After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 47

There’s always a certain emptiness that follows a banquet.

After the crowd disappears and the noise dies down, something hollow always settles in its place.

Watching the used and abandoned remains of the hall had become one of my strange little habits.

But tonight, I wasn’t the only one indulging in that odd enjoyment.

“You must’ve found this banquet entertaining.”

Abel approached me quietly. I didn’t bother looking at him as I replied:

“It would be a lie to say it wasn’t.”

“Why do you think Grandfather made that decision?”

“Is that what you’ve been thinking about this whole time?”

When I took a step back and tried to cool my thoughts, I could see it more clearly:
Grandfather had sensed danger.

He must have foreseen the long-term threat the monsters would bring—both vast and enduring.

Rather than letting Mergen quietly fade away with tradition, he chose a path that could ensure its survival, whatever it looked like.

But that didn’t sound like the grandfather I knew.

“Maybe time changes people. Or maybe fear just makes them weak.”

“It seems we disagree,” Abel said calmly.

“Then what do you think?”

“I think it’s simple—he wants to see how far you’re willing to go. He wants to see real power.”

So… even Abel didn’t believe Grandfather was on his side.
Even after such a favorable playing field had been laid out in front of him, he still doubted it.

“Do I look like someone who could catch a rabbit with these frail arms? Haven’t you already seen me humiliated enough?”

“And yet you always manage to find a way, don’t you?”

A cold breeze passed between us.

He wasn’t wrong.

Honestly, I was the kind of person who burned even brighter when things were against me.
Back then, clearing obstacles out of my way was the only thing that ever gave me joy.

Come to think of it, what a twisted personality that is.

I let out a quiet sigh and finally turned to face Abel.

“You’ve made up your mind, haven’t you?”

As my question reached him, Abel slowly shifted the toe of his boot toward me.

Now we stood face-to-face, barely a step apart.

“You seem excited.”

“If I’m being honest… I’ve never felt more alive.”

“At the thought of beating me?”

“Perhaps that’s part of it.”

He wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore.

Facing someone who stood so boldly in front of me like this…

It’s terrifying.

When did Abel become someone, I was afraid of?

The doubts I’d quietly held inside for so long suddenly turned to certainty—and that realization was… heavy.

“What you want is to rise to the top of Mergen—the family that once looked down on you.”

“I just want to have it.”

That word—have—fit better than rise.

I curled one corner of my mouth into a wry smile.

“Funny. You used to act like you didn’t care at all about becoming the Lord or heir. Like nothing in this house ever mattered to you.”

“Titles like ‘Lord’ or ‘heir’… to me, they’re nothing more than weapons I can wield.”

“Weapons? You’d reduce Mergen to a sword you can swing?”

Brazen. But strangely… not offensive.

Maybe this kid had a vision that was freer, a little better than my own.

At least it wasn’t for some melodramatic cause. That made it easier to respect.

“It’s just a tool. Nothing more.”

“A tool…”

His words reminded me of something I once said.

Yes… a tool. A seat I need, to get what I want.

Was that a mistake?

“If sitting in that seat is what it takes to get what I want, then I won’t hesitate.”

“…Ha.”

“I’ve survived countless battles,” Abel said as he reached his hand toward me.

I didn’t move an inch.

“So, I know a thing or two about how not to lose.”

His hand brushed just past the back of my neck.

A few strands of my hair caught on his fingers, fluttering in the breeze.

My eyes drifted down, following the movement of his hand.

And then, suddenly, Abel leaned in.

A breeze brushed past my ear.

“When you strike your opponent…” he whispered,
“…don’t look them in the eyes.”

A whisper-soft voice rang loud in my ear.

“I will become the master of Mergen, Deborah.”

That moment… that was when Abel struck.

Frozen in shock, all I could see was his silver hair fluttering as he turned away.

Abel knows who I really am.

But how?

I couldn’t even bring myself to ask the question. I just let him walk away.

“I stood there, stunned like a fool.”

Even thinking back now, the shock of that moment had left me completely speechless. I wouldn’t have been able to respond any other way.

