Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 51

“Are you saying you want to handle this?”

Count Barnett acknowledged that Tristan had put considerable effort into researching and preparing for the matter.

However, he was not ready to entrust such a vital business, one that carried the future of the family, to a son who had never worked on the front lines before.
Sensing his father’s reluctance, Tristan respectfully took a step back.

“If you find it hard to entrust this to me, then please allow me to work by your side so I can properly learn the business.”
Surprisingly, those words stirred a sense of trust in Count Barnett.

The son who had spent his days idling like a carefree noble was now speaking like a responsible heir. It moved the Count.
“Yes, it is about time you started taking responsibility for our family affairs.”
Count Barnett slowly stroked his chin. In his son’s newfound seriousness, he saw a hopeful future for House Barnett.
Seeing Robert Barnett nod in satisfaction, Tristan inwardly rejoiced. It had been Aileen who guided him to take this approach.

Tristan, much like his father, was ambitious and persistent. Once he set his mind on something, he would not give it up easily.
He wanted to excel in trade with the Western Continent and gain recognition among the nobility.
Left to his own devices, he would never have yielded. He had originally planned to confront his father directly.
But Aileen had advised against it.

She had told him that stepping back for now would not only earn his father’s trust but would also allow him to secure an important position in the trade operation.

“Oh my, my son seems like a different person. How reassuring you have become.”

The Countess of Barnett spoke with admiration.
Tristan, feeling proud, instinctively straightened his shoulders.
Soon, the Imperial Court would announce the terms of the trade.
Once that happened, House Barnett, owner of the sapphire mines which were the highest-priority trading item, would become the envy of the aristocracy.
Just imagining himself rising as a noble too respected to be ignored made a satisfied smile spread across his lips.

“When have I not been dependable?”
“You are right. You have always been dependable. That was my mistake.”
For the first time in a while, warmth and laughter filled the drawing room. Not long ago, the family had been distant, blaming one another over their financial troubles.

Once the trade succeeds, I will ask for seed money and launch my own venture.
Tristan’s thoughts were already filled with visions of success.
He imagined himself gaining wealth and honor, second only to the Emperor himself.
The idea of failure never even crossed his mind.

Far to the north, in the Grand Duchy, demons and humans lived together.
Of course, the demons hid their true nature, so the humans remained unaware of their existence.
The servants who had sworn loyalty to the archdemon Belial had long been molded by human society.
After many years of following their master’s whims, they had come to resemble humans in behavior.

However, in recent days, something had unsettled them.
Their master had embraced the human custom of marriage and brought his bride to the Grand Duchy.
As if that were not shocking enough, his behavior had become even more surprising.

“I still cannot believe what I am seeing.”
Albert, the steward, let out a deep sigh as he looked out the window.
Outside, the Duke and Duchess were walking side by side under the excuse of a tour around the estate.

His master, whose face had once been as cold and lifeless as the blizzards of Mount Kankantier, now looked calm and peaceful.
Every time the Duke smiled, Albert flinched slightly in surprise.
No, it was more than just surprise. The sight sent chills down his spine.

“If you keep watching, you will get used to it eventually.”
Lochlan spoke without much interest as he flipped through a stack of documents.
He had observed Braiden and Juliana for the longest time.
By now, nothing they did could shock him.
It was clear to him that the Duke had completely fallen for that human woman.
Once he accepted that, everything made sense.

“How can a human like her even exist?”
Anita was less surprised by her master’s change and more fascinated by Juliana herself.
She was not like any other human Anita had ever encountered.

Unlike most demons, Anita had a keen eye for human nature.
She could see through their shallow behavior and corrupt hearts.
To her, humans were nothing more than creatures with eyes, noses, and mouths.

But when she saw Juliana, it was as if a world full of dull gray figures suddenly had one person in color.

“What are you even talking about?”

Because Anita was watching the distant ducal couple with an expressionless face, it was hard to tell whether her comment was meant positively or negatively.
When Lochlan frowned and asked her directly, she finally spoke.

