While Yeri was being treated by the doctor, Shin stood at a distance, speaking on the phone but his eyes never left her.
She had come dangerously close to death several times that night.
If she had stayed in the car like he told her to, he didn’t dare imagine what might’ve happened.
If he had been a second too late... and that assassin pulled the trigger—
If he had misjudged and failed to stop the knife aimed at her—
The "what-ifs" crowded his mind like ghosts he couldn’t shake. His jaw clenched as he gripped the phone tighter. He needed answers.
Whoever sent those assassins would pay a price worse than death.
"How do you feel?" the doctor asked gently, snapping Yeri back from her thoughts.
The physical treatment was done, but given the nature of what she’d experienced, a mental health assessment followed.
A pampered, upper-class young lady like her, who had just survived a targeted murder attempt, it wouldn’t be surprising if trauma hit her hard.
Yet, to the doctor’s surprise, though her skin was pale and her hands were cold, Yeri looked surprisingly composed.
She tilted her head slightly, confused by the question. "I think I’m alright? Maybe just a little tired and... kind of hungry."
The doctor frowned as he scribbled something in his notes. Such calm could be a defense mechanism—what they called a delayed response. Some survivors suppressed their fear so deeply, it only surfaced days or weeks later.
"Miss Zhi, I’ve been briefed about tonight. You’re safe now. You don’t have to hold anything in," the doctor said gently. "Honestly, I find it impressive how rationally you handled everything, but... if you’re scared or overwhelmed, now’s the time to say it. Anything you feel, it’s okay."
She had been scared. Terrified, even. The doctor probably assumed the incident would leave her deeply traumatized, but she couldn’t quite explain it herself.
When she saw Shin Keir kill that man, she hadn’t felt fear, disgust or even shock. No pity for the attacker. Only relief that he was dead.
If she had to sum up her experience, she’d say she was afraid, anyone would be, but not to the point of despair or helplessness that would scar her for life.
Even the fact that Shin Keir could kill someone so easily didn’t frighten her.
After all, those men weren’t innocent. They were clearly trying to kill him.
"I really think I’m alright..." Yeri said, though she sounded unsure.
Even she didn’t know if her calmness was normal.
The doctor studied her expression for a few more seconds, then gave a soft sigh and closed his notebook.
"I’ll check in again soon, Miss Zhi. For now, try to rest." He offered a polite nod and stepped out.
Yeri nodded absentmindedly and reached for the light snacks on the table. Her body was still tense, but food helped her focus on something else.
Just then, the door opened again and a man stepped in.
Tall, distinguished, handsome even at his age. Sharp eyes and a calm yet imposing presence.
He looked so much like Shin Keir it was impossible to mistake their relation, he must have been quite the heartthrob in his younger years.
"You must be Yeri Zhi?" he said, offering a faint smile and extending his hand.
She stood up quickly and bowed politely. Her dress was wrinkled, her hair slightly disheveled, and one of her bandages peeked from her sleeve, but she straightened herself as best as she could.
"Yes, I’m Yeri Zhi," she replied, shaking his hand. She gave a sheepish smile. "I’m sorry for my appearance, I—"
"No need," the man said, waving it off. "I heard what happened."
"Do you know who I am?" he asked.
Yeri glanced at him, hesitated, then nodded. "You look a lot like Young Master Keir... Are you his father?"
Father Keir let out a soft laugh. "People say that about us all the time. But yes, you’re right."
Yeri’s stomach turned nervously as her eyes subtly scanned the room for Shin.
Where did he disappear? Why hadn’t he told her his father had arrived?
"You don’t need to be so formal," he said kindly. "Sit down and eat."
Yeri nodded stiffly and sat down rigidly.
How do you even act around the father of the man you’re sort-of-maybe dating?
A chill ran down her spine. The tension in the room rivaled the danger she’d just escaped—it was just stressful in a different way.
Did he know about her and Shin Keir?
Father Keir took the seat across from her and said nothing, simply observing.
She felt a cold sweat form at the back of her neck. That gaze... it was like she was being assessed, carefully and thoroughly.
This day was supposed to be a holiday.
Instead, it turned out to be a rollercoaster.
From hearing Mrs. Neri’s tragic life story, git harassed by a café lunatic, to surviving an assassination attempt, and now meeting Shin’s father.
Her body and brain were completely worn out.
"Thank you for dating my son," Father Keir said, his voice low but sincere.
