Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 58

Aileen bit her lip as she returned to her seat. Still upset, she turned to Tristan to vent her frustration.

“Why are men like that? I just dropped something by accident, and he acted like I was trying to get his attention.”

Why? Because he doesn’t respect you.

Tristan scoffed inwardly but gave her a careless reply.

“As long as that wasn’t your intention, then there’s no problem, right?”

“Well, yes, but still…”

Aileen felt annoyed by his attitude. He sounded like he was agreeing with her, but it also felt like he did not care at all.

When they first started seeing each other, he used to react to everything she said with interest and support. But lately, the warmth had faded from his voice.

To be fair, she felt the same way. So she could not fully blame him.

With a cool expression, Aileen sat beside him and changed the subject.

“How is the mining yield?”

Tristan gave her a quick glance. For a moment, his eyes seemed cold, but Aileen met his gaze without flinching.

A week earlier, the Imperial Palace had announced that trade with the Western Continent would begin.

After that, so many people tried to get involved that the palace had to limit the approved goods.

Sapphires, a gem popular in the West, had already been approved for trade. Others who were still waiting for their permits could only look at Count Barnett’s family with envy.

Because of this, Tristan had been walking through social circles with pride.

Aileen, who had given him important trade information and helped him decide what to prioritize, was not impressed.

She thought he looked ridiculous, showing off as if he had done it all on his own.

But that only made her more determined not to let him go.

At some point, the Barnett family business had become part of her own ambitions.

Success in trade could bring in profits dozens of times higher than before. She deserved her share.

“We need more time before we can say for sure,” Tristan said.

As if that were true. Aileen immediately sensed that he was holding back.

He was trying to keep things from her now, and she was not going to let that happen.

“I see. Just let me know once you have something solid. We cannot afford any mistakes.”

She smiled at him, her expression gentle and pleasant.

But beneath that smile, her thoughts were sharp and cold.

I need to make sure my position is secure.

Even though the Grand Duke was away, the castle was full of activity.

Work on the glass greenhouse was moving forward steadily, and Juliana found that her days passed quickly.

Today, she met Albert in the drawing room to ask about the northern nobility.

Lochlan had sharp eyes and reminded her of Braeden. Anita showed almost no expression at all, making it hard to tell what she was thinking.

Albert, on the other hand, had a warm and friendly appearance.

He looked to be in his early forties, and the slight droop at the corners of his eyes gave him a gentle expression.

It was not just his looks. His face was full of emotion, and he smiled often and easily.

“So, Your Highness wants to learn about the noble families in the North.”

“That is right. I am sure there is a social world here as well. I cannot remain silent forever. I need to understand it.”

Juliana spoke lightly, but Albert hid a small smile.

The one who truly ruled the Grand Duke’s castle was not someone concerned with parties or gossip. It was an ancient demon who had lived for thousands of years.

Whether Juliana stayed quiet inside the castle or made demands and acted entitled, that being probably would not care at all.

Of course, since she did not know the truth, it made sense that she was filled with passion and eager to learn.

To Albert, Juliana seemed like someone who was naturally diligent and sincere.

She is far too good for my lord.

After all, who exactly was his master?

Among the high demons, Belial was infamous. His foul temper was so well known that even other demons avoided him.

There was a rumor that the high demon Lucifer had once clashed so terribly with Belial that he stopped appearing in the human world entirely, simply because he could not stand to see him again. That had been two thousand years ago.

Lately, Belial seemed calmer, but that had nothing to do with redemption. It was simply because he had lost his will to live.

A demon who had become numb to everything no longer acted out in cruelty or rage. He only wandered, like a tired monk searching for peace, always chasing the existence of Floreseco.

And now, the precious being he had found after all that time was standing here before Albert.

Juliana.

As time passed, it truly seemed that this small human woman had taken hold of a demon’s leash.

Albert could only root for her.

“The Grand Duke gave me advance notice, so I have prepared some materials. There are about ten noble families in the North with real influence. Are you planning to host a formal gathering?”

