Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 60

“Have you been well?”

Braeden kept his eyes fixed on Juliana’s face as he asked.

Her expression was bright and full of life, like the sun rising through the morning mist.

Anyone could see that she had been doing well, but Braeden still wanted to hear it from her directly.

“Of course I’ve been well. But you had it much harder, didn’t you?”

Juliana looked at him with concern and gently placed her hand on his cheek.

Strangely, the moment he felt her touch, it felt like he had come home.

It was as if his life, which had wandered endlessly without belonging anywhere, had finally found its place.

Braeden reached up to rub the edge of his brow. His face showed neither a full smile nor a frown, just a vague expression.

He did not quite know how to define what he was feeling.

“I returned ahead of the others. The knight order is still finishing up and will be back in a few days.”

He pushed aside the difficult emotions and chose to start with the simplest thing.

“I thought you’d come back with them. You’re not hurt or unwell, are you?”

The worry in her eyes did not fade easily. He found that comforting.

“If you don’t believe me, I can show you now.”

Braeden took her hand and placed it on the buttons of his shirt, a silent invitation to confirm for herself.

Juliana gasped and pushed against his chest.

“Wha… what do you mean, show me here?”

The way her voice shook made it clear she had understood his intention perfectly.

“There’s no one else around.”

Braeden tilted his head slightly, his smile relaxed and teasing.

Her eyes trembled as she stared into his, a clear inner battle playing out.

Even if the room was empty, undressing her husband in the greenhouse was out of the question.

“The greenhouse turned out beautifully, don’t you think?”

In the end, Juliana changed the subject.

Braeden chuckled, amused by how her expression shifted.

When the tips of her ears turned red, Juliana finally gave in and lightly smacked his arm.

“Yes, of course. Whose work do you think it is? I never expected something that once looked so eerie to become this beautiful.”

He was a little upset that she had been too busy with the restoration to think about him, but he kept those feelings hidden and smiled.

“Would you like to walk through it with me?”

Juliana asked, her face glowing with pride. The liveliness in her eyes made her look even more lovely.

He had worried she might struggle with life in the harsh northern lands, but she looked brighter here than she ever had in the capital.

“Of course.”

Braeden held out his arm, and Juliana placed her hand on it. Together, they began walking slowly along the garden path inside the greenhouse.

The scent of newly planted flowers and the fresh aroma from the plants filled the air, lifting their spirits.

With every step, light filtered down through the leaves, casting shifting shadows that danced across their path.

Where the sunlight poured in, even the floating dust was visible in the air. Under the trees, the shadows were darker, creating a quiet contrast that made it feel like time had paused there.

“There seem to be so many plants here I’ve never seen before. It feels like all the things people in the capital consider rare are gathered right here.”

Unlike usual, Juliana was slightly excited as she spoke about the plants she had left in the greenhouse. Braeden listened quietly to her voice, then suddenly came to a stop.

By chance, he had stopped in the shade of a tree while Juliana stood in a spot bathed in sunlight. Their eyes met from across that line between light and shadow.

Juliana looked at him with a puzzled expression, not understanding why he had suddenly stopped walking.

Braeden stared at her eyes, where the sunlight had softened the edges into a pale green. Her gaze, sometimes as vast as an open field and other times as dark and deep as a swamp, now looked soft and fresh, like plants that had begun to grow after the rain.

His gaze drifted downward to the shadow between them. A demon and a saint. Two beings that were never meant to coexist. For some reason, those titles felt especially uncomfortable today.

As if to cut off the unwelcome thoughts gnawing at his mind, Braeden reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her gently toward him.

Juliana was drawn into his arms without resistance. Seeing her step away from the light and into the shade with him, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction. He whispered softly,

“I missed you.”

Unaware of the depth of his thoughts, Juliana smiled and replied,

“I missed you too.”

Braeden gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips, then cupped it with his palm and leaned in to kiss her.

His lips moved over hers, warm and full of desire. As he claimed her lips with deep hunger, the tangled thoughts in his mind began to unravel.

Whatever she had once been, she was now his wife. The one he had married under sacred vows, bound by divine blessing.

No one, not even the divine, could break a marriage unless both people wished it.

Whether she was a saint or he was a demon, what did it matter now?

