Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 91

“You refuse to return it? Then why did you even come here? If you can’t repay the kindness you received, did you come just to stir up trouble?”

Count Barnett’s face turned crimson as he raised his voice.

When Juliana was a child, she had been terrified whenever Count Barnett shouted like this. His temper always led to violence.

But now, she wasn’t afraid. In fact, he seemed pathetic to her, a man who couldn’t even control his own emotions.

“It seems you’ve forgotten everything that happened in the past, Father. Kindness? Who calls being beaten, starved, and abused a kindness?”

The expressions of the men standing beside Juliana turned ice-cold in an instant.

Count Barnett was taken aback. He never imagined she would speak so openly and harshly. He glanced nervously at the men, unsure how the Duke’s subordinates would report what was being said.

It wasn’t fear of them that made him uneasy. He simply didn’t know what they would do with his words.

Watching him, Lochlan and Albert could barely suppress their anger.

Originally, Braeden had insisted on coming with Juliana, but the two of them strongly opposed it and eventually talked him out of it.

They feared that if their unstable lord, who still struggled to control his emotions and powers, came face to face with Count Barnett, he might kill him on the spot.

Braeden had raged, saying it was unthinkable for him not to accompany her. Eventually, they managed to reach a compromise. Lochlan and Albert would go with Juliana in his place.

Now, both men let out a short breath of relief, realizing how fortunate it was that Braeden wasn’t present.

“When did I ever abuse you? You’re accusing an innocent man!”

Count Barnett yelled louder, as if raising his voice would somehow make his claims true.

Juliana was unaffected. She had expected this exact reaction.

“Fine. Let’s assume I can’t prove it right now. I didn’t come here to argue about the past. But Razdelus is legally my land. Is there any reason I should hand it over to you?”

Count Barnett stared at her blankly for a moment.

He hadn’t been able to guess why she had come, and her unwavering confidence made him instinctively shrink back.

Then it finally hit him. Things were no longer like they used to be.

Juliana would no longer be intimidated or controlled by him.

“That land… that was a mistake. It wasn’t the land I meant to give you.”

He began to sputter a weak excuse that clearly wouldn’t convince anyone. Juliana gave a dry laugh, surprised at how pathetic his response was.

“Unless someone dies and turns back time, how can a mistake from the past be undone?”

Her calm and piercing gaze sent a chill down his spine. Though he couldn’t explain it, Count Barnett sensed something unearthly in her, as though she had transcended life and death.

“Then what do you want from me? What would it take for you to give it back?”

He trembled slightly, imagining that she might demand he kneel and beg for forgiveness.

As his eyes darted about, he quietly made up his mind. If kneeling once could help restore his broken house, then it wasn’t such a bad deal.

“I will never return that land to you. No matter what you do, it’s not going to happen. You should let go of that idea now.”

Juliana’s voice was calm but firm, with no room for compromise.

Never return it? Did she just tell me to give up?

Count Barnett’s eyes narrowed sharply. At this point, he was convinced she had come just to mock him.

“However, if you accept my offer, I may be willing to show a bit of goodwill.”

As Juliana gave a slight nod, Albert stepped forward and placed a box on the table.

Even at a glance, it was clear that the box was meant for gold or jewels. Count Barnett, who had been ready to explode with rage, froze for a moment.

“An offer…?”

He narrowed his eyes at Juliana, as if he couldn’t believe her. This time, Lochlan stepped forward and placed a document on the table.

“It’s not a difficult request. All I need is your signature to formally remove my name from the Barnett family registry, making us legally unrelated.”

Once again, this offer was completely outside Count Barnett’s expectations. She was offering him wealth in exchange for removing her name from the family registry?

Juliana noticed the confusion in his eyes and opened the jewelry box.

Inside, it was filled with gold bars and rare jewels. It was more than enough to buy back the entire Barnett estate and still have money left over.

“What do you think? Not a bad deal for just one signature, is it?”

Juliana smiled gently.

“If I can just get that money…”

Years of financial struggle made Count Barnett’s eyes gleam with greed in an instant.

As he imagined everything he could do with that money, his heart started to race. His judgment quickly clouded with desire.

“Is that really all you want from me?”

He had never felt any real affection for Juliana, so the idea of her being removed from the family registry didn’t make him sad or sentimental.

He was simply calculating which option would benefit him more.

“Yes, that’s all. I’d like to give you time to think it over, but honestly, I’d rather not meet again. If you sign it now, I’ll add this as well.”

Juliana placed a small pouch on top of the jewelry box, handed to her by Lochlan.

Count Barnett opened it in a rush, and his jaw dropped. The pouch was filled to the brim with gold coins.

He cleared his throat and quickly tried to compose himself before picking up the pen.

“You’re not going to ask for it back later or change your mind, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Couldn’t you give me Razdelus instead?”

“I already told you. That’s not going to happen.”

He tried one more time, but Juliana’s expression was resolute. Realizing she wouldn’t budge, he clicked his tongue in disappointment.

It was a shame to give up that land, but with no money in hand at the moment, the gold and jewels seemed more valuable.

Razdelus might generate money in the long term, but right now, it needed development and investment. It wouldn’t turn a profit immediately.

Count Barnett needed wealth now, not later, so he signed the document without hesitation.

Lochlan confirmed the signature with a nod, and Juliana stood up from her seat.

“I’ll be leaving now. We’re strangers from this point forward, so let’s not have anything to do with each other again.”

“Yes, let’s leave it at that,” Count Barnett replied with an awkward grimace.

As Juliana stepped outside, Countess Barnett and Tristan came rushing up to her, eager to know what had happened.

Juliana ignored them completely and walked past without a word.

Offended by her indifference, the Countess and Tristan were about to start yelling, but then their eyes landed on the table filled with gold and jewels.

Their expressions instantly changed. Like people under a spell, they stumbled forward and grabbed handfuls of gold coins, laughing mindlessly with a dazed look on their faces.

Just as Juliana was about to reach the exit, she felt someone watching her.

She looked up toward the staircase and met eyes with Aileen, who looked completely worn down.

Gone was the beautifully dressed woman who once sat proudly at her husband’s side in Juliana’s previous life.

Her eyes were dark from lack of sleep, her skin dull and dry, her hair messy and tangled, her clothes shabby. There wasn’t a trace of the woman Juliana had known before.

“Try to live with what you have. Don’t reach for more than you can hold. If you can do that, then at least your life won’t feel like hell.”

Juliana gave Aileen a gentle smile before stepping outside. As if reflecting her mood, sunlight poured down in a brilliant glow.

“Shall I process the document right away?”
Lochlan asked.

“Yes, please. And thank you for your help today.”
Juliana said, turning to both Lochlan and Albert.

“We didn’t really do anything. Still, I can’t tell you how lucky we were that our lord didn’t come with us today.”
Albert chuckled lightly.

“We were only doing our duty. No need to thank us for that.”
Lochlan replied, taking Juliana’s hand and helping her into the carriage.

“Oh, about the document. Would it be alright if I held onto it until we get back to the townhouse?”

“Of course, no problem.”

Without asking why, Lochlan handed her the document. It was as if whatever Juliana wanted had the weight of law.

Soon, the carriage began to move.

Left alone inside, Juliana unfolded the document and examined it.

After carefully checking that everything was in order, a soft smile appeared on her lips.

“I’m no longer a Barnett.”

The joy that filled her was overwhelming. Juliana broke into the most innocent, unguarded smile she had worn in her entire life.

Support Even the Devil Regrets it