At the table, Madam Zhi sat across from Yeri and Shin.
It wasn't that Yeri deliberately sat next to Shin, she had simply followed the usual arrangement, with Father Zhi's chair at the head.
Spotting her favorite seafood dishes, Yeri decided to focus on eating and let the two of them talk.
But then Shin casually rolled up his sleeves and began peeling shrimp for her.
Yeri: "…"
Madam Zhi's lips curved faintly. "We always prepare seafood at home since Princess enjoys it."
Shin nodded without hesitation. "Mm. Even at the convenience store, she always looks for anything with seafood like noodles, tuna sandwiches…"
Yeri froze mid-bite. Her other hand moved on instinct and pinched his thigh under the table.
Shin glanced down with mock innocence. "What's wrong with your hand?"
Yeri quickly pulled back, though she was sorely tempted to kick him instead.
Madam Zhi's gaze flickered between the two of them, her expression meaningful. Klaus had mentioned that they'd reconnected after the debut banquet, but judging from this subtle display, it seemed they had grown much closer in a short time.
Grinding her teeth, Yeri decided to take the initiative. If she waited any longer, Shin might even blurt out something about the seafood lunch boxes he sent to her dorm.
"Mom," Yeri said sweetly, "I received some compensation money after we settled the case earlier. Can I use it to go shopping?"
Madam Zhi smiled and nodded. "Of course."
Shin, however, frowned slightly. "If you need shopping expenses, what about the ca—"
Before he could finish, Yeri kicked him sharply under the table. In her panic, she also choked on her food.
Damn it, he's doing this on purpose, isn't he?
Did he want her parents to know about the bank card he gave her? Not just any card, but the legendary black card?
Madam Zhi, oblivious to the exchange, simply assumed her daughter was nervous. After all, wasn't her crush sitting right beside her?
Who wouldn't have butterflies?
"Be careful, don't eat too fast." She poured a glass of water and handed it to Yeri.
"The rice was just too hot," Yeri managed with a forced smile.
Of course, Madam Zhi had seen her choking on shrimp but as a mother, she chose not to expose her.
Throughout the meal, Yeri remained on edge. By the time they finished, she nearly jumped out of her seat in relief. Thankfully, Shin didn't spout any more nonsense and made his polite exit after lunch.
Playing the good host, Yeri escorted him outside. Once she confirmed her mother wasn't following, she turned on him with a glare. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"Which part?" Shin raised an eyebrow.
Yeri crossed her arms. This sinister man. Every time they met, he somehow managed to provoke her.
Shin pinched her cheek with a teasing smile. "You're adorable when you're annoyed."
Adorable? Did he think she was his pet?
"Well, I don't like it," Yeri said indignantly. "I think you know exactly why I'm upset. You only told Dad we first met at my debut. Everything that happened before that must never reach my parents' ears. It's not for my sake...it's for theirs. I don't want to ruin the way they see me."
Shin smirked. "So you want to remain the good daughter in their eyes?"
Yeri nodded reluctantly. She had the best parents. The least she could do was not cause them unnecessary worry.
Originally, meeting Shin Keir had been an impulsive, rebellious moment. Everyone had such moments—when you throw caution aside and chase desire. She blamed it on her awakening, her self-confidence, her self-indulgence.
But she never expected to become entangled with Shin for this long. Now, the knot was impossible to sever, and she was on the verge of being engaged to him.
"Alright," Shin said indulgently, holding her hand. "We have a deal. But since we're about to get engaged, shouldn't you also stop feeling so distant and awkward around me?"
Yeri froze. So he had noticed that she often tried to avoid him.
But he was right. Their relationship had crossed a line; it was no longer about compensation or any convenient excuse.
She needed to take it seriously and truly get to know him.
The two reached a tentative agreement, but before leaving, Shin reminded her to handle the false rumors online or let him take care of it.
Yeri refused, she already had a plan.
"By the way," Shin added casually, "don't go to mixers anymore."
Yeri blinked, then remembered the so-called mixer she had attended with Nina. Wait… how does he know about that?
"I didn't even know it was a mixer!" she protested. "I thought it was just a gathering. How did you know?"
"You made quite a fuss at the café," Shin replied smoothly.
In truth, Pablo and the others had only reported it to him yesterday, after nearly forgetting because of the night market chaos. Still, according to them, Yeri had left quickly and clearly wasn't pleased to see Marco Fabian there.
"I really didn't know it was a mixer," Yeri muttered, pouting.
