Chapter 15

“What are you going to do if I kill a human using one of the methods written in the report?” Braeden asked.

Lochlan flinched at his words. Honestly, he had thought getting rid of one annoying human wouldn’t cause much trouble. That was the mindset he had when he considered submitting the report. He figured he could find a way to handle just one case without triggering any consequences.

Sensing his thoughts, Braeden added coldly,
“There are quite a few annoying humans.”

Hmm, that could be a problem. Lochlan’s expression turned serious.

If a demon kills a human without a justifiable reason, the laws of causality kick in and place restrictions on them. If they’re unlucky, their powers or abilities can be sealed, leaving them no different from an ordinary human.

And for a demon, that’s the most humiliating fate imaginable.

And the more humans a demon kills without a valid reason, the more likely they are to lose control and go berserk. A demon in that state turns into a true hellish monster — a disaster upon the world.

Even just imagining the great archdemon Belial becoming such a creature filled him with shame.

“In that case, I suggest you try to be more patient.”

“Weren’t thousands of years of patience enough already?” Braeden replied with a sarcastic smirk, clearly irritated.

Lochlan hesitated. He wondered if getting rid of just one particularly bothersome human might help ease his master’s temper.

He was just about to suggest that Braeden rank the most annoying ones when Braeden clicked his tongue and changed the subject.

“Forget that. What happened with the women’s accessory I asked you to make?”

“It’s almost finished. I’ll deliver it to you as soon as it’s ready.”

The craftsmen had been working day and night, their eyes turning red like crystallized resentment. Still, it was true — the work was nearly done. Lochlan didn’t bother mentioning the rest.

When Braeden heard those words, he imagined Juliana wearing the necklace made from his own crystallized thoughts. He also pictured her with a ring on her finger and a tiara placed gently on her head.

Even just in his imagination, the image suited her beautifully.

The idea of adorning her with ornaments crafted from something that was essentially a part of himself filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction.

“Annoying pests causing trouble… it’s not like that’s anything new.”

His mood suddenly lightened. It was rare for his irritation to disappear so quickly, but now it felt almost insignificant.

Maybe preparing to marry a woman with holy power was making him more patient than usual.

“Let’s head back for now,” Braeden said as he started walking.

This time, it was Lochlan who looked puzzled.

“Huh? He’s really just going to walk away?”

The Archdemon Belial was not the kind of being to simply ignore something that annoyed him. Tolerating it like this was completely out of character.

Still confused by his master’s unexpected behavior, Lochlan followed behind him in silence.

The next morning, Juliana let out a quiet laugh as she watched Rosie trying to feed Atlante.

“I’ve never seen a bird so picky about food,” she said.

Rosie shook her head in disbelief. Atlante, insisting that something as noble as the tear of a god couldn’t possibly eat something as disgusting as bugs, refused anything but fruit. And not just any fruit — she would only eat the freshest, sweetest ones, like a person with a refined palate, which drove Rosie crazy.

“Atlante, you do understand my situation, don’t you?” Juliana asked, her voice cool.

Atlante flinched and dropped the piece of apple she had been happily pecking at.

During her time staying at the Barnett estate, Atlante had seen clearly how Juliana was treated in this house. She knew exactly where Juliana stood.

She barely ate a handful of food in the name of maintaining her figure, had no time to rest, and spent her days stuck in etiquette lessons. Any spare time was filled with copying scripture by hand. On top of that, there was constant interference, nagging, and, at times, even punishment.

It was a wonder she had managed to endure this long.

Ugh, to think I ended up in a place where I can’t even eat fruit freely. Grumbling, she silently cursed the gods.

“Don’t be picky. I’m saying this for your own good,” Juliana said, her tone softening as she looked at Atlante’s sulky face.

<I still refuse to eat bugs. No matter what.> Atlante was firmly set in her ways.

She looked like a demon’s familiar on the outside, but to Juliana, the grumbling, fussy bird was starting to seem strangely endearing.

“You said you’re going out today, miss?” Rosie asked as she bustled around, helping Juliana get ready.

“Yes, there’s something important happening today. So please, pay extra attention to the details.”

“Who are you meeting?” Rosie asked curiously.

“Felix Everett, the young viscount,” Juliana replied.
And his mistress, Aileen Sanders. Of course, she couldn’t say that part out loud.

“Ah… I see. Things didn’t turn out so well for him, did they?” Rosie said sympathetically.

After news spread of Braeden and Juliana’s engagement, public opinion quickly turned in Felix’s favor, with many feeling sorry for him.
No doubt, the moment Felix realized people were pitying him, he would throw a fit.

