Master Keir felt they were being unreasonable.
"The marriage between Yeri Zhi and Shin has nothing to do with this matter-"
"Nothing to do with it?" Ellis cut him off with a sneer. "Then what about the rumors outside claiming I had something to do with the death of that woman, Celestine?"
"Ever since Shin got involved with Yeri Zhi, nothing good has happened to this clan. Chaos, scandals, infighting, fake news, and every kind of absurdity turned the Keirs into public entertainment!" Elli's wife chimed in. "Now a life has been lost, and you think nothing's wrong? That all of this is just a coincidence?"
Nodding, Ellis continued. "Allister, all of this is rooted in your family, so why do we have to pay for your mess? You know better than anyone that your fake son, Bryce, was the one behind Celestine's death, together with that unhinged wife of yours. Yet here you are acting like some hermit, shutting yourself away from the outside world. I thought you loved that woman, but it seems that wasn't the case. All these years, you've been protecting the people who harmed her. Now my son is dead, I'm being suspected of your woman's death, and you're still pretending this has nothing to do with you?"
At the mention of Celestine, Allister's demeanor shifted, his expression turning cold and dangerous.
When Celestine died, he had died with her. The only reason he had remained sane and continued living was because their son, Shin, was still there.
Did he not want justice for Celestine's death? Of course he did.
More than anything, he wanted to destroy Bryce and Eleanor. But in the end, revenge could never bring the dead back.
There had been too many considerations. Bryce had been a minor at the time and manipulated by his own mother. Eleanor had gradually deteriorated, suffering under the weight of her own guilt.
Most importantly, if he wanted to give Shin a stable future, he couldn't afford to tear the Keir family apart.
And there was another reason...
"All the problems are rooted in my family?" Allister repeated, his piercing gaze sweeping across the three of them. "If Mother hadn't repeatedly begged me back then not to pursue the matter for the sake of the Keir family's reputation, I would have dragged this entire clan down with me. But tell me, Ellis Keir, was preserving the family's reputation really the only reason she stopped me? Have you forgotten that Celestine used to be my secretary? If her death had been thoroughly investigated, your embezzlement and every other dirty secret you'd buried within the company would've been investigated as well. The public never learned the details why you lost the CEO position to me all those years ago. Should we finally clear that up now?"
The righteous indignation on Ellis's face instantly froze, replaced by uneasiness and resentment.
"My silence back then didn't just protect the perpetrators," Allister continued. "It also protected this dysfunctional clan. As for Hadi, you have my condolences for your loss. But don't stand here barking at the wrong people under the pretense of grief."
"Pretense?!" Elli's wife shot to her feet, trembling with rage. "Allister, that's my son! What the hell are you implying?"
Allister's expression remained unchanged. At the very least, they might have truly loved Hadi as parents, but there was another reason.
"When Hadi was removed from the clan, all of his remaining assets, after the portion inherited by his wife, were pooled back into the clan. Did you really think I didn't know you'd recently inquired about those assets?"
Elli's wife flinched. Guilt flashed across her eyes before she quickly recovered.
"I was only asking. What's wrong with that?" she retorted. "Hadi is our son. Besides, I still think he deserved to keep more of what was rightfully his, even after he was expelled from the clan."
Ignoring her excuse, Allister replied bluntly, "If you want your son's assets, you need his signature and his verbal consent. But now that he's gone, reclaiming them has become even more difficult."
No matter how small or insignificant those assets were, Elli's family wasn't the only flock of vultures within the clan. The others had already taken their share, and none of them would surrender even a single slice of the pie without a fight.
But if they dragged Shin into this matter and used Hadi's death to guilt-trip him, then as the current clan head, the easiest way out would be for Shin to hand Hadi's assets over to them.
Did they really think he couldn't see through the schemes brewing in their minds?
Amid the heated argument, a child sat quietly outside on the garden lawn, listening as he leisurely pedaled his little bicycle.
Ellis was about to refute Allister's words when his gaze drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that had been left open. His eyes widened in shock.
Following his line of sight, Allister also noticed the little boy, who was resting one cheek on his hand, watching the commotion with an amused expression.
"What is it?" Hiro asked from the sofa as he turned around. The moment he spotted the child, he frowned. "Who's this brat? Has Shin become so lenient with his servants that he lets their children wander around as if they own the place?"
Allister had already walked over, wearing a bewildered expression. "Are you the child Tristan brought home? Xati, was it?"
