Whether the Keirs considered him their future successor or not, that was their problem.
After some time, the lawyers finally abandoned their attempts to reason with Xati. Since Yeri had agreed to their proposal, they assured her that they would convey her conditions to the Keir clan and provide written confirmation once everything had been settled.
Before leaving, however, the oldest lawyer glanced at Xati, seemingly wanting to tell him to return home.
With Shin and Tristan potentially dead, the Keir clan would undoubtedly place even greater importance on this little young master.
After all, he was one of their most valuable remaining heirs.
Then the lawyer turned back to Yeri.
"Miss Zhi, I'm not a member of the Keir family, so I can speak more frankly with you. Please, don't offend them."
His tone had softened, though his words remained blunt.
"When problems arise, the Keir clan will always prioritize its own interests and benefits. To them, you're simply an outsider who offers them little advantage."
Yeri understood what he was implying. He was referring to Xati's attachment to her.
In the lawyer's eyes, a child couldn't offer her much protection, regardless of how fond he was of her.
And if Yeri attempted to influence Xati or use their relationship to secure her position, she would only antagonize the Keirs further. They regarded a gifted child like Xati as their future successor. They certainly wouldn't appreciate an outsider interfering with him.
Yeri said nothing as the lawyers finally left.
Her father, who had always remained composed regardless of the circumstances, sat quietly in his chair.
Yeri knew him well enough to recognize the silence.
He was either frustrated by his inability to protect her or blaming himself for not being able to do more.
She was about to reassure him that everything was fine when her mother subtly shook her head.
Madam Zhi understood her husband, too.
If Yeri comforted him now, it would only make him feel more helpless, as though he had failed his daughter when she needed him most.
Just then, Xati grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the back garden.
Once they were far enough from the others, he looked up at her with an innocent expression.
"Empress Mother, do you hate them?"
Yeri looked down at him.
Before she could answer, Xati continued matter-of-factly.
"Just say the word, and I can make sure they don't see another day. A simple car accident would be easy enough."
He tilted his head, as though considering another perfectly reasonable solution.
"As for the Keirs, I could open a dimensional gate and send them all over there to reunite with the Mad Emperor!"
He said it with such childlike innocence that anyone overhearing him might have mistaken his words for an offer to arrange a family reunion.
Yeri smiled helplessly and patted his head. "Xati, don't bother yourself with these trivial human matters. Don't forget, you're a demon prince."
"But they're bullying you!" Xati protested. "How about this? Once I'm officially named the successor, I'll give all the Keir family's assets to you!"
"Do you think I'm someone anyone can bully? Just leave this matter to me, okay?"
Xati was taken aback as his expression turned slightly flustered. "Empress Mother, I don't look down on you! I just don't like anyone who targets you!"
"I know." Yeri crouched down and gave him a hug. "It'll be a long day tomorrow. Let's have dinner and go to bed early, alright?"
Xati nodded obediently.
However, even after dinner, he continued coming up with all sorts of ideas to bring down their enemies.
--
Later that night, in the guest room, Xati took the dimensional key out of his spatial storage.
A massive black book materialized in midair.
Although it was primarily known as a key, there was another reason it was considered one of the most important artifacts in the Demon Realm.
It was capable of far more than simply opening a passage between dimensions.
Flipping through the book, Xati retrieved a kitchen knife he had secretly taken earlier.
He pricked one finger and used his blood to draw a series of symbols on the floor, muttering an incantation as he worked. Once he finished, he placed the black book in the center of the circular formation.
Crimson light illuminated the room.
The symbols glowed brighter, and the air began to distort.
A creature materialized within the formation.
It had glowing red eyes, pitch-black fur, and a massive body roughly the size of a bear.
Xati looked at it without the slightest hint of fear. Instead, he clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"What? It's just a hellhound..."
The hellhound looked thoroughly bewildered.
It raised its nose and sniffed the air, seemingly trying to figure out why it had been summoned in the first place.
Before it could even take a step, the balcony doors suddenly flew open as a violent gust swept into the room.
The dimensional portal cracked.
In the next instant, both the portal and the hellhound disappeared.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Xati looked up, his eyes lighting up. "I knew it! You ugly beings from the Light Realm would notice a dimensional distortion immediately! If my powers weren't sealed, I wouldn't have needed to go through such a tedious summoning process. I could have summoned an elite demon instead of a mere hellhound!"
