Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 59

“What? You want me to go back first?”

Braeden looked confused as he repeated the words, wondering if he had heard correctly.

He had always hunted monsters alongside the knights and returned only after cleaning up all the remains. It was tradition.

Once they returned to the castle, it was routine to reward the knights, allow them to rest, and then spend a few days drinking strong liquor together.

And now, they were asking him to leave first? In all the long years of his life, this was the first time something like this had happened.

“Yes, the entire knight order will remain behind and finish the task. Your Grace can return ahead of us.”

“But why?”

Braeden looked genuinely puzzled. Lochlan and the other lieutenants exchanged looks, their expressions filled with things left unsaid.

“Your Grace is pushing the pace too hard. That is why we are making this suggestion.”

“You think I’m pushing the pace? At this rate, we can still finish within the ten-day deadline.”

“That is exactly what we mean by pushing too hard.”

Lochlan replied immediately, not even stopping to take a breath. Braeden let out a low hum and fell into thought.

To be honest, he did want to go.

Not just mildly. He wanted to leave badly.

Who would want to spend the day cutting down wave after wave of hideous monsters?

He wanted to go back to the castle, see Juliana’s beautiful face, breathe in her scent, and end the day by her side.

He wanted to return to the quiet routine of watching her sleep peacefully and greeting the sunrise beside her.

But admitting that out loud would hurt his pride.

“Still, how could I just leave alone like that?”

“It is no problem. We are all veteran knights with years of experience. Even without Your Grace, we can finish the job.”

Lochlan stayed firm, and the other lieutenants nodded in agreement.

Braeden could not immediately bring himself to say yes. He sighed again, dragging it out.

Lochlan could not understand why a lord who had thrown away any trace of human emotion was now suddenly concerned about honor.

Apparently, Braeden could not see the desperate eyes silently begging him to go.

“You are not hiding it well. Everyone can tell you want to leave.”

Lochlan finally spoke, his voice cold.

“You can tell?”

“Yes. Very clearly.”

Is that so?

Braeden slowly accepted it and smirked.

“Very well. I cannot ignore the loyalty of my men. I will return to the castle. In recognition of your dedication, I promise a celebration even greater than last year’s when I return.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The knights answered enthusiastically.

Once he was gone, they could finally take their time finishing the hunt, and a great feast awaited them afterward. They had nothing to lose.

“Then I leave the rest to you.”

Braeden said this as he began preparing to leave.

Lochlan, already expecting this outcome, gave a small bow without changing his calm expression.

Soon, a massive black horse carrying Braeden galloped off, kicking up clouds of dust as it charged ahead.

One of the knights, watching the scene, blurted out,

“I miss my wife back home.”

“I’m not at that point yet.”

Another replied, and laughter erupted across the group.

With their demanding lord finally gone, the atmosphere among the knights suddenly felt lighter.

Braeden would have preferred to teleport straight back to the castle, but he could not risk drawing attention.

So instead, he pushed his black horse to its limit and crossed a two-day distance in just one day.

His prized horse, known as one of the finest in the land, was so exhausted that its legs nearly gave out when they arrived at the entrance of the Grand Duke’s castle.

“You did well.”

Braeden stroked the horse’s mane gently, but the black stallion, Raphael, turned his head away with a snort of irritation.

At that moment, several attendants spotted him and rushed over in surprise.

“Your Grace! W… what brings you here without notice?”

They stretched their necks to look behind him, wondering if the rest of the knight order was following. But there was no one.

“I returned on my own. No need to make a scene.”

Braeden handed the reins to an attendant and headed straight toward the East Wing.

It was midday, a time when most people were busy with their assigned duties.

If he had sent word ahead, the staff would have gathered to greet him. But since he had ridden straight here without a word, there was no one waiting for him.

It did not bother him. He walked through the quiet entrance hall without much thought and climbed the stairs two at a time until he stood in front of Juliana’s sitting room.

