Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 106

The royal physician of the Grand Citadel was on his way and quietly wondered if Her Highness had caught a cold.

If that were the case, there was much to consider. The harsh northern winter would only further weaken the Grand Duchess’s already delicate health, so it was important to ensure she recovered quickly.

But to his surprise, the patient turned out to be the Grand Duke. In all his years at the Citadel, never once had he treated the Duke for something as ordinary as a cold.

“What happened to bring this on?” the physician asked, visibly startled as he checked the Duke’s low fever.

Braeden with a fever? He had never seen someone look so completely out of place as a sick person. It almost defied reason.

“It looks like he stayed out in the snow for a long time wearing only a thin shirt,” Juliana explained, sounding very worried.

The physician’s brow twitched at the thought.

“His Grace is strong. I am confident he will recover quickly. A night of rest should be enough.”

“Really?” Juliana asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The physician noticed the smile forming on Braeden’s face as he looked at her, and his suspicions grew stronger.

Did he want to get sick on purpose?

He imagined all the embarrassing things that might come next and quickly cleared his throat to shake off the thought. As a doctor, he offered his advice.

“Please take the medicine and keep warm. No matter how strong His Grace may be, going outside in winter dressed like that is never a good idea.”

He sighed as he packed up his things, feeling a little defeated. Now he was even reminding the Grand Duke how to dress properly.

The supplies he had brought, thinking the Grand Duchess was the one who was sick, remained untouched in his bag.

After giving a polite bow and leaving the room, Juliana gently placed her hand on Braeden’s forehead and let out a sigh.

“Why would you do something like this?”

“I was curious,” he said calmly.

Juliana understood what he meant, so she did not scold him further. She simply gave a quiet groan.

“Things are different now. You have to take care of yourself. Promise me.”

She held out her pinky finger.

Braeden looked at her small finger. For a moment, he felt an odd urge to kiss it or maybe even bite it gently. He pushed the thought away and smiled.

“Being treated like a child is not so bad.”

Then he linked his pinky with hers.

Juliana smiled as she looked down at their joined hands. Braeden gently pulled on their linked fingers, and even though they were only touching by their pinkies, Juliana lost her balance and fell softly into his arms.

She looked up at him with wide, startled eyes.

Braeden did not hesitate. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her deeply.

His lips pressed into hers, parting them, and the kiss became intense and consuming.

Juliana let out a faint, unsteady breath, unable to think clearly from the sudden rush of emotion.

“Ithan…”

When she finally came to her senses, she placed her hands on his chest and tried to push him away. She seemed to remember he was still supposed to be recovering.

But her push was weak, barely there. Her eyes, already clouded by warmth, seemed far too dazed.

Braeden liked the way her usually calm eyes, clear as a quiet forest in the morning, now trembled like trees caught in a storm.

“You should not be doing this while you have a fever. It will only make it worse.”

“Is that so? From what I can tell, it looks like you are the one heating up now.”

Braeden gently brushed the back of his hand across Juliana’s slightly flushed cheek. She cupped her cheeks with both hands, trying to cool the heat, then gave him a soft glare that carried no real anger.

“This is your fault,” she said.

He let out a quiet laugh. She looked so endearing that he could not help it.

Seeing him laugh, Juliana narrowed her eyes and spoke firmly.

“You need to behave until your fever is completely gone.”

“Yes, yes. Of course, my lady,” Braeden replied in a playful tone. Then he leaned in and stole a quick kiss.

It was clear he had not taken her words too seriously, but since it was only a short kiss and he seemed ready to back off, Juliana decided to let it go.

Just then, Braeden seemed to remember something.

“Ah, there’s still something we need to deal with.”

Juliana tilted her head slightly. Nothing came to mind, so she looked at him curiously.

Braeden snapped his fingers with a sharp sound. It was the signal to summon the demon Plaurus, who bore the slave mark.

Plaurus had already heard that Braeden had become human and had been thrilled. He thought that he was finally free.

