The guests watched the drama unfold with barely concealed excitement, while the media representatives scrambled to publish the latest developments.
By now, the netizens who had been moved and even felt guilty after hearing Yeri's words just minutes earlier were cursing her relentlessly.
Elder Madam Keir, who was obsessed with maintaining the family's public reputation, was still recuperating in the hospital. Grief-stricken by the thought that her favourite grandson was dead, she was finding it difficult to recover.
"Grand Elder, I suggest we have our legal team look into this will and investigate Yeri and Xati as well!" Hiro joined the commotion.
"There is no need for that." Secretary Yun, who had just arrived, strode briskly into the hall carrying a suitcase. "I can confirm that my boss's will is legally valid. Master Keir has also verified its authenticity."
"Traitor!" Elli's wife pointed an accusing finger at him. "You've been by Shin's side for so long, and now you're siding with an outsider? Get out of here!"
After pushing Allister away, Ellis signalled to his assistant to hand him a stack of documents. He then thrust them toward Yeri.
"Yeri Zhi, if you're truly innocent, then sign these papers relinquishing your rights to the inheritance and KGG shares. If your conscience is clear, you wouldn't take something you never worked hard for. You wouldn't covet assets that generations of the Keir family worked to build."
Master Zhi snatched the documents from Ellis instead, glaring daggers at him.
For some reason, he felt relieved that his daughter hadn't married into the Keir family yet.
Even if Shin Keir was still alive, the most unreliable thing in the world was a man's feelings. If Shin ever changed his mind one day, Master Zhi could already imagine how his daughter might be treated in a family full of venomous, vicious snakes.
"I'll have my lawyer review these documents," he declared before turning to Yeri. "Let's go."
"Go where? So she can cover her tracks?" Ellis refused to back down. "This has to be settled today!"
Just then, a figure rushed forward and shoved Ellis aside.
"So the Keirs' hypocrisy is finally out in the open? What? Are you no longer afraid of the light?"
"Who dares?!" Ellis exclaimed, turning to face the unfamiliar man standing before him.
However, Yeri and her father recognised him immediately.
It was Xian Song.
When news of Shin's disappearance had reached him, Xian had been completely taken aback.
As much as he disliked Shin, that didn't mean he wished the man dead. Although he had to admit that the thought of having another chance with Yeri had crossed his mind.
After pulling a few strings to gain entry to the venue, he had watched everything unfold. Unable to bear it any longer, he had rushed forward to intervene.
"Brother Xian?" Yeri murmured.
"Xian, don't get yourself involved. This has nothing to do with you," Master Zhi warned.
Upon hearing that name, Ellis seemed to have a sudden realisation. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Ah, the youngest son of the late Master Song, isn't it? What exactly is your relationship with the Zhis?"
Ellis's words stirred another wave of murmurs among the guests.
After all, who didn't know about the Song family and the Keirs' longstanding feud? The two families had never gotten along.
"He's a friend," Yeri answered briefly. She knew that if she explained any further, Ellis would only accuse her of being defensive.
"So the Zhis are actually friends with the Songs? Why has no one informed us of such an important matter?" Ellis raised his voice slightly as he turned toward the elders. "Do any of our elders know about this?"
"Brother Shin knew," Yeri replied.
"And how exactly are we supposed to verify that?" Ellis asked smugly. "Can anyone here contact Shin?"
He looked increasingly pleased with himself, convinced that he could use this revelation to make Yeri appear even more suspicious.
Realising where the conversation was heading, Xian immediately regretted his impulsiveness. He had only wanted to protect Yeri, but in his haste, he had forgotten one crucial fact.
He was a Song.
Now, the suspicion wouldn't fall solely on Yeri. The entire Zhi family could be accused of conspiring with the Songs to bring down the Keirs.
Sure enough, as Ellis continued manipulating the situation, the clan elders began looking at Yeri with contempt and suspicion.
Even the guests who had initially been content to watch the drama unfold were beginning to have doubts. With so many apparent coincidences, they couldn't help wondering whether Ellis's accusations might actually hold some truth.
"The Zhis never knew I was a Song. I've been living abroad all these years and only returned recently. Stop making assumptions." Xian spoke firmly.
Ellis raised an eyebrow. "Of course, it shouldn't be too obvious, right? Just because you're abroad doesn't mean there's no way for you to communicate with each other."
"Then go ahead and investigate. You should also know that I cut ties with the Song family after my father passed away. I'm living on my own now," Xian retorted.
