Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 100

“Kyaaah!”

The servants screamed at the sudden appearance of the group.

Before, only a handful of them had witnessed spatial teleportation, maybe three or four at most. But this time, since they appeared right in front of the inner citadel, more than twenty people saw them all at once.

“This is disappointing. Everyone’s focus is pathetic.”

Braeden sighed, and no one could argue with him. They had run so low on energy that they couldn’t manage a proper teleportation and ended up landing unexpectedly in front of the citadel.

Belial’s highly competent vassals, who would normally never imagine making such a mistake, clicked their tongues in frustration.

“It feels like the number of humans whose memories we have to erase just keeps growing.”

“Once we recover, let’s just erase the memories of everyone in the citadel. Wouldn’t that be easier?”

At Anita’s dry comment, Albert’s eyebrow twitched. Just thinking about using up another large amount of energy the moment he recovered made him feel exhausted already.

“That can wait. First, we need to escort our Lord and Lady Juliana.”

At Lochlan’s words, both Albert and Anita snapped back to focus and began giving orders to the servants.

The servants, who had just witnessed high-ranking nobles suddenly drop in front of the citadel, couldn’t even calm their pounding hearts before they were rushing around in a frenzy.

“Lady Juliana… sob…”

Seeing Juliana, Rosie burst into tears. The other maids started sniffling along with her, and the atmosphere in the citadel turned almost funereal.

“I’m sorry, Rosie. You must have been so scared.”

Juliana felt as if she had committed some terrible crime, and her apology came out awkward and heavy.

“Scared? That’s not all, sob… I was terrified…”

Rosie couldn’t stop crying.

Juliana didn’t know how to comfort her and looked troubled, but Anita stepped in.

“You can catch up later. Go prepare a bath right away. If Lady Juliana catches a cold, that would be a real problem.”

Following her command, the servants scattered to carry out their tasks.

Juliana wanted to talk to Rosie, Melanie, and the other maids, but she decided rest needed to come first.

Braeden didn’t look too well either, so she made warming up in her room the top priority.

After bathing, as soon as she stepped out, Braeden pulled her close and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, as if he had been waiting for her.

“Are you alright?”

Juliana embraced the large man who practically collapsed into her arms and asked softly.

“No. I’m not alright at all.”

His tone, unexpectedly vulnerable, made her smile a little. She gently patted his back.

Even after some time passed, he didn’t move. Juliana squirmed and spoke up.

“How long are we staying like this? It’s getting a little stuffy.”

Braeden finally gave her a bit of space, but he didn’t let go of her waist.

It was clear he had no intention of releasing her anytime soon, and a small crease formed between Juliana’s brows.

“If it were up to me, I’d keep you right here, holding on tight so you could never leave.”

His crimson eyes were calm yet dark, and she could tell he truly meant it.

She understood. He was afraid she might disappear again. But that didn’t mean he was entirely innocent either.

Juliana pouted in frustration and lightly tapped his chest.

“Before anything else, I need a clear answer from you.”

Her sudden change in tone made Braeden narrow his eyes.

“A clear answer?”

“Yes. A real, honest answer. And don’t try to dodge it. I’m not moving a muscle until you give me one.”

Braeden gave a small laugh. Her determination looked surprisingly strong. It had been so long since he smiled that even the act of his lips curling upward felt unfamiliar.

He lightly touched his lips, then nodded as if to say, “Go ahead and ask.”

Juliana took a deep breath and spoke.
“Are you going to try to die again? Promise me you won’t.”

Braeden’s expression softened as he looked into her eyes, filled with a mix of scolding and concern.

“In the beginning, when I first met you, I did have thoughts like that. But later on, things changed. I didn’t say anything because I was in an unstable state, but I never once intended to let you go.”

Juliana’s eyes wavered at the unexpected answer.
“Then… you weren’t planning to die?”

“Not anymore. Because of you.”

Braeden gently brushed his hand along Juliana’s cheek. She tried to sort through the confusion in her mind.

