Serenity was not bothered by the way Hadi stepped away from her, as though she carried something contagious.
If anything, she seemed to enjoy it.
A faint smile curved her lips as she watched his discomfort.
At the center of the banquet hall, the lights shifted slightly brighter.
The murmurs faded on their own.
Shin stepped forward, he held the microphone with calm assurance.
"Thank you all for attending," he began, his voice steady and clear. "Tonight is an important event for me… and for the woman I love."
The word love landed heavily, echoing across crystal chandeliers and marble floors.
For a brief moment, the entire ballroom went still.
Even Yeri felt her heart jolt violently in her chest.
"Love"
That single word crushed every whisper that had questioned her worth. It silenced every comparison, every assumption that this was merely strategy, a business alliance.
It was also a warning, clear and sharp.
Anyone who dared to belittle her would not be facing her alone but Shin Keir.
Just one word, but it carried weight.
Across the hall, Calin stood frozen.
She did not realize her nails had dug deeply into her palm.
This scene… this confession… this atmosphere.
She had imagined it countless times and replayed it in her mind. It had finally turned into reality but the woman standing beside Shin was not her, the engagement was not hers.
"He certainly knows how to talk nonsense," Madam Ricci muttered quietly, lips barely moving. "What direction of business is he capitalizing on now?"
She refused to believe a man like Shin Keir spoke of love without calculation.
Oddly enough, Hadi shared similar thoughts with his expression twisted with confusion and disbelief.
He remembered clearly that day in the hospital. At the time, Hadi had even assumed Shin came to finish him off.
Could it be they were already together back then?
On stage, Shin continued calmly.
"I don't know much about romantic gestures," he admitted. "I also admit I'm inexperienced."
A faint ripple of surprise moved through the guests.
"But I believe my fiancée deserves a proper proposal."
Before anyone could process his words, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an exquisite velvet box.
The click of it opening sounded louder than the orchestra.
Gasps erupted.
And then, he knelt on one knee.
Shin Keir, heir of the Keir empire, knelt before Yeri Zhi.
The shock was almost physical.
Inside the box lay a breathtaking pink diamond ring, its brilliance catching every strand of chandelier light and scattering it across the room.
But the ring was not what stunned them most.
It was him.
"I don't know if this is the right way," Shin said, looking up at her. "Maybe I should have done this long ago, before tonight. Anyway, Yeri Zhi. I love you."
Yeri's breath caught.
The crowd gasped again, louder this time.
"Did he just confess to her? No… did he just say 'I love you'? I can't believe I'm witnessing this!"
"Is that really Shin Keir? What am I even seeing right now?"
"Whoever said he's a misogynist should see this. It's a pity the media weren't allowed inside."
Someone from the side called out playfully, "Eh? That's not right. Young Master Keir, you forgot something! You should say 'Will you marry me!'"
Laughter broke out.
The teasing spread quickly. Even older businessmen were smiling, wives nudging them with amused expressions.
The atmosphere transformed.
Butterflies fluttered in the stomachs of guests who never expected to feel such things at a high society engagement.
Because for the first time, Shin Keir did not look like the cold, untouchable heir. He looked like a man in love.
Yeri snapped out of her daze, her face flushed. She leaned closer and whispered urgently, "You should get up first."
The crowd laughed again.
Shin's lips curved faintly, but he did not rise.
Instead, he followed the crowd's instruction obediently.
He looked straight into her eyes. "Will you marry me?"
Yeri's face burned.
For a second, her mind went completely blank. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and the low hum of hundreds of people staring at her.
She nodded.
"Say yes!" someone shouted playfully.
"She forgot the important word!"
Laughter followed.
Yeri cleared her throat, trying to regain composure while feeling like the entire ballroom had shrunk into a spotlight.
"Yes," she said softly.
In her heart, however, one thought echoed clearly.
Was he possessed?
Public proposal? On one knee? In front of media and elite families?
This was not him at all. Who on earth influenced him?
Shin rose smoothly to his feet and gently took her hand. His fingers were steady as he slid the pink diamond ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly.
In truth, he did not understand the human obsession with elaborate proposals. Even after Tristan had advised him, Shin found the concept unnecessary.
In his mind, Yeri would become his wife regardless.
There was no scenario where that did not happen.
But she had no memory of their past. No memory of the demon realm. No memory of promises made beyond this life.
To her, this was the beginning. And perhaps, like most women, she might want something meaningful. Something grand. Something she could look back on.
