After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 66

“Anyway, let’s keep monitoring his condition for now.”

“Don’t tell me you plan on staying up all night?”

“I’m just… worried.”

“Is that filial devotion I see?”

The Grand Duke asked, a curious smile on his lips.

“…I’m not sure. Whether it’s devotion, or selfishness—it depends on how you define it.”

Lahan nodded thoughtfully at my answer.

“Either way, it’s not a bad thing.”

“Are you planning to stay here?”

At my question, Lahan shifted his body to the side.

It was hard to tell whether he was reclining or fully lying down on the sofa.

“If you’re going to kick me out, at least make sure I get breakfast first.”

“…”

He really was shameless—utterly thick-skinned.

But somehow, thanks to the Grand Duke’s easy presence, the anxiety pressing down on my chest eased a little.

Everything’s going smoothly.

There’s no reason to be afraid.

I calmed myself with those thoughts and gently closed my eyes.

I worried that Lahan might start bothering me again, but after that, he stayed quietly by my side—almost holding his breath.

“What’s the reason for calling us here again?!”

“You’re tarnishing the name of Mergen!”

“Hmph! None of you dare speak up in front of Lady Chloe, yet now you raise your voices behind her back?”

“You—!”

The council chamber was in an uproar.

The advisors, stifled by days of tension, looked about ready to flip the tables. Still, none of them dared openly oppose Chloe—they all had their own interests to protect.

“Propping up a murderer? This is madness!”

Someone began pointing fingers, and the soldiers in the room started to move.

“Ahem…”

Startled by their response, the bold advisor quickly sat back down.

At that moment, the doors to the council hall opened, and Chloe stepped inside.

Moving straight toward the family head’s seat—as if she belonged there—she drew displeased frowns from several of the gathered men.

“Thank you all for coming. Today’s topic is the appointment of the next heir.”

Chloe, looking rushed, sat down and immediately got to the point.

“Wasn’t that decision postponed?”

“We weren’t supposed to discuss succession until the Lord regains consciousness!”

The advisors, who had been holding their tongues until now, finally began raising their voices, glancing at one another for support.

In response, Chloe pulled out a document.

“This is the succession letter, signed and sealed by the family head.”

Murmurs spread like wildfire.

“It declares Abel as the successor.”

One by one, the advisors stood, craning their necks to get a better look.

“Is that… real?”

“There’s no way the Lord would have agreed to that…”

“Are you saying Abel isn’t fit to be heir?”

“W-Who said that?!”

“And you expect us to believe this was legitimate? It feels like a forced decree!”

The chamber erupted in outrage.

In response, the soldiers lining the walls drew their swords.

“W-What is this?! Are you threatening to spill blood?!”

“Watch your mouth. This is getting dangerous.”

Some shouted in fury. Others tried to calm the situation. Many just stayed silent, anxiously watching the chaos unfold.

It was pure mayhem.

“I believe everyone understands the situation now. Shall we proceed with the vote?”

This was the moment Mergen’s name was being dragged through the mud.

Some of the advisors trembled, humiliated.

“Distribute the papers.”

Roosevelt began handing out the documents—formal declarations of agreement with Abel’s appointment.

At the top of each page was the name of the advisor it had been assigned to.

“Go on.”

Chloe smiled sweetly at the ones who hesitated.

Regardless of where they stood—whether for or against her—even her own allies were sweating under the pressure.

The council chamber had become a living hell.

“We don’t have time.”

Chloe’s voice pressed again, firm and cold.

One by one, the advisors reached for the paper, hands trembling.

And then—

A loud crash echoed through the hall as the tightly sealed doors began to shake violently.

Chloe’s eyes snapped toward the doors, her gaze sharp as a blade.

“Perfect. Everyone’s already here.”

With a final push, the door flew open, nearly unhinged, and I stepped into the room.

All eyes turned to me as I made my way toward the round table and picked up one of the documents in front of an advisor.

“Hmm. So the Lord of Mergen has officially named Abel as heir?”

With each word I spoke, Chloe’s face grew colder, her expression hardening by the second.

Just then, one of the soldiers standing nearby began approaching me.

“Stop right there.”

At my command, the soldiers stationed outside burst into the council chamber.

They were Grandfather’s personal guards—loyal to him alone.