Yeri stared at him, dumbfounded.
Did she hear that right?
No, her brain must be fried. It was probably misinterpreting things.
Father Keir sighed. "That child can be... overbearing and unreasonable at times. But rest assured, he doesn’t play around. If he likes someone, he’s serious about it."
"I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of rumors about him," he continued. "I know most of them aren’t pleasant. But believe me, much of it is exaggerated, fabricated even."
Yeri remained quiet. What was she supposed to say to that?
"Shin may have inherited the family name and business, but he also inherited enemies," Father Keir added, voice calm but tinged with something darker. "His life isn’t easy. And by being near him, yours won’t be either."
That was a warning, Yeri realized. A gentle one and yet, she didn’t flinch.
Instead, she blinked at the older man, more confused than intimidated.
And then, just like that, he kept rambling on.
Something was off. This didn’t feel like a warning designed to scare her away.
It almost felt like... a promotion? Like Father Keir was subtly endorsing Shin to her.
The more he spoke, the more strange this entire conversation felt.
Father Keir wasn’t following the usual dramatic script, the kind Yeri had only seen in movies or read in books.
No threats to stay away.
No melodramatic monologues about "people from different worlds."
Could it be... Shin lied to him about her? she wondered.
Did he exaggerate her background or make her sound more impressive than she actually was?
Or maybe this was a test? Father Keir trying to see what kind of person she really was through subtle conversation and unspoken pressure.
Yeri expected him to declare that she wasn’t good enough for his son. That she shouldn’t even dream of entering the Keir household.
She half-expected him to dramatically slide the legendary blank check across the table and condescendingly ask, "How much to make you disappear from my son’s life?"
Instead, here he was chatting politely, even thanking her for dating his son.
Her brain was lagging behind the moment.
Just then, the door opened and a cold voice cut through the room.
"What are you doing?" Shin’s gloomy tone echoed as he walked in, eyes narrowing suspiciously at his father.
Father Keir scoffed. "I can’t even talk to her? You irresponsible brat. Look at this young girl covered in bandages. You can’t even protect her properly."
A flicker of guilt passed through Shin’s eyes, but it was gone in a heartbeat. He turned to his father, his tone firm.
"It’s late. Go away."
Father Keir looked like he wanted to argue, but the look Shin gave him said there would be no further discussion.
With a resigned sigh, Father Keir stood. "Well, at least I finally met her." He gave Yeri a last thoughtful glance. "There will be plenty of chances to talk again."
Yeri looked awkward, still she respectfully said goodbye.
As he walked away, his expression grew unreadable, somewhere between curiosity and concern.
He didn’t say anything else, but one thing was clear: Butler Hong had been right.
Yeri Zhi was still uncertain. Still holding back.
The relationship between her and his son was only just beginning, but too much interference would only push her further away.
Once Father Keir was gone, the room fell into a heavy silence.
Yeri sat frozen, still trying to process what had just happened.
She felt a strange sense of alarm settling in her chest, like she was being slowly pulled deeper into Shin Keir’s world.
This wasn’t just an accident or a temporary entanglement anymore. She was integrating into his life.
Honestly, it would’ve been easier if Father Keir had hated her.
If he had just tossed a blank check on the table and told her she wasn’t worthy of his son, she could’ve put on a dramatic performance like pretended to be heartbroken, shed a few noble tears while reluctantly take the blank check, then disappear into the sunset like the tragic heroine she never asked to be.
"What are you thinking?" Shin asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. Her dazed expression had clearly caught his attention.
Yeri snapped out of her absurd imagination and glared at him. "Why didn’t you tell me your father was here?"
"You didn’t ask," Shin replied casually, not even bothering to look guilty. "Don’t worry about him. He knows about us."
Yeri’s eyes widened as her brain short-circuited from the new information overload.
Then... Shin confessing his feelings to her—it wasn’t on a whim?
He had already told his father? Is he really serious about her?
Still staring at her, Shin frowned. She looked like she was zoning out again, and the doctor had warned him this could be a delayed trauma response.
An uneasy guilt pricked at his chest.
Without a word, he held out a mug of hot milk, the one with the mild sedative the doctor had prescribed to help her rest.
"Drink this and go to bed," he said gently. "You still have class tomorrow."
The moment he mentioned class, Yeri didn’t argue. She’d had more than enough drama for one day and didn’t want to overthink anymore. There’d be time for emotional crises tomorrow.