After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 39

Was there ever a jewelry shop as extravagant as this?

“Leatherwork. Craftsmanship.”

“Gem processing.”

“Land leasing.”

“Construction.”

It felt like the retainers passing by had their businesses written on their faces like price tags.

Thinking about what to bring in next was—at the very least—more entertaining than this dull, lifeless funeral.

But none of it truly interested me.

If I had to pick something that did…

My eyes landed on Roosevelt.

“Is it true? They say Vermont tried to kill Irene…”

“And then he was taken care of last night? Then what—was it Irene?”

“She’s threatening us now, isn’t she? As if she’s holding our lives in her hands.”

“But didn’t you see her during the rain ritual? Vermont clearly wasn’t in his right mind.”

“Ever since Deborah died, the whole family’s been in chaos. It’s nonstop.”

They hadn’t realized I was standing nearby—and were talking about me openly.

People always loved to gossip, especially in front of the dead.

“But the rain ritual was a success. Something about Irene feels… different.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately too.”

There were cracks forming among the retainers.

It looked like I was getting what I wanted.

With Chloe cutting off Vermont—who had been her most trusted subordinate—the rest of them were bound to feel uneasy.

Whether they believed I killed him, or that Chloe abandoned him, either way… they were afraid.

“Watch what you say. Lady Chloe and Sir Abel are here.”

Apparently, I was invisible.

They were treating me like part of the funeral decor.

“Young Lady, Prince Henry is over there,” Karlin said.

I turned my head.

Sure enough, Henry stood there, dressed in black.

That man… is there any place he doesn’t show up?

Of course, he’d have heard about the funeral. But for him to actually come here—it wasn’t necessary. And yet, he did.

Must be a man with too much time on his hands.

Maybe that thought had shown too clearly on my face.

Henry spotted me.

“There’s been so much going on in Mergen lately that I’ve ended up busier than ever.”

“I’m not sure that’s something you should say in front of someone from Mergen.”

Henry greeted me with his usual laid-back smile, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled.

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

“Who would be in a good mood at a funeral?”

He studied me with that familiar smug grin.

Everywhere his gaze touched, discomfort followed.

His eyes lingered on my waist.

“Is the wound from the ritual… alright now?”

“Were you there at the rain ritual?”

“It was impressive.”

“Is there something you want to ask?”

“If I asked everything here, my legs might give out.”

“You sure take the long route just to ask for my time.”

Henry gave a quiet laugh.

“Looks like you’re just as uncomfortable here as I am.”

“For the record, I didn’t kill him.”

“Oh? I wasn’t trying to get that out of you.”

While we spoke, I noticed Abel watching us from a distance.

Roosevelt was standing next to him.

Oddly, it felt awkward meeting Abel’s eyes.

Then, he started walking toward us.

“Sir Abel. We meet again,” Henry greeted him.

Abel and Roosevelt bowed politely.

“Your Highness, I didn’t expect you to come all the way here…”

Roosevelt looked… different today. Almost deflated.

Then again, maybe it would’ve been strange if he hadn’t looked like that.

“You seem to be going through a lot,” I said, poking the wound on purpose.

What could I say? I’ve always had a sharp tongue.

“…You’ll understand when you have to cut off your own arm someday,” Roosevelt replied.

I let out a small, amused laugh.

“Why an arm? That’s dramatic—and painful.”

I added with a sympathetic smile:

“And your arm looks fine to me. Unless you’re feeling phantom pain?”

I could hear Roosevelt grinding his teeth from where I stood.

If I pushed any further, my coffin might end up next to Vermont’s.

Sometimes, retreating is the wisest choice.

“I’ll make time. Let’s go,”
I said to Henry.

Abel’s sharp gaze immediately fell on me.

Meeting Abel’s eyes, I continued speaking to Henry.

“No one here is expecting any genuine grief from me anyway.”

“Did you know it was going to rain?”

Prince Henry’s residence outside the Imperial Palace was a place I had visited a few times even before things went south.

You’d expect it to be renovated over the years, but it remained exactly the same—unchanged by time.

I lifted the warm tea in front of me and nodded.

“If I hadn’t been sure, I wouldn’t have stood on that platform.”