Xati tilted his head.
In just a few days, he had learned an astonishing amount about the human world. He had mastered the use of modern gadgets and even picked up enough psychology to understand how both adults and children behaved.
Rather than acting like the lofty demon prince he truly was, he blinked his large innocent eyes and flashed an adorable smile.
"Hello, Uncle. Butler Steve bought me lots of toys, and this bike is amazing!" He looked around before lowering his voice sheepishly. "But... I don't think I'm in the right house. I think I'm lost."
Butler Hong, who had previously been standing in the corner like some decorative plant given the earlier argument had nothing to do with an outsider like him, suddenly emerged with a grin stretching from ear to ear.
"What did I tell you?" he whispered gleefully to Allister. "Doesn't he look just like the young master?"
Allister: "..."
The child truly resembled Tristan as a boy, though a few of his features could just as easily be mistaken for Shin's.
"There are plenty of candies and sweets in the pantry," Butler Hong suggested eagerly. "If we lure him inside, who's to say we kidnapped the child?"
Allister stared at him as though he'd lost his mind. Planning a kidnapping in front of the child, was this old man serious?
Ignoring Butler Hong entirely, Allister crouched down until he was at eye level with the little boy.
"Is Tristan your father?"
Prince Xati lowered his eyes, neither confirming nor denying it.
"Master Keir, I think the child is scared because he's lost," Butler Hong persisted. "If that senile Steve could win him over with toys, we can do the same. Besides, I still have plenty of candy stocked up."
Master Keir was speechless.
Pretending he hadn't heard a word, he smiled gently.
"Actually, Tristan is my nephew, so I'm not really your uncle. I'd be your grandpa instead." He paused before adding warmly, "Anyway, you're welcome to come here whenever you want."
Xati's eyes widened as though he had been genuinely surprised.
"Really?" he exclaimed in amazement. "But you don't look like a grandpa at all. You look like a very handsome uncle."
Looking at the human who bore such a striking resemblance to the Demon Emperor's current appearance, the little prince instantly understood their relationship, his eyes sparkled with sly amusement.
Meanwhile, the three people who had been completely ignored could only watch in baffled silence before finally snapping back to reality.
"W-What is going on?" Elli asked suspiciously, an ominous feeling creeping into her heart. "Whose child is that?"
Even his wife, who had been consumed by grief just moments ago, was distracted. She tugged at her husband's sleeve and whispered urgently,
"Don't you think that child really looks like Tristan?"
"Mom, don't talk nonsense!" Hiro almost shouted. Clenching his teeth, he said, "For years, despite all the women who were linked to Tristan, I've never once heard of him getting anyone pregnant. He's always been careful."
"Then is he..." His mother trailed off, but the three of them knew exactly whom she was referring to.
Whether the child belonged to Shin or Tristan, it hardly mattered.
Among the Keir family's direct line, Hiro's wife had given birth only a year ago to a daughter, while Hadi died without leaving any descendants.
That meant this little boy was very likely the first great-grandson of Elder Madam Keir.
Dread consumed the three of them.
This time, they no longer looked like people merely mourning or putting on a half-hearted show of grief. They looked genuinely unsettled.
Before they could recover from the boy's sudden appearance, a maid walked into the room. She bowed respectfully before addressing Master Keir.
"Master, the hospital just called with some news."
Master Keir waved his hand, signaling that she could speak freely despite the others being present.
She nodded. "Elder Madam Keir, your mother, has awakened from her coma."
"What?!" Ellis blurted out before he could stop himself. "Impossible!"
Over the past few months, they had already been discussing her will, dividing potential inheritances, and even appealing to the clan elders under the assumption that she would never recover.
So how could this be?
"Don't you want Mother to wake up?" Allister asked calmly.
Only then did Ellis realize his slip of the tongue and flinch.
Hiro quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"My father meant this isn't something to joke about, especially after Hadi's passing. We all know Grandma adored him. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was her favorite grandson. If she finds out what happened to Hadi... I can't imagine how she'll take the news."
"I'm not joking," the maid said nervously. "The call really came from the hospital."
Allister gestured reassuringly for the maid to leave. He had no interest in continuing this conversation with the three of them.
Turning his attention back to Xati, he froze.
The child had vanished, and Butler Hong too.
"...?"
"Allister, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Ellis demanded angrily. "When did that child appear? Has a DNA test been conducted? Whose son is he exactly?"
Compared to earlier, he looked even more agitated.