The being from the Light Realm stared at him in disbelief, then its expression darkened.
"Are the demons planning to start a war and tear apart the long-standing treaty between our realms?"
Xati blinked. "I don't care about that. Can you tell me whether the Mad Emperor is still in this realm? If he is, where's he hiding?"
The being from the Light Realm "..."
Only now did it realize what this entire ridiculous affair was about.
"I am not your messenger! You beings from the Demon Realm really know how to cause trouble and then expect us to clean up your mess!"
Xati tilted his head. "Why are you making things so complicated? The answer is just yes or no. Besides, if the Mad Emperor is still in his human vessel, don't you think this is the perfect opportunity to strike and send him back to where he belongs?"
The being from the Light Realm was genuinely speechless.
This little demon prince was actually trying to use it to deal with the Demon Emperor!
"Demon Prince, what you've done constitutes a violation of the treaty. You clearly have no understanding of the severity of your actions. I will ensure that the Demon Emperor himself answers for this!"
Xati casually waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Make him pay. So, where is he?"
The being from the Light Realm nearly lost its composure.
Xati, however, continued speaking. "Don't you know he's unstable? If he's severely injured, now's the perfect chance! You'd better send him back to the Demon Realm as soon as possible. If you want, I can even help. After all, I have the dimensional key!"
The being from the Light Realm began wondering why it was even bothering to converse with a demon.
They were unreasonable, entitled, and full of malice, even toward their own kind.
Under normal circumstances, dealing with a demon would hardly be a problem. However, this one was a prince. That made things considerably more complicated.
"I'll tell you where he is if you hand over the key."
Xati immediately jumped to his feet and tucked the key back into his spatial storage.
"Pah! Do I look stupid to you? Besides, this key belongs to the demons. I think you're the one trying to break the treaty by coveting our treasures!"
"I'll hand it over to the Demon Emperor myself."
Xati's interest vanished instantly. He ignored him, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers over himself.
"Leave. And close the door on your way out."
The being from the Light Realm stared at him, frustrated.
--
The next day, the wedding venue was already crowded with people. Anyone would have thought a globally renowned artist was holding a concert there.
Since neither the Keir family, KGG, nor the Zhi family had released an official statement regarding the wedding, people flocked to the venue, each with their own thoughts and intentions.
Several helicopters circled overhead, broadcasting reports of the astonishing crowds, while drones captured footage from different angles.
"As everyone knows, today was supposed to be the wedding of Shin Keir and Yeri Zhi, an event already hailed as the wedding of the century!" a reporter announced during a live broadcast. "However, there's still no confirmation that Shin Keir is even alive! Could the families be concealing the truth from the public? Is it possible that Shin Keir was never aboard the plane that crashed?"
The reporter leaned closer to the camera, her excitement growing as she surveyed the crowds below.
"Otherwise, why hasn't the wedding been canceled? Or could the Keir family be planning to replace the groom? But who would be qualified to take his place?"
Below, luxury cars continued arriving one after another, surrounded by heavy security.
The reporter quickly moved on to the next explosive topic.
"Keep in mind that KGG is also in turmoil. According to my sources, tensions between the Keir brothers, Ellis and Allister, have escalated following Allister's appointment as interim CEO!" She paused dramatically. "But what about you, our viewers? Who do you think deserves the position?"
The livestream's comment section exploded.
Messages flooded the screen so rapidly that they were almost impossible to read.
"Obviously, Ellis Keir should be the replacement! Allister can't possibly be in the right state of mind when his son might be dead!"
Others quickly echoed the sentiment.
"Exactly! And the most ironic part is that the person responsible for this tragedy is supposedly the same man who killed Shin's biological mother, Celestine, all those years ago. Allister must be drowning in regret for letting Bryce Gate get away with his crimes!"
"Allister Keir doesn't seem reliable to me. Maybe he let Bryce off because Bryce was still a child back then. But how could he remain married to the woman whose son was responsible for Celestine's death? Rich families are seriously impossible to figure out!"
Of course, not everyone was interested in the Keir family's internal affairs.
Other viewers had their own priorities.
"Where's Yeri? Is she even going to show up? What if Shin Keir doesn't come? Is she really going to stand there and embarrass herself?"
"Yeri will definitely show up and play the victim! She's already got her hands on Shin Keir's assets, so it doesn't matter whether they get married or not. If anything, she should be investigated! Boycott Café Zhillion!"