Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 41

A few days had passed since their return from the snowy mountain.
Braeden was officially listed as unwell and had suspended all his public engagements.
Even so, he seemed unusually busy, always heading out for some unofficial errand or another.

Juliana found herself constantly recalling the kiss they had shared at the mountain’s peak. It made her flustered several times each day.

This isn’t good, she thought, trying to calm her restless heart.
She didn’t want her emotions shaken by something like this when she was already struggling to focus solely on revenge.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Juliana finalized her plans on how to deal with the Marquess, Grant Everett.

Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by Lochlan’s voice.
“Pardon the interruption.”
“Yes, come in,” Juliana responded.

Once she gave her permission, the door opened. But it was Rosie who peeked her head in first.
“My lady, I think your wedding dress is finished!”
Rosie stepped in, her face glowing with excitement. Lochlan followed behind her.

They weren’t alone. The head designer from the atelier, her assistant, and several of the townhouse maids entered one after another.

Juliana blinked in surprise as boxes containing the dress, shoes, and jewelry were carefully carried into the room.
She stood there in a daze as the stream of people brought in a stunning array of garments and accessories.

At the end of the group, she saw Braeden.
Startled, Juliana stood up without realizing it.

“Good day, Lady Barnett. Your wedding dress is ready. Today, we’ll be doing the fitting,” said Caitlin Walsh politely.
Her eyes were shadowed with fatigue from many sleepless nights, but her voice remained respectful and warm.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Juliana replied.
She nearly asked if Caitlin was all right, but stopped herself. Despite the obvious tiredness, Caitlin looked truly pleased, and Juliana couldn’t bring herself to say more.

“I heard it’s tradition to see the bride’s dress together,” Braeden said as he sank into the sofa, explaining his sudden appearance.

“I’m here to inspect the condition of the dress,” Lochlan added, explaining he needed to confirm the exact number of gemstones.
Caitlin flinched slightly at his words.

Behind him stood maids who had volunteered to help.
Juliana hadn’t expected the fitting to be this crowded or loud, and she blinked, momentarily overwhelmed.

In her previous life, she had worn a dress made by the Countess of Barnett. It was just good enough not to be criticized.
While the fabric had been decent, the design was far behind the trends and didn’t suit Juliana at all.

That made today all the more surprising. So many people had gathered just to see her try on a wedding dress.

“Ah, I…”
A strange feeling stirred in her chest. She couldn’t find the words right away.

“It’s all right. I’ll help you change,” Rosie said with a wink.
She seemed to think Juliana was hesitant because she didn’t want others to see the Floreseco mark on her back.

The assistants and maids quickly set up a partition in one corner of the room.
Still feeling somewhat dazed, Juliana stepped behind it and changed into the dress.

“Wow, you look absolutely beautiful,” Rosie gasped, the first to see her.
Immediately, the room filled with excited voices.

The maids, who had been whispering in curiosity, let out a chorus of admiration when Juliana stepped out.

Braeden’s eyes gleamed with a subtle light.
Lochlan carefully examined the gemstones and checked if anything about the dress clashed with Juliana’s appearance.

Feeling oddly shy, Juliana began fidgeting with her fingers.
She was not used to being loved or receiving attention.
The grace and calm she always showed were things she had trained herself to display, not her true nature.

“The waistline just needs a slight adjustment. It suits you even better than I imagined,” Caitlin said as she examined the dress.

Braeden, who had been sitting quietly, stood up.

“I’ll place the tiara myself.”

At Braeden’s signal, a maid quickly stepped forward and handed him the tiara.
As the sound of his footsteps drew closer, Juliana’s heartbeat grew faster.

Braeden gently placed the glittering diamond tiara on her head. Then he leaned in close and whispered by her ear.
“It looks perfect on you. I wish I could admire you like this alone. What do you think? Should I send everyone out?”

Juliana let out a quiet laugh. Her nervousness and awkwardness melted away completely.

There was only one week left until the wedding.
In just seven days, she would stand at the altar wearing this very dress.

The next morning, Juliana left the townhouse, saying she was visiting the Earl of Barnett’s estate.

