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

Chapter 432: Uncontrollable Hatred

Arthur’s eyes flicked toward the center of the range again and again. He said nothing, but he saw it.

Ava stood tall with pride as her next arrow landed in the heart of her target. Jana clenched her jaw in determination and struck gold soon after.

And then there was Nnenna.

Each time she fired, there was a quiet grace to her movements, a natural rhythm, fluid and precise. She learned not by brute force, but by instinct and sharp observation.

Arthur folded his arms. His gaze lingered on her for a fraction longer than he intended.

He said nothing.

But deep down, he was impressed.

For Nnenna, it was almost effortless.

By her third trial, her arrow sailed smoothly through the air, thwack! straight into the bullseye. Clean. Controlled. Precise.

She didn’t react. No gasp, no smile. Just calmly notched another arrow, eyes narrowed, focused.

Ava, on the other hand, got it on her eighth try. She frowned, her pride stung, but quickly masked it with a flick of her hair and a forced smirk. She was still one of the best… right?

The other fast learners, the so called geniuses of the class, needed no more than twenty tries. That alone was impressive in such a complex technique, and Arthur finally nodded, the corner of his lips twitching in subtle approval.

“Very good,” he said, his deep voice low and smooth.

Then, without warning, he appeared right behind Nnenna.

“Your form,” he said gently, his tone strangely softer, “is excellent.”

“Thank you,” Nnenna replied softly, without turning around. She didn’t stop, didn’t pause. She simply took another arrow and drew it back again.

It was better to keep going, to perfect it, to escape the tension crawling up her neck.

But Arthur didn’t move.

silent shadow, watching her with quiet intensity. His usually cool demeanor softened just a little, the edges melting. It was as if, for that

Ava noticed.

had hit the center several times now, on the ninth, the tenth, and twelfth try, each shot a little better than the

hadn’t looked her

all his attention… was

didn’t even realize she was holding her breath

boiled quietly beneath her flawless

fingers tightened around the grip

second, just a second, a wicked thought crept in:

quickly as it came,

the hell am I

heart dropped. The bow in her hands felt suddenly foreign, like

that? Since when had she become someone who wanted to hurt others,

not who

her brothers, Arthur, Somto, Carl, had always taught her better. They lived by principles, by strength rooted in restraint and grace. She had prided herself on those

inhaled sharply and closed her eyes

the target once again, pushing the darkness from her mind. Focus, Ava. You’re

Ava was battling the shadows in her own mind,

Jana.

stood a little farther off, watching the entire scene unfold, and it made her blood

That girl. That Nnenna.

and pretending to be average. Then she captured Prince Carl’s attention with

cold, unreachable Prince Arthur was hovering

curled so tightly her nails dug into her

it always her? Why does she

who, oblivious, continued practicing, calm and

that made it worse.

doesn’t even try. She

teeth, thoughts spiraling

notice her, the smart one, the hard working one, the one who deserved to be