“This room’s far too small for a bloodbath, don’t you think? I suggest everyone put down their weapons.”

Chloe’s soldiers quickly realized they were outnumbered. The shift in their expressions made it clear.

“And why don’t I see a form with my name on it?”

“…Irene.”

I could almost hear Chloe grinding her teeth.

“Wouldn’t it be better to get my agreement too?”

“You think someone like you has the right to speak?”

Her voice was calm—almost gentle.

So composed, even now.

“Well, if I don’t, I’ll just ask the one who does.”

I stepped aside.

And from behind me, surrounded by guards, Grandfather entered the room.

“L-Lord Mergen!”

“You’re awake?”

“H-How can this be…?”

The advisors all jumped to their feet.

Some turned pale. Others began trembling, as if the air had frozen around them.

“Chloe.”

Grandfather’s voice called out to her as she sat confidently in his seat.

Ah—was there ever a moment as satisfying as this?

“You dare try to kill me, and now you sit in my chair and mock the name of Mergen?!”

Chloe’s eyes shook violently.

She clearly hadn’t expected this.

“How…?”

The face that had always appeared so graceful had now gone ghostly white—like she’d just seen death itself.

“You vile woman! And you still dare to hope for mercy?!”

Grandfather’s thunderous voice echoed through the chamber.

Even after being poisoned and brought to the brink of death, he still has that power in his voice.

That was the Lord of Mergen I knew.

“And you so-called advisors—what have you all been doing?! You stood by and watched as one woman tore this household apart?!”

“L-Lord Mergen, it’s not what you think…”

“We had no choice—truly.”

The advisors scrambled for excuses, but Grandfather simply raised his hand, and silence fell over the room.

“What are you waiting for?! Drag that impudent woman from my chair!”

At his command, the soldiers surged toward Chloe and surrounded her.

Roosevelt jumped up and tried to run, but it was pointless.

He was seized before he could get far, and Chloe’s hands were soon bound as well.

She looked almost catatonic—like someone whose soul had left her body.

“Why did you do it, Mother?”

I looked at her and offered a small, pitying smile.

She didn’t deserve even that.

A woman foolish enough to bring about her own downfall didn’t deserve sympathy.

The council chamber had erupted into chaos—and in the end, Chloe was taken away.

After disbanding the meeting with a fierce scolding, Grandfather stumbled in the hallway on the way back to his room.

His body was clearly still fragile—too weak for even simple movements.

“Please sit, Grandfather.”

Back in his room, he looked worn down, burdened.

“…Are you all right?”

Of course he had a lot on his mind.

“When Chloe first came here… I wanted to stop your father.”

“…”

“But when I learned she hadn’t slept properly for five years after your mother died… I couldn’t. How could I stop a son who believed he needed her?”

“I see…”

I’d always known my father was an emotional man.

“I should have stopped him.”

Regret and pain clouded Grandfather’s face.

“But didn’t you say she gave him more time?”

“She did. He looked like he might die the next day, but she kept him alive for another year.”

His deeply wrinkled hand brushed slowly over his gaunt face.

“And so… I thought I owed her something.”

“…”

Did Father find peace in the end, thanks to her?

I tried to remember his face from those final days, but it was already fading from my memory—just a blurred image now.

“That was my mistake. I saw the ambition in her long ago. But I didn’t stop her… because I thought she might be useful—to Deborah, and to you.”

“And the Chloe you unleashed for that purpose grew too strong… and turned her blade on you.”

“A mistake. My mistake.”

“…Why do you think she went so far?”

The question came to me suddenly.

When did Chloe’s ambition begin?

There must’ve been a spark—some starting point for everything.

What had she truly been thinking the day she walked into this mansion, holding her two sons by the hand?

But really… what does it matter now?

In the end, Chloe gained nothing from this place.

“It’s time to set things right.”

“To restore everything… back to its place…”

Is that even possible?

Can you ever truly remove someone from your world and pretend they were never there?

Even if they’re gone, they leave behind a hollow space—an emptiness that doesn’t simply disappear.

You can’t go back to how things were.

All you can do… is cover it up and carry on.

“Do whatever you feel is right.”

In Grandfather’s world, Chloe would vanish—like a tree uprooted at the root.

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