Yeri met Shin's gaze and immediately had a tacit understanding with him.
Perhaps it was because they'd been together for a while now, or perhaps it was because of the memories of the past.
Whatever the reason, Yeri quickly went into character, her eyes reddening as she looked every bit as pitiful as she could, enough to evoke anyone's sympathy.
"Do you think Shin Keir forced Yeri Zhi to be with him?"
"He said so himself. They broke up, but if he refused to let her go, that's no longer her fault," another commented.
Indeed, given Shin Keir's status and influence, he could have anything he wanted, even if that "anything" was a person.
The judge struck the gavel. "Silence in the courtroom!"
Shin continued. "I was the one who refused to accept the breakup. I was the one who continued pursuing her and persuaded her to reconsider."
Calin looked as if she wanted to break character the moment she heard Shin's words, grinding her teeth as she clenched her hands tightly.
"Furthermore, I'd like to clarify something regarding the so-called marriage alliance. It was never an official arrangement made by the Keir elders. It was a personal preference of the matriarch."
He paused.
"Yeri Zhi did not interfere with or destroy any marriage alliance. Most importantly, I never authorized, requested, or agreed to allow my family to decide whom I would marry. My marriage is my decision. No one else's."
Yeri lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling an inexplicable warmth in her chest.
The defense had tried to portray her as the ambitious woman who knowingly stole another family's chosen bride.
Shin had just dismantled the foundation of that argument himself.
And, in doing so, he had made one thing perfectly clear to everyone in the courtroom.
Yeri hadn't taken Shin Keir away from Calin. He had chosen her himself.
The judge called for the questions to remain relevant to the topic.
Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, those waiting for information from their insiders were frantically refreshing the news feeds as all kinds of trending headlines flooded the internet.
Others couldn't be bothered to stand, slumped on the floor while tapping away at their laptops or livestreaming.
The headlines ranged from 'Calin may have been misunderstood: From Villain to Protagonist' to 'Yeri Zhi, the schemer behind an Angelic Appearance.'
Others declared, 'Shin Keir defies all odds, even his own family, to pursue true love,' 'Two people truly in love, and Calin Ricci, the unwanted third party.'
There were also countless explosive, cringe-worthy, and shamelessly clickbait titles.
"Miss Zhi, there have been speculations that your relationship with Tristan Felan, Shin's cousin, is more than just friendship? Were those rumors true?" the lawyer asked as the hearing continued.
Yeri sniffed, looking as though the entire hearing had turned into an invasive interrogation of her private life and she had been deeply wronged.
"No. He is just a friend."
The lawyer paused before turning toward the judge.
"During Hadi Keir's passing, reporters were present to witness Master Keir bringing along a child. From a reliable source, it has been confirmed that the child is named Xati Keir, Tristan's son."
The courtroom immediately erupted at the explosive revelation.
Yeri's lawyer objected, arguing that the matter was irrelevant, but the opposing side insisted otherwise.
"However, the Keir family pressured the media not to make the child's existence public," the lawyer continued despite the commotion. "Now, Miss Zhi, would you care to explain why Tristan's child appeared so attached to you? You clearly looked as though you'd known him for a long time."
Photos from the funeral hall's back garden were displayed, showing Yeri and Xati happily chatting, with the latter sitting comfortably on her lap.
"This is absolutely irrelevant. Nothing in these photos implies anything about Miss Zhi's relationship with Tristan Felan," her lawyer said indignantly. "A child is a child. They can be fond of anyone they like!"
The opposing lawyer remained unfazed and presented footage of Shin interrupting the two and seemingly scolding Xati, even flicking him on the forehead.
The situation became even more controversial when Elder Madam Keir appeared in the footage, seemingly arguing with Shin while Master Keir stood between them.
"There's no audio from this footage, but we had a professional analyze their mouths, and they appeared to be discussing the child's custody. Then, at one point, when the child happened to be facing the camera, according to the interpreter, he said, 'I'm not going anywhere because I'm already with my dad.'"
Once again, Yeri's lawyer objected, pointing out that the footage had been recorded without the parties' consent.
The opposing side immediately defended it.
"It was in public."
"It was the clan's ancestral hall, exclusively for the Keirs. It doesn't count as public," Yeri's lawyer countered.
In the end, the judge sided with Yeri's lawyer and dismissed the footage as irrelevant to the matter at hand.
Calin's lawyer didn't make much of a fuss and simply moved on.
Shin and his legal team knew this wasn't exactly evidence relevant to the case.
Calin's side was simply trying to muddy the waters, playing dirty to distract the public and shift everyone's attention toward this new scandal rather than keeping them focused on Calin's actual case.
Sure enough, chaos had already erupted outside as media outlets frantically released articles about Tristan having a son, who the child's mother was, and why Xati appeared so close to Yeri.
