After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 58

Can anyone ever truly be free from the eyes of others?

If you were someone as well-known across the Empire as the Grand Duke, it had to be even harder.

And yet, he talked about it like something one should’ve outgrown in adolescence.

I found myself a little envious of that attitude.

“What are you afraid of, Your Grace?”

I wondered if his answer would be something vast—like the ocean.

But instead, he said something unexpected.

“The things I love.”

“…What?”

“Anything you love too much eventually starts to scare you. It’s just how it is.”

“……”

“Especially when that something… is a person. Then it gets even more complicated.”

I didn’t get the sense that Lahan was joking with his answer.

For once, his eyes looked serious.

“How unexpectedly romantic.”

There was still something almost childlike in him.

Unlike me.

“I always end up leaning on you.”

“Let’s just say I do it for my own amusement.”

Watching him tack a reason onto it made me recall what he’d once said—that he knew how to handle me.

“Then… show me the weapons lab.”

“Mm. That’s not the reaction I was hoping for after baring my soul, but sure.”

“I can’t lie here forever, can I?”

“Unlike you, I haven’t graduated from caring about what people think.”

I pressed my hand into the mattress and turned my body.

My feet touched the floor, and I began to rise.

A wave of dizziness hit me instantly, and I stumbled.

“Careful.”

Lahan’s hand gripped my arm firmly, steadying me.

I wasn’t used to showing this kind of weakness.

Especially not in front of the Grand Duke—who, not long ago, had felt more like an enemy than an ally.

They say life is full of surprises.

In my case, it took dying once and coming back to realize that.

Still, I didn’t pull away from his hand.

That touch, in that moment, was something I needed.

The large, solid-looking building was bustling with people.

Researchers, I was told.

I had never imagined Lahan had this many people working under him.

If this many were on shift at night, it meant even more would be here during the day.

It showed just how serious he was about this.

“What’s that?”

As I ventured farther into the lab, something strange caught my eye.

A black, sticky-looking mass was moving.

“That’s a part of the monster you killed. There’s one here, another over there… it’s been split into dozens of pieces.”

“And it’s still alive?”

“Hard to say. I wouldn’t call it ‘alive’ in the normal sense, but there’s a life response. So I guess it counts.”

Lahan rubbed his chin, as if still unsure himself.

“But that’s not the interesting part. Watch.”

At his signal, one of the researchers stepped forward.

He opened the lid of a transparent container holding the black mass, and dropped in a small vial of liquid.

As soon as it touched the creature, it started to thrash in pain.

“…!”

I gasped and instinctively stepped back.

A trail of smoke curled up from its surface, followed by flashes of blue flame.

“What was that?!”

Lahan’s lips curled into a wide, satisfied smile.

“What do you think? It’s the upgraded version of our weapon.”

“It caught fire.”

“And fire can dig into even the thickest shell.”

“It’s perfect.”

Yes. This might actually be the weapon we needed.

I was sure of it.

“Perfect enough to make us filthy rich.”

For a moment, I’d forgotten this was a business venture between Lahan and me.

I turned to him and smiled.

“Mergen will be footing a very large bill.”

“Well, Mergen already locked me down with some ridiculously binding contracts,” he laughed.

His bright, unfiltered laughter echoed through the lab.

In that moment, I felt a deep certainty—this was it.
The weapon, the plan—everything had the power to put an end to this long, scattered battle.

My heart raced.

Dozens of things I needed to do flashed through my mind all at once.

“That’s more beautiful than any light I’ve ever seen. Though… that probably sounds a little creepy, doesn’t it?”

As I murmured, Lahan stepped closer and placed a hand gently on my shoulder.

Together, we stood in front of the transparent chamber, watching the grotesque creature writhe and die.

“Let’s call it a flame celebrating the arrival of your world.”

Honestly, this man always had a way of turning everything into poetry.

Still, I smiled at the flickering blue fire, deeply satisfied.

“Did you hear the latest rumor?”

“What kind of nonsense are you about to spit out this time?”

In the middle of a bustling marketplace, conversations bloomed like wildflowers.

