After I died, Everything Changed - Chapter 72

“Hm~ hm~”

Karlin hummed as she swayed her head from side to side, standing among the crowd and looking down at the village below the hill.

The sparkling lights looked like stars scattered across the sky.

“It’s beautiful…”

Mergen really was a beautiful place.

That’s why it was impossible not to love this land.

And that deep love—that was the problem.

Because all that affection came back to me, the heir, as pressure multiplied many times over.

“It would still be beautiful… even if I just let it be.”

I murmured to myself.

Even without me—without Deborah—this land would move through its seasons, new life would grow, and people would continue living.

A cool breeze swept by.

The dampness in the air whispered of summer. It played with my hair as it passed.

I stood there for a long while, lost in the view, when—

“Milady!”

Karlin’s voice called to me.

She’d been right next to me just a moment ago, but somehow she’d gotten far ahead.

There were only two people left in front of her.

“Hurry, come on!”

It was almost our turn.

I quickly rushed over to her.

The wishing ritual was simple.

Place a flower on the altar, bring your hands together, and make your wish.

I told Karlin to go first.

“Please let my whole family stay healthy this year… and…”

Her wish was exactly what I expected from her.

Warm. Full of love.

And me? What should I wish for?

I hesitated.

“…And let me earn lots of money this year, and may none of my favorite restaurants close down, and please let me get a boyfriend before that annoying Roena does…”

Even while I was thinking, Karlin’s wish list just kept going.

How could anyone have so many wishes?

“Done! Now it’s your turn, milady!”

I barely had time to react—it was already my turn.

Panic hit me.

Fine. Just follow what everyone else is doing.

I picked up a flower, placed it gently on the altar, and stood in front of it with my hands clasped.

A wish…

I didn’t know what to wish for.

But the moment I closed my eyes, something naturally surfaced in my heart.

Irene… I miss you.

On a day this beautiful, I couldn’t help but think of her.

And so, I began my own small ritual of remembrance—for Irene.

“…What’s that?!”

Suddenly, the crowd around us stirred.

“Look! There’s light!”

“It’s the tree’s blessing!”

As the murmurs grew louder, I opened my eyes.

And there it was—soft white light surrounding the tree, glowing like a veil of magic.

It filled my entire vision.

“It’s the tree spirit! I’m sure of it!”

“Make your wish now!”

The surprised voices of the crowd echoed all around me, and my heart began to race.

“…A spirit?”

I’d seen lights like these before.

— Deborah!

— You see us now! Finally!

— We’ve always been here on this land!

The chattering voices, like little children, felt familiar.

So they really are spirits…

There were so many lights, it was like daylight had returned to the night sky.

And then, I heard it.

— Sister.

Irene?

My eyes widened.

A faint shimmer appeared before me.

— My other half. My twin.

It was truly Irene.

Dressed in white, she looked so full of life—unlike how she’d appeared before her death.

Emotion surged up so suddenly it nearly knocked the breath out of me.

My eyes burned.

— We’re always together. So don’t be sad.

“Irene…”

— I’ll be your strength. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.

I wanted to say something.

I’m sorry.
I miss you.
A thousand feelings twisted inside me, but no words came out.

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks.

Irene reached out her hand.

Her fingers touched my face.

And warmth spread through my whole body.

— You can do it. Because your soul is strong. So please…

“Irene… Irene…”

I reached out, afraid she might vanish.

But Irene only smiled gently as she began to drift away.

And then, she said: “Protect Mergen.”

“Mergen…?”

“Believe in yourself. Believe in those around you. Don’t give up.”

Why did Irene want to protect Mergen so badly?

This place had brought her nothing but suffering.

And yet, the faint smile on her face—it felt like a goodbye.

Panic began to rise in my chest.

“Don’t go.”

Let’s stay together a little longer.

There’s still so much I haven’t asked you… so much I haven’t heard.

But Irene spun lightly in place, her figure shimmering as she floated into the sea of glowing lights.

“I love you, sister.”