In any case, Juliana intended to meet him one last time to offer her formal regrets. At least, that was the official reason.
In truth, she was hoping to push forward the moment Felix and Aileen crossed paths.

The place they had met before was Carville Restaurant, where Felix had taken Aileen to celebrate his first wedding anniversary.
It was there that he had fallen for Aileen at first sight.

Juliana remembered it clearly, the way he couldn’t take his eyes off Aileen’s glamorous appearance.
If they met again, she had no doubt it would play out exactly the same.

May they be together from the very beginning in this life, she thought, truly wishing it from the bottom of her heart.

“The young Viscount Everett isn’t quite as pitiful as you think,” Juliana said, “but still, I thought we should have at least one proper conversation.”

“Oh my, who could possibly stop our lady from being so generous,” Rosie said with a shake of her head. Even so, she took extra care in dressing Juliana that day, more than usual.

Juliana arrived at Carville a little earlier than the appointed time. She chose a seat where she could clearly see the entrance.
She also made sure that from Felix’s seat, the entrance would be in his direct line of sight.

A short while later, Felix arrived. Guided by the maître d’, he walked toward her. He gave off his usual sharp, sensitive air, but his noticeably thinner appearance came as a surprise.

“Lady Barnett,” he said in a calm, subdued voice. The formal title, spoken with such courtesy, felt strangely unfamiliar.

Juliana stood and returned the greeting with grace.

“Hello, Viscount Everett,” Juliana greeted politely.

“Thank you for asking to meet with me first,” he replied.

Juliana felt a chill run down her spine at his unexpected behavior.

The Felix she knew was never this calm or well-mannered.
What’s going on? Why is he acting like this?
It was unsettling, like he had suddenly become a completely different person.

“Since you were the one who asked to meet, I’ll return the gesture by paying for lunch,” he said.

“What? You really don’t have to…” Juliana started, but before she could finish, he had already ordered the most expensive course on the menu.

“Thank you for your kindness,” she said, managing a stiff smile as she gave a polite nod.

She had chosen this fancy restaurant not only because it was where Felix and Aileen first met, but also because it was a public place, open and busy.
With so many people around, he wouldn’t be able to yell or act violently.

Even so, she had expected him to raise his voice or at least criticize her. She had come today prepared to face that much.

“I didn’t expect him to act this calm,” Juliana thought.

She knew she had to stay sharp. He could change at any moment. With that in mind, Juliana took a breath and composed herself again.

Just then, someone familiar walked into the restaurant. It was Tristan Barnett.

As Juliana noticed him, he seemed to spot her too. His shoulders twitched noticeably.

Ever since Braeden had visited the estate, Tristan had been in a foul mood. Like someone staging a silent protest, he had been keeping his distance, continuing his cold war alone.

Now, he deliberately looked away, turning his head so sharply it was almost dramatic. Juliana couldn’t help but feel a little stunned by the exaggerated reaction.

“You’re engaged to Archduke Ortis?” Felix asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Yes. His Highness is a lot more decisive than people assume,” she replied with a calm smile.

Felix had to admit, that much was true.

While Felix hesitated, weighing his options and dragging his feet, Archduke Ortis finalized the marriage by offering a deal that was hard to refuse—the mining rights and exclusive distribution rights to the Kaerbro Mine.

Felix tried to step in later, but since he wasn’t yet the head of the family, the money he could convince his father to release was limited.

Besides, the Barnett family wasn’t the kind of noble house worth taking a financial loss for.

The opportunity had come when Count Barnett had lowered his pride and reached out. That was the moment Felix should have taken action.
He regretted missing it, but by now, it was far too late.

“Do you love Archduke Ortis?”

If things weren’t going his way, he had to at least try appealing to her emotions. When Felix asked the question, hoping to find a crack in Juliana’s heart, the restaurant door opened, and Aileen walked in.

With her red hair, vivid blue eyes, and a deep blue dress that matched her gaze perfectly, she stood out even from a distance.

Juliana could feel the attention in the room shift. Every eye turned toward Aileen in an instant.

Felix, how does it feel to see the woman you once loved so deeply again?

Juliana turned to look at Felix, a faint smirk of sarcasm on her lips.

She imagined him with that blank, lovestruck expression she remembered from her previous life, staring at Aileen as if nothing else existed.

“Was that question too difficult to answer?” she asked calmly.

But to her surprise, Felix wasn’t looking at Aileen at all.
His eyes were fixed on Juliana, focused and steady, as if he had no interest in looking anywhere else.

This can’t be real, Juliana thought, stunned.

And then, to make things worse, Aileen began walking, straight toward Tristan.

“Excuse me, were you hoping to see me?” Aileen asked, smiling sweetly, a smile so dazzling it could make anyone lose their sense of reason.