Ellis "..."
"This matter ends here." Allister announced, sweeping his gaze across the hall. "I apologise for the humiliating scene our family has put on display today. We're all distraught over everything that's happened, especially with two of our family members, my son and nephew, still missing. In our distress, we've ended up pointing fingers at one another."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Ellis's accusations are taken out of context and have no legal basis. I hope everyone can look past our family's shortcomings and understand what we're going through at the moment."
Allister then turned to Yeri and her parents, offering them an apologetic look before glancing toward the elders.
Regardless of their differences, even the elders understood that they had gone too far. The disgraceful scene witnessed by so many guests had brought shame upon the Keir name.
However, Ellis had no intention of letting the matter rest. Now that he had found an opportunity to seize control, he was determined to keep the momentum going.
Amid the chaos, no one noticed Xati glaring at Ellis with murderous intent.
If not for his sealed powers, he would have already summoned his massive serpent to devour Ellis and everyone else who harboured ill intentions toward his Empress Mother.
Xati's gaze slowly drifted toward the grand chandelier that had recently been installed for the wedding. Then, his eyes shifted to Ellis, who was standing directly beneath it.
A rather devious thought crossed his mind.
Meanwhile, near the entrance, a guest turned around at the sound of approaching footsteps.
The moment he saw the man walking in, his eyes widened in utter disbelief.
"Sh-Shin Keir?!"
Those nearby immediately turned toward the entrance as well. One after another, their expressions transformed into sheer astonishment, as though they had just seen a ghost.
It really was Shin Keir!
"Am I late? There was a bit of traffic," Shin remarked casually.
The group arguing near the altar froze, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
Shin Keir, who had been missing and was presumed dead, was now walking toward them as nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
Yet, something about him seemed different. An even more oppressive aura surrounded him, making it difficult for anyone to approach him casually.
Shin stopped in front of Yeri and frowned. "Why are you dressed like this? Are you trying to run away?"
Yeri stared at him blankly.
Her hand rose unconsciously, reaching out to touch his cheek. Only then did she finally blink, as though she needed to confirm that the man standing before her was real.
Ever since the wedding rehearsal, she had remained composed, refusing to let her family see how worried she was. She had repeatedly reassured herself that Shin couldn't possibly have returned to the demon realm just like that.
Even amid all the commotion and accusations, she had managed to keep her composure.
But now, with Shin standing right in front of her, her heart began pounding wildly against her chest.
"Why did you only come back now?" Yeri's voice caught in her throat, her eyes reddening. "Are you messing with me? Is this some kind of test?"
She stared at him with a mixture of hurt and disbelief, the grievances she had been holding back finally spilling out.
"We're not even married yet, and you've already wronged me... How are you going to compensate me for this?"
Shin's gaze softened as he pulled Yeri into a tight embrace, casually kicking Xati aside who got in his way.
"I'm sorry. I'll tell you everything later," he whispered.
Although he was somewhat surprised by the whirlwind of emotions Yeri was displaying, he couldn't help but feel elated.
The past her, Empress Jewel, would never have shown any genuine feeling.
He hadn't intended to make her feel so uneasy, but Yeri loved him.
There was no doubt about it.
"I knew you'd been pretending to be dead!" Xati suddenly shrieked, stomping his feet in frustration. "It's not fair! You just had to show up at the perfect moment to save Big Sister! You did this on purpose!"
He had wanted to be the one to save his Empress Mother! He had even planned to drop that chandelier on Ellis and kill the despicable human!
No, he was so furious that he wanted to vent his anger on every human in the hall!
These weak, useless humans had dared to bully his Empress Mother.
Why couldn't he just slaughter every last one of them?!
Xati's outburst snapped several people out of their stupor, though most were still too stunned to utter a word.
The deafening silence that followed was soon filled with a bewildering mixture of reactions.
Saeki looked as though he had just witnessed a miracle.
He hurried forward and threw his arms around Shin from behind. "Big Bro! You're not dead! You're really not dead!"
Master Keir, meanwhile, maintained his composure. However, a closer look revealed the emotions surging beneath his calm exterior. His eyes had grown moist, and he slipped his trembling hands into his pockets, doing his best to keep himself together.
"Impossible..."
Ellis stared at Shin in disbelief, his face drained of colour.
"How could you still be alive? How could you possibly have survived that explosion when there was nowhere to escape?"
The words slipped out before he even realised he had spoken them aloud.