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

Chapter 373: I Won’t Force You

Outside the grand coronation hall, the velvet lined doors closed behind them with a soft, echoing thud, silencing the murmurs and music of nobility within.

The torch lit hallway was quieter, cooler, but the tension between Abel and Jane burned hotter than ever.

Abel didn’t say a word at first. He just kept walking, his grip on Jane’s wrist firm but not rough, his jaw tight. Jane, still fuming, tried to shake him off.

“What are you doing?” she snapped. “You saw how she was eating and hiding, how can that be a princess?!”

Abel finally stopped and turned around, his eyes dark with something Jane rarely saw on his face, disappointment.

“Do you even hear yourself right now?” he said, his voice low but cutting. “That was the second princess. Nnenna. And you humiliated her, in front of the entire continent.”

Jane flinched.

“But, but I thought she was—”

“You thought?” Abel scoffed bitterly. “You thought, so you screamed at her like a market thug? You made a scene in the crown prince’s coronation ball, Jane. Do you even understand what that means?”

“I was just trying to help! I didn’t want anyone to get in trouble for bringing some, some impostor!”

Abel dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. “You weren’t helping anyone. You were loud, rude, and wrong. I regret ever letting you come.”

Jane’s eyes widened, stunned. “You… regret bringing me?”

He looked at her, no longer angry, but tired.

“Yes. I do.”

Jane took a step back, like the words had struck her physically. Her voice was smaller now. “You’ve never said that to me before.”

“Because you’ve never embarrassed me like this before,” Abel said, turning away. “You don’t listen. You never stop to look or think. You just act. And tonight, you humiliated yourself, and me.”

them, the music of the coronation began to swell again, muted by the doors but still echoing with grandeur. Inside was a world Jane no longer belonged to. And for the first time, she felt

crawling up her throat

walking away, not cruelly,

once more as the tension from the earlier commotion melted into whispers, then faded into the music and

guests resumed mingling, assuming that whatever the Crown Prince had

Somto, it wasn’t over

a slow breath and walked toward her, toward Nnenna. She was standing near a tall, golden pillar lined

him approaching, her eyes flicked up, and her entire body

stopping just close enough for her to hear, yet far enough not

almost gentle, but there

screamed run. But before she could bolt again, Somto reached out, not to grab her, but

Their fingers touched.

light, respectful. But it

their curiosity momentarily piqued, was that the Crown Prince asking his sister to dance?

moving towards the dance floor. Maybe it was a casual chat to check if she was okay. After all, that brute

nervousness almost drawing

then up at his face. Somto’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes,

dance right,

it

that’s what

began, voice barely a whisper,

pull away. The rejection stung more than she meant it to, and she saw it flash across his

let go immediately,

course,” he said. His voice was even, but

waiting for the music

did not stop at

right past

night, the room

was the Crown