But strangely, the mark had not disappeared. As always, he was summoned by his master’s command.

“What? Why? How is this still happening?”

He tried to resist the summoning, but it was pointless.

“You arrogant bastard,” he muttered bitterly.

He still could not speak freely. That part had not changed either.

“You seem surprised. From the look on your face, you must have expected something different. But I guess you didn’t realize that the mark only disappears when the master dies,” Braeden said with a smug tone.

This meant that it did not matter whether the one who placed the mark was a demon or a human. As long as they were alive, the contract remained in place.

Even though the great demon had become human, he was still alive, so the mark had not vanished.

So much for that celebration. Plaurus’s flame-like body flickered through shades of red, reflecting his frustration. In a grumpy tone, he asked, “So what do you want now?”

“Burn this. Leave no trace behind.”

Braeden tossed a document in front of him.

It was the contract they had signed when agreeing to a two-year marriage.

Seriously? You summoned me just to burn a piece of paper? What am I, a furnace?

Irritated, Plaurus’s flames flared hotter in response.

“What’s the problem? Can’t do it?” Braeden asked calmly, watching him without blinking.

He may be human now, but he still has the same intimidating presence. Plaurus hesitated for a moment, then replied stiffly.

“Of course I can. Unless your eyes are broken, you should see I’m getting ready to do it right now.”

He grumbled to himself while pulling the document into his flames. Inside his fiery form, the paper was quickly turned to ash. A moment later, he let out a small puff of smoke like a tiny burp.

Now that everything was taken care of, Braeden turned to Juliana, showing no further interest in Plaurus.

“The old contract is gone. When something is burned by demon fire, it cannot be restored by any means. That means our marriage agreement is no longer a limited contract. It is now something permanent.”

He could have revised the contract instead of destroying it, but he had clearly wanted to make a statement. Juliana understood what that meant and gave a quiet nod.

“Alright. So, there’s no longer a time limit or a written condition holding us together.”

Then she turned to Plaurus and smiled kindly.

“Thank you for helping. Because of you, we were able to take care of the contract safely.”

Plaurus had been quietly cursing Braeden in his head, grumbling to himself, when Juliana’s sudden words of gratitude caught him completely off guard. He stammered in surprise.

“Ah, well, I mean, of course…”

Braeden had seen reactions like this many times before. It seemed like every demon who could speak just fine would suddenly turn into a nervous wreck the moment they stood in front of Juliana.

Before Plaurus could finish his sentence, Braeden snapped his fingers. The sound echoed crisply, and the summoning was released.

Plaurus instantly vanished, returned to wherever he had been before. The moment he disappeared, the faint irritation Braeden had been holding onto seemed to melt away.

By the afternoon, Braeden’s fever had completely gone. Even as a human, it seemed his monstrous stamina had not left him.

He gathered his closest aides and spoke clearly.

“I am no longer the great demon I once was. There is no longer any reason for you to serve me. You are all free to go your own way. If any among the lesser demons also wish to leave, do not stop them.”

Lochlan, Albert, and Anita exchanged a look. Then they all smiled knowingly.

“As expected, we figured you would say something like this,” Albert said with a grin.

It was clear from their calm expressions that none of them were surprised by what Braeden had said. They had anticipated it the moment he summoned them.

“My lord, what if we choose not to leave?” Albert asked with his usual cheerful tone. “There’s no need to force us away, is there?”

Braeden raised an eyebrow. He had not expected that response.

“I’m human now. And you still want to serve me?”

Lochlan answered, his face serious and steady.

“That is the only thing that has changed.”

“Everything else is still the same,” Anita added in her usual blunt manner.

Becoming human meant becoming vulnerable. It meant he could no longer protect them the way he once had.

Surely, they understood that. And yet they still chose to stay.

“I don’t think I treated any of you that well,” Braeden said with a faint frown.

Albert chuckled at that.

“See? That is why I say you are very good at being honest with yourself.”

His remark earned him a sharp look from Braeden, and he quickly fell silent, pressing his lips together.

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