What mattered was that she belonged to him.

He kissed her again, more deeply, drawing in her breath, tasting her like something sweet and forbidden. He lingered there, unwilling to let go.

Juliana, eyes closed, responded to his affection without noticing how much darker his red eyes had become. She did not realize that from this moment, Braeden’s possessiveness would begin to take on a more dangerous shape.

Once a month, Emperor David and Empress Pamela were obligated to share a bed.

This requirement was tied to the Empress’s cycle, selecting the day most likely to result in pregnancy. But no matter how often the schedule came around, Emperor David found himself unmoved. He felt no desire for Empress Pamela, whose every action seemed stiff and emotionless.

“Your Majesty, it is time for you to retire to the Empress’s chambers,” the chief attendant urged in a tense voice, his expression pale.

“I know. Who said I wasn’t going?” Emperor David replied with clear irritation.

After spending the evening idly, trying to delay the visit as long as possible, he finally rose from his seat with a deep sigh and made his way to the Empress’s residence.

Early in their marriage, he had shared a bed with Empress Pamela a few times, but since then, their nights together had become nothing more than an empty formality. He was well aware of the duty to produce an heir, but he believed that heir did not necessarily need to come from Empress Pamela.

As long as the child carried his blood, they would be a legitimate heir to the throne. In his mind, Empress Pamela should have been content with the authority and status her title afforded her.

Emperor David stepped into the antechamber attached to her bedroom, wearing his usual expression of disinterest. But something immediately felt different.

Normally, Empress Pamela would greet him with a controlled smile, always watching his expression carefully, anxious not to displease him. Tonight, she did not even look up. She was seated at a table, deeply focused on reviewing a stack of documents, completely unaware of his presence.

“Ahem. I am here,” Emperor David announced, clearing his throat.

Only then did Empress Pamela raise her head to meet his eyes.

“You have arrived. I plan to stay up late tonight, so please go ahead and rest first, Your Majesty.”

“What? What did you say?”
Emperor David stared in disbelief, instinctively repeating the words he had just heard. Empress Pamela, who had already turned her attention back to her papers, stopped what she was doing and looked at him directly.

“Is something wrong, Your Majesty? Do you have business with me? If so, please speak, and I will oblige.”
“N-no, nothing like that.”
David waved his hand, clearly caught off guard.

“Then please, go ahead and rest.”
“V-very well. I shall.”

Emperor David, trying to mask his confusion, turned and entered the bedroom through the door connected to the sitting room. He stood with his back against the door, lost in thought.

What was that? Why is the Empress acting this way?

Pamela had always been cold and indifferent, repeating the same stiff greetings without emotion. But this—this was different. She seemed like a different person entirely. Had she not been working recently to build orphanages and create jobs for the poor?

David knew little about the details. To be honest, he had never cared enough to follow her affairs. But whatever it was, she seemed genuinely busy. Still, what could have caused her to change this much?

With questions he could not answer circling his thoughts, Emperor David slowly walked over to the bed and lay down.

Although he had not shared her bed in an intimate sense for a long time, he had always slept in it—beside her, at least. The bed was massive, and they rarely came close enough to touch.

Tonight, though, it felt cold. Unusually cold. Nothing about the luxurious bedding had changed, and yet something felt off.

While Emperor David lay awake, feeling that strange emptiness, Empress Pamela leaned deep into the sofa and let out a faint, amused laugh.

It had been a long time since she had felt this busy. Her body ached from exhaustion, but strangely, that very fatigue seemed to ease the severe insomnia that had plagued her in the past.

She still relied on the tea Juliana had gifted her to fall asleep, but it was no longer the only thing keeping her steady. The smile that flickered across her lips as she remembered the look on Emperor David’s face just moments ago was genuine.

Tonight, she thought, I will fall asleep without needing tea.

Of course, she had no intention of sleeping beside the Emperor.

No, I should finish the rest quickly and use the empty tea jar as an excuse to call on the Grand Duchess.

Pamela smiled softly to herself as she set the papers aside.

She had no idea.

She did not realize that her face, once stripped of all joy after entering the Imperial Palace, was now beginning to resemble the girl she used to be, the one who had once been full of dreams.

Support Even the Devil Regrets it