After I Died, He Died After Me Too - Chapter 38

Chapter 19.2

“Urgh.”

A wave of nausea hit her. Bianca barely made it to the bathroom before she vomited. Even if the memories were gone, her body still remembered. She had rejected guiding and refused to imprint… because the last thing she wanted was to become like her father.

‘The one who erased my memories…’

It had to be her father.

He had the power of the Mind King, which meant he could have easily manipulated her thoughts. The day she collapsed from a high fever, all memories of the previous day were completely gone.

At that time, he said this to her:

“Go to the imperial palace. There’s no reason for you to stay here any longer.”

It was an unexpected command from her father, but she followed it. It felt like the only choice.

Bianca sat on the cold bathroom floor, tears streaming down her face. For the first time, her mind felt clear. Had the memories returned because she had woken up in someone else’s body? If that was the case, why had they come back only after it was far too late?

‘Why now?’

Her headache made it hard to think straight. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes.

Perhaps part of her had never wanted to remember. Her mother had never returned for her, and she didn’t even know if her mother was still alive.

She had lived as if her mother’s existence had been erased from her life. It would have been better for her if she hadn’t remembered… if she had lived her life forgetting it until the end. Unlike her past life, when she fought not to become like her father, she now found herself in a position where she had to struggle not to become like her mother.

“This is awful…”

Bianca curled up, pressing her face against her knees.

At that moment, the door burst open, and light spilled into the dark room. The urgent sound of approaching footsteps made her lift her head. The moment her eyes met the red ones staring at her, she flinched, and her body instinctively shrank back.

“Bianca Astri.”

“….”

“What are you doing here like this?”

“….”

As Dexter crouched down and reached out a hand, she instinctively tried to back away, but the cold wall behind her stopped her retreat, leaving her to shrink her neck instead.

Her eyes trembled slightly.

“…Were you crying?”

Bianca hurriedly turned her head. The light that slipped through the slightly open door seemed to illuminate her face.

“This isn’t something Your Highness needs to concern yourself with.”

“I asked if you were crying.”

Dexter’s voice was firm. He leaned in closer and placed his hand on her forehead.

“You don’t have a fever.”

Before she even realized what she was doing, Bianca swatted his hand away. When her mind caught up with her actions, her eyes widened in shock.

“I-I’m sorry.”

He didn’t seem to care that she had pushed his hand away; his gaze was fixed on the tear stains streaked across her face. As the damp cloth brushed softly against her cheek, she froze for a moment at the careful touch.

‘In the beginning, they always treat you kindly like this to make you their Guide. They make you lower your guard, lure you in, and then…’

“Urgh.”

Bianca slapped his hand away and shoved him back before quickly shutting the door. Just thinking about it made her feel suffocated, her stomach churning with nausea. Every action of his now seemed insincere—nothing more than a calculated act.

What if all of this was just to make her his?

What if, after agreeing to guide him for just one year, only until his body recovered, he refused to let her go?

What if, like her mother, she was deceived and unable to escape him forever?

‘As long as I don’t love him, I’ll be fine.’

Yes. As long as she didn’t give him her heart, as long as she didn’t give herself a reason to stay, it wouldn’t matter.

Her mother hadn’t been able to leave because she had loved him. Her mother couldn’t leave because she loved him. Even as she wasted away, even as she resented him, love had kept her bound.

‘Think rationally.’

Right now, she couldn’t leave the imperial palace at will. If she did, the responsibility would fall entirely on the Astri family. Her family had already suffered enough because of her.

“Lady Astri, are you alright? If you’re not feeling well, I’ll call for a physician. Just stay where you are.”

Why was he so concerned about her? In the end, all he needed was a Guide to perform the guiding.

“I’m fine. You don’t need to call anyone.”

Bianca rinsed her mouth and stepped out of the bathroom.

One year.

That was all the time she had to restore the crown prince’s body to its normal state.

“Did you come because you need guiding? It must have been urgent if you showed up this late at night without even knocking.”

‘He must think he can do whatever he wants. He probably feels like he doesn’t need to show me any courtesy.’

With a resigned expression, she extended her hand.