Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 74

Braeden narrowed his eyes and stared at Juliana in response to her unexpected words.

“I just… I can’t stand to see them die comfortably.”

To hold such a cruel desire while bearing the mark of a saint was a bitter irony.

“I won’t feel satisfied until I destroy them with my own hands.”

“The worst, right?” she murmured so softly it was almost inaudible, but Braeden’s sharp hearing caught it clearly.

“If that is the worst, then you must be an angel.”

If she ever knew what a real devil was capable of, she would be horrified. In all his life, Braeden had never witnessed a revenge so graceful and composed.

A noble woman, even while standing in the mud.

A woman who dreamed of revenge with poise, like a goddess of death and destruction. She was mesmerizing.

Juliana’s gaze deepened as she looked at Braeden, who spoke as if praising her rather than judging her.

He had no obligation to comfort her. He didn’t have to care about her revenge.

Then why?

The more he showed kindness, the more she wanted to lean on him.

At first, she had only used him as a way to escape the hellish Barnett estate. Since he needed her abilities too, there was no need for guilt.

It was a partnership out of necessity. A two-year contract marriage. That was all it was meant to be. But now, if someone asked her if she still felt the same, Juliana was not sure she could give the same answer.

What am I doing?

She sighed quietly to herself, almost as if scolding her own heart.

Then, trying to shift the mood, she spoke to him.

“If it’s alright, I’d like to go for a ride on Rael. Are you busy?”

Braeden let out a small laugh at her sudden change of subject.

He had meant it when he said she was like an angel, and yet she didn’t seem to realize it.

“If that’s what you want, then of course. Let’s go.”

They stepped outside. The stable hand, who had already been informed, led out Raphael.

As Braeden took the reins, Raphael flared his nostrils and moved toward Juliana’s hair. With a mischievous smirk, Braeden pulled the reins back tightly.

Unable to get closer to her, the horse grew irritated and stomped the ground in frustration.

“I’ve been too easy on you lately, haven’t I?”

Braeden asked with a dangerous smile. The horse flinched and quickly calmed down.

Even animals could understand. If its wicked master wished, he could push it to the brink until it foamed at the mouth.

Seeing Raphael’s sudden obedience, Braeden chuckled and helped Juliana onto the horse.

“How about going faster than last time?”

Braeden sat behind her and gently wrapped an arm around her waist as he spoke.

“Alright. I don’t mind going very fast.”

Her voice showed that she was prepared. Braeden’s grin widened, filled with playful energy.

“Very fast it is.”

He said something else, but his words were almost drowned out by the sound of his foot pressing into the stirrup. The moment his foot moved, Raphael sprang forward at full speed.

“Ahh!”

Juliana let out a small scream before she could stop herself. The speed was overwhelming, as if they had been launched into the wind.

It was her first time riding this fast, and she instinctively shut her eyes. The rush was too much to process.

But then she noticed something. Braeden’s arm, wrapped tightly around her, did not waver at all, even with the pounding hooves and jolting motion. Slowly, her fear began to fade.

How can someone’s arm feel so strong and secure?

Silently amazed, Juliana opened her eyes.

What she saw was a breathtaking stretch of green landscape unfolding before her.

“Should we go slower?”

Braeden’s voice came from behind, but Juliana quickly shook her head.

“No, let’s keep going just like this.”

She embraced the vivid sky, the sunlight pouring down like shattered glass, and the tall, piercing pines that stretched across the northern landscape like a painting. It felt surreal.

Strangely enough, she felt freed from the burdens that had bound her for so long. Expectations, rules, habits that had pushed her endlessly were nowhere to be felt. Even the revenge that had once been her life’s purpose seemed to fade into the background.

This was what real freedom felt like. And it wasn’t as difficult to reach as she once believed.

While Juliana was lost in that moment of peace, Braeden’s eyes stayed on her. Her hair fluttered wildly in the wind, like soft yellow butterflies dancing in the air. He couldn’t look away.

He wondered if holding something that delicate would break it. Even knowing it might, a part of him still wanted to keep it close and never let go.

Like a butterfly landing gently in his hand, fragile and lovely, he knew it would die if he touched it. Still, the desire to hold it burned inside him.

It was a sad truth, one that made his skin crawl. He imagined Juliana as that butterfly, struggling in his grasp until she simply gave out. But then her face caught the sunlight and sparkled, and the dark thoughts vanished.

