After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 53

If the choice had to be someone from the imperial family, then it should have been me—not Abel.

Bloodline. The weight carried by that name is no less than the weight of a life.

“But you must think about what comes next. Once the Mergen bloodline dies out, what will happen then? Things might become easier than they are now.”

Could anyone say for certain that after Mergen, then Bahel, the Lutetian imperial family wouldn’t be next?

At the very least, the ones who should be leading the effort to protect Mergen’s bloodline are Lutetia and Bahel.

I gave a small smile.

On the Crown Prince’s usually expressionless face, a faint smile appeared—just for a moment.

“You’re quite an interesting woman, Lady Irene.”

“Your Highness is rather intriguing yourself.”

Honestly, I was tired of conversations like this.

When people first met me in Irene’s appearance, their reactions had felt fresh—even a little amusing.

I wonder if they realize—these shallow, condescending stares that try to weigh me down—they only fuel me more.

“Unfortunately, it seems our intentions don’t quite align,” Matthias said, his tone regretful.

At least the fact that he was putting on an expression meant he was trying to show some courtesy.

“It looks like Henry has heard the news.”

The Crown Prince’s gaze moved away from me.

I turned my head to follow his eyes.

There was Henry, walking toward us with a lively step.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

It was the first time I’d seen Henry in the palace while in this body.

With how grand and extravagant the palace was, I thought anyone might look small or out of place—but not him.

Even surrounded by all that luxury, his natural charm and energy stood out.

“If you were planning to come to the palace, you should’ve told me.”

Henry spoke warmly as he came to stand beside me.

Watching us, the Crown Prince spoke again.

“It seems Lady Irene would be more comfortable with you than with me. Why don’t you show her around the palace?”

He passed me off lightly, without the slightest hesitation.

“My brother is right. I’ll take her from here.”

Honestly, I wished they would just leave me alone.

I’d much rather find a quiet garden and sit by myself.

“Well then, let’s meet again sometime.”

I nodded at Crown Prince Matthias’s parting words.

He walked away without looking back.

Was he actually upset over a few words?

Not that it mattered to me.

“I heard His Majesty summoned the head of House Mergen, but I didn’t know you came along as well.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Come to my room.”

“I thought you were supposed to be giving me a tour of the palace.”

“What’s there to see, really?”

Henry gave a light shrug.

If I hadn’t known my way around the palace, I might’ve been a bit taken aback.

But in truth, I preferred a quiet seat to wandering through the halls.

Strangely enough, in moments like this, Henry and I always seemed to be on the same page.

Unfortunately.

“Let’s go.”

At my response, Henry smiled, the corners of his lips curving up deeply.

“Make yourself comfortable. I should prepare something to drink since we have a guest.”

Henry seemed to be in a good mood.

He hummed a little tune as he opened the cabinet.

Meanwhile, I sat down on the sofa like it was second nature.

“I’m sure that bottle of peach wine I got recently is around here somewhere.”

At his murmured words, I responded without thinking.

“I’m sorry, but I’m allergic to peaches, so that might be a bit of a problem…”

A problem? Was it?

I stopped mid-sentence.

It wasn’t Lady Irene who was allergic to peaches—it was Deborah.

For a split second, Henry’s eyes locked onto mine.

He was already holding the bottle.

“……”

A brief silence fell between us.

It wouldn’t be strange for twin sisters to share the same allergy.

There was no reason for Henry to know every little detail.

And when it came to Lady Irene, it was only natural that people wouldn’t know much.

“I see.”

Henry looked at me for a moment, then smiled again and moved.

The bottle in his hand was smoothly replaced with another—a red one.

It was still alcohol.

“Normally, one would offer tea during the day.”

“You’re more old-fashioned than you look,” Henry replied casually, ignoring my comment as he hooked two glasses onto his fingers and brought them over.

He sat across from me.

“You look a bit worn out.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

Ever since I began living in Irene’s body, my health had only improved. Anyone who saw me would usually say I looked more vibrant than before—not worn down.

