Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 40

“Resting alone is actually quite boring.”

Braeden said this as if trying to justify himself, but to Juliana, it did not sound very convincing.

“So, you’re saying we should rest together like this?”

Was that really what he meant?

Her question came out slowly, each word uncertain.

“You’re taking care of me anyway. Wouldn’t it be better if we were both comfortable?”

Braeden spoke as he lay on his side, supporting his head with one arm while looking at her.

His tone became polite only when it suited him, and that made Juliana sigh with disbelief.

She froze in place, unsure whether she should get up or remain where she was. Her eyes blinked as she struggled to decide.

“I recover very quickly. Which means I probably won’t have many chances to be nursed by you.”

His voice, which usually held the weight of a cold and commanding ruler, now sounded like a grumble.

“Doesn’t it make you uncomfortable, me being this close?”

“Of course not.”

His answer came so quickly, without even a pause, that Juliana felt her heart race.

She lay flat, staring up at the ceiling, but she could feel his gaze on her like fire. It made it hard to breathe.

Her will to sit up completely disappeared, and she allowed her body to relax. Still avoiding his eyes, she asked quietly.

“Braeden. Right before you got hurt, I heard your voice in my head. You told me not to worry, that everything would be alright. Was I just imagining it?”

“That wasn’t your imagination. I really said it.”

“Was it magic?”

Juliana turned her head and looked up at him as she asked. The question had been stuck in her heart ever since she confirmed he was safe. She couldn’t forget the strange feeling of hearing his voice inside her mind.

“Magic, yes. You could call it that.”

Braeden nodded with a smile that clearly held secrets.

In truth, what he had used was a form of telepathy, an ability tied to the power of a great demon. But he showed no sign of explaining that part.

“The gemstone in the engagement gift I gave you enhances magical power. That is why I wanted you to always keep at least one piece on you.”

“This is really that important?”

Surprised, Juliana held up her hand to show the ring. The red gem resembled Braeden’s eyes. It looked something between a diamond and a ruby, mysterious and deep.

It was the first set of jewels she had ever owned, and regardless of its actual value, it meant a great deal to her.

“The jewel belongs to you now. If you’re important, then the jewel is too. If not, then it’s not.”

Braeden said it casually, but his words reached straight into her heart. Then he smiled and gently took her hand in his.

As he laced his fingers with hers to look more closely at the ring, Juliana’s cheeks turned pink.

“Your hand is so small.”

That’s only because your hands are big. She wanted to say it but couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Braeden kept playing with her fingers without hesitation. Then, with that same hand, he suddenly pulled her closer to him.

Juliana found herself caught in Braeden’s arms before she even realized what had happened. Instinctively, she stopped breathing for a moment.

“Stay here tonight. I think I’ll heal better if you do. I promise I won’t try anything, so don’t worry.”

Braeden spoke softly and gently rubbed her back.

Her heart pounded so hard it almost hurt. She had never felt anything like this before. She didn’t expect her heart to react this strongly, and it left her completely confused.

What was she supposed to do about this man?

His warmth melted the ice that had wrapped around her heart, frozen by the weight of revenge. She didn’t know how to handle it. She closed her eyes tightly.

The calm and gentle feeling she felt in his arms reached the very tips of her fingers, warming what had long gone cold. In her chest, it stirred something soft and bright, like the scent of flowers carried by a spring breeze.

“Juliana, do you want to forget everything and live peacefully like this in his arms?”

It felt as though another version of herself was asking the question. And if she were being honest, she did want that.

She wanted to live as if the past had never happened. As if the cruelty of her former life had never existed.

But she couldn’t. She knew that without her revenge, she would feel empty inside.

“I’ll trust you. Because you’re someone who keeps his promises.”

She rested her forehead against his shoulder as she spoke. A quiet chuckle rumbled from his chest and tickled her ear.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to live a peaceful life until her revenge was finished.

But maybe just for tonight.

Just for tonight, could she allow herself to rest by his side?

After everything she had been through, didn’t she deserve at least one night of peace?

With that thought in her heart, Juliana stubbornly kept her eyes shut.

Three days later, Braeden removed the gauze from his face and neck and calmly told her that his wounds had completely healed.

“Really? But there was so much blood. There’s no way they’re healed already.”

Juliana shook her head, clearly not believing him.

“I told you, I heal quickly.”

Braeden smiled and waved her worry away as if it wasn’t important. Then he led her to the central sitting room, where a collection of warm winter clothes and boots had been prepared.

“What is all this for?”

It was springtime.