“What is it this time?”
Rosie clutched her skirt tightly as the carriage shook. Her voice was uneasy when she noticed they were heading in the wrong direction.

“I’m going to meet someone,” Juliana replied.

To avoid drawing suspicion from the Grand Duke’s household, she had brought Rosie with her. But she had no intention of putting Rosie at risk, so she hadn’t shared any details.
Rosie seemed to understand that her mistress wasn’t going to explain. She pressed her lips together and stayed quiet.

Just then, Atlante flew in through the window.

“I found him. Marquess Everett is currently at the Harbourne social club, meeting with other nobles.”

“Well done,” Juliana said as she gently stroked Atlante’s head.
It felt like she was petting a tame animal, but Atlante didn’t complain. She actually enjoyed the soft touch.

Sometimes she forgot she was the Tear of the Gods, but she chose to let that slip by for now.

Juliana asked the coachman to head to Harbourne Street. Then she pulled out a black robe she had prepared and put it on, covering half of her face with a veil.

“My lady, who exactly are you meeting?”
Rosie’s face turned pale. She seemed to think Juliana was sneaking off to do something reckless before the wedding.

Juliana saw the worry in her eyes and laughed softly.
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning anything bad.”

When they arrived at Harbourne Street, Juliana turned to Rosie.
“I won’t be long. Wait here for me.”
She stepped out of the carriage, leaving Rosie behind with a confused and worried expression.

Juliana quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Harbourne was a busy commercial area filled with people and carriages. It was often chaotic and prone to accidents.

She waited near the entrance of the social club.
After a short while, Marquess Everett appeared, preparing to leave.

In her previous life, he had been in an accident just before her wedding.
Felix used to brag about it every time he drank, so Juliana had a fairly accurate idea of the time and place it happened.

She had arrived a little early and was able to see Everett leaving the club.

Looking around, she scanned the street for children.
There were many boys selling newspapers, polishing shoes, or running errands. She spotted one who looked sharp and approached him.

“Do you have something for me to do?”
The boy, who seemed about thirteen or fourteen, quickly understood what she wanted.

“I need you to run a small errand.”
“Sure. As long as it’s not dangerous or illegal, I’m in.”

Juliana already knew many street children would do risky or shady tasks if the pay was good, but she didn’t bring it up.

“It’s nothing hard, and it won’t put you in danger.”

The boy smiled and nodded. He was clearly curious about the reward, so Juliana spoke again.
“I’ll give you ten silver coins.”

That amount made his eyes widen.
Most errands paid only a few copper coins. Ten silvers was more than generous.

“Take this to the city patrol and tell them it fell off a passing carriage just now,” she said, handing him a small part that connected a carriage wheel.

Unlike common carriages, noble families usually had theirs custom-made.
They were designed not only for comfort but also to display power and wealth.
Even the smallest parts often had family crests or initials carved into them.

The piece Juliana handed over had the Everett family crest.
The boy probably wouldn’t recognize it, but the city patrol would.

“And tell them it looked like an important person was riding that carriage. Say you’re worried there might be an accident. If they respond and send someone, I’ll give you another ten silver coins.”

The boy’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“You can count on me.”

He clutched the part tightly and ran toward the patrol station.

Soon after, Juliana saw a group of city guards rushing out.

The boy returned with pride glowing on his face.
Juliana smiled and handed him the promised ten silver coins as a reward.

Then she glanced upward and gave a signal to Atlante, who had been perched quietly in a tree nearby.

Atlante flew swiftly in the direction the city patrol had gone.
She returned after a while and spoke.

“The patrol stopped the carriage before it overturned. Marquess Everett is safe.”

Thank goodness.
Juliana let out a long breath of relief.
She hadn’t been completely sure that death could be prevented by human effort alone. Now that she knew he was unharmed, the tension finally eased from her chest.

But Atlante didn’t stop there.

“There’s something strange though. Did you secretly remove the wheel part without telling me?”

“No, I didn’t do anything like that,” Juliana replied.

The piece had only been prepared to alert the patrol and give them a reason to act.
She hadn’t tampered with the actual carriage.

“Hmm, that’s what I thought. But it’s still strange. I saw the patrol inspecting the carriage, and the part was really missing.”

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