Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 31

“What? Countess?”

“Yes. Technically, I would be a viscountess for now, but if I become your wife, I’ll eventually be a countess, won’t I?”

Aileen smiled with a seductive curve of her lips.
Tristan believed she was completely infatuated with him.

So even though he thought her request was ridiculous, he didn’t find it entirely unpleasant.

“I didn’t know you wanted to be my wife that badly. But if the information you give me isn’t accurate and useful, this promise means nothing.”

Tristan spoke arrogantly. He had no real intention of making her his wife.
Still, he felt it would be too harsh to reject someone who clearly liked him this much.
And if the information turned out to be valuable, there was no harm in pretending to agree for now.

Even as she looked at Tristan’s smug expression, Aileen kept smiling.

The trade with the Western Continent would definitely go through.
It was a project backed by the imperial family, and there was no chance it would fail.

Her judgment wasn’t based on a few lines scribbled in some old notebook.
She had scraped together every coin she had to buy that information through a broker.

This was a business that could not fail.

How cowardly, she thought to herself with a silent sigh.
But she didn’t let her true thoughts show.

For now, Tristan was her source of money and the quickest path into high society.

“Alright. I’m not here to push false information either. But if you like what you hear, I want a written contract.”

“What? A contract?”

In the empire, a notarized contract held legal power.
What Aileen was asking for now was a legally binding promise of marriage.

Tristan hesitated. He had never intended to go that far.

“You said you loved me. Was that a lie?”

Aileen looked at him with teary eyes, her voice trembling with emotion.

Seeing her like that, Tristan wavered.
After all, her looks still had a strong effect on him.

“A lie? Of course not. Fine. I’ll do it. If that’s what you want, I’ll sign it.”

Tristan waved his hand, almost as if to say stop crying.
Aileen gave a tearful smile and wrapped herself back into his arms.

For just a second, a faint, cold smile of contempt passed over her lips before quickly vanishing.

The townhouse of Grand Duke Ortis had become unusually noisy.

It was all because the final team from the chosen atelier had arrived to design Juliana’s wedding dress.

Even without that, it was unusual for the Grand Duke to stay in the capital this long. It was also the first time the townhouse had been so busy just to welcome guests.

With extra staff hired to handle the workload, the atmosphere inside the townhouse was more lively than ever.

Lochlan, who had taken over the wedding dress preparations with great enthusiasm after Juliana had quietly passed the task to him, introduced the atelier with a sparkle in his eyes.

“I told them to bring a full selection of sample dresses. Of course, if none of them suits your taste, we can always choose a different atelier.”

At those words, the head of the atelier standing nearby flinched slightly and shifted her shoulders.

Juliana was seated in the grandest reception room in the townhouse, listening to Lochlan’s explanation with a polite but slightly awkward smile.

And it was understandable. What the atelier had brought was far more than what anyone would call simple samples.

The vast reception room was filled wall to wall with luxurious fabrics, accessories, and even mannequins already dressed in completed gowns.

It made her wonder if they had just moved the entire atelier here. Still, what if they went back without securing anything?

Reading her thoughts, Lochlan calmly reassured her.

“Even if no order is placed, they will still be paid for their efforts. So please don’t feel any pressure, my lady.”

Ironically, the one who now looked nervous was the atelier’s owner, who swallowed hard.

Being selected to design the wedding gown for the empire’s only Grand Duke was more than just a business opportunity. It was a matter of pride and prestige.

If they failed to sign a contract and left empty-handed, it would seriously damage the reputation of a brand once considered the best in the empire.

That was why Caitlin Walsh, head of Walsh Atelier, was more determined than ever.

“Good afternoon, Lady Barnett. I am Caitlin Walsh, head of Walsh Atelier. Please feel free to call me Madam Walsh. You truly are as beautiful as everyone says. It would be a great honor to design your wedding gown.”

As expected from someone in her position, Caitlin spoke with charm and confidence. Juliana already knew about Walsh Atelier. It was a memory from her previous life.

Even now it was a respected name, but in the future, it would become the most prestigious atelier in the empire.

Back then, as Marchioness Everett, Juliana had only owned two dresses from this place. Meanwhile, Aileen had owned ten. Felix had shown obvious favoritism, and Juliana did not have pleasant memories of the brand because of it.

Still, she had no negative feelings toward Caitlin herself, so she quietly nodded.

