Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 57

At the Grand Duke’s castle, the restoration of the glass greenhouse was in full swing under Anita’s direction.

According to the maids, a large number of workers from the castle had been mobilized to remove the vines day and night.

They said that enough vines to fill twenty wagons had been hauled out without pause.

“Your Highness, the first stage of the greenhouse clearing is complete. Would you like to go see it?”

At Anita’s report, Juliana closed the book she had been reading and placed it back into the drawer.

She had been going through the ancient book she found beneath the East Wing whenever she had time, but she had yet to find a clue to understand its content.

“You finished sooner than I expected. Very well, let us take a look.”

Juliana headed toward the greenhouse, not expecting much. She thought there would not be many changes, since all they had done was remove the vines.

However, when she opened the door and stepped inside, she froze in place.

Sunlight now streamed into the space that had once been as dark and oppressive as a jungle. The rays scattered in soft rainbow hues, creating a magical atmosphere.

With the vines gone, the greenhouse was no longer dim and gloomy. Her eyes could now take in the vibrant variety of plants stretching far into the distance.

“All we did was remove the vines. Could it really change so much?”

“It wasn’t just any vine. These only grow naturally in the North. They are troublesome plants that spread rapidly, as if they sense abandoned land.”

Juliana flinched slightly at Anita’s words, especially the part about the vines sensing things like ghosts.

Considering what had happened in the underground of the East Wing, she couldn’t help but feel that there were strange forces at work in the North that defied explanation.

As Juliana stepped forward, Anita followed behind and spoke again.

“We moved the unnecessary trees elsewhere. Now you can plant the kinds of plants you want here.”

Unlike the elegant greenhouses found in noble ladies’ gardens, the plants here felt untamed and wild.

Some reached up so high they nearly touched the glass ceiling. Others stretched their thick branches in every direction.

Juliana liked them.

These plants had taken root in a greenhouse, but they had not been tamed by it.

In her past life, Juliana had been like one of those delicate greenhouse flowers—soft, helpless, and destined to wither without doing anything.

Perhaps that was why she now preferred these strong and stubborn plants, the complete opposite of what she had once been.

Seeing them grow in the greenhouse she now cared for felt like proof that she herself would not be so easily defeated in this life.

“Let’s leave this large tree in the center where it is. We can make a path around it and only move the trees that get in the way. I want to preserve as much of the rest as possible. From the entrance to the central tree, plant flowers along the path.”

Juliana shared her vision, and Anita took out her notebook to write everything down. Together, they began discussing how to design the greenhouse.

As they walked and observed the space, Juliana reached the innermost part. There, she saw a tree with red flowers.

The flower had seven flower heads grouped together in a single cluster, with long stamens sticking out from each head, giving it a strange and unique appearance.

Juliana’s eyes narrowed.

It was Lambertia formosa, more commonly known as the Mountain Devil, a flower considered endangered.

After the flowers withered, two sharp seed pods grew in their place, looking like devil’s horns. That was why the flower had earned its ominous nickname.

“How long has this tree been here?”

Juliana had never heard of Mountain Devils growing in the North during her past life.

She remembered how Martin, the butler of House Everett, had desperately searched for this very flower to heal his sick son.

If it had been known that such a tree existed in the North, Martin would never have stayed quiet.

“I’m not sure. I must not have noticed it before. This is the first time I’ve realized such a tree was even here.”

Anita answered in a calm, even tone. In truth, beings like her, who had lived for centuries, had little interest in rare plants. She had not known this tree was in the greenhouse.

How is Her Highness so knowledgeable about these things?

Anita was old enough to recognize the plant as the Mountain Devil, though she had never expected to find one here.

It had already been hundreds of years since they had made the Grand Duke’s castle their home.

As time passed, the North had slowly begun to blend with the power of the high demons, and things connected to that dark energy had begun to gather here.

Anita suspected the Mountain Devil might be one of those things. But she could not say that to Juliana.

As far as she knew, very few humans were aware of that plant’s medicinal properties.

Seeing Juliana’s immediate reaction to the tree, Anita could tell she recognized it.

“What is it about this tree that surprises you, Your Highness?”

Anita asked the question as if she knew nothing. Juliana, eyes fixed on the beautiful and unusual flower, answered with a faintly bitter expression.

