Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 52

How could she forget something she had just seen?
Juliana knew she couldn’t follow Braeden’s request, but the way he softly spoke her nickname, Rian, sounded so sweet that she nodded before even realizing it.

They moved past the wall relief and walked deeper into the building.
The corridor stretched ahead with doors lining both sides. Braeden opened one of them and spoke.

“This room used to be a ballroom.”

He tapped his fingers together, and the lights came on.
When the large chandelier lit up, the entire hall revealed itself at once.

“The head maid told me that the Grand Castle has never hosted a ball.”

“That’s true, although a very long time ago, we did hold a few.”

He couldn’t recall exactly when. It had been early in his time adapting to human customs, and he had thought it necessary to follow human traditions.
But eventually, the effort felt tedious and pointless, so he stopped holding them.

“If you ever want to host a ball, you are welcome to use this space.”

At the moment, the closest thing to a social event in the Grand Castle was the occasional drinking session in the main dining hall.

“I’m not sure I want to host a ball. But isn’t there a noble society in the North?”

If there were noble gatherings, then hosting a ball might be unavoidable.

“There is, but they are the ones who care about appearances, not us. If you don’t want to be part of it, you don’t have to attend any events.”

The unexpected reply made Juliana open her eyes wide.
She had lived her entire life being pressured by expectations, burdened with responsibilities without being granted any real choices.
Whenever things went well, people assumed it was natural. But when something went wrong, she was always the one blamed.

She had held on tightly to her crumbling self-worth, barely managing to stay afloat.
In the end, it had all led to a lonely and tragic death.

When Braeden noticed her expression stiffen slightly, he tilted his head in quiet confusion.
He still didn’t fully understand her.

He had thought she would be relieved not to attend social gatherings, but now that he saw her face harden, he wondered if he had said the opposite of what she truly wanted.

Could she actually enjoy parties?

Braeden remembered the smile she wore when they danced.
She had shown more grace and elegance than any experienced noblewoman.
She carried herself so well that he had almost forgotten how young she truly was.

Not every social event had to be political.
Maybe she simply enjoyed the atmosphere, the beauty of it, the dancing, and the laughter.

As he thought more about it, Braeden raised his hand and tapped his fingers again.
This time, music began to play softly throughout the ballroom.

“Your face looked like someone who wanted to dance.”

He smiled warmly and held out his hand.

Juliana, caught off guard, reached up and touched her face.
She had no idea what kind of expression she had been making to give him that impression.
She didn’t even know what a dance-wanting expression would look like.

Still, the sudden surprise made the heavy memories that had weighed her down just moments before feel a little lighter.

“Are you sure it isn’t you who wants to dance?”

She smiled slightly and placed her hand in his.

“Well, if you say so, then I guess that must be true.”

Braeden replied playfully and began to take the first few steps.

The ballroom was wide and completely empty.
The light from the chandelier and the soft music playing by magic made everything feel almost unreal.

At every ball Juliana had ever attended, the floor had always been crowded with people.
But here, in the open space with only the two of them, she naturally began to move with a more relaxed and graceful pace.

When Braeden stretched out his long legs and moved in bold, sweeping steps, Juliana’s body was pulled along quickly, her movements swaying to match his.
Her skirt fluttered and spread with each turn, then settled before lifting again.

“You are not supposed to dance like this,”
she said, out of breath from trying to keep up.

Braeden grinned as he replied playfully,
“Ah, because it goes against proper etiquette?”

There was no one watching, and yet she still followed the traditional steps exactly.
He knew well how disciplined and principled Juliana was, but seeing that only stirred something rebellious in him.
It was probably something close to his nature as a demon, a desire to stain or corrupt what is pure.

“There is no one here but us. Even if we danced wildly or completely naked, no one would say a word.”

“How could you even think that?”
Juliana looked up at him with wide eyes, as if he had just said something outrageous.
Her gaze was sharp and disapproving, like someone looking at the most blasphemous thing in the world.

Braeden felt a subtle thrill rise in him.
Dancing naked was hardly shocking compared to the chaos that regularly unfolded in his mind.
If she ever knew what really went through his thoughts, she would realize this comment was nothing at all.
Not that he planned to enlighten her.

After dancing for some time, Juliana’s cheeks had turned a soft red.
She was breathing hard now, and Braeden’s eyes narrowed slightly as he listened to her breath.

