To their surprise, Emperor Hexion agreed without resistance.
For demons, power was everything. Authority, conquest, dominance. Those were the pillars of their existence.
Yet the emperor was willing to abandon his throne, his strength, even his own identity. All so he could breathe the same air as his empress once more.
---
It was around this same time that the Keir family was collapsing from within.
Eleanor Keir's secret had been dragged into the light.
Alister had discovered the truth, Bryce was not his biological son.
The revelation shattered more than pride. It threatened inheritance, status, power. And Eleanor understood exactly what that meant.
Moreover, Celestine was a lingering threat she had failed to eliminate along with her son, Shin.
Her position was crumbling. Everything that she'd worked so hard to obtain is about to collapse.
When Bryce entered the sitting room, her eyes lit up with frantic hope.
"Bryce, what are we going to do? He knows. He knows!" she cried, grabbing his shoulders so tightly her nails dug into his skin. "You have to help your mother. Do something like maybe beg your father. Even if you are not his biological son, he raised you, doted and trained you as his heir. I don't believe he feels nothing for you!"
Bryce, who had just turned eleven, shoved her away with irritation.
"Why are you so useless?" he snapped. "You couldn't even keep your own husband."
Eleanor staggered back, sobbing, her mind racing.
"I won't agree to a divorce… I won't…" she muttered, almost to herself.
Then something shifted in her eyes.
Slowly, she grabbed Bryce again, her gaze sharp and unsteady at the same time.
"Help your mother," she whispered hoarsely, eyes bloodshot. "For your own sake, you must."
Outside, lightning tore through the sky.
---
On the mountainside, flames rose violently into the rain soaked night.
The Keir villa burned like a torch against the dark forest. Fire roared through wooden beams and silk curtains, devouring marble halls and priceless paintings alike. Even the heavy rain could not suppress it.
High above the city, Paris glanced downward.
"If we require a vessel, and it must be someone who has just died, then a hospital would be an ideal place to search, wouldn't it?" he said casually as they drifted through the clouds.
But then their attention shifted. The inferno in the distance drew their gaze.
"Is this human fire?" Paris tilted his head. "How underwhelming."
Below, amid the chaos and distant sirens, a boy stood several meters from the burning villa.
He looked no older than eleven.
The flames reflected in his eyes yet there was no fear, only fascination.
A strange exhilaration as though he were witnessing something magical.
"Tsk. So young, yet already so vicious," the light realm being murmured.
They did not need to ask what had happened. With their abilities, they understood.
Inside one of the upstairs bathrooms, three bodies lay huddled together. A woman and two children. They had retreated there, hoping water and tiles would shield them from the smoke.
Unfortunately, they died from inhalation before rescue could reach them.
"A pity," the light being sighed. Then his eyes flicked toward the two boys. "How convenient. These children could serve as vessels."
Emperor Hexion's gaze fell upon the bodies of the two young boys, around seven or eight years old.
"Children are weak," he said flatly.
The light being's expression twitched.
"In case Your Majesty has forgotten, human lifespans are brief to us. This age is appropriate considering the age gap in this realm. Unless, of course, you prefer to become a father to your empress."
Emperor Hexion "...."
Paris hummed thoughtfully. He extended his awareness, scanning the life trajectories of the deceased.
"Interesting," he murmured. "These two children belong to one of the wealthiest families in this city."
His gaze shifted briefly to the woman. "As for her… tragic. Fate has not been kind."
Paris quickly explained.
The woman, Celestine, had once dated the second son of the powerful Keir family, Alister. But their difference in status drew opposition.
Eventually, the Keir matriarch and elders succeeded in separating them.
Alister later married Eleanor out of obligation and her claim of pregnancy.
But Eleanor, threatened by Celestine's lingering shadow, found her years later and drugged her, intending something unspeakable.
Alister intervened. In the chaos of that night, he and Celestine crossed a line meant only to neutralize the drug.
Celestine disappeared once more and she returned later with a son, Shin.
"Unfortunately," Paris finished, "this woman's fate remains tragic. Even her son died with her tonight."
Below, the fire crackled louder as part of the roof collapsed inward.
Emperor Hexion remained unmoved.
"I will wait," he said. "Jewel will be born in months. I can choose a vessel then."
"Your Majesty," the light realm being protested urgently, "there is no guarantee that an appropriate body will appear in this same city at that time. These circumstances are rare."
The flames surged higher, casting violent shadows across the trees.
"I also believe this is the right opportunity, Your Majesty," Paris said, aligning himself with the light realm being.
For a long moment, Emperor Hexion remained silent.