“I know it is a tree on the verge of extinction. Some say it has already disappeared since it hasn’t been seen in the Empire for quite some time. The nectar in that flower is said to be a rare remedy for an incurable disease.”

“I see. Forgive me for asking, but is there someone close to Your Highness who is ill?”

“No. I simply remembered reading about it in a book.”

Juliana offered a vague response and said no more.

In her previous life, the butler Martin had joined hands with Felix and helped murder the Marquess of Everett by staging a carriage accident.

Martin would do anything if it brought in money, because the treatment for his son’s rare illness had cost a fortune.

While she was isolated and powerless in the Everett household, Juliana had desperately tried to find the Mountain Devil. If she could obtain the flower, she believed she could persuade Martin to her side.

But no matter how hard she tried, she had never even caught a glimpse of the plant.

And now, here it was, growing deep within the glass greenhouse of the Grand Duke’s castle in the far North.

I can use this to win Martin over.

If she could bring Martin, the man responsible for handling all of the Everett family’s shady business, over to her side, then the fall of House Everett would be inevitable.

“I will need the flowers and fruit of this tree for something important. Please make sure it is looked after with great care.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will see to it personally.”

After his failed attempt to fake a carriage accident and kill the Marquess of Everett, nothing had gone right for Felix.

The ever-suspicious marquess had begun investigating the incident, sending people out and making Felix live in constant fear. He had been forced to lay low and could not make a single move.

“Damn it.”

Felix slammed his glass down on the table.

He had come to the social club in the middle of the day, drinking to soothe his twisted nerves. His temper was already on edge.

People who usually socialized with him approached, then quickly exchanged glances and drifted away.

Everyone knew Felix Everett was generally calm, intelligent, and well-mannered. But when his mood soured, he could turn into something closer to a street thug.

Just then, something rolled to his feet. Without thinking, he stepped forward and stopped it.

A woman with striking red hair hurried over, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Excuse me, I dropped something just now, and I think it rolled this way.”

Felix said nothing. He simply stepped back. As he moved, a gold coin was revealed.

It was not a standard coin used in the Empire. It was an ancient gold coin, considered a rare artifact.

Coins like this were worth ten times more than regular ones and were extremely valuable.

Any proper gentleman would have picked it up and returned it to the noble lady who had dropped it.

But Felix remained still, having only shifted his foot.

Aileen had assumed he would naturally return the coin to her. Her face slowly turned bright red.

So he’s looking down on me.

She bit her lower lip hard. Her eyelashes trembled from the humiliation, but she could not back away.

That gold coin was her childhood good luck charm.

Even when her family fell into ruin and she had no choice but to move from one inn room to another, she had never sold it.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Aileen gave a small curtsy, bent down, and carefully picked up the coin.

Felix watched her indifferently.

There was something strangely sensual about her.

He already knew who she was. The woman always seen hanging around Tristan Barnett.

How vulgar.

He ran his fingers through his hair irritably as his eyes landed on the curve of her chest, clearly visible when she bent forward.

He assumed she was trying to seduce him.

Of course, most men would have gladly fallen for her charms. She was undeniably beautiful and alluring.

But not him.

Looking at her reminded him of Tristan Barnett. And that name, Barnett, brought to mind someone else.

Someone who was no longer a Barnett, but now an Ortis.

The alcohol in his system stirred up feelings of bitterness and frustration.

The sense of inferiority and twisted desire he had felt toward Juliana filled his thoughts and burned in his chest.

As the daughter of a ruined noble family, Aileen knew she had to show proper courtesy in front of a viscount’s son like Felix.

She picked up the coin and offered a polite bow.

“Thank you…”

But when she looked up, she froze.

Felix’s face was twisted in clear disgust, as if he were looking at a cheap courtesan.

Her own expression hardened.

She could guess why he looked at her like that.

But the truth was, dropping the coin had been an honest mistake.

There was no hidden meaning, no intention.

Still, there was no way to explain that to a man who looked at her as though even touching the same air as her was repulsive.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

Aileen turned quickly, but the sting of humiliation remained with her.

Grinding her teeth silently, she thought of her ruined house and her own miserable position.

She would not forget this.

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