Although no one would be surprised if someone as notorious as Tristan had a child, his age and biological mother would be an explosive news.
Could it be that Tristan is finally settling down?
More importantly, who was the mysterious woman who had given birth to his child?
Hours passed and the funeral mass had already begun. The reporters assumed everyone who intended to attend had already arrived.
Then, just as they were beginning to pack up another black car slowly rolled to a stop in front of the memorial hall.
Two people in nurses' uniforms stepped out of the car first before carefully assisting the passenger in the back seat.
The moment the reporters caught sight of her, they froze, then chaos erupted.
Security immediately tightened their formation as the reporters nearly surged forward.
"Elder Madam Keir! Is that really Elder Madam Keir? Please look this way!"
"I heard rumors that the Keir matriarch had awakened from her coma. So it was true!" another reporter exclaimed while frantically snapping photos.
"Elder Madam Keir, when did you regain consciousness?"
"When did you hear about Hadi's passing?"
"Would you like to say a few words to the public?"
Amid the relentless shouting and constant flashes of cameras, Elder Madam Keir remained seated in her wheelchair, her body still frail from months of unconsciousness.
Ignoring the reporters for a moment, she quietly adjusted her clothes before lowering her voice to one of the nurses.
"How do I look?"
The nurse glanced at the elderly woman's pale, wrinkled face before forcing an encouraging smile.
"Although you're still a little pale, Elder Madam, you're just as beautiful as you were when you were young."
Elder Madam Keir looked thoroughly satisfied.
She weakly lifted a hand and gave the reporters a graceful wave in acknowledgment before the nurses wheeled her into the memorial hall.
Originally, she had no intention of attending. The doctors had strongly advised against it.
When she learned of Hadi's death, she had truly thought she wouldn't survive the shock herself.
Yet during the hazy moments between consciousness and unconsciousness, she vaguely remembered hearing Allister's voice beside her bed.
"Mother... don't give up. Otherwise, you won't get to meet your great-grandson."
Elder Madam Keir undeniably had her favorites, and Hadi had always been one of them. Truly, his death had devastated her but Tristan was also one of her most beloved grandchildren.
Hearing that Tristan supposedly had a son had both shocked and delighted her.
Just how long had she been in a coma? Long enough for Tristan to become a father?
Inside the memorial hall, she was quietly wheeled to the front row.
For a brief moment, her gaze settled on Hadi's portrait as tears slowly welled in her eyes.
Standing nearby, Allister frowned, his mother wasn't supposed to be there in her condition.
Meanwhile, Jj Zhi attended the funeral as the representative of the Zhi family.
Although the Zhi family openly despised Hadi for what he had tried to do to Yeri, maintaining appearances was an unspoken rule among elite families.
Even bitter enemies would stand together at funerals, smiling politely while secretly wishing for each other's downfall.
What Jj hadn't expected was for Anri Rune to still be chasing after him even there.
She had even staged a little farce by claiming her car had broken down not far from the funeral venue.
Out of all the black cars that passed by, she somehow knew exactly which one he was riding in.
"Brother Jj, thank you for giving me a ride," Anri said sweetly. "I was worried I'd be late. Otherwise, my dad would've scolded me again for messing this up."
Jj simply gave a small nod before quietly finding an empty seat inside the memorial hall. Naturally, Anri followed right behind him.
Every now and then, she shyly stole glances at his profile, a faint smile lingering on her lips as she indulged in her own fantasies.
This chance encounter had gone exactly as planned, and she couldn't have been happier.
Guests who passed by greeted them politely or gave them a nod of acknowledgment.
To Anri, this means they looked so good together that everyone had noticed.
Jj "..."
Anri was like an arrow that refused to change course, no matter how strong the wind blew against it.
He had never met anyone as straightforwardly unhinged as she was. Even more baffling was how little she seemed to care about maintaining the elegant image expected of a young socialite.
No matter how many times he politely told her he had no interest in dating, the words simply never seemed to register.
The only reason he remained patient instead of being completely ruthless was because he constantly reminded himself that she was still a minor. She was even a year younger than Yeri.
-
The funeral mass concluded without further incident.
After Hadi was laid to rest, the guests gathered in the reception hall for a memorial meal.
Family members, relatives, and old friends quietly shared stories about the deceased, offering one another words of comfort as the solemn gathering continued.
The old matriarch's attention gradually shifted from Hadi's portrait to thoughts of her supposed great-grandson.
Her gaze searched the hall until it landed on Allister, who was chatting with a little boy not far away, her heart immediately began pounding.