The weather was already starting to feel like summer. The midday sun was hot. Seeing thick winter coats at a time like this made no sense.

“Remember the magic I mentioned? Aren’t you curious?”

Braeden leaned closer and whispered playfully like a mischievous boy.

In the Kamina Empire, magic was not something most people had easy access to.

Magical tools were made using mana stones harvested from monsters in the northern regions. Because those materials were rare and dangerous to collect, enchanted items were expensive. There were only a handful of mages in the empire, most of them working directly for the royal family. Magic was something special and rare, not something you saw every day. Of course she was curious.

“I am curious. Are you really going to show me magic?”

Juliana whispered back, her voice quiet and filled with excitement as she followed his lead.

Her wide eyes, lowered voice, and barely moving lips made her look adorable.

Braeden chuckled quietly and nodded.

“I was thinking we could visit the snowy mountains in the north.”

“Wait, we can actually do that?”

Her eyes widened even more, and Braeden couldn’t help but laugh.

“With the way you’re looking at me, I feel like I need to show you something even more amazing.”

“That’s not what I meant. I know how incredible teleportation magic is.”

Blushing, Juliana glanced away and lifted one of the heavy coats hanging nearby.

“The snowy mountains are freezing cold, so you’ll need to dress warmly.”

Braeden placed a thick fur hat on her head and smiled.

Juliana was soon dressed in a heavy coat, fur-lined boots, a soft rabbit-fur scarf, and a matching hat. The warmth was already starting to feel overwhelming.

“Am I the only one wearing all this?”

She looked at Braeden, who hadn’t changed clothes at all, and pouted without realizing it.

“I don’t get cold easily.”

Braeden shrugged, and something about the way he did it made him look annoyingly smug. Juliana opened her mouth to argue, but the heavy heat pressing on her chest made her give up before she could speak.

“Take my hand and close your eyes.”

Wanting to escape the suffocating warmth as quickly as possible, Juliana did exactly as he said.

She heard him chuckle, and suddenly the ground beneath her shifted. In the next moment, a blast of icy wind swept over her face, stinging her cheeks.

Juliana opened her eyes and stood there in stunned silence.

In front of her stretched a vast, breathtaking mountain covered in snow. It was like something out of a dream. The world was completely white.

Large snowflakes whirled through the air, filling her vision. With every step, her boots sank into the snow, making a soft crunch beneath her feet.

“There’s not much to see, but I still wanted to bring you here,” Braeden said, holding her hand as he led her higher toward the peak.

All demons were connected to a place that felt like home.

For some, it was the heart of an active volcano, full of lava and fire. For others, it was the darkest depths of the ocean, or the ancient roots of a thousand-year-old tree.

For Braeden, that place was the snow-covered Mount Kankantier.

It was both his origin and his final resting place. If the day ever came when he vanished, this mountaintop would be where he faded into the wind.

When Juliana asked about magic, the first thing Braeden thought was that he finally had an excuse to bring her here.

He did not know exactly why, but he wanted her to see it. Even though there was nothing here but snow and mountains, this place meant something to him. That was reason enough to share it with her.

They reached the summit of Kankanti. At the edge of the steep cliff, snow slipped from the tips of their boots and scattered into the wind.

“You say there’s nothing to see, but it’s beautiful,” Juliana said, her eyes wide with wonder.

The sky above them was pitch black, filled with countless stars that looked ready to fall at any moment.

It felt like they were standing in the closest place to the heavens. If she stretched out her hand, it felt like she could grab the stars.

It was mysterious and unreal.

The towering ridges, the brutal terrain, and the endless snow created a world where no human could live. It was cold and dangerous, a place that pushed people away.

But somehow, Juliana felt comfort here.

Maybe it was because the cold reminded her of herself. Her heart had always felt like ice, and here in the snow and silence, she felt like she belonged.

“Look at this. I feel like I could hold a star in my hand,” she said, standing on her toes and reaching toward the sky.

Her cheeks were red from the wind, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity and joy.

Braeden stared at her face for a moment, then gently placed his hands on her cheeks.

It looked like he was trying to warm her face, but his eyes had already shifted toward her lips.

“If I kissed you right now, would you let me?”

At the top of the frozen mountain, Juliana came face to face with his most honest and burning desire.

She did not want to look away. And in that moment, she understood why.

Because she felt the same way.

Without a word, she slowly closed her eyes. That was all the answer he needed.

Braeden leaned in and kissed her.

It was a kiss too warm and too deep to belong on a frozen mountaintop. It was filled with everything they had both been holding back.

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