Even the Devil Regrets it - Chapter 94

Dear Braeden,
To my husband and my savior, the Grand Duke,

I don’t know how to begin this letter. I have never felt so suffocated by the emptiness of a blank page, but I cannot leave without saying something. That is why I am writing to you now.

Not long ago, after awakening as a Floreseco, I discovered the truth about you. I learned that you intend to die, and that you want me to be the one to make it happen.

I cannot do it, Braeden. I cannot be the one to let you die. Did you really believe I could go through with that?

I don’t think I can keep the promise I made to you. That means the contract tied to our marriage must also come to an end. You may hate me for it and call me heartless. That’s fine. I have enclosed the divorce papers with this letter. Everything is prepared. All that remains is your signature.

So please, divorce me and live. Do not die. Live your life. If my presence is what makes your death possible, then I will never appear before you again.

Because I love you…

Juliana stopped writing. A sharp pain tightened in her chest, and her expression twisted as she tried to hold back her tears.

She didn’t want to cry, so she fought to push the emotion down, but it was no use. Her tears slid down her cheeks.

She wiped them away with her hand and tried to pull herself together. Picking up the pen again, she continued writing, though the ink blurred slightly where her tears had touched the page.

Once the letter was finally finished, she sealed it and stood up.

After deciding to leave the Grand Duke’s estate, many thoughts had crossed her mind.

She especially worried about Rosie, the maid she had brought with her. But after seeing that Rosie had begun a promising relationship with one of the junior knights, Juliana had decided it was best to leave her behind.

Though it felt selfish, she also left a note asking Braeden to look after Rosie and Melanie and the other servants.

At the very least, she trusted that Braeden would not take his pain out on people who had nothing to do with it.

“It’s time to go,” Juliana said softly, picking up a small bag.

Are you really leaving like this?

Atlante fluttered his wings nervously, but he didn’t try to stop her.

“This feels like the only right choice.”

Her eyes settled on the ring she had placed next to the letter. She left behind all the jewelry Braeden had given her.

All she took were a few changes of clothes, the land deed in her name, some cash, and the book she had found in the underground chamber.

Alright. Let’s go.

Atlante rose into the sky, and Juliana used a magical tool to change her appearance.

Without the accessory containing the red gemstone, Juliana was already protected from demonic detection. Now, with the enchanted item, she could hide her identity from humans as well.

In that way, Juliana left the Grand Duke’s estate behind.

“It’s me. I’m coming in.”

Later that evening, Braeden knocked on the door of the sitting room attached to their bedroom. He sensed Juliana inside.

There was no response.

Did she fall asleep in there? Or was she too focused on something to hear him?

Braeden tried to ignore the strange sense of discomfort rising in him as he opened the door.

He remembered how Juliana had been avoiding his eyes lately, always saying she was tired and dodging conversation.

He had assumed she needed time to adjust after awakening as a Floreseco, so he hadn’t pressed her. He believed that if he waited patiently, she would soon return to normal.

Besides, he had also been busy searching for a solution to his own instability.

However, no one was inside the drawing room.

Braeden walked toward the table, trying to shake off the ominous chill running down his spine.

There, placed carefully, was a ring. It was the one he had mistaken for Juliana’s presence.

With trembling hands, he opened the letter.
Never before had the Archdemon’s instincts felt this violently unsettled.

“Ha… haha… hahahaha…”

After reading the letter, he let out a cold, hollow laugh.

Juliana knew everything.
And she had left him.

The moment the reality hit him, his powers surged out of control.

Crash.

The windows of the drawing room shattered all at once. Glass shards exploded in every direction, cutting across his face.

Sensing the disturbance, his subordinates rushed in immediately.

“My lord!”

“What in the world happened?”

Lochlan and Albert both ran toward Braeden.

Glass shards were still embedded in his face, blood dripping down, but his skin was already beginning to heal. Slowly, his face returned to its normal state.