A group of traveling merchants chattered eagerly.

“You know, that lady from Mergen—”

“Mergen? You mean Lady Deborah?”

“No, no, she passed away! I’m talking about her twin sister. What was her name again… The one who made it rain during the drought!”

“Irene! Lady Irene!”

“That’s the one!”

A cheer burst out as the riddle was solved.

“So, what about her?”

“Word is… she killed a monster.”

“She looked like someone who’d faint at the sight of a bug, though.”

“Right? She was pale as a ghost that day. And wasn’t she bleeding, too?”

“Sounds like a made-up story.”

As the merchants hesitated, a gruff vendor nearby, who’d been eavesdropping from his stall, couldn’t help but butt in.

“She made a bomb! That’s what! Faced off against a monster with those small hands and created a weapon to fight them! All to protect Mergen’s land!”

White smoke puffed from the hookah in his hand as he spoke, voice proud.

“As expected… the Mergen family really is something.”

“They’ve always had mysterious powers guarding this land.”

In these anxious times, such a story spread like warm spring wind, passing from one mouth to another with ease.

“So, is she going to be the next successor?”

“Come now—don’t be ridiculous. Don’t you know Lord Abel is still around?”

“You’re the one who’s clueless! Lord Abel isn’t of Mergen blood!”

The loud declaration startled one of the men, who cleared his throat awkwardly and lowered his voice.

“Lord Abel is the son of Klaus Mergen’s second wife. No blood relation.”

“Wait—so he’s not even part of the bloodline?”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“Everyone knows that! Still, he’s capable. That’s why people say he might become the successor.”

“But Lady Irene is the true heir by blood!”

“Not to mention, she’s got the strength to protect Mergen.”

“That’s right! Wasn’t Lady Deborah the same? She defended this land better than any man ever could.”

The crowd began nodding.

“True Mergen blood is what makes a true heir!”

With that one shouted line, people began chanting Irene’s name.

“Lady Irene for successor!”

“That’s right! Hear, hear!”

“Irene! Irene!”

It took only minutes for her name to echo across the marketplace.

Crack.

Chloe bit down hard on her thumbnail, eyes burning cold.

Then, in a burst of rage, she shot to her feet.

“Stop sitting there with honey on your lips and say something, would you?!”

“Si-sister…”

Roosevelt winced. No matter how many years passed, he never got used to Chloe’s temper.

“Her name is ringing through the entire territory! And we can’t even get Abel’s story to spread properly!”

“But how are we supposed to control rumors these days? That Irene girl’s been killing monsters left and right…”

“So what? Are you saying we should just sit here and let her waltz into the heir’s seat?!”

She slammed her palm on the table—bang! —making Roosevelt flinch and shrink into his chair.

“Go out there and shut those mouths!”

Chloe’s usually pristine hair was now tousled and wild.

“…But Sister, I’m at my limit too. Ever since she made that monster-slaying weapon, the head of the house has been pressuring me. Our military goods business is about to lose everything to House Bahel…”

“Hah. So now you can’t even protect your own plate.”

Chloe’s voice turned ice cold.

“I’m going crazy here. At this rate, I’ll lose my position before anyone decides on a successor. And if I go down, our entire household will starve!”

Roosevelt wiped the sweat from his brow as Chloe pressed her fingers to her furrowed forehead.

“It’s all falling apart.”

“…”

Irene’s influence was growing day by day.

They had believed the existence of monsters would create the perfect stage for Abel to rise.

And yet, Irene had found a way through it.

“Teaming up with the Grand Duke…”

A move they never saw coming.

And that made Chloe even angrier.

That girl always attacked from places she never expected.

Deborah never would have joined hands with someone like Bahel.

She would’ve cut off any threat to the family, no matter what benefit it offered.

But Irene… she was different.

She’d throw herself into anything—like a moth to a flame—without hesitation.

“…This can’t go on.”

The sound of grinding teeth echoed in the room.

“But Sister, how are we supposed to control a crowd?”

“If we can’t control the crowd, then we do what we can.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whatever it takes.”

Chloe’s eyes glinted dangerously.

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