When the wedding cake was finally wheeled in, it drew another round of gasps and admiration from the guests as they took in its magnificent tiers.
Only then did Yeri realise how hungry she was. However, they still had to pose for more photos with the cake.
When she could finally cut it, she couldn't be bothered to pay attention to how the slice turned out. For a brief moment, Shin's OCD kicked in at the sight of the uneven cut, but when he saw Yeri taking a big bite, he couldn't help but smile widely.
"Mrs. Keir, you're supposed to feed it to your husband," the photographer reminded her.
Yeri felt embarrassed as the crowd burst into laughter.
Shin then picked up a piece with his fork and fed it to her. "So hungry?"
"Thanks to a certain someone, I feel like I haven't eaten in a lifetime," she muttered under her breath, making Shin chuckle.
Just then, the microphone let out an echoing sound as Saeki eagerly picked it up, clearly excited to deliver his speech.
"Hello, everyone! I bet you all know me, but anyway, I'm Saeki Jie, Big Bro's best friend!" he introduced himself before launching into his speech. "I remember how I used to tease him with hot models, but he was never the least bit interested. We couldn't even invite girls whenever we hung out! So imagine my shock when he suddenly announced one day that he had a girlfriend! It made me wonder if he was just trying to save his reputation because of all those rumours going around that he preferred men! Hahaha~"
Shin "..."
"Brother Saeki is really good at entertaining people," Yeri commented.
"Really? I can make him do something even more entertaining," Shin replied.
Yeri shot him a warning look. Besides, he already looked like a zombie. Did he really intend to use his abilities again?
Saeki continued rambling for so long that Zoren finally couldn't take it anymore and snatched the microphone from him.
As the evening continued, it was finally Lianna's turn to play the piano.
Lianna glanced nervously at Yeri, who gave her an encouraging smile.
Taking a deep breath, Lianna tried to steady her racing heart as she looked down at her slightly trembling fingers. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this was her first public performance outside of school recitals and programme presentations.
As the melody echoed through every corner of the venue, the guests couldn't help wondering who she was. After piecing together the scattered information, some realised that she was Zahn Neri's ex-wife.
Whispers spread throughout the crowd. Some were surprised by how beautifully she played, while others couldn't help gossiping about her past. There were also those who discussed her friendship with Yeri, curious about how the two women had become so close.
Zahn could hear the guests gossiping nearby, but his expression remained unchanged as he kept his eyes on Lianna. His thoughts drifted back to their own wedding.
The atmosphere back then had been entirely different. Their wedding had been neither as grand nor as carefully planned as this one. In fact, it had been a rushed, unplanned affair because Lianna had already been accused of being a gold digger who had schemed to marry him.
What had Lianna been like back then?
He remembered how insecure, timid, and hurt she had looked whenever she noticed the way people regarded her. She had always kept her head lowered, as though she wished she could disappear from their sight.
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" Saeki exclaimed, rubbing his hands together like a talent scout who had just discovered his next big star.
Indeed, the people around them listened in quiet appreciation. Some even closed their eyes, allowing themselves to become immersed in the melody. The music was soft, intimate, and deeply comforting.
"You must be regretting it already, aren't you?" Saeki teased.
The muscles in Zahn's face twitched. If they hadn't been attending such an event, he would have loved to smack Saeki across the head.
Still, Saeki wasn't entirely wrong.
"It's so beautiful. I love it," Yeri said sincerely.
Shin said nothing, but his expression showed that he agreed. "Since you like it, I'll buy this piece from her and make it our official wedding theme,"
When Lianna finished playing, she suddenly became aware of everyone's eyes on her.
For a moment, she wondered whether she had played badly. Her nervousness grew, and she instinctively looked toward Yeri, afraid that she might have somehow ruined the moment.
Then a round of applause filled the venue.
"Sister Lianna!" Yeri called as she walked over to her.
Lianna trembled slightly, unsure how to react. What if Yeri thought she was trying to steal the spotlight from her?
"Is this an unreleased piece? It's so good! I really love it."
Hearing Yeri's words, Lianna's eyes grew moist. "Really? Since you asked me to play at your wedding, I did my best to compose a wedding theme just for you."
"I knew you could do it!" Yeri encouraged her. "By the way, what's the title of this piece?"
"Um... Sunlight in the Velvet Skies," Lianna answered shyly.
In truth, Yeri had been Lianna's greatest inspiration when she composed the piece. Even its title held a special meaning, harking back to the first time she had approached Yeri.
