Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 67

Juliana returned to the townhouse after completing everything she had planned. Seeing that Braeden was not home yet brought her a sense of relief.

She had kept this secret because she did not want to involve him in her revenge, but it still left her feeling strangely guilty.

If she had seen his face the moment she walked in, all of that discomfort would have shown plainly. But knowing he was not back yet helped her relax.

By the time she finished bathing, Braeden came home.

He carried the scent of cool evening air as he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and asked,

“Did you enjoy your outing?”

“Yes, I did. I ordered some new dresses in the latest style from Madame Walsh.”

His lips tickled where they touched, and Juliana laughed softly as her shoulders curled up.

“I am glad to hear that,” he murmured, then kissed her lips deeply.

The rich sensation made her breath catch.

“Did the meeting at the palace go badly? You usually return much earlier than this.”

“There was no avoiding it. Some of the old men would not stop talking.”

Still pressed against her skin, he nuzzled near her collarbone, his breath warm against her.

The air around them quickly grew heavy with heat.

Braeden pulled her close and kissed her again. Her cheeks flushed without her realizing it.

He watched her eyelashes flutter before pulling off his cravat in one quick motion and tossing it aside.

“Eden, did you eat dinner yet?”

Juliana managed to speak just in time, before things went too far.

It was a good effort, but not enough to stop him tonight.

Braeden understood what she was trying to do, but he only gave a crooked smile.

“I do not want dinner. I want you, Lian.”

There was a twisted hunger inside him that he could not put into words.

Every time he thought he had her, she slipped away like sand between his fingers.

This desire mixed with suspicion and left a sharp restlessness in his chest.

Think. She has been hiding something from the beginning.

You have secrets too. Is it fair to doubt her?

Conflicting thoughts battled in his mind, but Braeden pushed them aside and focused only on holding her.

He kissed her deeply again, brushing his mouth across her soft skin. It helped him quiet the storm inside him.

His hands moved over her with more intensity than usual, and Juliana let out a shaky breath, her face flushed with heat.

“Eden, I really cannot anymore…”

“If you are already worn out, that is a problem. I am not done yet.”

Braeden felt different tonight. He seemed more intense, more unsettled.

But Juliana was too overwhelmed to think clearly.

As waves of pleasure overtook her, she finally reached her limit and slipped into unconscious sleep.

Braeden watched her sleeping face for a while, his expression unreadable. Then he pulled on a robe and stepped out into the hallway.

With a sharp snap of his fingers, Lochlan appeared from the shadows.

“Did you find out what it was?”

He was asking about the ledger Juliana had gone to such lengths to retrieve, even using a magical device to change her appearance.

Lochlan, sensing Braeden’s heavy mood, delivered his report without delay.

“Her Highness obtained the Everett family’s secret ledger. It contains detailed records of how they made money through corruption and other illegal dealings.”

“A secret ledger,” Braeden repeated slowly.

What does she plan to do with it?

He could not predict her next move, and that uncertainty bothered him deeply.

“If she has a grudge against the Everetts and plans to tear them apart, I will support it. But if it is the other way around…”

His voice faded, but the violence in his eyes did not.

The atmosphere turned sharp, pressing down on everything around them.

Sensing the change, Lochlan quickly responded.

“We still do not know her intentions.”

“Watch her closely. If she plans to turn against the Everetts, help her quietly. But if she is working with that little viscount, then bring me his head first.”

“Understood, my lord.”

Lochlan bowed and left without another word.

Braeden returned to the bedroom, where Juliana was still asleep.

Left alone in the empty corridor, Lochlan sighed deeply.

It was already difficult enough that his master lived each day with cold indifference, but his rage was far more dangerous.

The wrath of Belial, the Great Demon, was not something this world could easily survive.

Worse still, Braeden seemed unwilling to speak openly or honestly with Juliana.

And if anyone asked whether he would ever let her go, the answer was no.