“They keep proving me wrong. How is that even possible?”

Her words sounded more like a thought spoken aloud than an answer meant for anyone else.
Lochlan sighed and gave up on getting a proper explanation.

“Is this peaceful moment really supposed to last only two years?”
Albert asked, watching Braeden’s expression again through the window.

They already knew the details behind their master’s contract marriage.
For demons, two years in human time passed in the blink of an eye.
The idea that the marriage would end and they would have to watch their master vanish after that was not something they looked forward to.

“Then maybe we should pray it doesn’t end after two years.”
Lochlan said offhandedly.

Albert’s face twisted in confusion as he moved his lips, unsure what to say.
Pray? To whom? Surely, he wasn’t suggesting they pray to God.

If any demon in Hell heard such nonsense, they would never stop laughing.

Still, after spending so much time among humans, the idea was strangely tempting.

“In any case, make sure the lower demons are keeping a closer watch on the Grand Castle.
There is no reason it would happen, but if Her Grace ever comes across any of the things we’ve hidden here, it will be a serious problem.”

“Of course. I’ll make sure they’re warned, just in case.”
Anita responded calmly to Lochlan’s order.

The ancient castle was well-suited for demons.
Over the years, they had hidden summoning circles and demonic artifacts in places no human would ever find.

Because of that, the atmosphere in the Grand Castle felt even more cold and unsettling.
But humans just assumed the eerie feeling came from the age of the building and didn’t think much of it.

While Belial’s servants talked among themselves, Braeden and Juliana were walking through the inner halls of the castle.
They had followed the long corridor that led from the main building to the west wing, where they stopped in front of a massive wall relief.

The carving showed a large tree wrapped in bright sunlight, with several snakes coiling around it, tangled together.
It was so finely detailed that it looked almost alive.

Juliana’s eyes widened in admiration.

“This is amazing.”

“It has been here since the castle was first built, a very long time ago.”

“I can’t believe someone could carve something with this much detail. It’s incredible.”

When Braeden saw the wonder in Juliana’s eyes, he acted on impulse.

He gently moved one hand, and the wall relief began to move as if it had come to life.

The snakes coiled around the great tree started to squirm, and the sun lit up brightly.
The entire wall seemed to move with life. It was a breathtaking sight.

Juliana’s eyes grew even wider as she looked from the relief to Braeden.
She realized this scene was created by his magic, and a soft sound of amazement escaped her lips.

However, the castle, which had absorbed demonic energy for centuries, reacted unpredictably when it felt the power of an archdemon.

Among the twisting snakes, one particularly powerful serpent broke free from the others, climbed up the tree, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed the glowing sun.

As the serpent devoured the light, darkness spread across the wall.
The brightness disappeared, and the magic broke apart.

“Oh no.”
“Oh dear.”

Juliana covered her mouth in shock, and Braeden let out a deep sigh.

To Juliana, a faithful woman from Floreseco, what she had just witnessed could have seemed deeply offensive.
A snake swallowing the sun could easily be interpreted as darkness overpowering light or evil triumphing over good.

Braeden glanced at her face.
He had personally taken her on this tour because he wanted her to grow fond of the castle.
She had shown interest in the carving, and he had only wanted to make her smile.
Instead, he had shown her something frightening.

This was a complete failure.

Braeden cursed under his breath and waved his hand again.
The scene reversed itself.

The snake that had swallowed the sun looked confused as its jaw opened against its will.
With a stunned expression, it coughed up the glowing sun.

Over time, the snakes in the carving had become corrupted by demonic energy.
They had been waiting for any excuse to release their power. When Braeden’s magic touched them, they lost control.

But it seemed even the archdemon disapproved of what happened.
For some unknown reason, everything returned to the way it was.

The serpent that had climbed above the others and swallowed the sun could not show emotion, but it seemed regretful as it went back to its original place.
The sunlight returned, once again shining brightly.

“Forget what you just saw, Rian.”
Braeden said softly, his smile gentle and warm.

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