After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 54

Henry stood still for a long time, watching the Mergen carriage disappear beyond the palace gates.

The taste of the wine lingered in his mind—just enough to leave him wanting more.

His eyes drifted toward the cabinet where the liquor was kept.

Peach.

Even though the bottle hadn’t been opened, he could almost smell the sweet, cloying scent of peaches wafting out.

“Even if you’re not interested in me, I wish you’d at least know that your fiancée could die just from eating the wrong thing.”

Deborah’s words came back to him, as clear as if she’d said them just yesterday.

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

Peach. Deborah. And Irene.

His thoughts tangled together.

It was from that moment that his face took on an unusual seriousness—something rarely seen on him.

As he hovered near the cabinet, his hand brushed past the peach wine and reached for nothing.

Today, I was scheduled to go on an inspection with Grand Duke Lahan.

I had questions about how the weapon manufacturing was progressing, and Lahan was interested in the monster incidents happening in Mergen. We coordinated the visit to meet both our goals.

“You know how to ride?” Lahan asked, surprised to see me on horseback.

“I put in the effort.”

Though my body was weak, it wasn’t completely useless. I’d dedicated most of my spare time to horseback riding, and now, I could manage on my own—at least for short distances.

“This village… it’s been a while since I last came here.”

“You’ve visited before?”

“There aren’t many places on the continent my feet haven’t touched.”

Lahan laughed heartily.

His black horse was easily one and a half times the size of mine. It didn’t look like an ordinary horse—it was a trained warhorse.

“Your horse is impressive.”

“Takes after its rider, wouldn’t you say?”

“……”

I chose not to respond.

I guided my horse past the bridge that marked the entrance to the village.

This was an outskirt village, located at the edge of Mergen’s territory. Less developed than the main city, but it was well-known for its natural beauty.

The people who lived here—rooted in the lush green land—were kind-hearted and sincere.

They were a big reason I’d come to love Mergen.

But today, the village atmosphere felt… wrong.

“Something’s not right,” Lahan said, narrowing his eyes.

“Shut doors. Broken buildings. Filth and a bad smell. This is nothing like how I remember it.”

Was it because of the village’s proximity to Hekla’s border? Maybe they had been attacked by monsters.

My eyes lingered on the collapsed structures scattered around.

“Looks like something happened.”

“And in broad daylight, there’s barely anyone around.”

Just as he said—there were barely a dozen people out on the streets.

“I think we should ask someone.”

I turned my horse and approached a passerby.

“Excuse me, are you from this village?”

“Yes… Can I help you?”

The man looked back and forth between Lahan and me, and though subtle, I caught a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.

“The village feels strangely quiet. Is something wrong?”

“Well…”

He lowered his voice and glanced around nervously.

“Outsiders wouldn’t know, but… this place isn’t safe anymore.”

“Not safe? Isn’t this land under Mergen’s protection?” Lahan asked.

The man let out a long sigh.

“Ever since the monsters started showing up, everything’s gone downhill. Even with soldiers guarding us, there’s only so much they can do. And on top of that…”

His eyes kept darting around, as if worried someone was watching.

Why was he being so cautious?

“It’s not just the monsters anymore. People have started disappearing. That’s why everyone’s nailing their doors shut and staying inside.”

Nailed shut?

Only then did I really notice the wooden boards hammered across many of the house doors.

“Disappearing? You mean… kidnappings?”

“At first, we thought the monsters were to blame. But now… we’re not so sure.”

The man’s face had turned grim.

“Then what do you think it is?”

I swallowed dryly.

Just then—

“Aaaah!”

A sharp scream rang out from nearby.

Startled, Lahan and I both tensed, while the man flinched in fear.

“Go take a look. One look will tell you more than a hundred explanations.”

The man gestured toward the direction the scream had come from.

“Let’s go.”

Without hesitation, Lahan turned his horse and headed toward the alley, where shadows hung like a dark curtain.

“This is…”

As I entered the alley, I couldn’t hide the surprise on my face.

“It’s definitely… strange.”

Lahan was just as taken aback.

“A monster?”

A black, shapeless corpse lay before us.

But something about it felt off—it didn’t quite resemble the monsters we knew.