“Seems like you’ve had a lot on your mind.”

Henry continued as he began pouring the drink smoothly into the glasses. The deep red liquid swirled boldly into the tilted glass.

“Well, it’s not exactly a secret, is it? Abel and I are now rivals for the succession, and House Mergen is going through one misfortune after another.”

“I’m not sure I’d call it misfortune.”

“Anyone who sees this as an opportunity would have to be a pretty vile person.”

Even if someone despised the Mergen name, the people who live there have done nothing wrong. I’m one of those who truly hopes they can live happily on that land.

“Are you saying Abel falls into that vile category?”

He placed a glass in front of me.

I didn’t feel like drinking, so I just looked at it.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far.”

Even Abel wouldn’t have wanted the monsters to appear. No one in their right mind would.

“What did my brother say to you?”

“He asked me to give up the right to succeed.”

“He must be leaning toward Abel, especially after relying on him in battle.”

“It’s only natural.”

After all, Abel was the one who had his back on the battlefield. The trust built in that kind of situation runs deep. And maybe there’s also the hope that when he becomes emperor, Abel will stand by his side in return.

“Balance… it really is important.”

“What do you mean?”

“If my brother is throwing his support behind Abel, don’t you think it’d be more interesting if I backed you instead?”

“……”

If that really happens, it’ll only make things more complicated for me.

“Or maybe, just maybe… like Lady Chloe said, I should support Abel to get the outcome I want.”

“So, you’ve had a separate conversation with Chloe.”

“Your mother seems quite determined to see her son become head of the family.”

To Henry, the affairs of our house were nothing more than a source of amusement.

“Seems like the number of battles I’ll have to fight keeps growing by the day.”

“I’m too soft-hearted to want to fight you, you know.”

Whichever side Henry chose, I had no say in it.

Just because someone acts warm and friendly in front of me doesn’t mean I should trust them. That would be foolish.

Henry was the kind of man who had lived his whole life that way.

Instead of replying, I lifted the glass in front of me.

The matters within Mergen were, at least, something I could try to manage. But the moment the imperial family got involved, none of it would work in my favor.

Silence stretched out between us.

The soft clink of ice in his glass pulled me out of my thoughts.

“You’ve been seeing a lot of my uncle lately,” he said casually, changing the subject.

“You mean the Grand Duke?”

Henry gave a slight nod.

“Are you planning something together?”

“We’ve agreed to work in cooperation.”

“Quite the unexpected pairing.”

Henry laughed softly and took a sip from his glass.

“So, unlike me, does he have some actual use to you?”

At that, I paused for a moment.

The Grand Duke’s value, huh…

“At least for now, we need each other.”

“Mergen and Bahel, joining forces.”

Hearing it from Henry’s lips really did make it sound like an odd match.

“There are bound to be people who don’t like it.”

“Like the imperial family, for example.”

Henry chuckled at my answer.

His long fingers traced the rim of his glass, swirling the ice slowly.

His lashes dropped, hiding the expression in his eyes.

And I couldn’t quite tell what he was about to say next.

“Do you enjoy hunting?”

The sudden question caught me off guard.

“If you mean hunting animals… not particularly.”

“Then let’s go together next time. I’d like to show you what makes it so enjoyable.”

The moment his eyes met mine, the intensity behind them flared to life.

What exactly is it he’s trying to say through hunting?

I found myself genuinely curious.

“I don’t see why not.”

Constantly pushing someone away is exhausting in its own way.

Sometimes, letting them in just a little might be necessary—to keep the balance.

“His Majesty has become quite talkative these days. He’s not like he used to be. It’ll probably take a long time before he’s ready to release the head of your house, so in the meantime, let’s just keep sharing drinks like this.”

Until now, I hadn’t really thought about it—but maybe Henry was right.

Compared to others, there is a certain ease in being around him.

‘In the end, getting used to someone isn’t a one-sided process.’

Maybe we’ve simply grown used to each other—like this.

A cool drink in the bright daylight… it was surprisingly good at easing the tension.

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