And with those words, she was gone.

As Irene’s soul faded, the lights surrounding the tree burst outward in a soft explosion, scattering like flower petals in the wind.

“Ah—!”

“What a sight…”

“Unbelievable… It must really be a blessing!”

“Who was that praying just now?”

“That’s Lady Deborah of House Mergen—the one who led the drought ritual!”

In an instant, everything disappeared.

The bright lights, the presence of Irene. All gone, like a dream I’d woken from too soon.

All that remained was the trail of warm tears still rolling down my cheeks.

“Milady, are you alright?”

Karlin shook my arm gently.

“Huh…? Wha…”

I answered like someone not entirely present.

“Irene…”

“Lady Irene!”

“She’s the chosen of the gods!”

I turned and saw that everyone—everyone—was looking at me.

“What… what did you do?” Karlin asked, wide-eyed.

But I had no answer.

What had I done?

All I’d done was see Irene…

“Offer a prayer!”

“Glory to Mergen!”

“To Mergen!”

People suddenly began to kneel—one after another, as if by instinct.

Children, elders, men and women alike—they all bowed deeply toward me.

“Wait, this is…”

This was overwhelming.

“To Mergen’s glory!”

That phrase—To Mergen’s glory! —rang louder than all the others in my ears.

How was I supposed to respond to this?

“Milady…”

Even Karlin looked uneasy as she clutched my arm and glanced nervously around.

The fairies’ lights still hovered above, illuminating us gently.

— Kyaah!
— To Mergen’s glory!
— Stop copying!
— But it’s so fun!

Somehow… I just knew.

These little beings weren’t going to disappear so easily anymore.

The story of that night spread quickly.

And, of course, it became wildly exaggerated.

“I pay my respects to the divine messenger, Lady Irene.”

“That’s not what happened.”

The man with ash-grey hair and dark eyes was Lemian.

He was a distant cousin—sixth-degree relation.

After the purge of the retainers, he had come to the estate in preparation to be officially appointed as one of the new ones.

It was I who had recommended Lemian.

What House Mergen needed now was fresh air, not the stale wind of old men and outdated thinking.

Lemian had a sharp mind—and, more importantly, the guts to use it.

Yes, I could’ve filled the halls with agreeable puppets. But what we truly needed were capable people.

“House Mergen still carries the same scent.”

“Scent?”

“A subtle, suffocating one.”

Lemian smiled slyly.

His eyes curved into crescent moons.

It reminded me of someone.

Lahan, maybe…

“I suppose I’d better get used to it quickly.”

I nodded. “Once you speak with the Lord, you’ll be given a formal schedule. There are a lot of vacancies, so things are moving fast—”

I paused, realizing there was no need to go over all that.

“You’ve probably heard enough of this already. Do you have any questions?”

When I suddenly switched gears, Lemian’s expression showed a flicker of surprise.

“You’re rather direct.”

“No need to drag things out.”

“…Then I do have one. Are you really a divine messenger?”

At that, I gave a small shake of my head.

“We’re both far too grown for fairytales, don’t you think?”

“Haha… True enough.”

Lemian gave a proper, clear smile, revealing even teeth.

“I look forward to working with you, Lady Irene.”

He held out his hand. I took it.

“For the glory of Mergen,” he said.

Glory, huh.

I looked at him and offered a smile that was… close enough.

The estate was finally settling.

The empty retainer seats were being filled without issue, and while we were at it, we successfully brought their private forces under House Mergen’s control.

But of course, not everything was going smoothly.

The problem now… was the monsters.

And worse—

The rumors are spreading.

Apparently, someone had seen Abel in the desert that night.

And now, rumors were spreading fast—dangerously fast.

Whispers were circling that Abel was the leader of the monsters.

Wild stories were leaping over fences and walls, and House Mergen could no longer avoid the fallout.

— You’re so stressed!
— You always are!
— She works all the time! Poor human!

Ever since that festival night, I’d been seeing the fairies more clearly than ever.

Especially within our estate—they seemed more… present.