Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 85

“Eden, wake up.”

Early in the morning, Juliana gently called out to Braeden, who was still asleep.

As he opened his eyes under her soft touch, Braeden frowned slightly. He realized he had fallen asleep again. It had happened more than once now, which unsettled him. The great demon, who once never needed rest, was beginning to lose control not only of his powers but of his body too.

Juliana had no idea what was happening. She simply thought he looked unusually tired. She reached out and brushed his hair away from his face.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you if you needed more rest.”

“It’s not that.”

Braeden said nothing more. Instead, he pulled her gently into his arms and pressed his face against the curve of her neck.

Whenever he held her like this, the chaos inside him would grow quiet.

“That tickles.”

She laughed softly, and he found comfort in the sound. Was this how humans felt every time they woke up next to someone they cared about?

Trying to understand the unfamiliar feeling, he wrapped his arms tighter around her. If he could wake up to this every day, maybe being human would not be such a terrible thing.

“You’re acting strange today.”

Juliana smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, trying to wiggle out of his hold.

Her touch only stirred something deeper. Braeden raised himself up and leaned over her, caging her between his arms.

The look in his red eyes was intense and heated. Juliana felt her breath catch. She could not meet his gaze for long.

His bare chest and broad shoulders were close enough to touch. She tried not to stare at the way his muscles shifted, but the distance between them was too small to ignore.

She had seen his body before, but somehow, her cheeks still grew warm.

“Stop staring at me and look outside for a change.”

Juliana cupped his face with both hands and gently turned his head toward the window. He let her move him easily and chuckled under his breath.

Even after turning his head, he made no effort to actually look outside. She noticed and gave a small sigh of frustration.

“It snowed.”

“Did it?”

To Braeden, who had lived in the North for years, snow was nothing new. It did not interest him.

What interested him more was the thought of what they could do before breakfast.

“It’s the first snow of the year.”

Something so trivial to him seemed to matter deeply to her. That alone made him pause.

“Shall we go for a walk after breakfast then?”

“I’d like that.”

Braeden still did not understand why snow made her so happy. It changed nothing, after all. But he said nothing more and simply watched her. Her green eyes sparkled like sunlight dancing through the forest. Looking into them made him feel strangely peaceful.

Of course, her eyes were not the only thing pulling his attention.

Her delicate neck and the gentle curve of her chest moved steadily with each breath she took. The thin nightgown she wore did little to hide the softness beneath it.

“There’s still some time before breakfast.”

His lips touched the skin he had been watching for a while. As he slid her nightgown aside, more of her warm skin came into view.

“Eden…”

Juliana tried to push him away before the moment overtook her. But his mouth moved over her skin with such slow heat that her thoughts turned white and quiet.

By the time they finally stepped outside for their walk, it was already close to noon.

Because she had given in to Braeden’s teasing and ended up eating a late breakfast, Juliana was only able to go outside just before lunch.

“We could have come out even later. In the North, snow doesn’t melt even in the middle of the day.”

Braeden spoke lightly, as if offering an excuse. Juliana gave him a sharp look.

“The problem isn’t that the snow didn’t melt…”

“Then what is the problem?”

It was rare for Juliana to trail off like that. Her words were usually precise and graceful. Braeden tilted his head slightly, curious.

She blinked quickly and avoided his eyes. After pressing her lips together for a moment, she finally spoke.

“My legs feel weak. It’s hard to walk.”

Her cheeks turned a little pink, as if the memory of earlier that morning had come rushing back.

“Ah. I didn’t take that into account. Would you like me to carry you?”

Braeden spread his arms and smiled, clearly enjoying himself.

“No, thank you. I want to step on the snow. I can’t do that if I’m in your arms.”

Even though her steps were a bit unsteady, Juliana walked forward with determination. To Braeden, she looked like a baby deer trying to stand for the first time.

Her tightly wrapped fur coat, hat, and scarf were all a warm shade of brown, which only added to the image.

She seemed completely focused on walking through the fresh white snow, unaware of the quiet smile on Braeden’s face as he watched her.

“I’ve never seen snow pile up like this before. It feels so new.”