"Nurse... take me over there," she said softly, never taking her eyes off the child's small figure.
The nurse quietly wheeled her toward them.
"Allister, this..."
The moment the little boy turned around, Elder Madam Keir froze.
"Ah..." Her eyes instantly reddened. "My great-grandson..."
"Mother, you're still recovering," Allister said with a sigh. "Why did you insist on coming here?"
Elder Madam Keir didn't answer and simply stared at the little boy.
Meanwhile, Xati's eyes wandered through the crowd with faint disappointment.
He had overheard the servants saying that this funeral would gather nearly all the influential figures of the Keir clan, along with many elite families.
He had assumed his Empress Mother would be there. Yet no matter how much he searched he couldn't find her.
Had he guessed wrong?
"Xati, come meet your great-grandmother." Allister smiled as he introduced them. "His name is Xati. Tristan brought him home a little over a week ago."
Elder Madam Keir's hands trembled as tears slowly welled in her eyes.
"Child..." she said warmly. "Come here. Let Great-Grandma give you a hug."
The little prince nearly rolled his eyes.
Humans were so strange. When they grew old, they became wrinkled and frail, even carrying that peculiar scent of old age.
Demons, on the other hand, retained their youthful adult appearance even after living for thousands of years.
"The child is just a little shy," Allister explained with a helpless smile. "I also haven't had the chance to speak with Tristan yet. That irresponsible brat simply dumped his son on the servants and disappeared."
The thought of Xati's unknown biological mother immediately put Elder Madam Keir on guard.
She still hadn't learned everything that had happened while she was in a coma.
But one thing was certain: She would never allow just any woman, especially a commoner of unknown background, to enter the Keir family.
"Mother," Allister reminded quietly, lowering his voice, "focus on recovering. Don't involve yourself in this matter anymore. This is no longer within your authority, nor do you have the strength to interfere."
He knew exactly what she was thinking.
Just as she had once interfered in his relationship with Celestine.
Just as she had raised Tristan within the high walls of the Keir estate, keeping him away from his own parents.
Elder Madam Keir frowned, instinctively wanting to assert her authority once more but noticed many eyes had already turned toward them.
Earlier, everyone's attention had been fixed on the funeral mass. Now, however, they were naturally curious about the mysterious child standing beside Master Keir.
After all, in a family as influential as the Keirs, every new generation and every shift in succession could reshape the clan's future and determine where the other elite families placed their loyalties.
It wasn't only the guests. Ellis and the rest of his family were also watching from across the hall, except their gazes lingered on the little boy like thorns, his sudden appearance clearly making them uneasy.
"Hello... Great-Grandma," Xati greeted stiffly, his cheeks puffed out with obvious reluctance.
Elder Madam Keir chuckled, completely oblivious to his displeasure and lovingly patted his head.
"Good boy. Good boy. You look just like my adorable grandson, Tristan."
Xati pouted.
He didn't want to be mistaken for Tristan's son and was about to correct her when a sudden commotion erupted at the entrance of the memorial hall.
Shin arrived with Yeri.
Although the black veins that had kept her confined to the penthouse for days had finally disappeared, the light makeup on her face couldn't conceal her lingering paleness. If anything, it only made her look even more delicate and fragile.
"CEO Keir."
One by one, the guests nearby greeted Shin and Yeri with polite nods.
Yeri looked around in confusion before her eyes landed on the flower wreaths and funeral stands lining the entrance.
Only then did it dawn on her... He actually brought her to Hadi's funeral.
Speechless, she wanted nothing more than to confront him right there and ask what they were even doing.
Just hours earlier, she'd grown tired of staying cooped up in the penthouse and wanted some fresh air.
More importantly, she'd had enough of looking at him, especially after what had happened that night.
Several days had passed, yet her backside still ached.
He had refused to let her go out alone, acting as though she might run away the moment he looked elsewhere.
But did he really have to bring her to a funeral?
"From now on," Shin murmured so quietly that only she could hear, his arm wrapped securely around her waist as though supporting her, "any man you think about or show even the slightest interest in... won't have a good ending."
Yeri "...???"
Had he actually lost his mind?
She didn't even have the slightest interest in Hadi Keir.
At that moment, Shin's gaze shifted across the hall and his eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected the little troublemaker to be there.
Meanwhile, Xati's eyes immediately lit up.
He was about to run toward Yeri when someone of roughly the same height suddenly stepped in front of him.
"Hi!" the other boy greeted cheerfully. "I'm Sean Neri. Who are you?"
Sean politely extended his hand, delighted to see another child besides himself.