Unaware that most of the servants had followed Juliana to the newly completed greenhouse in the West Wing, he knocked.

There was no response from inside.

Feeling slightly impatient, Braeden tapped his foot a few times and spoke softly at the door.

“It’s me. I’m coming in.”

He opened the door. Sitting on the table, pecking at a piece of fruit, was Atlante. Their eyes met.

“Huh?”

For a moment, they both froze.

It felt like they were reliving a scene from the past, and both of them flinched without meaning to.

“You’re here alone?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Atlante replied in an annoyed tone.

To Braeden, the sound came out as a series of caws, but strangely, it felt like the bird was actually talking back to him.

Still, he found himself thinking how ridiculous it was to question a bird.

He let out a soft laugh and murmured to himself.

“I thought she would be here. Where did she go? I guess I will have to go and find her.”

He turned to leave the room, but then—

“You are going out looking like that?”

Atlante opened his beak wide and scolded him.

Braeden stopped and frowned.

“Did you just talk to me like that?”

He could not understand the exact words, but there was something in the bird’s tone that sounded full of disapproval.

“I should have known better than to talk to a bird.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Dust fell from it.

“Look at you.”

Atlante clicked his claws on the table and let out a scoffing sound.

Only then did Braeden glance into the mirror.

He had spent an entire week fighting monsters without rest, without washing, and without sleep. His reflection was almost shocking.

“I should wash up first.”

“And it took you this long to realize it?”

Atlante mocked him again.

Braeden paused, turned his head, and said with a smile that did not reach his eyes,

“Be quiet.”

He did not give Atlante a chance to respond. He walked straight into the bathroom and closed the door.

Left behind, Atlante stomped his feet on the table, clearly annoyed.

After washing and changing into fresh clothes, Braeden asked a passing maid where Juliana was.

“The greenhouse? She went there herself?”

It seemed a lot had happened while he was away.

She had not even had much time to adjust to life in the castle, yet she was already taking charge and managing things on her own.

He felt quietly proud of her.

As Braeden approached the West Wing, he noticed how alive it felt.

This place had once been cold and abandoned, almost forgotten. Now it carried the warmth of people, and that alone brought a strange feeling to his chest.

When a few servants spotted him and opened their mouths in surprise, he lifted a finger to his lips to signal for silence and quietly stepped into the glass greenhouse.

To be honest, he had not expected much.

What difference could a little cleaning make to an old glasshouse in a crumbling castle? That had been his assumption.

He thought it was enough if Juliana was satisfied, and that he would simply take a look and leave.

But the moment he stepped inside and saw the completely transformed interior, he realized just how narrow-minded that thought had been.

“This is… a whole new world.”

His voice carried quiet awe.

The maids, who had been chatting among themselves, jumped in surprise and scrambled to move aside.

Juliana’s eyes widened as well. She blinked slowly, unsure whether he was real or just her imagination.

Then, in a rare moment, she raised her voice and stood up from her seat.

“My goodness, Eden. You are back?”

Hearing her voice filled Braeden with a strange sense of satisfaction.

Yes. This was what he had wanted. He had longed to hear this voice again.

“I returned a little earlier than planned.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

She quickly stepped closer and scanned his face.

“Not at all.”

He smiled and pulled her gently into his arms.

As he breathed in her soft, familiar scent, the tension that had gripped his senses finally began to ease.

Juliana startled and fidgeted, aware of all the eyes around them.

The maids were just as surprised, but they quickly lowered their gazes and tried to act like they had seen nothing.

Anita let out a short sigh and gestured with her chin for the others to leave.

Footsteps echoed as the servants quietly filed out.

Anita was the last to leave, and as she closed the door behind her, she clicked her tongue silently.

Now that the lord had returned after ten days, the situation was quite clear.

They say people who learn to steal late never know when to stop, and it seemed their master was no exception.

The moment Braeden stepped into the greenhouse; Anita could tell that his eyes saw nothing but Juliana.

She would have bet her immortal soul on it.

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