Klaus's expression stayed composed, but a trace of wariness lingered in his eyes. He had a complicated feeling about this meeting, one he couldn't quite put into words though he hoped it was all unfounded.
A heavy, unspoken tension settled between them.
He remembered the impression Shin Keir had left during his daughter's debut banquet, it was sharp, unsettling, and difficult to forget.
For a moment, neither man spoke. They sat across from each other, silently weighing and reading the other, as if each was measuring the other's next move before making their own.
It was Shin who broke the stillness.
"Master Zhi, you have my deep respect and gratitude," Shin said sincerely.
Klaus's expression didn't shift. Respect he could understand, but gratitude? That was strange. He didn't recall any business deals with Shin Keir let alone any personal connection that would warrant thanks.
More puzzling, the Shin Keir in front of him felt… different. His presence was sharper, heavier, more commanding than the man Klaus had met at the debut banquet.
"What could be so important for someone like CEO Keir to seek out an old man like me?" Master Zhi asked sharply.
Shin's lips curved in a knowing smile. If there was one thing they had in common, it was a distaste for pointless small talk.
"Yeri Jewel Zhi," Shin said. "You've been keeping an eye on her school life. How was it?"
Klaus's eyes narrowed. Indeed, he had. But after the night market incident, he'd been drowning in work and hadn't had time to review the reports thoroughly.
From what he knew, she'd been doing well, catching up in her studies despite the occasional absences caused by illness over the years.
Still, there were concerning points like rumors of boys pursuing her a little too aggressively, even harassment from persistent suitors. More troubling was the mounting pressure from certain families, particularly the Nafplions, pushing for that marriage alliance.
And then there was the letter from the school dean, an incident involving classmates, bullying accusations, and Yeri… who had shown up with legal representation. That lawyer had been none other than Nathaniel Armour.
Klaus's gaze sharpened as the pieces aligned in his mind. He looked up, voice low and certain.
"You're the one behind Nathaniel Armour." It wasn't a question, it was a fact.
Shin's smile deepened. This was why he preferred dealing with sharp men.
"Then I assume you've also heard about her hospitalization after the night market incident," Master Zhi said evenly. "Neri Medical Hospital… you arranged for her transfer."
Shin inclined his head in confirmation.
But rather than relief, Master Zhi felt his wariness deepen.
His fingers tapped the table lightly. "What exactly do you want, Shin Keir?"
Shin met Klaus's stern gaze without flinching. "I liked Yeri from the moment I saw her at her debut banquet. I want to formally date your daughter."
He could have admitted they had already crossed paths before that night, that they'd already crossed certain lines, but revealing that would only complicate things and ruin any trust he hoped to build.
Besides, their actual first meeting wasn't something he was proud of. Better to keep it buried. Yeri was human now and without memories of their past. No matter how much he ached to bring her to his side, he had to bury those darker urges deep.
Yes, it would be easy to take her by force, kidnap her, crush the Zhi family financially so she'd have no one else to turn to, restore her lost memories with his power, or even control her outright. But none of those options were necessary.
Master Zhi was not an enemy, not a rival. If Shin wanted Yeri, he had to pursue her as a person in this realm, playing by its laws.
Repeating the past would destroy this world and this time, he might lose her forever.
"Was that really the first time you met my daughter," Klaus asked, "or did you approach Jj because of her?"
Shin recognized the testing sharpness in the older man's gaze, the kind that searched for the slightest crack. But his own expression remained unreadable.
"I suspect you know less about me than you think, Master Zhi," Shin said evenly. "But at the very least, you should know...playing with women isn't my hobby. I have plenty of ways to make her mine, but as I said, I hold deep respect for you."
Furthermore, he saw no reason to hide his feelings. He didn't want to skulk anymore in shadows, a secret and unable to protect her.
"I know what troubles you most," Shin continued, "but these are matters time will answer." He reached into his coat and produced a document, placing it on the table. "If this will prove my sincerity, consider it."
Klaus's eyes tightened. His fingers trembled slightly as he took in the document's contents.
Should he trust this man? Trust this unknown demon over the devil he already knew?
No. In fact, it was precisely because he knew the other devil that he could never allow his daughter to end up in those hands.
The Nafplions were eager to revive the broken marriage alliance, desperate to tie their son, Leo Nafplion, to Yeri. But what sane family would wed their daughter to him?
Avoiding the topic or citing Yeri's health could only stall the matter for so long. He knew he'd been applying nothing but bandages to a wound that needed a cure.
