Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 43

Time passed, and at last, the long-awaited wedding day arrived.

The emperor, as if offering a grand favor, announced that the Imperial Palace would be open to the public and that food and drink would be provided free of charge for an entire week.

Crowds flocked to the capital to witness the wedding of the empire’s only Grand Duke.
The city was alive with celebration, as if a grand festival had taken over the streets.

In the bride’s waiting room, Juliana stood before a mirror, carefully making her final adjustments.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

“Are you nervous?”
One of the Grand Duke’s maids, who had been helping her prepare, asked with a soft smile.

“Is there any bride who isn’t nervous on her wedding day?”

Juliana truly wondered if such a person existed.

Only now was she beginning to grasp the weight of what she had done—approaching Braeden herself and asking him to marry her.

“My sister once told me something,” said another maid. “She said the more handsome the groom is, the more nervous the bride gets.”

“Why is that?” Juliana asked, raising a brow with curiosity.

The maid lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret.
“Because if the groom isn’t good-looking, there’s nothing to look forward to on the wedding night. But if he’s handsome, the nerves kick in.”

Juliana blinked, unsure how to respond.
Her ears turned slightly red, and the maids whispered among themselves, giggling.

They said she was adorable.

She couldn’t argue. The face of her extremely handsome husband-to-be had suddenly come to mind.

Just then, a familiar voice came from the doorway.

“A handsome groom has come to escort his lovely bride. May I come in?”

Braeden stood at the entrance, a light smile playing on his lips.

The maids gasped in surprise, realizing he had overheard their conversation.
They quickly stepped aside to give him space.

Braeden, now dressed even more splendidly than at their engagement ceremony, approached Juliana.

Her eyes flickered briefly as she took in the sight of him.
When he stood beside her, the two of them looked like they belonged in a painted portrait.

“You’re even more beautiful than the last time I saw you,” he said playfully.

Juliana couldn’t help but smile.

There was likely no one in the empire, aside from the emperor himself, who would host a wedding as grand and extravagant as this.
Braeden had spared no expense to make it unforgettable.

The wedding dress was adorned with the finest pearls and diamonds. The fabric was of the highest quality, and the silver embroidery had been delicately stitched by hand with great care. Even the flowers decorating the temple and the carpets underfoot were all luxurious. Nothing about the ceremony had been spared.

Spending this much money on a marriage contract that would only last two years was not normal. But Braeden had wanted to do it.

Because, in truth, he believed the two years with her would be the last years of his life. So, there was no reason to hold anything back.

“Shall we go now?”
Braeden reached out his hand to Juliana.

She gave a faint smile and rested her hand gently on his arm.

Like the engagement, the ceremony was held at the Temple of Agnes.
What made it different this time was the unmatched grandeur. The interior of the temple had been decorated even more beautifully than before.

This time, there were no guest restrictions, so far, more people had gathered.

Each time Juliana stepped forward, the long train of her gown shimmered under the light, and the crowd responded with quiet gasps of admiration.

Noblewomen and young ladies sparkled with envy as they stared at her dress.
There was no doubt many of them would try to imitate it for their own future weddings.

Far from the crowd, Cheryl quietly observed Juliana. She approached Lochlan and asked in a curious tone.

“Did you help design that dress too?”

Lochlan frowned. He did not enjoy the attention of this obsessive, materialistic archdemon.

He answered with a flat tone.

“No. That is not the case. The wedding dress was fully designed and created by the atelier staff.”

“Really?” Cheryl narrowed her eyes, but Lochlan ignored the look.

“Well, I suppose it won’t take long to find out.”

Why would she even bother? Lochlan’s eye twitched slightly at the thought, but Cheryl went on speaking as if she had not noticed.

“You and I are the same. Even if you deny it, that will not change the truth.”

What is she talking about? This demon is out of her mind.
Lochlan frowned, no longer caring to hide his discomfort.

“I can treat you much better than Belial ever did. What do you say?”