If anything, he would tighten the chains around her even more, so she could never leave.

Lochlan had once felt relief when his master began showing signs of life again, but now he could no longer guess where this marriage was headed.

Without realizing it, he ran a hand down his dry face and disappeared once more into the shadows.

The next day, Juliana went to the imperial palace to meet with Empress Pamela.

The Empress had expressed a wish to visit the new orphanage construction site with Juliana.

“Was this your plan from the beginning?”

Juliana spoke as she sat across from Empress Pamela in the luxurious royal carriage.

“That is exactly right. I wanted this from the start.”

“Then why go through the trouble of waiting for me? You could have just ordered me to meet you at the site.”

Pamela gave a short laugh and answered bluntly.

“It is not you I had to consider. It is the Archduke. Do you think I need to tiptoe around him just to meet with you?”

If they had assumed she was unaware, they were mistaken.

It would be more surprising if she had not noticed the Archduke’s disapproving glances every time she met with Juliana.

Had she not called Juliana to the palace herself, he likely would have come up with some excuse to prevent her from leaving. So, the one in need had no choice but to go to the effort.

“The Archduke?”

Juliana feigned ignorance, but Pamela smirked knowingly.

She was reminded of herself, back when she had been foolishly captivated by the Archduke’s appearance without knowing any better.

“So naive,” she muttered with a click of her tongue.

Then, as if proudly presenting her accomplishments, Pamela began talking about the progress of her charitable projects.

“As I continued this work, I started thinking about opening an academy too…”

There was a brightness in Pamela’s expression that had not been there before.

At first, she had been unsure how to go about charity work and had wandered without direction. But now she was planning ahead and thinking long-term.

More than that, she seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

As Pamela spoke, the carriage arrived at the orphanage construction site, which was currently in the middle of interior work.

Despite the dust and constant noise, there was a lively energy in the workers’ faces.

“Your Majesty the Empress, what an honor to have you visit the site yourself. And Your Highness the Archduchess, it is wonderful to see you as well,”

said Count O’Neill, the man overseeing the project. He bowed deeply to greet them both.

“Are there any difficulties meeting the completion deadline?”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. Thanks to your support and oversight, we are confident we will finish on time.”

“That is good to hear,”

Pamela replied, nodding as she looked around.

The orphanage was currently operating out of a temporary facility, and she had been doing all she could to ensure that construction finished on time for the children who were eagerly waiting.

“It will look beautiful when it is finished,”

Juliana said as she walked through the building.

The high ceilings and bright layout let in plenty of sunlight. It was not just polite praise.

As she pictured children running through the completed halls, a gentle smile formed on her lips.

Just then, a group of people approached from the opposite side.

The man leading them came directly toward Pamela and called out,

“Empress, fancy meeting you here.”

“Your Majesty? What brings you here?”

Pamela looked momentarily surprised to see Emperor David.

“I greet His Majesty, the sun of the empire,”

Juliana said, offering a respectful bow.

“You are here too, Archduchess,”

David said quickly, then turned his attention back to Pamela.

“There is still some unused allocation in this year’s budget for mana stones. I thought donating them to the orphanage might be useful. The children could study even at night. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

“Children should sleep at night, Your Majesty. That is how they grow up healthy.”

“I… I see. Yes, of course.”

“Still, having enough mana stones would be helpful. Thank you for your interest. You may discuss the details with Count O’Neill. I will finish touring the building with the Archduchess.”

Pamela offered a light curtsy and turned away.

Juliana bowed again and followed her.

But as they continued walking, Juliana could not help but notice something.

The Emperor’s gaze had not shifted away.

Everyone in the empire knew that the Emperor and Empress had not been particularly close in the past.

Juliana tilted her head slightly.

Was it just her imagination, or had he been looking at Pamela with a softer expression?

It felt like their relationship had changed somehow.

And oddly, she felt like it might be her fault.

That strange idea made her smile faintly.

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