"Recently Crystal City uncovered some relics said to be a thousand years old… though honestly, I'd be more interested if they turned out to be dinosaur fossils," Saeki's voice rang out, clear and self-satisfied.
Shin paused. His father and that fool Saeki… discussing art and relics? Had the two of them been smoking something? Maybe Butler Hong too.
But before losing his interest and leave, another voice entered the air, soft, clear, gentle. One that cut through his irritation in an instant.
"I dare not call myself an enthusiast," the voice said modestly, "but I do admire the works of Praksch. Particularly his painting Red Abyss."
Shin's cold expression cracked. His heart lurched violently against his chest.
That voice… No. It couldn't be.
Without thinking, he strode quickly into the room, almost barging in. And there she was.
Yeri.
She stood in the center of the room, radiant even in borrowed clothes, while Master Keir carefully handed her a jeweler's loupe as though she were a guest of honor.
"You have good taste," Master Keir was saying with a satisfied smile. "Since you mentioned Praksch, this one here is his piece, Bleak Moonlight. I acquired it after much trouble and consulted several masters to confirm its authenticity."
"Yeri?" Shin's voice was low, disbelieving.
The three people turned at once. Saeki, of course, reacted first.
"You're finally here!" he exclaimed dramatically, flinging his arms wide as if Shin had returned from war. "What took you so long? Didn't you know sister-in-law's been waiting?"
Shin ignored him entirely, his gaze fixed only on her. "How long have you been here? I couldn't reach you on the phone."
Yeri scratched the tip of her nose, looking sheepish. "It got wet in the rain on the way, and then it stopped working. I assumed someone told you already… my bad."
Shin's sharp eyes slid toward his father, who suddenly found the steam rising from his teacup fascinating. Master Keir coolly sipped as if he hadn't orchestrated every second of this.
Of course, the old man felt no regret. If he hadn't interfered, he would never have gotten the chance to properly meet the girl his son was so greedy about.
Butler Hong wasn't innocent either. He cleared his throat with exaggerated dignity. "The tea is ready. With this weather, a warm cup before bed is just right."
Before Yeri could even explain how she'd ended up here, Saeki was already retelling everything he knew with the enthusiasm of a street storyteller.
Meanwhile, Shin noticed what Yeri was wearing. His shirt. The sight alone softened his entire demeanor, admiration flickering in his eyes before he could stop it.
"Uhm," Yeri muttered, catching his gaze, "I didn't have a change of clothes, so I hope you don't mind me borrowing yours."
Shin's lips curved into a smile, the kind that made the room a little warmer. "Not at all. You can wear anything of mine."
The tension in his chest finally dissolved. The worry that she had been avoiding him yet again melted away.
Her simply being here, standing in front of him, was probably the best surprise of his life. Better than any birthday gift or hollow company celebration.
"Big bro, are you listening?" Saeki whined, oblivious to the romantic current flowing between them. He leaned his elbow heavily on Shin's shoulder. "Guess who sister-in-law brought with her tonight?"
Shin shook off his arm with irritation. "Just say it."
Saeki grinned, wanting to draw out the suspense, but one glance at Shin's expression nearly made him choke.
"Fine, fine! It's that stone-faced man's wife, Lianna Neri! She was totally unwell, drenched and running a high fever…"
Saeki continued yammering, but Shin's focus had already returned to Yeri. His gaze hardened slightly. He'd warned her before to stay away from that woman. Yet somehow, they'd grown even closer.
"Miss Zhi," Butler Hong chimed pleasantly, "since you appreciate my little hobby, I'm delighted. Luckily, I just prepared a fresh batch of rose tea. I'll bring you more tomorrow."
"Hm, a good idea," Master Keir nodded. Not wanting to be outdone, he added, "Yeri, didn't you say earlier you wanted to be a biologist? I have a huge plot of land down south. Overgrown by forest now, but I'll give it to you. Build your own laboratory there… or perhaps turn it into a fish farm. It's close to the sea, you could breed endless seafood."
"You mean aquaculture!" Saeki clapped his hands as if he'd discovered the word himself. "Brilliant! You'll never run out of shrimp again, and you can study nature at the same time!"
Yeri was speechless, the rose tea was fine but a plot of land? Master Keir said it like he was just giving her some school materials. Even more ridiculous was that no one found it exorbitant.
Shin on the other hand felt unhappy.