Master Zhi exhaled heavily. Against Shin Keir, even if it meant the collapse of the Zhi Corporation or the ruin of their clan, he wasn't sure he could stop whatever this man had planned.
Questions still churned in his mind, but like Shin said, there would be time for answers later.
"First," Klaus said slowly, "you might want to know to whom she was promised when she was a child."
---
When Yeri woke again, sunlight was streaming in through the tall windows. At a table nearby, Jj and Mother Zhi were quietly having lunch.
Their room was a semi-VIP, more spacious than the usual hospital room. A soft sofa sat next to her bed, and a small breakfast table rested near the wall-to-ceiling window.
"Princess, you're awake. You must be starving," Mother Zhi said warmly, rising at once to help her sit up. "I brought your favorite seafood soup and buttered shrimp with vegetables."
At the mention of food, Yeri's stomach growled in betrayal. The doctor had forbidden them from eating before the tests, so now hunger gnawed at her.
She glanced around. Aside from the two of them, the room was empty. She gave Jj a questioning look.
"Young Master Felan left hours ago," Jj replied briefly.
"Ah, I heard from Linda he came by earlier," Mother Zhi added while pouring soup into a bowl. "For him to visit you, you two must be close."
Jj scratched the back of his head awkwardly. That credit wasn't his to take. "It's not like that. He said he was here to see Doctor Neri."
Yeri was curious about what had happened after she'd fallen asleep, but with her mother present, she decided to hold back.
After they finished eating, Mother Zhi excused herself to see the doctor.
Yeri took the opportunity. "So, how did it go with those two? Did they manage to win Brother Tristan's favor?"
Jj's brows drew together. "Don't talk nonsense. He left right after you fell asleep."
Still, Jj had to admit, what Yeri had said about Venice was probably true.
After Tristan left, easily slipping past the two with a smile and a vague excuse about work, they had turned on him instead.
Especially Linda Ryung, who had the gall to spout clichés about filial piety and family harmony just to coax Tristan's contact number out of him.
Unfortunately for her, he really didn't have it. And even if he had… why would he give it to them?
The absurdity had left him momentarily speechless. Those two were simply beyond reason.
"That's it? Nothing juicy happened?" Yeri asked, sounding disappointed.
"If you want something juicy, tell Mom to bring you one," Jj muttered, then paused as a memory surfaced. "What about you? What's the deal with the mental patient you ran into this morning?"
At the reminder of that sleazy, foul-breath lunatic, Yeri's face twisted in distaste. "Brother, do I have a fiancé or some arranged marriage I don't know about?"
Jj looked baffled. "Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Well, that lunatic said he was Leo Nafplion… He seemed to know me, but I can't remember him—"
"Who did you say he was?!" Jj's voice shot up as he bolted upright from the sofa, gripping her arms.
Yeri flinched at his sudden intensity. "What's the matter with you?"
"Just tell me, what does he look like? What did he say to you?" Jj pressed.
It was rare for Jj to look so rattled. Yeri blinked at him before describing her earlier encounter.
Jj exhaled sharply, frustration etched deep into his features. Without another word of explanation, he snatched up his phone, muttered that he needed to make a call, and strode out.
Yeri stared after him. "…" What was that about?
Just as Jj left, Mother Zhi returned, holding a neat stack of papers and smiling faintly at them. "Some results turned out normal. Nothing to worry about, according to the doctor. Same as the previous hospital, aside from superficial injuries, you two are fine."
"Tomorrow you'll have an appointment with a psychologist for a mental assessment, same time as Jj," she added, her tone gentle and calm.
"Mom," Yeri said suddenly, "do you know Leo Nafplion?"
Mother Zhi froze. The papers slipped from her hands and scattered across the floor. "You… you remember?"
Yeri frowned. Wasn't that a bit of an overreaction? Should she be worried?
Realizing her own slip, Mother Zhi quickly bent down to gather the papers, her voice measured but just a touch too casual. "Why are you suddenly asking about that person? Anyway, his family used to be on friendly terms with ours, but they shifted their business and we drifted apart. I heard the boy went abroad."
Yeri nodded absently. "Ah. I saw Leo Nafplion earlier. Disgusting man, reeks of bad breath. I think his brain's not well either… probably belongs in the psychiatric ward."
This time, Mother Zhi's face drained of color, her eyes wide as if she'd just seen a ghost.