Taking that as a sign, Caitlin opened a catalog filled with sketched designs and laid it before Juliana.

“To be honest, time is already tight. If you choose another atelier, that will delay things even more. All the designs here are the latest. Why not pick one from this selection?”

Caitlin looked at her with hopeful, determined eyes.

If her words had sounded empty or rehearsed, Juliana would have paid no attention.
But she could tell Caitlin was genuinely skilled and deeply passionate about her work, so she took her time and looked through the designs carefully.

“I like this style,” Juliana said as she pulled out a specific page.

The design followed the popular off-the-shoulder trend in the capital, but the sleeves were full and puffed, giving it elegance without being too revealing.

“You have an amazing eye for detail,” Caitlin said with a clap of her hands, raising her voice.

Juliana gave a slight smile. She still wasn’t used to such exaggerated praise.

“I think this fabric would match the design beautifully.”

Caitlin, along with her assistant, quickly brought over several fabric options.

Although Juliana didn’t usually enjoy extravagance, she had good taste. She carefully chose the best fabrics from what was offered.

“How is your sense of style this good?” Caitlin asked in awe.

Of course, her admiration was likely due to Juliana’s position as the future duchess, but Juliana still wasn’t used to this kind of attention and felt a little uncomfortable.

Seeing her unsure expression, Lochlan stepped closer.

“For the neckline, pearl embellishments would look lovely. From the shoulders to the sleeves, silver embroidery would be perfect. And if we add tiny diamonds across the skirt, it will shimmer beautifully.”

He spoke as if describing simple decorations, but anyone could tell that creating a dress like that would cost a fortune.

Juliana’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

Lochlan smiled and asked, “Do you think it might be a bit too simple?”

Simple? What was he talking about?

Just as Juliana was about to speak in surprise, he turned to Caitlin and continued.

“Add diamond embellishments to the veil as well, and make the train the longest length possible.”

At Lochlan’s request, Caitlin’s mouth opened wide in amazement, and she quickly scribbled notes into her notebook.

A wedding dress of this scale would require countless sleepless nights to complete, but it would surely go down in the empire’s history as a masterpiece.

“I will present the finest work of my life, with my name and reputation behind it.”

Juliana had been about to say it might be too much, but she quietly closed her mouth as she heard Caitlin speak with such passionate determination.

At that moment, a servant arrived with a message that Braeden had come. Almost immediately, the door opened and Braeden walked in with long, confident strides.

Everyone in the room stood and bowed respectfully to the Grand Duke. Juliana also rose from her seat to greet him.

“You’re in the middle of choosing your wedding dress?”

“Yes. I’ve already picked the design, and now we’re discussing the decorations.”

Although the decorations were more or less decided, Juliana still couldn’t shake the feeling that the dress might be too extravagant, so she gave that simple answer.

Lochlan stepped in to add further details.

“For the decorations, we plan to place pearls along the neckline, silver embroidery from the shoulders down to the sleeves, and diamond embellishments all along the skirt and veil.”

Braeden paused to think for a moment.

Juliana noticed a subtle change in his expression and sensed he might not be entirely pleased. That confirmed her own suspicion that the dress might really be too much.

She was about to suggest simplifying the design when Braeden spoke.

“Isn’t that a bit too plain?”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Lochlan agreed, and the two of them fell into thoughtful silence.

At this rate, the dress would end up covered in every jewel imaginable.

Juliana quickly jumped in.

“It’s not plain at all. It’s actually just right.”

“Is that so?” Braeden tilted his head slightly, looking unconvinced.

“Yes, truly. It’s perfectly balanced.”

Just moments ago, she had thought it was over the top. But now that they were talking about adding even more, strangely enough, the current plan suddenly felt just right.

“Alright. If that’s how you feel, then I trust you,” Braeden said with a nod.

Juliana let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Then he turned to Caitlin.

“We’ll also need dresses for the reception. One should be a deep green to match Lady Juliana’s eyes. The other should include red gemstones to pair with the jewelry she received at the engagement.”

Caitlin’s face lit up instantly.

“Yes, Your Grace. I will do my absolute best.”

“If there’s enough time, prepare some dresses suitable for the north as well.”

“How many would you like, and within what budget?” Caitlin asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Braeden replied without hesitation.

“The cost doesn’t matter. Make as many as time allows.”

This is amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Caitlin had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop herself from shouting with joy.

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