“I am. But before that, I want to hold a few small tea parties. Through those, I can look for someone to bring in as my lady-in-waiting, and also form ties with families who can become a support base for me in the northern society. Do you have any suggestions?”

Her intentions were clearer than Albert expected, and he was slightly surprised.

He had met many people over the years who only wanted to show off their rank and power.

She had gone from a count’s daughter to a Grand Duchess. It would have been easy to assume she might want to display her new status in subtle ways.

Tea parties and grand gatherings were often used to show off one’s wealth and position.

But from what he could see, Juliana’s goals were different.

She seemed focused on fulfilling her role as Grand Duchess and rebuilding her family’s place in the world.

The Grand Duke probably would not like to see her getting too busy.

But that was not Albert’s concern. His orders were to support her in whatever she wanted to do, and that was what he intended to do.

“Gilliam, Blenchard, and Aynard, all three are count families and among the most powerful in the North. They go back to the founding of the Empire and are still respected today for the deeds of their ancestors. In the North, they are honored as noble houses of great legacy.”

“Then I assume they are proud and not easy to approach.”

“That is true. They tend to stay close to one another and rarely open their circles. But that does not mean it is impossible. One thing about people from the North is that they are hard to get close to, but once they accept you, they give everything without holding back. That can be both a strength and a weakness.”

“I see. It will not be easy, but if I can gain their trust, I should have no trouble building a place in northern society.”

“Exactly, Your Highness.”

Albert liked the calm look in Juliana’s eyes.

He was used to meeting the Grand Duke’s red gaze, which always felt like being pulled into hellfire.

Juliana’s dark green eyes were the opposite. They gave a sense of calm and balance.

She also seemed to understand things quickly. It made speaking with her genuinely enjoyable.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“I would like detailed information on those three families. Their family structure, business interests, conflicts, financial status, anything you can find. Is that possible?”

“Of course.”

That is my specialty.

Albert held back from saying those words out loud, but he smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling with quiet pride.

He was known as the butler, but in truth, Lochlan handled most of the household work. Albert’s real role was something far more important.

Albert was not just a simple butler. He worked in the shadows, gathering information and carrying out quiet operations behind the scenes.

Lately, he had been feeling a little restless. Then the Grand Duchess had personally ordered him to investigate three noble families.

If she wanted him to dig, he would dig deep enough to make the dust fly, even on a rainy day.

“I will have the report ready as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

Juliana smiled with a calm, composed face, unaware of what Albert was already planning behind that pleasant expression.

At the same time, on the southern slope of Mount Kankantier, the knights who were hunting monsters were growing quieter with each passing hour.

To meet the ten-day deadline, they had only two days left to finish clearing out the remaining creatures. Just thinking about that made quiet curses slip between clenched teeth.

Screech.

Slash.

Screech.

Slash.

Screech.

Slash.

Braeden cut down the monsters without giving them time to make a sound.

The knights could only watch with stunned expressions.

He moved so quickly that most of them could not even track him with their eyes.

At this point, the horrible-looking monsters were starting to seem pitiful.

The knights, who had been fighting without rest, were beginning to reach their physical limits.

When they looked at their lord moving with the force of something far beyond human, many of them paused, their swords still.

They could feel it in their bones. If they kept trying to match him, they would collapse.

Lochlan, who had somehow ended up being the one in charge of looking after the knights, let out a long sigh and said,

“Take a short rest.”

Then one of the knights spoke up.

“Why not ask the lord to return to the castle first? We can stay and handle the rest. If His Grace goes back now, we won’t have to push ourselves so hard.”

Lochlan’s eyes turned to Braeden, who was still cutting through monsters as if they were nothing.

Until now, their master had at least kept some awareness of the human world and had tried to carry a trace of humanity.

But now, even that seemed to be gone.

The Imperial Palace had been informed that the Grand Duke had left with the knights. No one would question it if he returned alone.

Just thinking about not having to see his master for a few days made Lochlan feel his exhaustion lift a little.

“That is a very good idea.”

The demon, who almost never agreed with humans, nodded without hesitation.

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