“I will pretend I did not hear that,” Lochlan replied sharply.

Cheryl clicked her tongue with mock disappointment.

While they spoke, the boys’ choir began singing in gentle, clear voices. The archbishop stepped forward and began the wedding ceremony.

Aileen was also in attendance, watching from her seat. Without realizing it, she twisted her lips.

She could not help but feel the unfairness of it all.

Some people had to force a smile to survive after their families collapsed.
And yet here was Juliana, dressed in luxury from head to toe, living like a fairy tale bride.

You are no different from me.

Aileen had already heard from Tristan that Juliana was adopted. He had made sure to threaten her afterward, warning her not to speak a word of it.

A girl from a poor and barely noble family was taken in by a count and now was marrying the only Grand Duke in the empire. She would become a Grand Duchess.

The thought made Aileen’s stomach twist.

If anything, I am prettier. I have nothing to be ashamed of.

That thought only made her envy burn hotter.

“What is it? You seem deep in thought,” Tristan said, frowning when Aileen did not respond.

“Oh, I think I got too caught up in the wedding,” she said with a soft, graceful smile.

Inside, she was sneering.

There had been a time when she liked Tristan.
She had liked his face. She had appreciated the rare moments when he was kind.
When he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world, she had believed he might be the one.

But those thoughts had changed.

The moment she realized he saw her only as a mistress.
The moment she knew he cared more about her body than her as a person.
And most of all, the moment she understood that even with all her support, he could not handle anything on his own.

That was when despair set in.

And so, she began to revise her plan.

At first, she had wanted to become the countess by marrying Tristan.
But now, her goal had shifted completely.

I will become the true mistress of the Barnett family.
I will take it for myself.

And if she had to sell her smile to get there, she would.

“Look at this wedding. This is what every woman dreams of. I may not have something this grand, but I still want to be a beautiful bride one day.”

Aileen linked her arm through Tristan’s and spoke in a playful tone, like a thoughtless young noblewoman.

“Women really are something else.”

Tristan clicked his tongue, brushing it off. But in his mind, all he could think was,
“You should know your place and not expect things you don’t deserve.”

They stood in the same place, watching the same scene, but neither of them noticed how far apart they had grown.
The distance between them was quietly but steadily widening.

It was a deeply sacred ceremony.

Braeden let out a faint laugh. He never imagined that someone like him, a great demon, would stand in such a holy place for his own wedding.

What made it even more absurd was that, despite the blessings of the gods surrounding it, the wedding did not feel unpleasant at all.

So, this is what happens when you live long enough.

Of course, his idea of “long” was a concept so far beyond human understanding it could barely be measured.

The archbishop, giving the officiation, kept flinching every time Braeden chuckled under his breath.
Facing the famously cold Grand Duke of the North, known as the Black Reaper, and watching him smile during a sacred ceremony was unnerving.

There were a few moments when the archbishop lost track of what he was saying. Fearing he might say something foolish, he hurried to finish the ceremony.

“With the name of the gods and before all citizens of the empire, I now declare this couple joined in holy matrimony.
As a sign of their union, the groom may now kiss the bride.”

The two of them stood face to face. Braeden lifted Juliana’s veil, and their eyes met.

There was a crowd watching, but for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.
Time slowed around them.

They had kissed many times before, but somehow this moment felt new.
The tension rose to her throat, making it hard to breathe.

Juliana could not blink. She stared into Braeden’s crimson eyes as if hypnotized.

His beautiful, glowing eyes were like sparks bringing forgotten emotions back to life, then flames that swallowed her whole.

What would it have been like if this marriage had come from love?

The thought tightened around her throat like a noose, but she stayed composed. She would not let it show.

I am sorry, for using you.

The words stayed in her heart, never reaching her lips.

And then their lips met.

The heat of the kiss was vivid.
The sound of the crowd’s applause faded into the background.

At that moment, neither of them knew what direction this marriage would take.

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