Yet his eyes remained dangerous. They were unfocused, wild, as if he had lost touch with reality.

The sight brought back memories for Lochlan and Albert.
They remembered the time when Braeden, weary from his long and painful existence, had laughed like a madman while injuring himself. The memory made their shoulders tremble.

“Juliana is gone.”

When they heard his chilling voice, the retainers let out a collective groan of dismay.
Anita, who arrived moments after Lochlan and Albert, was the first to speak.

“I will begin the search for Her Highness immediately.”

“Good. Find her now and bring her to me.”

Everyone was shocked that Juliana had left the Grand Duke’s estate without anyone noticing.
But no one believed she could have gone far.

Even Braeden never considered the possibility that she might escape him entirely.

The Archdemon Belial’s followers, who had been guarding the drawing room, quietly disappeared into the surrounding area, beginning their search for Juliana.

“My lord, what exactly happened?”

Now alone beside Braeden, Lochlan asked with a grave expression.

“She found out everything. Who I really am. That I planned to use her to die.”

“How could she have learned something like that?”

“Trace it. Find out how she discovered the truth.”

“Yes, my lord. Understood.”

Lochlan bowed his head respectfully.
He could feel the danger in the air. One wrong word and something terrible could happen.

Braeden sat in one of the ruined chairs in the devastated drawing room. His cold, glowing eyes made him look like destruction itself.

Juliana, now disguised as an ordinary middle-aged woman, managed to leave the city of Torsham, where the Grand Duke’s castle was located, without much trouble.

However, because her magic tool had a time limit, she was forced to get off the hired carriage in a remote area with very few people.

Her appearance was striking, so she made a conscious effort to avoid being noticed.

“Atlante, the sun is setting soon. We should find an inn for the night.”

Just as she was about to ask Atlante to search for a nearby place to stay, she spotted a bright white building standing far off past the edge of the inhabited area. Her words trailed off.

“Do you see that building too?”

When Atlante looked in the direction she pointed, his wings fluttered in excitement.

That? It looks like a hidden sanctuary has appeared.

A sanctuary was different from a temple. It was a sacred space, invisible to the eyes of ordinary people.

Sanctuaries could only be seen by those with divine power. When Floreseco vanished from the Empire, the sanctuaries had disappeared with it.
And yet, here one was, right in front of them.

It’s definitely better than staying at some random inn.

Atlante spoke with growing excitement.

“Alright then. Let’s go there.”

Juliana was amazed and doubtful at the same time. The building looked like a mirage, but Atlante seemed so certain that she changed course without hesitation.

The white structure was simple and unadorned, but up close, it gave off a faint, misty glow.

Juliana examined the exterior closely, then knocked gently on the door.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

There was no response. Atlante flew down and landed in front of the door.

Strange. It should have opened by now.

Just as he tilted his head in confusion, the door slowly creaked open.

“With you looking like that, no wonder the door didn’t open.”

An elderly man with gray hair opened the door and clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Huh? Wait a second. You’re…

Atlante gasped, but the man simply raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to stay quiet.

“Come in. You are welcome here.”

He turned to Juliana and greeted her politely.

“Hello… Is this really a sanctuary?”

Juliana asked, still in shock. She hadn’t expected anyone to actually be living there.

“If we’re using human terms, then yes, this is a sanctuary. Will you come inside?”

When the man stepped aside, Juliana bowed respectfully.

“Thank you. I would like to stay here for a while, if you will allow it.”

“Of course. That is what this sanctuary appeared for.”

Wow, how long has it been since we’ve come to a place like this?

Atlante flew in after Juliana, clearly thrilled. The man’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he watched him.

“So, the Tear of the Divine has turned into a crow since I last saw you.”

At those words, Atlante opened his beak and protested.

A crow? What’s wrong with being a crow?

He didn’t seem to realize that defending crows only made him look even less like what he once was.

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