Raphael soon passed through the forest. Once they cleared the trees, a wide meadow opened up beside a calm lake.

If they kept going across the plain, it would lead toward the mountain range connected to the snow-covered peaks of Kankantier.

Braeden glanced at Juliana. He thought any more riding might be too hard on her body, so he gently guided Raphael toward the lake instead.

As the water came into view, Raphael slowed down on his own. Braeden pulled the reins to a stop, climbed down first, and helped Juliana dismount.

With no one on its back, the clever horse walked to the water and began to drink.

“Are you alright?”

Juliana was unsteady and swayed slightly, so Braeden kept a firm hold around her waist.

“I’m fine. Really. But my back is a little sore.”

Her cheeks were flushed from the cold wind. She leaned into his arm and spoke softly.

She looked like a newborn deer, her legs too weak to support her. The sight made Braeden laugh under his breath.

“Don’t worry. We can rest here for a while. And if you’re still too sore to ride, we can just teleport back.”

Juliana blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even thought of that. Her lips formed a small circle as she let out a quiet sound of realization.

Braeden’s gaze immediately dropped to her lips. Without thinking, a possessive impulse surged in him, and he leaned in and kissed her.

It was sudden and full of desire. Juliana, whose legs had barely been holding her up, melted into his arms.

After stealing her lips with more hunger than he intended, Braeden whispered with a pleased grin.

“Then we might as well go straight to the bedroom.”

“Eden, I don’t think that’s a good id—”

But the impatient demon didn’t wait for her to finish.

When Raphael lifted his head from the water, his master had already disappeared.

The horse snorted in annoyance, pawed at the ground, then slowly turned back in the direction of the Grand Castle.

Martin, the butler of House Everett, had been able to cure his son’s illness using honey from the Lambertia Formosa flower.

This flower produced far more honey than most others. And thanks to Juliana, who had given him every blossom she picked, the recovery came quickly.

With his son healing well, Martin found himself clinging to life even more desperately.

If anyone found out he had passed along the secret ledger, his entire family could be executed.

He had just saved his son from illness. There was no way he would now let someone else’s blade take that life away.

“I’ll follow soon. Just go ahead of me, alright?”

Martin held his wife by the shoulders and tried to steady her.

“When are you coming? We can’t go without you.”

She had barely regained her strength after spending so long nursing their son. The thought of leaving her husband behind was unbearable.

Martin didn’t like sending them off alone, but there was no better way right now.

“Take care of your mother. Remember what I said. You’re not completely healed yet. This is just a trip to help you rest and get better. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Father.”

His son’s face was still pale, with shadows of his illness still clinging to him. If they didn’t escape now, they might never have the chance again.

Martin made sure to speak firmly and clearly. Then he placed his wife and son on the ship.

The vessel headed for the Eastern Continent. It was a massive ship carrying many passengers. As long as they kept quiet and didn’t draw attention, they would likely arrive safely.

The danger wasn’t with them. It was with him.

To be put on trial…

He watched the ship disappear into the glowing sunset. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the hood of his cloak low over his face.

Who would have thought the one who took the secret ledger would turn it in to the court?

Martin had assumed they wanted to use it to blackmail the Marquess Everett for money. He never imagined they would try to destroy the entire family.

Because of that incident, everything within House Everett came to a standstill.

They only knew they had been taken to court, unaware that the secret ledger was now in the judge’s hands. At first, they had no idea how serious the situation really was.

They assumed it was nothing more than a business rival pressing charges in a fit of anger, and they treated it far too lightly.

There were simply too many possible suspects.

The family had done so many things to earn people’s hatred that it was almost impossible to guess who had turned them in.

Martin pretended to be busy managing the chaos for the sake of House Everett, but once he was sure his wife and son were safely away, he planned to disappear as well.

By now, the sun had completely set.

Using a hidden path known only to a few, Martin returned to the Everett estate and quietly entered through the back door.

Creeeak.

Tonight, the door sounded louder than usual.

“I should have someone oil this in the morning.”

He made a mental note to tell one of the staff to fix it, but before he could finish the thought, a voice called out to him from the shadows.

“Butler, where have you been?”

Martin’s shoulders flinched at the sound. He knew that voice all too well.

“Y-Young Master Felix…”

As Felix’s footsteps echoed slowly across the floor, his figure gradually emerged from the darkness.

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