Shin wasn't actually mad or anything and just let it slide. Marco Fabian wouldn't be troubling her anytime soon. His family's company was under investigation for tax evasion, and thanks to the bullying scandal, Tiffany Rhian's social media had been dissected by netizens. Naturally, Marco's name surfaced among her associates.
"I'm leaving now. Can I kiss you?" Shin asked with a smile.
Yeri stepped back and glared. "Our engagement isn't official yet. Don't be a hooligan here."
Shin laughed lightly, then slipped into his Ferrari and sped off.
Yeri tilted her head. "He really has too many cars…"
She'd never even seen that model before.
Unfortunately, her parents had yet given her permission to drive, afraid her illness might recur while driving.
---
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the staff buzzed with excitement and speculation.
"I wasn't wrong, was I? You all saw it! It really was Shin Keir!" whispered the maid who had opened the door and served the tea. She leaned closer, her tone dripping with gossip, and jabbed a finger toward the chef. "You prepared their lunch, so you must have seen him up close."
The chef nodded, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "I never imagined the day would come when Shin Keir himself would eat the food I cooked!"
"Why do you think he was looking for our young miss?" another servant asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Well, maybe he came here on business," one suggested. "But since the Master and Madam weren't home, he must've chatted with Yeri instead."
"Hmph, that might be the case," the chef chimed in, puffing his chest like an analyst delivering a profound observation. "But mark my words, if this household is associated with Shin Keir, the Zhi family will surely rise to greater heights."
Everyone's eyes lit up at the thought. They knew exactly what that meant. It wasn't just the prospect of higher salaries, it was the chance to elevate their résumés tenfold.
After all, the Zhis weren't like other wealthy families who mistreated their staff. Here, wages and bonuses always arrived on time, and the workload was reasonable.
"So if you want to keep your positions," the nanny cut in, her voice stern despite the smile tugging at her lips, "you'd better stop gossiping and focus on your duties. And don't forget...as tempting as it is to brag, not a word of this must leak outside."
The nanny had served the Zhi family for years and had been Yeri's caretaker since the day she was born. Now, with Yeri grown, she had become the household's head maid, a position she carried with pride.
The others nodded in agreement, though their chatter hardly died down. After all, with the Zhi couple often away on business and the siblings living in their school dorms, there wasn't much else to do and this was far too delicious a topic to let go.
---
Yeri unaware of the household gossip was preparing with her online class.
Before starting her online class, Yeri uploaded Tiffany's written apology letter to her social media, clarifying the false allegations tying her to the bullying case.
By evening, her post had gone viral with thousands of shares and comments. Many classmates openly took her side.
Yeri smiled. No matter how much money Tiffany's family threw around, they had underestimated her infamy.
Tiffany had offended too many people. Not everyone could be bought, especially in a school where money flowed like water.
As Yeri scrolled, liking supportive comments, a call from an unknown number popped up.
Curious, she answered. At once, a shrill, hysterical voice exploded from the speaker.
"Yeri, you bitch! Why did you post that? Are you trying to kill me? This was supposed to be a private settlement! You have no right to post it! Delete it now or I'll sue you!"
Yeri didn't even bother replying. She let Tiffany rant, set the phone aside, and calmly reviewed her class notes.
When she heard, "Hello? Hello?!" she lazily picked the phone back up.
"Tiffany, do you think I don't know about your dummy accounts used to slander me? Or the trolls you hired to drag me into this? If you want to sue, then sue. I can do the same."
The other line went dead silent. Yeri pictured Tiffany's face paling like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her. But she had no patience for more drama, so she hung up before Tiffany could recover.
Nathaniel Armour had already told her the apology letter was legally hers. She could do whatever she wanted with it.
If Tiffany hadn't constantly smeared her and hired trolls to frame her, Yeri would have stayed quiet. But since Tiffany refused to stop, Yeri decided she'd give her a taste of her own medicine.
Let her learn what it felt like to be bullied and scorned by the masses.
Yeri returned to sorting her notes, when a pink notebook caught her eye. She opened it and found an old page of scribbles:
1. Shopping spree (urgent)
2. Pick up a new hobby
3. Move back into the dorm
4. DATE
Yeri chuckled faintly. It was childish. She crumpled the page and tossed it into the trash.
Number four: dating, she had accomplished it, even beyond her initial wish. But marriage? That had never been on her list. She only wanted to date and move on.
Her life had changed drastically since meeting Shin Keir. Not exactly in a bad way but she could no longer live as carelessly as before.
Maybe this was what people called adulting: taking responsibility, facing life head-on.