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

Chapter 390: That Weird Atmosphere

Nnenna coughed lightly, the sound barely audible over the chatter, but loud enough for Somto to hear.

It was the kind of cough that said, “What are you doing, and why are you doing it in front of the whole kingdom?”

She shifted uncomfortably, her hand twitching toward her lap as if she might get up again, but Somto only

looked at her and smiled innocently, too innocently. The type of smile that pretended not to know he had just

started a kingdom wide debate.

Across the table, Obinna’s brow furrowed.

Was this... allowed?

It definitely wasn’t tradition. That seat was reserved for high ranking council members or close royal siblings.

While Nnenna was both, this felt... different.

He considered saying something, but one glance at the guests, cameras, and glittering attention of half the

continent made him decide otherwise. A scene would be worse.

Somto must have his reasons, Obinna concluded. He's always been wise.

...If only he knew.

Wisdom had absolutely nothing to do with it.

There was no strategy, no clever political angle, no secret plan being played like chess on a royal board.

Somto simply wanted Nnenna next to him, and so, he did just that.

The only ‘wisdom’ involved was knowing no one could stop him.

A few seats away, Abuchi silently watched the scene unfold. Without a word, he moved past his own seat and

casually dropped into Ebere’s chair, as if the seating chart were just a suggestion.

Obinna blinked. Ebere’s seat?

But Abuchi didn’t blink back.

Compared to what he had seen on Purlit, the Dance, the Handkerchief, this was nothing.

A changed seat?

Please. He had seen romantic tragedies start with less.

He had his suspicions, of course. Anyone with eyes and a functioning brain would. But still... something inside

him refused to believe it fully.

It couldn't be, he thought.

Not after everything.

Not her. Not him.

Right?

Ebere quietly slid into the seat just after hers, Nnenna’s original spot. She didn’t say a word, but her eyes flicked

briefly between Somto and Nnenna, then settled on her plate.

She was confused, yes, but she refused to let her thoughts wander too far. Whatever was going on wasn’t her

business... not yet. What she did know was that everyone in their family had always disliked Nnenna, smore

openly than others.

But today?

Today, she had watched her sister shine. The dance. The handkerchief. The seating.

Ebere had never seen Nnenna look so... powerful even in the grand ball. Her prowess wasn’t in a loud or forceful

way, but with a quiet, strange kind of strength. Like she belonged, even if no one wanted her to.

If Somto was giving Nnenna special attention because he finally saw her worth, Ebere thought, then maybe that

was something to be happy about.

Maybe it was the beginning of change.

She sat up straighter, deciding then and there: if Nnenna was being seen in a better light, Ebere would help keep

that light shining.

Meanwhile, Prince Chidera, the fourth prince, had his elbows on the table and his lips twisted in suspicion. He

narrowed his eyes at Nnenna as if she were a puzzle with one piece that didn’t fit.

He didn’t understand what was going on, but in his mind, it had one clear explanation

Nnenna must be scheming something.

That seat next to eldest brother? Too calculated. The attention? Too suspicious. The weird atmosphere? All her

fault.

Chidera huffed under his breath.

She's playing skind of trick to steal Big Brother's attention. | don’t know how, but I'll find out.

He stabbed a fork into the air, accidentally, because the food hadn't even arrived yet.

No one noticed. But the war had started.

At least in his head.

After a few more minutes of watching Somto’s full attention on Nnenna, he was fed up.

Finally, Prince Chidera couldn't take it anymore. His eyes twitched, his fingers curled into fists, and his pride

boiled over.

“Hey! What are you doing sitting there, huh? Your seat is over there, you attachment!”

The room went cold.

Forks froze mid air. Conversations died on lips. Glasses clinked softly in awkward tension.

The guests were stunned.

Everyone knew Nnenna was adopted, but most had just started warming up to her after the shocking events

earlier. The grand ball, the handkerchief, the dance, the king's open favor, it was changing minds, slowly but

surely.

until now.

Prince Chidera’s words were like a needle popping a balloon. One sentence and the cracks returned.

Guests who had just been whispering about Nnenna’s potential worth suddenly blinked, hesitated, and started

peeling back the ranking they had mentally pinned on her.

Oh, right, they reminded themselves, she’s not really royal. Not truly.

On the family side, faces tightened with quiet fury at Chidera’s childish outburst.

Obinna turned sharply but said nothing, yet. Abuchi sighed heavily and looked away. Somto’s expression

remained unreadable, but the cold in his eyes said it all.

And then

Ebere moved.

Seated right beside Chidera, she didn’t shout. She didn’t glare. She just shifted in her seat and turned toward

him slowly, like a shadow rolling over a flame.

“Sit. Down. Chidera,” she said, her voice like velvet over steel.

Her aura snapped into the air.

The air pressure around her changed. Chidera flinched, unconsciously straightening like a soldier called to

attention.

Ebere, the eldest princess of Lionara. Trained in court etiquette, diplomacy, and grace. Tutored in five languages.

Schooled in politics. Groomed to someday advise a king.

And in this moment, every inch of that training showed.

Her gaze didn’t blink. Her voice didn’t waver.

No one in that room doubted for a second, Nnenna was under Ebere’s protection now.

Chidera stiffened at Ebere’s rebuke, face flushed with humiliation, but his pride wouldn't let him back down.

“You're shouting atbecause of her?!” he snapped, voice cracking as he stood abruptly, his chair screeching

against the polished marble.

Then, in a moment of rage and anguish, his voice broke completely.