What were they doing? Planning a whole future with his wife while completely ignoring him?
His face turned gloomy. He snapped at Saeki, "Why are you still here? Go back."
But Saeki, of course, had no intention of leaving. How could he? With gossip this juicy, tomorrow promised to be legendary.
Master Keir only made things worse. "It's late. Let him stay the night."
Shin sneered inwardly. With a car, Saeki could get home in five minutes. Even crawling, the idiot would reach safety in under half an hour.
But Saeki, sensing Shin might drag him out, immediately rushed off toward the guest room Butler Hong had prepared, pretending to be "too sleepy" to stay awake.
One by one, the two old men also excused themselves, leaving the young pair behind.
"Have you eaten?" Yeri asked, tilting her head.
Shin immediately forgot the others, he leaned forward slightly, amused. "Are you going to cook for me?"
Yeri raised a brow. She wasn't foolish enough to claim skills she didn't have. Even her parents had warned her repeatedly to stay far, far away from the kitchen. "If you don't mind being poisoned, then… I'll try."
Shin's mouth twitched. Some things never changed. Back in the demon realm, her very blood had been toxic and now, her cooking was no less lethal.
Yeri blinked at him. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Anyway, she wanted to explain quickly about Mrs. Neri before Shin misunderstood further.
"I'm sorry about her. She was already burning with fever when I found her, and she refused to go to the hospital. The traffic was impossible, so… your estate was the closest."
"Don't apologize," Shin cut in smoothly. "You're not an outsider. This is my home, you can come here anytime." His gaze deepened. "Or better yet… just move in."
Yeri rolled her eyes. He was getting more shameless by the day.
"Besides," he added, quieter, "I'm happy you thought of me first."
Yeri's guilt stirred. The truth was, she had worried Dr. Neri would hold a grudge if she meddled, and she'd instinctively sought Shin for protection.
In a way, she had dragged him into this.
"Uhm… could you not tell Dr. Neri that Sister Lianna's here for now? I doubt he even cares."
Shin's lips curled into a dangerous grin as he slid an arm around her waist. "Sure. What do I get in return?"
Yeri froze, realizing too late that he was taking advantage. She smacked his chest, flustered. "You said I wasn't an outsider! Why do I have to give you something in return?"
Shin laughed, holding her tighter. He'd been about to say he was joking, but Yeri, serious as always pressed on.
"Then what do you want? As long as it's not expensive or against my morals, I'll do it. But we need it in writing! And you have to promise not to blindly take Dr. Neri's side just because you're friends."
He stared at her, amused and exasperated. Did she really care about that woman this much?
"You sound like a stranger. Don't you trust me?"
She nearly blurted that capitalists couldn't be trusted, but bit her tongue. Even so, his intelligence was terrifying, he'd already pieced together why she had brought Mrs. Neri here.
Looking at her cautious expression, Shin sighed. "This isn't business. You don't need to negotiate with me. Whose side should I take, if not my wife's?"
Yeri: "…"
Her ears must be malfunctioning. Did she really hear him call her that?
"I—it's late," she whispered quickly, "let's talk tomorrow."
But Shin caught her wrist. "Didn't someone promise not to be distant anymore?"
Yeri: "…"
Nope, her ears were fine.
Flustered, she muttered, "D-don't call me with mushy words, it's embarrassing."
"Do you think it doesn't suit me to call you that?"
She reluctantly shook her head.
"Your family calls you princess, your friends call you Yz. I want something just between us."
Yeri was speechless. Such a big deal?
"…Whatever. But I'm not your wife yet."
"Alright," Shin murmured, a sly smile tugging at his lips as they descended the stairs together, "my baby."
Yeri nearly stumbled down the steps, saved only by his steady grip.
On the second floor, she yanked her hand free and bolted into a guest room.
"Where are you going?" Shin frowned.
She stuck out her tongue before slamming the door shut. It was the guest room Butler Hong had also prepared for her.
Did he expect her to sleep in his room with all these people around? Absurd.
Inside, Yeri rolled her eyes, then slumped against the bed. Still, she could feel her ears burning red. Thank goodness her hair was down, hopefully he hadn't noticed.
Outside, Shin stood in the hallway like an abandoned dog, his expression dark. Sharing a room wasn't such a big deal. He wasn't completely without self-control. And besides, everyone in this house, especially the servants, knew the iron privacy rules. No one would gossip.
Yet here he was, exiled.