightened almost imperceptibly. If Zahn had taken Lianna Neri away… then what of their arrangement? Would she waver now? Would she dare change her mind?
Saeki kept rambling until Shin finally stood up. There was no point staying longer, Zahn wouldn't share his troubles until sober.
Tristan carried Zahn while Saeki staggered to his feet.
"Big bro… I can't drive like this. Drive me home, okay?" Saeki mumbled, clinging to Shin.
"Sure," Shin answered smoothly, so calmly that Tristan raised an eyebrow.
Just when he was about to tease him about being soft-hearted, Shin opened the trunk and kicked Saeki inside.
Tristan: "…"
"Your suitcase is in the backseat," Shin said flatly, blaming him for occupying the space that Saeki could have used.
Tristan's mouth twitched. He placed the unconscious Zahn beside his suitcase and shut the door.
Saeki's muffled singing echoed from the trunk. At least he was too drunk to care.
---
The next day, the city woke up to explosive news circulating online: Shin Keir was engaged.
Netizens pounced on the article like it was breakfast.
However, to everyone's disappointment, the sudden "engagement news" did not come from any reputable source. It originated from marketing accounts, those notorious pages that thrived on half-truths, clickbait, and shameless speculation.
Worse, every account had a different version.
Some articles implied that Shin Keir's fiancée was not his choice, that the engagement was a forced political alliance approved by the Keirs. Others boldly claimed that Shin already had another woman in his heart, someone he had been protecting for years. For her safety, away from the Keir family's cold scrutiny and the public's obsession, he had no choice but to agree to an engagement with another girl.
Within hours, netizens were already weaving their own melodramatic tales.
Some theories sounded like scenes ripped straight out of fantasy romance novels. Others insisted the girl Shin Keir truly loved must be an ordinary, unknown woman, someone the Keir family absolutely would not accept.
A few dramatic souls even insisted it was a forbidden love, a star-crossed fate, or a secret relationship spanning years.
But among the thousands of comments, one in particular rose to the top, gaining likes at an alarming speed:
"The fiancée is Calin Ricci. Trust me."
That single comment sparked a wildfire.
Users immediately scrambled to connect the dots: Calin's frequent appearances near Shin Keir, their occasional matching schedules, old photos of them standing at the same charity auction, their intertwined family relations, and mutual friends.