After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 51

Use people.

That was the very first lesson the Lord of the House taught me.

The virtue of a family head is knowing how to use the right people in the right place.

I lived by those words.

So, perhaps it’s no surprise that even without meaning to, my mind kept painting pictures of how best to make use of the princess now walking beside me.

“The garden here at Mergen may be small, but it has a quiet, refined beauty. That pond there is its centerpiece.”

“It’s small, yes—but I can see how it brings peace of mind.”

Princess Eleana was someone who could admire even the simplest scenery.

People in high positions often lived trapped within their own worldviews.
For those who believed what they knew was all there was, it was easy to take control.

“Abel loves this garden too, you know.”

“Does he?”

Truthfully, I had no idea if that was true or not.

“With all the talk of succession lately, I suppose that’s what’s been keeping him so busy?”

Eleana asked, sounding casually curious.

“Yes, that’s likely the reason.”

Though in reality, it was more likely that Abel simply had no desire to entertain the royal family.

“Do you think he’ll become the heir?”

Would that be good or bad for Princess Eleana?

The Emperor’s push for an engagement between Henry and me had been highly unusual.
There had never been precedent for such a union—meant to keep the Mergen family from growing too powerful.

But now that Mergen’s standing had plummeted, the engagement was enforced in a desperate attempt to restore it.

The very moment Mergen had to lean on the imperial family was when its fate had already begun to crumble.

Regardless, the imperial court never wanted any one noble house—Mergen, Bahel, or otherwise—to stand out too much.

An alliance between Abel and the princess…

A sudden thought crossed my mind.
Could this help untangle my engagement with Henry?

Something sweet and sharp took root.

Could I use this?

“This garden suits Your Highness very well.”

“Me?”

Her blue eyes sparkled wide in surprise.

“Call it fate, or just timing—but I believe there’s meaning in the fact that you’re here in this place, at this moment.”

“Irene…”

The look Princess Eleana gave me softened.

Too easy.

“Irene Mergen!”

Just then—
Like divine punishment for my perfect performance—my brows pulled tight in sudden irritation.

“Why are you so hard to find?!”

There were very few people in this world who would call out to me with that kind of rude energy.

“…Nehrzhu.”

Of course.
It had to be him, interrupting at this moment. What perfect timing.

“Is something the matter, Nehrzhu?”

I clenched my teeth and turned toward him.

“The Lord asked me to find you and…!”

Nehrzhu, who had come stomping over with frustration all over his face, stopped mid-sentence.

His gaze drifted past me—and landed on the princess.

“P-Princess Eleana?”

His voice cracked.

Had they met before?

“Nehrzhu?”

“You know each other?” I asked, noticing the familiarity in her voice.

“We attended the same academy. I withdrew after last semester, though.”

“Ah, I see.”

“But what are you doing at our estate…”

I studied Nehrzhu closely.

His stammering voice, the way he fidgeted with his hands, his lost, flickering gaze.

Was he simply intimidated by the princess?
Or was there… something else?

“It looks like you’ve been well. Your face looks healthier.”

“D-Does it?”

Was Nehrzhu always this shy?

The temper he normally directed at me was completely gone.
He looked like a docile little lamb.

I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“Well, this sweet reunion aside…” I turned to him. “Nehrzhu, is Abel at the estate?”

“He’s currently speaking with the Lord…”

“So, he’s at the estate. Perfect. Since we’re already passing by, would Your Highness like to see the Lord’s study as well?”

“Would that be alright?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

I replied with a fresh smile.

Eleana nodded eagerly.

Fate doesn’t always need a grand design.

If you happen to cross paths at just the right moment, isn’t that fate, too?

“Sir Abel!”

Apparently, Princess Eleana had a much more forward personality than I expected.

When she spotted Abel in the hallway, she was clearly two steps behind me—but in the blink of an eye, she had swept right past and was now standing directly in front of him.

“Your Highness,” Abel greeted her with a bow.

Then his eyes flicked to me and Nehrzhu standing behind.

“I sent you an invitation, but perhaps it wasn’t delivered? It wasn’t for anything special, really…”

Princess Eleana started chatting away in front of Abel, her voice bright and fluttering.

Abel listened quietly, nodding or shaking his head every so often.

Seeing them side by side… they do look rather good together.

It was quite a pleasant sight.

I suppose, after all, Abel is still my brother.

“It seems Her Highness is rather fond of Abel,” I whispered to Nehrzhu.

“…Well, my brother has always been popular with everyone…”

He mumbled something, but I didn’t really catch it—because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Abel.

Even standing before a princess, he was still looking straight at me, unwavering.

Was he trying to start a staring contest now?

I smiled faintly, and that made his brow twitch.

“Oh! Sir Abel—have you heard about the banquet coming up?”

Even if everyone’s standing in the same place, the background behind them isn’t always the same.

To me, the space where Princess Eleana stood looked tinged with soft pink.

She’s a different species than Henry, I thought.

And in more ways than one, that was actually a compliment.

“Ugh, I wasted my whole day chasing after Irene.”

Nehrzhu pouted, sulking like a misplaced decoration beside Abel and Princess Eleana.

To make things worse, when Irene suggested he step away and let them talk privately, he somehow ended up getting dragged into spending time with her instead—lunch, a stroll, and who knew what else.

“I feel like I’m being toyed with by that wretched woman.”

She was so frustrating when she wasn’t around, and yet the moment he saw her, he ended up falling right into her rhythm. That infuriated him even more.

Grumbling, Nehrzhu made his way to the wing of the estate where Chloe’s quarters were.

He hadn’t planned anything specific—just decided to stop by and see his mother.

But as he neared the room, strange voices filtered through the air.

‘What’s going on?’

Raised voices—an argument?

Through the slightly open door, a sliver of the room came into view.

“W-What do we do?! Sister! Call the physician!”

“No. We can’t bring in a doctor.”

Someone had collapsed. Two figures were bent over the body.

“I knew it! I knew this would happen! And now Vermont’s not even here… What do we do?!”

“Pull yourself together!”

The two scrambled to rouse the person who had fallen.

Nehrzhu’s eyes moved to the body on the floor—then widened.

‘…Brother?’

The one lying motionless on the ground was Abel.

‘Why…?’

To Nehrzhu, Abel had always been the strongest person in the world.

The way he looked down at others—so unwavering, so firm—it had made it hard for Nehrzhu to even stand straight in front of him.

And now… that same Abel was collapsed on the floor.

His face pale. His lips faintly blue.

Nehrzhu’s heart dropped.

“We can’t delay any longer! He needs blood!”

Blood?

Nehrzhu strained to listen to Chloe and Roosevelt’s conversation.

“If this continues, he could break at any moment. We can’t just sit here watching! And if this gets out to anyone—”

“Watch your words.”

Chloe’s voice was icy cold, in contrast to the frantic urgency of her hands.

“If this continues, everyone will die! Sister!”

“You think I want to sit here doing nothing?”

“I’ll take care of it myself.”

“…No. We need another way. Something safer—more reliable.”

Roosevelt stomped his foot in frustration.

‘What the hell is going on…?’

Nehrzhu still couldn’t make sense of the situation.

But one thing was crystal clear—Abel was not okay.

His breathing was shallow. His body wasn’t just tired—it was breaking.

“It’s alright, Abel… I’ll take care of everything.”

Nehrzhu’s heart pounded with a quiet kind of fear.

There was clearly something going on—something no one had told him.

“Abel… Abel…”

The way his mother called his brother’s name…
There was sorrow in it. And something else.

Something desperate.

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