After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 50

“The Imperial Palace?”

The words caught me off guard—I had no idea what this was about.

“Princess Eleana has invited you, my lady,” Karlin began to say, but was cut off by Eliot.

I paused, thinking for a moment.

“Isn’t an invitation usually preceded by a notice and a formal response before being finalized?”

“Princess Eleana isn’t the kind of person who cares for protocol,” Eliot said flatly.

“Why is she calling for me?”

“You’re not the only one invited. She summoned you, Young Master Abel, and Young Master Nehrzhu.”

“What an interesting combination.”

I tried to recall the face of Princess Eleana, who hadn’t even bothered to show up at my funeral.

Weddings, funerals—coming and going to such events really does define a relationship.
Her absence must’ve bothered me more than I realized.

“Not just me, but all three of us?”

That attitude didn’t sit well with me.

To be honest, it was arrogant.

If she wanted to see a brawl, she should go to the arena, not treat the Mergens like her private circus.

Yes, she’s a princess of the Empire—an important title—but since when does a princess get to summon Mergen heirs like we’re her personal attendants?

If I were still officially the heir, I’d have turned her down ten times over using any excuse I could find.

“Decline it.”

Why bother pretending?

That seat will be mine again soon enough anyway.

“…Understood.”

Eliot seemed to catch my mood right away.

He didn’t argue. Just accepted my decision silently.

Maybe I’ve been too soft lately.

Too many things were testing my patience.

Or maybe I’ve simply become less tolerant.

It was a reasonable thought, but I dismissed it quickly.

No need to stress myself out over that.

They say one moment can change your future.

And my arrogant refusal came back at me like a storm.

“Are you Irene Mergen?”

Golden hair. Blue eyes. A tear-shaped beauty mark just beneath the slanted tip of her eye.

I’d seen her before.

“Your Highness.”

“I figured we’d meet eventually. Took you long enough, didn’t it?”

The sarcastic tone reminded me of Henry.

The uninvited guest was none other than Princess Eleana.

“I hear you turned down my invitation.”

She strolled through the mansion, flanked by several attendants and guards, her gaze sweeping over everything.

If I had known I’d be forced to welcome her here this morning, maybe I would have gotten into the carriage and headed to the palace after all.

…No. On second thought, not a chance.

“I wasn’t feeling well. Regrettably, I couldn’t accept your invitation.”

“You look perfectly fine to me.”

That sharp tongue… clearly runs in the family.

“Well, as the rumors say—cough—my health is delicate.”

Sometimes pretending to be fragile is the easiest way to avoid a hassle.
I’d just learned that.

Not a bad trick to pick up.

“I’m not here for excuses.”

“…Then what brings you here so urgently?”

“Let’s sit. We can talk properly.”

Like it was her own home, she walked through the central hall and made herself comfortable.

Her guards and attendants trailed behind her in a swarm.

That’s when I called out to her.

“Your Highness.”

Eleana turned sharply to look at me.

“Personal guards are not allowed within the Mergen residence.”

“…What?”

Her face twisted in disbelief, then irritation.

“Did you just tell me no?”

Her voice rose like a blade, cutting through the air.

I smiled and spoke calmly.

“In Mergen territory, we follow Mergen customs. Even if it were His Majesty himself, the law remains the same.”

Even the Emperor observed proper etiquette here—
So what made a mere princess think she could act so high and mighty?

Whether she understood the message or not, I couldn’t be sure.

Princess Eleana, momentarily stunned and at a loss for words, stood there speechless.
I simply met her gaze with a warm smile.

I wondered to myself how best to handle this clueless little kitten.

This woman is… strange.

Eleana studied Irene carefully, as she sat straight and poised across from her.

There was something about her presence.

It was calm, quiet—yet somehow imposing.

“They said she holds no standing in Mergen.”

Eleana had long been fascinated by the Mergen family.

To her, there was no house more mysterious, more steeped in legacy and prestige.

Back when Deborah was alive, Eleana had even admired her.