If this would make her happy, then kneeling meant nothing. He did not care what others thought.
The applause grew louder. Others shook their heads in disbelief.
"You should've done this before the engagement banquet!" someone joked. "What if Miss Zhi refused?"
Another voice chimed in teasingly, "How did they even get engaged if you never proposed?"
Shin answered with a straight face, "I went directly to her father to ensure she couldn't refuse."
The room exploded with laughter.
Whether they believed him or not did not matter.
What mattered was the shift in their perception. It turns out he's also human, capable of loving someone.
Meanwhile, the ring's presence was impossible to ignore.
"I remember that ring…" someone murmured.
"Wasn't that the pink diamond that sold for eighty million at the auction?"
Another gasped. "You're right! That outrageous bid! Wasn't Shin Keir there that night?"
"I thought it was Tristan Felan who acquired it."
"No, no… wasn't it rumored that Elder Madam Keir kept that ring?"
More and more people were talking. Some insisted it could not be the same ring. Others swore they would never forget a diamond like that.
Naturally, Elder Madam Keir heard every word.
The moment Shin opened the velvet box, she recognized the ring instantly.
Her fan paused mid air.
For a brief second, her refined expression almost cracked, her eyes sharpened as they fixed on the pink diamond gleaming on Yeri's finger.
That unfilial grandson!
He would rather spend such an absurd amount and hand over a rare relic to an outsider.
The more she stared at the ring, the more her irritation shifted toward Yeri Zhi.
Nearby guests began casting curious glances at her, their expressions clearly asking the same question.
Was that not the ring rumored to belong to her?
"It is indeed the same ring Shin acquired at the auction," she confirmed calmly, suppressing the irritation coiling in her chest.
Shame? Embarrassment?
At her age, she had long mastered the art of wearing composure like silk and pretense like a second skin.
"I never said it was purchased for me," she added lightly. "Besides, how could I openly announce it was meant for my grandson's engagement? It was his private affair."
She sighed softly, looking every bit like a magnanimous elder who had graciously allowed her beloved grandson to use her as a convenient shield.
"I simply let the rumors pass. Children have their own plans."
The nearby guests nodded in understanding.
So that was it.
Shin Keir had bought the pink diamond ring for his fiancée from the very beginning.
The public had assumed it was for the old matriarch. She had merely chosen not to clarify, protecting her grandson's surprise proposal.
How thoughtful and doting.
"Elder Madam Keir, you really spoil Young Master Keir too much."
"I envy your harmonious relationship with him."
Elder Madam Keir accepted the praise with a faint smile.
Inside, however, her thoughts were far less generous.
---
Meanwhile, on the way to what they believed was Yeri's engagement banquet, Venice was scrolling through her phone in the back seat of their car.
Suddenly, she froze.
"Oh my god, Mom! Shin Keir's engagement is also being held at the Grand Luxxe Hotel!" she exclaimed.
Linda frowned. "I can't believe that dead girl can afford such a venue. Those two are splurging recklessly. Shouldn't we bring this up at the company? How could Klaus possibly afford something like that?"
Nolan Zhi also looked confused.
The three of them had intentionally delayed their arrival, planning to appear fashionably late. It was a small, deliberate insult toward Klaus.
Also a subtle way to signal to the guests that the two branches of the Zhi family were not on friendly terms.
"The man Yeri is engaged to might be the one paying," Nolan said slowly. "We'll see."
Venice sneered. "Just another blind man fooled by her face."
Then she remembered something and a sly grin spread across her lips.
"But I wonder," she added softly, "if he would still adore that two faced bitch if he found out she might have been passed around by other men."
"Enough," Nolan cut her off sharply. "Don't say things without proof. You'll only harm yourself."
He leaned back, thinking quickly.
"If Shin Keir's engagement is at the same hotel, can you ask Hadi Keir to let us in?"
His heart began racing at the thought. The number of powerful figures attending. The business prospects. The connections that could be built in a single evening.
It was a golden opportunity.
Venice pouted. "I already asked him about your CEO position. If I ask him to let us attend Shin Keir's engagement too, wouldn't that be pushing it? What if I offend him?"
"It's just for one person," Nolan insisted. "How could that be too much?"
Venice stared at him. "Just you going?"
Nolan's tone remained practical. "Don't you want to attend Yeri's engagement the most? Besides, if we go to Shin Keir's banquet, Hadi's wife will also be there."
Venice pursed her lips, unwilling, but her father was right.