Its frame was large, beast-like… or perhaps more like a gorilla. But still—

“It’s grotesque, isn’t it? At first, the villagers assumed it was just the corpse of a monster,” the man who had followed us explained.

“Then… it isn’t?”

“Look more closely.”

At his words, Lahan dismounted from his horse.

I followed suit, stepping deeper into the alley.

A foul stench hit my nose.

As we passed a few onlookers, the corpse came into clearer view.

“That’s…”

“…Human clothing.”

A tunic with a leather belt. Simple cloth pants.

Torn and filthy, yes—but unmistakably clothing we were familiar with.

Why would a monster be wearing human clothes?

“What terrified the villagers even more was that the clothing matched that of the missing townspeople.”

“What do you mean?”

“They began to wonder… is that thing really our neighbor?”

His question pulled my eyes back to the corpse.

Not quite an animal. Maybe just a lump of flesh.

Could that thing really be human? Could it be a villager?

No one could answer that with certainty.

From around us, windows that had cracked open during the earlier scream slammed shut with loud bangs.

It was fear that moved them.

Lahan and I stood frozen in place, stunned.

This wasn’t just a case of monsters appearing. Something far worse was happening.

“Have you ever heard of anything like this?”

“Not even close. I’m still getting used to the idea that monsters exist at all… but now, this—this connection between humans and monsters?”

“Was there any report of this?”

“I haven’t hidden anything from you.”

At least in our partnership, I never deceived my allies. That was one of my unshakable principles.

Just then—

“Clear the way!”

Soldiers burst into the alley.

Judging by their armor and insignia, they were clearly part of Mergen’s private army.

I raised a hand near my forehead to shield my face.

Seeing that, Lahan instinctively stepped in front of me to block their view.

“Everyone, move back!”

The soldiers looked like they had handled this kind of situation before.

So I wasn’t informed…

Which could only mean one thing: the information had been buried by Abel.

The soldiers began setting up a large tarp, likely to cover the body.

“Would taking that corpse help at all?” I asked Lahan quietly.

“More than help… I’d like to study it,” he replied.

I gave a small nod.

“Move along now!” one of the soldiers shouted more forcefully, and the gathered crowd began to disperse.

“Let’s go,” I said, tugging at Lahan’s sleeve.

“Seems like our village tour’s ending early,” he said with a raised brow.

“Suddenly?”

“Something else has come up.”

I pulled my cloak tighter around myself.

That night, I went straight to Abel as soon as I returned to the estate.

It was instinct.

I knew—without any doubt—that this was only the surface of a much deeper and far more dangerous problem.

Had I ever rushed to Abel’s room like this before?

If my memory was intact—and I was sure it was—then this had never happened before.

Fueled by urgency, I arrived at my destination in no time.

Knock knock.

I rapped on the door, but there was no response.

Knock, knock… knock knock knock.

My knocking turned sharper, almost impatient.

Still, nothing from inside.

Abel’s horse in the stable. The maids moving around his quarters. The lights on inside…

He had to be here.

Three seconds.

That was all the time I allowed myself to hesitate.

Click.

With a small sound, the doorknob turned in my hand.

I pushed the door open, revealing a room lit by the soft glow of candlelight.

Underneath a large mounted stag’s antlers stood a long, dark brown desk.

Abel was seated there, surrounded by piles of documents, looking directly at me.

I had half-expected him to be startled by my sudden appearance—but his face remained calm, steady.

“…Sister.”

Some part of me had worried, irrationally, that he might say Deborah instead.

Now that we were face-to-face, I felt my muscles subtly tense.

“I came because I have something I need to ask you.”

Abel started to rise from his seat.

I raised a hand to stop him.

“No need. I’ll find my own seat. Just speak from where you are.”

I didn’t want to get too close—something about it didn’t feel right.

Without waiting for his permission, I walked inside and casually sat down on the nearest sofa.

“You may be in charge of the Hecla border, but that doesn’t give you the right to keep what’s happening there a secret from Mergen.”

“I heard you visited the village today. So this is about that.”

“That sounds a lot like… you’re getting reports on my movements.”

My voice dropped, quiet but unmistakably cold.

“What exactly did you see there?”

“You mean the thing you’ve been hiding?”

“……”

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