Deborah, who never bowed her head to anyone, not even as a woman—that strength had made her something of an idol to Eleana.

But Irene was supposed to be different.

A plain, forgettable figure—someone whose name she could barely remember.

That was all she had expected.

“So why am I nervous?”

Her palms were beginning to sweat.

She had stormed into the Mergen estate, intent on putting this woman in her place—
But now, she was starting to regret it.

“Even if it were the Emperor himself? How unbelievably arrogant.”

She should’ve been the one with the upper hand.

She had every right to be angry—but somehow, the words wouldn’t come out.

She couldn’t stop staring.

That pale pink hair, soft as mist. The skin so clear it almost seemed to glow.
Even the hand that held the teacup had a graceful elegance.

Her lashes were lowered just so—not defiant, but far from meek.

It wasn’t just beauty.
This kind of grace couldn’t be taught.

It had to be something you were born with—something deeper than manners or training.

“Even the way she breathes looks rehearsed.”

Eleana was certain she herself couldn’t possibly be lesser than this woman.
She had grown up in the palace, after all.

And yet—something about this woman made her feel… small.

She had come to embarrass her. To intimidate her.
But now she found herself curious.

She wanted to know who Irene Mergen really was.

“Hmm. This tea—where is it from?”

For now, she decided to observe her.

I had expected her to blow up, to shout or throw out orders, but instead, Princess Eleana spent a long time just watching me.

And when she finally spoke—she asked about the tea?

“It’s lotus leaf tea. It helps calm the mind and body.”

“The aroma is subtle… but it lingers.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

She hadn’t come all this way just to comment on the tea.

“Hmm. This estate… looks just as I remember it from childhood.”

She glanced around the hall, her eyes quietly taking in the surroundings.

“Does it? It’s not a place that changes easily.”

“That’s what I like about Mergen. The history. The tradition. That kind of thing.”

At her words, I smiled inwardly.

A hollow, crumbling name—still able to look dignified in someone else’s eyes.
That was almost amusing.

“I also heard Sir Abel has returned to the estate. Is that true?”

A faint note of excitement flickered across her face.

So that was it.

Now I understood her real reason for coming.

“Would you like to see Abel?”

I asked, my voice as even and pleasant as I could make it.

I thought that if I showed any interest, she might immediately shut down and hide her real intentions.

“Even when invitations are sent from the palace, he never comes. Always so busy with house affairs.”

“That makes sense. Abel is probably at his busiest right now.”

So this sudden royal visit—it wasn’t really about me or Nehrzhu.

It was about Abel.

We were just… decoration.

Hmm.

How amusing.

“Have you met Abel before?”

“Well, with all the merit he’s earned, of course I’ve at least seen him from afar.”

“He’s quite the dignified man, isn’t he?”

“Y-Yes, of course.”

A faint blush rose on Princess Eleana’s cheeks.

“He has a face to match—and a character just as admirable.”

“He seemed that way, yes.”

When she smiled, a tiny dimple formed on her cheek.

It was honestly… kind of cute.

“He’d make a fine husband, wouldn’t he?”

“Hmph! Sure, people make a fuss about his origins, but that sort of thing doesn’t matter—not really.”

“I agree completely.”

I nodded just enough to show support without overdoing it and smiled politely.

To think she wore her heart so openly.

How pure.

“I’m not like those stiff-necked, old-fashioned nobles.”

She spoke as if she held some grand, progressive philosophy. It was almost comical.

In her pretty little world—the one housed inside that well-protected royal head—everything must still seem so simple and lovely.

“If you’re lucky, you may see him today. He’s been staying at the estate more often lately.”

“R-Really?”

How long did it take for that faint blush to reach the tips of her ears?

Not long at all.

She was someone whose feelings spread across her face with remarkable speed.

“Rather than just sitting here, why don’t we take a walk? The estate may not rival the palace, but it has a charm of its own.”

“Truly?”

Not long ago, she had been bristling just slightly with tension—yet now, she seemed completely at ease with me.

“Why not? There’s no reason we shouldn’t.”

I smiled sweetly.

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