Just hearing it sent his thoughts in a direction he hadn’t intended.
His earlier joke about wild dancing had twisted itself in his mind until only one word remained: naked.

“I really can’t dance anymore,”
Juliana said, shaking her head.

Braeden stopped his steps, but he didn’t break their pose.
He was still holding one of her hands while the other rested around her waist.
He looked down into her face, quiet and steady.

“I’ve never danced like this before,”
Juliana added, almost like an excuse, unsure how to interpret the way he was looking at her.

Her breath was completely uneven, but he seemed perfectly calm, as if he hadn’t moved at all.
Noticing the difference in their stamina, she frowned slightly in frustration.

That little expression was all it took.
Braeden leaned in and kissed her.

He pulled in her lower lip slowly, deeply, as if trying to drink in the very breath she struggled to catch.
His kiss was slow and intense, and Juliana’s knees weakened in an instant.

Holding her firmly by the waist, Braeden pressed closer and kissed her like he was savoring something sweet and rare.
Her already fast breathing grew more disordered from the sudden kiss.

“Eden!”
Juliana gasped, pushing lightly against his shoulder.

Hearing that name fall from her lips made Braeden’s smile stretch with quiet pleasure.
She only ever used that name in bed, and hearing it now felt like a reward.

“What? Did I do something wrong?”

Even while he spoke, Braeden nibbled playfully at her cheek and earlobe, clearly enjoying himself.

Juliana’s face turned even redder as she struggled to resist falling further into his teasing.
“W-we were in the middle of touring the castle,”
she said, trying her best to stay focused.

She probably meant they should not abandon what they had been doing just because of a distraction.
It was almost cute.

Braeden had never cared much for finishing things once he lost interest.
The idea of sticking to plans had never appealed to him.

“Can’t we finish the tour tomorrow?”

As he spoke, he gently ran his hand down her back, applying a light pressure that made her shiver without meaning to.
“No, I want to do it today,”
she answered quickly, her voice catching as it came out.

Braeden’s lips curved slightly.
Looking at her now, he wanted nothing more than to teleport them both straight to the bedroom, but he held back.
The servants would be startled if they suddenly disappeared.

“And what about what we just started? Will you finish that today too?”

His voice was soft but suggestive.
Juliana’s eyes wavered slightly.
She could not bring herself to meet the dark red of his gaze, so she nodded slowly instead.

“That… later tonight,”
she murmured.

Finally satisfied, Braeden smiled fully and let her go.

They left the ballroom and walked deeper into the west wing.
There, connected to the main building like a separate structure, was another space.
Beyond it was a tall, open courtyard that led into a glass greenhouse.

“Oh, this must be the greenhouse.”

Juliana had wanted to visit the greenhouse ever since she heard about it from Anita, the head maid.
The glass greenhouse at Count Barnett’s estate, which had been lovingly maintained by the Countess herself, held a kind of meaning that was difficult to put into words.
It felt like something only a truly recognized noblewoman could claim as her own.

Perhaps that was why it left such a strong impression on her.
Even when she had held the title of marchioness, she had never possessed anything like it.

“If you wish to use the greenhouse, feel free to arrange it however you like,”
Braeden said, thinking back to the greenhouse at the Barnett estate.

He truly meant it when he said she could do anything she wanted.
But there was something he had completely overlooked.
The greenhouse at the Grand Castle was, in reality, almost completely abandoned.

To be honest, he could hardly remember ever setting foot in it himself.
He had no idea what condition it might be in now, but he had assumed it would be just slightly less impressive than the one at the Barnett estate.
So he had confidently told her to do as she pleased and led her inside.

Then they walked in.

“Oh…”
Juliana let out a quiet breath.

Her eyes took in the sight in front of her.
Vines she had never seen before were tangled in thick layers across the space.
It looked less like a greenhouse and more like a jungle.

The plants were strange and wild, growing so densely that it was hard to believe they were even real.
A mix of emotions crossed Juliana’s face as she stared at the overwhelming chaos.

“Hmm… how did it end up like this?”
Braeden muttered, touching the edge of his brow in discomfort.

The scene before them was the complete opposite of a noblewoman’s elegant greenhouse.
It was a mess, a grotesque version of what it should have been, and he had not expected this at all.

Support Even the Devil Regrets it