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

Chapter 218: Creeping Fear Chapter 218: Creeping Fear And that was all he needed.

His own lips curved into a smile, warmth spreading through him.

Unlike his siblings, who stood with tension in their shoulders, indifference, displeasure on their faces, or confusion in their eyes…

Abuchi was content.

On the other side, Ebere’s heart clenched as she stole a glance at Carl, the man she had once entertained foolish hopes for.

She had known it was nothing but a dream, a man of his status would never choose her.

But still, a tiny part of her had wished, had imagined.

Now, seeing him stand there unaffected, without a hint of regret or reluctance, made her stomach twist.

She swallowed her emotions quickly, pushing them away.

There was no use holding onto something that was never hers to begin with.

Instead, her eyes flickered toward Ji ho, her actual fiancé.

A surge of satisfaction replaced the sting of rejection, Carl hadn’t chosen Nnenna either.

If he had, their father wouldn’t have dared to arrange a marriage for her.

That alone was enough to lift Ebere’s spirits.

Her gaze settled on Ji ho, her lips curving into a small, victorious smile.

But when she met his eyes, the cold indifference in them sent a shiver down her spine.

His jaw was tight, his expression unreadable, yet something about the way he carried himself made it clear, he was resisting this.

Ebere stiffened slightly.

Why did he look so…

unwilling?

Shouldn’t he be pleased?

He was a crown prince, and she was the eldest princess of Lionara, the only biological daughter of the king.

This was an excellent match.

thinking about Nnenna’s brilliant

as she noticed his

around the fabric of her dress as bitterness

after everything, was her adopted sister still

No.

She wouldn’t allow it.

aside the unsettling thoughts, Ebere

was sealed, whether Ji ho liked

could look down on her just because of his cold, indifferent

with Carl failing increased but both Nnenna and Carl

smirks, the mocking whispers, the barely concealed looks of amusement

how they

been grasping

to let the sharp sting of their words reach

It was laughable, really.

ever said he was interested in marrying

ever made any

Never.

had been their own wishful thinking, their own assumptions, that

now, they turned their own delusions into her

Fools.

that no one here, not a single one of them, could match the kind of person Carl would actually

they knew that she, Nnenna, had never once thought of herself as anyone’s bride, especially

not a

Not now.

guests, her posture straight, her expression unreadable as the ball finally

dispersing, making preparations to return to their respective kingdoms

air of politics, alliances, and quiet

Nnenna had only one

Her father.

the hall, she followed after him,

would not let

the others reached his study, the doors had barely closed when Abuchi spoke up first, his voice

me this engagement,” he said,

Nnenna blinked.

something she often saw on her

to people, especially when it came to matters of

to actually love someone romantically, let alone openly express gratitude for an

he was, standing before their father, looking