The Kamina Empire had a mostly mild climate. Even in winter, snowfall was rare and usually melted quickly. Snow that blanketed the entire landscape like this was a rare sight.

Juliana found the scenery magical, like stepping into another world.

She remembered how it felt to stand with Braeden on the peak of Mount Kankantier. They had used magic to travel there, and the snow-covered mountain had been breathtaking. Seeing the Grand Castle now, surrounded in white, brought that memory back.

“If you like walking on snow that much, I think you’d enjoy riding a dog sled too.”

“A sled?”

Her eyes lit up with curiosity, and Braeden laughed.

“When the snow gets deep and roads become useless, people in the North use sleds pulled by dogs to travel. If you’d like to try it, I can arrange one for you soon.”

“Yes, I’d love to try it.”

People in the capital often saw the North as a cold and backward place. They said it was miserable during winter, that people were trapped indoors for weeks and couldn’t go anywhere.

But Juliana wondered how many of them had ever actually visited the North.

So many of those nobles liked to act as if they knew everything, but their opinions were based on nothing. Juliana didn’t care what they thought. All she knew was that this winter might be something she could actually enjoy.

Before winter arrived, the staff of the Grand Castle stayed very busy preparing for the season. But once the snow came, things slowed down.

When snow fell heavily and endlessly, it became hard to clear. That made it difficult to do any work outside, and most chores were finished early in the day.

With the sun setting early in winter, outdoor tasks ended sooner than usual.

That was why the staff often gathered in small groups during the evenings. Some would knit together while chatting quietly. Others would warm up with mugs of hot honey wine and share stories to pass the time.

That evening, Juliana came downstairs. As she walked past a room, she heard soft voices and paused, then gently opened the door.

Inside the staff lounge, she saw several maids gathered along with Head Maid Anita and Melanie.

“What are you all doing in here?”

The women quickly stood and smiled when they saw her.

“Your Grace. What brings you down here?”

“Lady Anita tells us stories every night. They’re really fun.”

One of the younger maids, Rosie, explained with a cheerful voice.

Melanie, who had always known she was an illegitimate child, felt more at ease among the staff than with the nobility. She often joined them without hesitation and listened comfortably, just like now.

So it made sense for Melanie to be there, but Juliana was surprised to see Anita as well.

“I didn’t expect the head maid to be here too.”

“Winter nights are longer than you might think, Your Grace,” Anita replied with her usual expressionless tone.

Juliana found herself once again appreciating the atmosphere of the Grand Castle, where everyone mingled freely without strict formality.

“Would it be alright if I joined in?”

As soon as she spoke, the maids reacted with cheerful excitement.

“Of course, of course. Please, come sit with us.”

“Would Your Grace like some honey wine as well?”

Before she could respond, a warm cup was placed in her hand.

She took a sip of the steaming drink, only to quickly exhale a hot breath. The strong heat of the alcohol hit her harder than she expected.

She had gotten used to many things in the North, but drinking alcohol like water was still a challenge she could not overcome.

“If it’s too much, you can just hold the cup. It keeps your hands warm,” Rosie said with a smile.

She looked as if she had become a true northerner already.

Juliana glanced around the room. The soft orange light from the fireplace spread across the circle of faces gathered together. It felt warm, in every sense of the word.

She realized she had never experienced this kind of moment before.

The girls she had once known her age in the capital would smile kindly in front of her but tear her apart behind her back the moment they saw weakness. She had always kept her guard up.

Sadly, she had never managed to make a friend she could truly open her heart to.

Some people might say the Grand Duchess should not be spending time so informally with her servants. But so what if they did? Juliana no longer cared about the opinions of others.

“Your Grace, actually, I’ve been telling them scary stories from around the empire every evening,” Melanie said, her voice a little shy.

“Scary stories?”

Juliana tilted her head slightly. Weren’t those frightening tales? The younger maids began chattering excitedly.

“They’re really scary, but they’re so fun.”

“I had nightmares for two nights after one of her stories, but I still couldn’t stop listening.”

Juliana wondered where Melanie had learned such things. As she looked at her curiously, Anita added a comment in her usual serious tone.

“They are quite captivating.”

That was probably the real reason Anita was there.

Support Even the Devil Regrets it