They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System

Chapter 482: Her Honest Concern

It’s only right on the dot... But she didn’t argue.

He was her sensei, after all.

"Yes, Sensei," she replied quietly, then turned and left.

Her footsteps faded into the distance.

Only then did Arthur turn around.

His jaw clenched as he stared at the empty space she had just occupied.

You did it again, he scolded himself. All your walls, all your discipline, and still, you let worry leak out of your mouth.

He hadn’t meant to sound cold. He just couldn’t help it. The thought of her cutting her sleep short just to get there early, it got to him more than he cared to admit.

He had a feeling she came early just to impress him, maybe even to make him proud.

But that only made it worse.

Instead of feeling flattered, it left a tight, uncomfortable knot in his chest. And before he could stop himself, the words had already slipped out of his mouth. Again.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

Trying not to care about someone he clearly cared for... was turning out to be no small feat.

During breakfast, the dining room was filled with warm laughter and the clinking of silverware against china, a refreshing contrast to the cold, stiff silence usually expected in royal households.

But the White family wasn’t like other royal families. Here, breakfast was a bonding ritual, not a performance.

Nnenna found herself smiling more than she expected to. Sitting between Ava and the Queen, she felt like she belonged, truly belonged.

The King spoke to her like a proud uncle, the Queen treated her like she had been her daughter from the start, and Arthur, even in his usual reserved way, allowed himself to blend into the cheer once in a while.

"Arthur, do you even speak more than five words a day outside training?" Ava teased, grinning as she took a bite of toast.

"He spoke six yesterday," the King added with mock seriousness. "A record. Mark it in the royal archives."

Arthur gave them both a flat look but said nothing, reaching calmly for his tea.

Nnenna chuckled under her breath. "To be fair, the six words were very impactful."

"He said, ’You’re late. Start running. No excuses.’" Ava recited dramatically, mimicking Arthur’s voice with exaggerated stiffness.

The Queen laughed softly, dabbing her lips with a napkin. "I keep saying we should hire a bard to document his motivational speeches. The people need to hear them."

Arthur simply arched a brow, and Nnenna could’ve sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Anyway," Nnenna leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief. "You should’ve seen Jana’s face when Carl exposed her in front of the whole school. I swear she looked like she got struck by lightning."

"Oh yes," Ava chuckled. "That moment was so satisfying, I almost applauded."

"She tried to defame Nnenna and shoot an arrow at her," Ava added dramatically. "Honestly, it’s amazing she didn’t just try to blow up the whole school. That’s what someone commented online." noveldrama

Nnenna blinked. "Wait... you mean that was made public outside of the school forum?"

Ava grinned. "Of course. Carl and Arthur made sure of it."

Nnenna turned to Arthur in surprise. "You, both of you—?"

"Fired the VC and his secretary too," Ava said with a satisfied nod. "Apparently, they were enabling the whole mess. Carl didn’t even blink. Just laid out all the evidence. And Arthur? He said about ten words. That was enough."

Nnenna stared, mouth slightly open. "I... I didn’t know any of that." _{f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll.com}

Arthur said nothing, eyes focused on his plate, but there was a faint redness on the tips of his ears.

"Don’t let his poker face fool you," Ava whispered loudly. "He was ready to throw hands. And Carl was like a calm storm. You should’ve seen it, it was beautiful."

They all burst into laughter again, the King nearly choking on his drink.

More lighthearted stories followed, Carl falling asleep in a meeting and trying to pretend he was thinking of a solution for the meeting, Arthur correcting a royal advisor with only a look, Ava accidentally locking herself in a broom closet while spying on a classmate.

As the conversation flowed, Nnenna felt a warmth bloom inside her chest. Not just from the food or the jokes, but from the feeling that she wasn’t just tolerated here, she was cherished. Protected.

Wanted.

As the laughter slowly settled and everyone leaned back in their chairs, too full to talk, Nnenna saw her chance.

She shifted slightly in her seat, lowered her voice, and leaned toward Arthur.

"Hey... are you okay?" she asked, her tone gentle but deliberate, her eyes quietly studying his face.

Arthur blinked, caught off guard. "You’re asking if I’m okay?" he echoed, as if the question were foreign to him. "Me?"

"Yes, you," she said, eyebrows knitting slightly. "Why does that sound so strange to you?"

Arthur looked away for a second, his expression unreadable. Of all the things he expected her to say, that wasn’t on the list.

"Yeah... I’m okay," he replied simply, almost too quickly. "Thank you for asking."

But it didn’t sit right. Nnenna knew what she saw earlier, his silence during training, his strange tone, and the way he avoided looking directly at her. That wasn’t the Arthur she had gotten used to.

She nodded at first, as if accepting the answer... then paused and shook her head, gently but firmly.

"No. You didn’t seem fine earlier. Not during training. Not even now."

Arthur’s jaw tightened just slightly. For a second, he didn’t respond, just stared at his empty teacup like it held all the answers.

But Nnenna did not let the silence scare her off this time. She stayed quiet, steady, waiting. Watching.

Pressing, not with words, but with presence.

Arthur finally let out a breath and said, without looking up,

"You should not worry about it."