He was always a sharp kid…

Still, who could possibly have guessed something like this?

Elliot?
No… Elliot would never side with Abel.

Then maybe… Great Aunt?
But she’s never cared about the succession. She’s always wanted to keep her distance from family affairs. That makes it unlikely.

“Then how…?”

How did Abel find out that I’m Deborah?

I had no idea.

“If I insist he’s just talking nonsense… would that help anything?”

I couldn’t help but wonder if Chloe and Roosevelt knew as well.

If this gets out… is it to my advantage or my downfall?

Logically speaking, revealing I’m Deborah could certainly help my claim to the position of heir.

But if that happens… this revenge would no longer belong to Irene.

“Haah.”

A sigh escaped me.

From the beginning, the idea of explaining this bizarre phenomenon to someone—of making them understand it, believe it, accept it—was never what I wanted.

I shouldn’t have been found out.

No one should have known.

Especially not Abel.

“We’ve arrived, miss.”

Today’s destination was the Bahèl family estate.

I stepped down from the carriage and looked up at the imposing mansion in front of me.

Do houses really resemble their owners?

The bold, open structure of the building looked so much like Lahan himself.

“Seeing you in my home… there’s something oddly refreshing about it.”

“And what kind of feeling would that be?”

“Almost like we’re already married.”

“How far must one’s imagination stretch to get that far?”

I already knew Grand Duke Lahan had a mischievous side, but sometimes his sudden remarks really caught me off guard.

“Let’s cut the jokes and talk business, shall we?”

“You’re as cold as a mountain breeze, I swear.”

I gave him a sharp glare.

“Well then, let’s take a look at the terms you’ve brought me.”

Lahan took the proposal I’d brought, neatly tucked under my arm.

Just moments ago, he’d been all casual charm, but now his expression turned serious.

He crossed his long legs and sat back, carefully scanning every line of the document. Occasionally, his brows would twitch or his eyes would narrow in thought.

Watching him, I could tell—when it came to business, he wasn’t playing around.

“If anything seems off, please let me know.”

When his response took too long, I carefully broke the silence.

“Something stands out.”

“Stands out?”

I’d gone over every military supply contract I could get my hands on and tailored these clauses with precision. Was there something too unusual?

“Because this contract doesn’t follow precedent, there’s bound to be a lot we’ll need to negotiate. If it’s a matter of profit—”

“No, not that.”

“Then the processing fees—”

Lahan shook his head.

“Profit sharing? Liability terms? Safety concerns?”

He kept shaking his head.

“The contract term is too short.”

“Ah… three years. Should I make it five?”

“If we’re going to form a bond of trust, shouldn’t it last a hundred years at least?”

“How shameless of you.”

I scoffed, and Lahan chuckled as he set the proposal down.

“To be honest, the details aren’t what matter most to me. What matters is who I’m working with.”

“So… shall we proceed as-is?”

“Bring me the official seal, and we’ll finalize it.”

So bold. So decisive.

Is this what good business looks like?

“There’s just one thing I want: create a weapon strong enough to fight the monsters.”

“I expected you to ask me to eliminate them, not arm you against them.”

Lahan propped his chin in his hand, his gaze lowering to look lazily in my direction.

“That will happen too, eventually. But relying solely on the help of a grand duke who could turn on me at any time… that’s a dangerous gamble. I’d rather place my trust in a weapon I can hold in my own hands.”

“You must think this war will drag on.”

“The monsters will keep appearing.”

At least… for as long as I live, they will.

“Have you ever fought one before?”

“I might look rough around the edges, but I came into the world during peaceful times.”

“Nothing out at sea?”

“Hard to say. Out there, people usually don’t survive long enough to come back and talk about it.”

“…So, there’s nowhere left to run, is there.”

The fact that monsters had begun appearing on land meant they might already be in the seas too.

But the ocean… it was never ours to command. We’ve always chosen to avoid it rather than confront it.

“And maybe that’s why we’re binding ourselves together with this contract. To prepare for the unknown.”

Grand Duke Lahan was many things—but a fool, he was not.

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