She knew better than anyone that a second life wasn’t a simple repetition of the first. Foolish things from her past life didn’t happen again because of the choices she made now.

So maybe Braeden had changed his mind about dying too. Maybe the world wouldn’t end in destruction caused by his rage after all.

Thoughts of divine will and prophecy came rushing into her mind without order.

“I’ll say it again. I have no intention of dying. And even less of letting you go.”

Braeden tilted her chin upward, bringing his lips so close it felt like they might touch at any moment.

“But are you alright with all of this?” he asked softly. His lips brushed hers as he spoke, and the sensation sent a shiver down her spine.

The intimacy in his voice made Juliana feel awkward, but she hid it and asked back,
“What do you mean?”

“You know who I am.”

“Oh…”

She let out a quiet sigh. In her urgency to stop his death and prevent the world’s collapse, she had barely thought about the fact that he was a demon lord.

Now that she considered it, it didn’t really matter to her. After everything she had experienced, the cruelty and ugliness of humanity, whether someone was human or demon didn’t mean much anymore.

She simply loved Braeden Ortis.

Reading her thoughts, Braeden gently teased her lower lip with his thumb and said,
“You knew what I was when you wrote that letter. But you still said you loved me.”

Juliana flushed red, remembering the moment. She had written her feelings honestly in the letter, believing it would be her last chance.

“That was…”

She opened her mouth, unsure how to respond, and Braeden gave a bittersweet smile as the memory came back to him.

How much he had cried and laughed because of those words.

Even when he was on the verge of madness from not being able to find her, even when his powers spun out of control, those few words had kept him going.

“If it doesn’t matter that I’m a demon, then I want to stay by your side because I love you too.”

Love was not an easy feeling for a demon. Braeden had never been sure if his emotions could be described with the word “love.”

His love wasn’t soft or sweet. It was dark, obsessive, and unrelenting.

He wanted to tie her to him, body and soul. It was a cruel, greedy desire that consumed him completely.

But so, what? If the human word for that was love, then that’s what it was.

And if she accepted his words as something pure and sacred, like her own love, then so be it. No, perhaps it was for the best.

She could go on living in a bright and peaceful world, never having to understand these twisted, black emotions. That would be enough.

Hiding his darker thoughts, Braeden spoke.
“Juliana, I love you.”

Her eyes turned red with emotion. She nodded, looking like she was about to burst into tears.
“I love you too.”

Braeden kissed her as if he were devouring her fragile voice. Even her trembling breaths, touched with tears, felt achingly sweet.

“Juliana…”

He pressed his lips to hers and then released them, repeating the motion as he closed the gap between them. Overcome by the force of his emotions, he placed both hands on her cheeks, holding her as if he couldn’t bear to let go.

Her unsteady breathing stirred him deeply. His hands roamed her soft skin with growing urgency until he finally drew her in and kissed her with abandon.

Their kiss became disoriented and breathless. When they finally pulled apart for air, Juliana looked up at him with wet, glistening eyes and asked quietly,
“Are you feeling okay?”

She seemed genuinely concerned, likely thinking about how much time he had spent in the snowy mountains, worn and exhausted.

“I think not finishing what we started would feel much worse,”
he said, looking down at her with a calm but heavy gaze as he leaned in again.

Juliana’s shoulders flinched at the undeniable pressure between them as their bodies pressed together.

“You should be more worried about yourself than me,”
Braeden said as he gently lifted her into his arms.

He had thought about letting the night pass quietly, knowing how much she had endured in Kankantier, but it was already far too late for that.

Even as he carried her toward the bed, their kisses continued without pause. Juliana responded with the same urgency, wrapping her arms around his neck.

The long time they had spent apart had only deepened their longing. That hunger now poured out in its rawest form. They touched and held each other with an aching desperation.

Their breathless moans and soft voices calling each other’s names tangled together in the silence.

They held one another for a long time, until pale moonlight streamed through the window. In that deep and full night, they found peace, slowly washing away the fear and uncertainty that had haunted them.

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