"I'm heartbroken! My husband has an illegitimate son, but I'll tolerate it, huhu~ Just look at how adorable this kid is! He's just like Tristan!" one netizen wrote.
"What's so shocking about it? It's Tristan Felan! We just need to know who the b*tch who secretly poked holes in the condom is. I'm very mad right now," another replied.
"Xati Keir looks to be around four or five years old, and considering how attached he is to Yeri, I'm very intrigued. It's been less than a year since she got engaged to Shin Keir. Also, there's something about the way the lawyer interpreted Xati's words. He said he was already with his dad... but who exactly?" one particularly observant netizen questioned.
As netizens became increasingly invested in the topic, ridiculous assumptions began spreading across the internet.
Some even speculated that Yeri could possibly be Xati's mother, while others immediately dismissed the idea because of her age.
If Yeri had given birth to Xati, she would have been only fourteen at the time.
There was even another angle gaining traction: perhaps Shin was Xati's biological father. After all, some netizens pointed out that the child bore a slight resemblance to him.
Then, just as the speculation seemed to be reaching its peak, one netizen made a comment that caused everything to spiral further.
"I'm a student at SC University, and Yeri was often absent because she was sick. I'm not talking about missing a few days here and there. Sometimes she was gone for weeks. There were even periods when she disappeared for months."
The comments went silent for a brief moment, then the internet exploded.
"Damn. I didn't want to think about it, but it's not entirely impossible. A girl can get pregnant at fourteen. And if she wasn't often at school... coincidence? What if..."
"WAIT. Are you saying Xati could actually be Yeri's son?!"
"Huuuh??? Then who is the father? Shin Keir? Tristan Felan? Someone else?"
"DNA test! We demand a DNA test! Don't forget that Yeri and Xati were extremely close. He wasn't acting like he had just met her."
The more people speculated, the more outrageous the theories became.
Meanwhile, inside the courtroom, the line of questioning had shifted toward the incident involving Hadi Keir and his friends.
"Miss Zhi, you were the one who claimed you were pregnant at the time, correct?" Calin's lawyer asked. "And not long after that, you went on your class vacation trip."
The lawyer's expression hardened.
"Did you intentionally spread the speculation that you were pregnant in order to provoke Calin Ricci further?"
Yeri's lawyer immediately rose. "Objection. The question assumes my client deliberately spread a rumor that has not been established as fact."
"Your Honor, it's directly relevant to my client's mental state and subsequent actions."
The judge considered it for a moment. "Overruled. You may continue, but keep your questions relevant."
Calin's lawyer turned back toward Yeri.
"At the time, Miss Ricci was already suffering tremendous pressure. The Bryce Gate incident had severely affected her and her family, while multiple lawsuits were being filed against her simultaneously. You knew Miss Ricci had feelings for Shin Keir, didn't you?"
Yeri "..."
"You also knew about the lawsuits she was facing?"
"I don't follow the news." Yeri replied.
"And you knew her emotional state was extremely fragile?"
Yeri frowned, "No."
"Yet you let the speculation spread that you were pregnant with Shin Keir's child?"
"I didn't spread it."
The lawyer raised an eyebrow. "But the speculation spread and you didn't deny it either."
Yeri's lawyer stood again. "Objection. My client is not responsible for every rumor circulated by the public."
The opposing lawyer nodded calmly.
"Then let me phrase it differently. You knew Calin Ricci was emotionally attached to Shin Keir. You should've at least knew she was facing multiple lawsuits and she was under extraordinary pressure. Did you consider that the pregnancy rumors might provoke her?"
"No."
"Not even once?"
"No." Yeri felt he was up to something.
"Yet she eventually flew to the Arctic to confront you."
"I had no contact with Calin Ricci at all."
"So you had no idea she was coming?"
"No." Yeri suddenly had a bad feeling.
The lawyer stared at her for several seconds before slowly turning toward the judge.
"Which ultimately made Miss Ricci fall into a trap."
Yeri's lawyer frowned. "Objection. That's an accusation, not a question."
"Your Honor, we demand a copy of Miss Zhi's medical records at the time of incident." Calin's lawyer said.
Yeri's lawyer immediately understood where he was going. "We have already filed the relevant medical records."
"According to Neri Medical Hospital, correct?" Calin's lawyer gave a small nod. "That medical report has been accepted into evidence. However, I'd like to request medical results from another hospital for comparison."
The judge looked up. "On what grounds?"
Calin's lawyer answered without hesitation.
"Because Dr. Zahn Neri is one of Shin Keir's closest friends. He is also Miss Zhi's physician. I'm not questioning the hospital's credibility, but whether one medical opinion should be treated as conclusive when there is an obvious personal relationship between the physician, Miss Zhi, and Shin Keir."
A murmur swept through the courtroom.