After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 45

It happened the moment Karlin’s scream echoed loudly through the forest.

Thud—!

A heavy sound came from somewhere behind me.

When I turned around, a spear was lodged deep in the boar’s body.

“…!”

And next to it, Abel approached, wearing only light trousers and a shirt.

“Abel…”

Of all times, it had to be now. I was mortified to be seen like this by him.

After confirming I was unharmed, Abel turned his gaze back to the wild boar.

Without a second’s hesitation, he drew his sword and leapt at it.

Clench.

Sensing the brutality of what was about to happen, I instinctively shut my eyes.

“Screeeeech—!”

A shrill, tearing cry.

It was the sound of death drawing near.

A wave of nausea and a sharp, unpleasant emotion churned up from within.

My breathing grew ragged.

“Milady, are you all right?”

Karlin and Elliot, both alarmed, rushed to support me.

Though my feet were planted firmly on the ground, I felt a dizzying vertigo, like I was teetering at the edge of a cliff.

“I’m… fine.”

As I forced myself upright, I saw Abel striding toward me, his body drenched in the boar’s blood.

He looked… angry.

“Are you insane?”

Those were the first words out of his mouth—a scolding accusation.

“You’re being too harsh, Sir Abel,” Elliot intervened.

But I raised a hand to stop him.

“You two—go find the hunters. We need to recover the boar’s carcass.”

“But Milady…”

“Go. Now.”

After sending Karlin and Elliot away, I turned to Abel, who was still glaring at me.

“Why are you angry?”

“I told you not to get hurt. That meant not putting yourself in danger.”

“And why should I listen to you?”

Suddenly, Abel grabbed my arm.

“Ah.”

A sharp pain flared.

Blood was trickling from my elbow.

“Was protecting your pride worth more than your own safety—when you couldn’t even fend off a mere boar?”

Such a blatant rebuke. It stung.

“I just didn’t want to cause a scene—at least not on Grandfather’s birthday. I’ve stirred up enough trouble already.”

“Then keep doing that. I’d rather you turned the estate upside down again than risked your life like this.”

“You’re the one who’s lost it.”

I yanked my arm free with all my strength.

Abel’s hand slipped away.

“Whether I get hurt—or die—it’s none of your concern. Understood?”

“It is my concern.”

He struggled to contain the sudden surge of emotion, his voice halting and uneven.

“Don’t overstep your bounds. I never gave you permission to worry about me.”

“I saved your life.”

“And I never asked you to.”

Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to say to someone who’d just saved me, but it was the truth.

To impose unwanted help and then expect gratitude…

“Permission… That’s what matters to you.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

“You should return and get treated first.”

Abel grabbed my arm again.

This time, with a firm grip—one that said he wouldn’t let go.

A dull ache spread up my arm.

What arrogance.

All the way back, that was the only thing on my mind.

“Ugh, Brother, what are you doing?”

“Did you provoke our sister?”

“What? What are you talking about?! That wretched girl tricked me into this mess! Cough.”

“Cough, cough.”

Nehrzhu was suddenly attacked while lying in bed.

“Did she die or something?”

“If she had, you’d be dead by my hand too.”

“Why are you taking it out on me because of her, brother?”

“……”

A furrow formed between Abel’s brows.

“Mother and Uncle wanted to get rid of that girl. Wasn’t that all for your sake?”

“That’s not for you to assume so lightly.”

“Mother said you’d be the heir! That you’d finally made up your mind! She told me to support you with everything I have!”

Nehrzhu was frustrated.

He couldn’t understand why he had to suffer such humiliation when he had done nothing wrong.

“From now on, don’t even think about laying a finger on her.”

“Why are you keeping that wench around? Isn’t she our enemy?”

Nehrzhu shouted, his voice full of fury.

But to Abel, his outburst was no more than the buzzing of an insect.

Without so much as a glance, Abel left the room.

“Ugh… Aaah!”

Nehrzhu was the one who finally exploded.

He grabbed the pillow on his bed and threw it across the room in a fit of rage.