Back then, Yeri had reminded her of sunlight spilling across a velvet afternoon sky, warm and gentle amid the darkness that had once consumed her world.
Lianna couldn't quite remember what colour the sky had been at the time. While she was still struggling with depression, everything around her had seemed drained of colour, leaving her world in little more than shades of black and white.
Yet somehow, Yeri had been the sunlight she could see.
Shin, standing nearby, also agreed with the title. In his version, Yeri was the sunlight, while he was the velvet skies.
"Not bad," he commented.
Soon afterward, the orchestra began to play, and the wedding planner informed them that it was time for the first dance.
"You do understand that every time I remember our wedding, I'll remember you looking like this, right?" Yeri said as they danced, their faces so close that she could barely ignore his horrifying appearance.
"But I know you wouldn't judge me based on my appearance. After all, I'm the one you love the most."
Yeri "..."
Where had all this confidence come from?
"In case you've forgotten, your demon face is even more attractive than your face as Shin. You're giving me far too much credit. I'm a succubus, so what makes you think I like ugly people? Of all days, you just had to choose our wedding day to make me endure your zombie face." Yeri could no longer hold back her complaints.
Shin laughed in amusement, which only annoyed her further. Deliberately, she stepped on his shoes.
"Oops! This wedding gown is so long that I can't move properly."
"Hmm, then this will be better."
Before Yeri could ask what he meant, Shin tightened his arm around her waist and lifted her higher as they danced, leaving her feet suspended above the floor.
"Don't worry. Your gown is so long that no one will notice I'm carrying you."
Yeri "..."
Indeed, no one would notice. However, their faces were now only inches apart. He must be doing this on purpose, wasn't he?
"How did you survive the plane crash? Brother Tristan mentioned that both of you were severely injured," Yeri asked, trying to distract herself from Shin's zombie face.
Shin paused for a moment, recalling what had happened aboard the plane.
He remembered how Bryce had threatened to detonate the bomb unless he transferred a certain amount of money to him.
By then, Bryce had already become unhinged and desperate. It was never simply about the money. What he truly wanted was to see Shin reduced to a loser, grovelling at his feet and begging for mercy, stripped of every last shred of dignity and pride.
But when he failed to make Shin submit, Bryce became even more deranged. He simply wanted to start the countdown, using the threat of the explosion only to frighten his own lackeys.
Disagreements and infighting soon erupted among the group. In the midst of the chaos, someone finally pulled the trigger, aiming directly at Shin.
Yet the bullet stopped mere inches from his forehead.
A devilish grin spread across Shin's face as he watched their expressions change. First came smug satisfaction, then disbelief, and finally, sheer terror.
What entertained him even more was Bryce's reaction. He had always fancied himself the devil, only to discover that he had come face-to-face with the real thing.
Bryce watched in horror as Shin's and Tristan's eyes turned crimson.
"Impossible! This isn't happening! No, this isn't real!" Bryce exclaimed, while his subordinates stood frozen in shock.
Then, as though he had finally figured something out, Bryce burst into mad laughter.
"Ah~! Is this some new technology from KGG? Hahahaha! A company worth billions, and this is the best you could come up with? Such a childish invention! So your eyes turn red, and then what? Don't tell me this is the best trick you have to save yourselves!"
His subordinates, who had been frightened moments earlier, gradually relaxed as well. Some even felt embarrassed that they had initially been fooled by what they assumed was an elaborate technological illusion.
Just then, the plane tilted, and the phenomenon became visible to everyone's eyes. What appeared to be tiny grains of black sand scattered through the air, devouring everything they touched.
Bryce stared in disbelief.
There was no way he could explain this away as some man-made technology.
The dark mist swirled around Shin like an obedient pet, responding to his every movement.
"Y-you... you're not Shin or Tristan!" Bryce exclaimed in terror. "Who are you people? What are you?!"
Tristan laughed.
"Took you long enough to figure it out. Actually, you're not even worth our attention, but you're so desperate to be noticed that you practically begged for it. So don't blame us for what happens next. As consolation, let me tell you the truth. Celestine wasn't the only one who died in that fire. The real Shin and Tristan died too... that means, you and your mother succeeded in eliminating them."
Bryce's face twisted with confusion and indescribable fear as he struggled to process Tristan's words.
"Well, congratulations. But in doing so, you gave us the opportunity to occupy their bodies as vessels." Tristan shrugged. "In that case, I suppose we should thank you instead?"