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

Chapter 405: This Kingdom… Will Have to Find Another Heir

“Have I ever forced you to do anything in the past? Ever? I have let you make your own choices since you were old enough to speak. Can’t you do this one thing for me? Just this one, can’t you find someone else to marry?”

Somto exhaled slowly. She was his mother. And he did respect her. But no matter how many years passed, she still did not see it, didn’t see her.

So he decided to try. One more time. Maybe, just maybe… if he explained it clearly, she would finally understand.

“Mom,” he began softly, “you think this is about infatuation? About attraction? It’s not.”

Queen Chioma crossed her arms, silent but tense.

“When I was broken and sick, Nnenna did not pity me, she took care of me. She stood with me. When I doubted myself, she reminded me of who I was. She doesn’t know these things. That just hearing of her exploits motivates me! And when everyone else saw her as nothing, she still chose to give everything.”

He stepped closer, his voice deepening with emotion.

“She reminds me of the kind of king I want to be. The kind of man I should be. She’s… she’s not just someone I love. She’s someone I admire.”

Queen Chioma’s eyes flickered, just for a moment, but she said nothing.

“You say she’s the reason Dad is gone,” Somto said, his voice tight with old pain. “But you weren’t there when she cried for him. When she blamed herself. When she risked her life to help Abuchi save his fiance.”

He took a step back, swallowing hard. “You hate her. But I… I’ve seen her heart. And it’s the purest thing I’ve ever known.”

Silence stretched between them like a sword drawn and waiting.

disappointing you,” Somto said, finally. “But I won’t lie about how I feel. Not even to

have been trying to arrange engagements for me since I was barely old enough to talk,” Somto said, his voice calm but firm. “But I’ve never liked any of those

Queen Chioma replied, her

“Dad said that if I didn’t want an arranged marriage, I should marry someone of even higher status than those girls you picked. You know that. And I

Chioma snapped. “So why is

her, his gaze steady. “Because I know

“Fine. If you think you know better than your own mother, then listen to me carefully.” Her

that girl to become your wife. I

hit like cold steel, but Somto didn’t flinch. Instead, something inside

really knew, that her hatred ran so deep, she couldn’t see anything else. Not

the girl who had suffered and still rose with grace. She didn’t see the one who had risked herself to protect

saw was a shadow from

nothing he

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

and stepped back. “Then I guess we’ll see,” he said softly. “Because I won’t stop loving her… even if

parents had never sat him down to explain the full story, but Somto was no fool. He had long since dug through the shadows, asked the right questions,

she hated Nnenna so

Chioma clung

father who had made the mistake. An engagement in place, yes, but he had fallen in love with someone else. Love, genuine, unpredictable, inconvenient love. Something that couldn’t be

had

to someone. Not to mention that she was in love

had rewritten the tale, turning betrayal into a vendetta. She needed someone to blame. And she had