“So you only act when you’re certain. That it?”

“For the most part, yes.”

Saying it out loud, I realized again just how shameless I sounded.

I’d never thrown myself into something so uncertain before—not like I had recently.

“Then I guess my proposal didn’t offer you much certainty either. You still haven’t given me an answer.”

“Your proposal…”

Finally, he was getting to the point.

“You really don’t want to try this marriage-for-business idea?”

I hadn’t given him a reply yet.

“Since we go back a way, I’ll say this just once.”

Right now, what mattered was honesty.

Henry was always calculating and rational—so much so that honesty itself could make him uncomfortable.

“There’s nothing in Mergen that meets your expectations, Your Highness. And soon, there’ll be even less.”

“What expectations do you think I have?”

“There’ll be no profit, no alliance left. Just a stain that drags you down. Is that really what you want?”

“Hm.”

“Will you cling to a dying name, whose glory is long gone, just to fall with it?”

The only thing Henry was after was benefit.

Breaking off the engagement, keeping it, wanting to marry me—it was all the same. It was about gain.

Unfortunately for him, what he wanted was exactly what I intended to destroy.

“And that’s why I don’t need a fiancé.”

“Then what do you need?”

“Nothing good comes from sharing filth or blood. Everything I need is already in my hands.”

“Filth and blood, huh.”

Henry looked as relaxed as ever.

“I thought you were ambitious. Seems I misread you.”

If he ended up disappointed, that was even better.

If he thought I was insane and walked away, I’d be grateful.

“I understand you perfectly,” he said.

“Yes. A wise choice. Then, shall we proceed with the formal annulment—”

“But you know,”

Just when I thought things were going smoothly, he flipped the table.

All it took was one casual line from him.

“You’ve only made my resolve stronger.”

“……”

What kind of game was this?

“Let’s just say you’ve piqued my curiosity.”

“This isn’t a game. We’re not in a competition. There’s no reason for you to feel challenged.”

What had I triggered?

“I tend to get swept up by things I find interesting.”

“That’s nonsense. You’re not the kind of man who’d make major decisions based on a whim.”

“Funny, isn’t it?”

Henry cut into my sentence with ease, completely composed—unlike me, who was growing uneasy.

“Why are you trying so hard to push me away?”

“……”

“What is it about me that scares you?”

“You think I’m afraid of you?”

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on me.

Me? Afraid of this man?

Just a provocation.

Rattling someone and breaking their calm in a negotiation—it was a common, cheap tactic.

“You really look like you are.”

And yet, his words hit deeper than they should have.

Maybe he was right.

Had there ever been anyone in my life harder to deal with than Henry?

Even my cold, unyielding grandfather never made me cry.

But Henry—he’d managed that.

Somewhere in the faded corners of my memory, I remembered clearly:
I had once cried because of him.

“But even if that’s true… what would it change?”

Too many layers had built up over that old emotion. I couldn’t just pull it back out and use it.

At my cold response, Henry tilted his head slightly.

Resting his arm on the chair’s armrest, he brushed his temple with a finger. His eyes glinted sharply.

And then, silence fell between us.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I was just wondering… if I should try appealing to your emotions since you don’t seem interested in a contract.”

“Don’t even go there.”

“Ouch. That stings.”

At this point, anyone else would’ve given up, even out of pure frustration. But not him. He didn’t flinch.

“Then maybe I should try threatening you instead.”

“That would be petty.”

“So in the end, I’m the one with more to lose here, right?”

Henry sat up straighter, no longer leaning back so casually.

“Then tell me—what’s the right move?”

“……”

The right way to ask for an engagement?

In the end, marriage was just another form of negotiation.
It only worked when both sides’ interests lined up.
Age, status, timing, emotions—so many uncertain things had to fall into place. It was never easy.

“You could try begging for love.”

“…Begging, huh.”

For a brief second, something like offense passed through Henry’s eyes.

“Have you ever done it?”

“Begged? Or loved? You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Either.”

I doubted he even understood what it meant to love someone—let alone beg for them.

Even now, I was certain.
He wasn’t thinking about love. He was calculating, thinking about how best to use me.

“So in your eyes… I must look like the most shameless man in the world.”

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