It felt as though everyone in the household—his brother, his mother, even that half-wit Irene—was treating him like a fool.

No matter how much he fumed, his anger didn’t subside.

“My Lord, the number of monsters continues to increase by the day.”

“If it weren’t for Lord Abel, the nearby villages would already be in grave danger.”

“Indeed. We’re truly fortunate to have him in our family.”

“His private soldiers have played a vital role in suppressing the monsters.”

As reports of the latest incident were delivered, the retainers took turns praising Abel.

And it wasn’t just them.

Everyone across the lands of Mergen had started to revere Abel.

They called him a true heir of Mergen’s bloodline, venerating him as if he were holy—but in truth, few knew that not a single drop of Mergen blood flowed through his veins.

“Well, does bloodline really matter? If he can elevate the family’s prestige and protect the land, isn’t that what truly makes a lord?”

“Exactly. Absolutely.”

Several retainers chimed in as though following a rehearsed script.

“Is the name of Mergen meant to serve merely as a glorified guard?”

“W-Well, that’s not exactly what we meant…”

“Still, one cannot deny the authority carried by true blood of Mergen.”

Even though Chloe had secured the loyalty of many retainers, Mergen was a family deeply proud of its ancient bloodline.

That pride ran deep in their bones.

“If the bloodline ends, can we still call it Mergen…?”

A retainer, mid-sentence, fell silent under the weight of a sharp glare.

Chloe had been listening closely to their every word.

It was then that Roosevelt spoke up.

“But if we have no power to protect this land, then what’s left of Mergen’s reputation?”

“He’s right. The one who can protect Mergen should be its next lord.”

Since the drought ritual incident, the retainers had split into two factions:

Those who clung to traditional legitimacy, and those who had sided with Chloe.

But in truth, neither faction was driven by a noble sense of duty.

They were simply weighing which side best protected their own interests.

“You must name an heir soon. The internal strife is growing unbearable.”

“At this rate, everyone’s going to burn out from the indecision.”

Under pressure from the retainers, the Lord finally spoke.

“I will make the heir’s designation public at the upcoming banquet.”

“……!”

“Y-You will?”

The retainers’ eyes lit up.

At last, there was real progress on the issue of succession.

“Until then, no more talk on the matter.”

From that moment on, the atmosphere among the gathered retainers was taut with both excitement and anxiety.

The day of the banquet arrived.

As expected from the effort poured into it, the banquet was grand.

A dazzlingly decorated venue, bustling crowds, elegant food, and beautiful music.

Everything was in perfect harmony—except for the guests, who were largely unremarkable.

Ah, myself included, of course.

“I heard your leg was fractured. Doesn’t seem to have kept you from walking.”

I approached Nehrzhu at the banquet hall.

Talking to him was more tolerable than dealing with the old, sly retainers.

“I fell right into the trap you dug.”

“A trap? That’s a rather frightening accusation.”

“I was so angry, I couldn’t even sleep! Do you even realize that?”

“How tragic. I’m at a loss for words.”

“Ugh!”

His exaggerated reactions made teasing him all the more entertaining.

Watching Nehrzhu sputter, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Here, drink this and cool off. Oh wait, alcohol might not be the best for an injured man.”

I snatched back the wine glass I’d held out to Nehrzhu and tipped it into my own mouth.

“Y-You!”

Just as Nehrzhu was fuming, the star of the night arrived—our grandfather.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea as everyone stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

From afar, it looked like a warm and touching scene.

“When you watch from a distance, everyone seems so happy. Sparkling, even.”

“What are you rambling about?”

I hadn’t meant for anyone to hear it.

But Nehrzhu, having caught my little soliloquy, frowned.

“To the eyes of those looking in from even further away, we probably look like we’re part of that cheerful scene too, don’t we?”

“Hmph. Are you trying to whine about being looked down on by the family?”

“You know… I remember when you first came to this mansion.”

And along with that memory came another—of my very first meeting with Abel, standing there in the center of the crowd.

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