Before sealing his memories, he turned to Paris, his gaze sharp enough to cleave through worlds.
"You will ensure Jewel's safety until the day I meet her again."
Paris placed a hand over his chest and formed a binding oath. "I swear."
Only then did Emperor Hexion allow the seal to descend, locking away his abilities and memories, buried deep within his soul.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was simply Shin Keir.
No knowledge of who he once was and of Jewel's existence. However, something remained, his temperament.
He was no longer the lively, naïve child who once trailed behind his mother. In its place stood quiet calculation and unnatural composure.
Everyone believed the change was caused by trauma. By the fire. By watching his mother die.
This was also why, at present, Bryce sensed something unfamiliar in him. The boy he used to bully had died in the flames.
---
Morning arrived with deceptive peace.
Shin descended to the dining hall, seeing Master Keir was already seated at the head of the table, precisely on schedule.
Gone was the melancholy from the previous night, yet faint shadows lingered beneath his eyes.
"Your engagement banquet is in three days," Master Keir said calmly. "Have you handled everything that needs to be handled?"
"Hm." Shin took his seat across from him.
Butler Hong appeared promptly with black coffee and a croissant, prepared exactly as he preferred.
Master Keir watched his son carefully, relief flickered through him.
In his heart, he imagined telling Celestine that their son had grown well. That he had surpassed expectations. That he no longer required protection or guidance.
Shin had built the company beyond all projections, turning it into a force that rivaled entire conglomerates, and now he was building his own family.
He was not entirely the original Shin, yet, unknown even to himself, his survival in that fire had pulled Master Keir back from the edge of oblivion.
The man, who had nearly surrendered to grief and despair, found reason to keep breathing because of his son.
Sometimes, survival alone reshapes destiny.
---
That same morning, Yeri left the penthouse to pick up Carpet.
The veterinarian had finally cleared him for discharge.
When she arrived, Carpet nearly knocked over a metal tray in his excitement. His tail wagged so hard it seemed detached from logic.
He barked happily at the sight of her, ignoring the shaved patches on his fur and the awkward cone around his neck.
He looked ridiculous and entirely pleased with himself.
"Miss Zhi, you're here," the veterinarian greeted her warmly before explaining the remaining medication and care instructions.
Yeri nodded attentively.
"By the way," she asked hesitantly, "I have a banquet in a few days. Is it alright for Carpet to attend?"
The veterinarian paused.
"It may be overwhelming with his fractures not fully healed yet," he said carefully. "Large crowds, noise, possibly children."
Yeri glanced down.
Carpet was still limping slightly, though he tried to disguise it with enthusiasm.
As much as she wanted him present at her engagement banquet, his recovery mattered more.
After settling him into the backseat of her car, she closed the door gently.
"Miss Zhi."
The voice came from behind her.
"It's been quite difficult to reach you."
Yeri turned.
The man standing a few steps away was tall and refined, dressed neatly but not ostentatiously. His features were sharp yet approachable.
Something about him tugged at her memory.
Where had she seen him before?
"Miss Zhi doesn't seem to remember. It's fine. It was only that night, and we barely spoke."
He smiled with easy composure and extended his hand. "Xian Song."
Only then did Yeri recall him. The man who had lent her his jacket at the banquet.
Instead of accepting his hand, she studied him with narrowed eyes, suspicion sharpening her features.
"Are you stalking me? How did you know I'm here?"
"Pure coincidence," Xian replied without the slightest flicker of discomfort. "Would you believe me if I said I was merely passing by and happened to recognize you?"
Yeri "...."
As if she would believe that.
"At the very least, would you spare me a few minutes to chat?" he asked, his tone courteous rather than insistent.
Considering he had helped her that night at the banquet. And now that they were already standing face to face, refusing outright would feel unnecessarily hostile.
They moved to a nearby café that sat nearly empty at this hour, the air scented faintly with roasted beans and quiet conversations.
Yeri brought Carpet along who shuffled under the table and collapsed heavily against her shoes.
"What happened to your dog?" he asked, noticing the shaved patches of fur and the slight limp.
"An accident," Yeri answered shortly.
Xian did not press further and instead asked, almost casually, "Does Miss Zhi love Shin Keir?"
Yeri blinked.
The question was direct, almost disarmingly so. And yet, beneath its simplicity, there was something probing about it.
"Otherwise?" she countered, choosing deflection over confession. "What other reason could there be?"
Xian smiled gently, "Please don't misunderstand. I'm not implying you have ulterior motives. And even if you did, that would hardly be my concern."
Yeri leaned forward slightly, her gaze steady. "Your message that I would regret getting engaged to him. What exactly did you mean?"