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

Chapter 437: Someone She Could Trust

Her words were soft, but they struck Carl like thunder.

His chest tightened unexpectedly, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. He stared at her, stunned. But he quickly composed himself, hiding the ripple of emotion beneath his usual calm.

“…Alright,” he said, voice lower than before. “But I don’t think you should stay here. Let me take you home.”

Nnenna shook her head again, this time with a gentle smile.

“No, I’m fine,” she replied. “If classes have been canceled for the day, then I want to use the time to study in the library. I want to stay productive.”

Carl frowned slightly, worry lingering in his eyes. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she said with more confidence this time, already turning toward the door. “I’ll head there now.”

“…Okay.” Carl nodded slowly, watching her figure fade through the exit.

Once outside the hall, Nnenna walked down the stone path, taking in the serene landscape of Omniora Academy. The trees swayed softly with the wind, and the distant chatter of students felt oddly distant, like echoes from a faraway world.

Her footsteps were slow, unhurried. A calm expression settled over her face.

But her mind?

It was full.

Someone tried to hurt me.

That one truth rang loudest.

Not Ava. Not Carl. Not Arthur.

Me.

And while everyone dismissed it as an accident… something deep inside her told her it wasn’t.

She hugged her arms around herself as a breeze passed.

Who would want me gone?

And why?

That arrow… it must’ve been a stray shot, right? Maybe someone just made a mistake.

Nnenna tried to convince herself, but doubt lingered in her chest like a stubborn shadow.

She couldn’t think of anyone who hated her that much, at least not enough to try something this dangerous. Who would even dare to do such a thing in broad daylight, with so many people around? Weren’t they afraid of getting caught?

Just as her thoughts spiraled deeper, a soft voice pulled her back.

“Are you okay?”

Nnenna turned to the side, and her breath caught.

It was her.

The mystery girl, the one who had been avoiding her for weeks now. The one who always vanished before Nnenna could even get a word in. And now, here she was, standing in front of her… speaking. Calmly. Boldly.

Nnenna blinked, stunned. Wasn’t this the same girl who kept running away every time their eyes met?

The girl asked again, her voice more direct this time. “I heard what happened… Are you alright?”

This time, there was no mistake. She was speaking to her.

Nnenna nodded slowly. “Yeah… I’m fine. Nothing really happened to me.”

Then she managed a small smile. “But thank you… for caring.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” the girl replied, her voice trailing off a little. Then, as if trying to brush past the moment, she asked, “Where are you going?”

“I’m heading to the library,” Nnenna replied, her curiosity still piqued by the sudden friendliness.

“Sure, let’s go together then,” the girl said with a soft smile.

Nnenna smiled back, finally feeling the awkwardness between them ease a little. “By the way… what’s your name?” she asked. It had bugged her for weeks, one of the main reasons she couldn’t find this girl earlier was because she didn’t even know what to call her.

“Oh! My name is Emily,” she replied.

“I’m Nnenna.”

The tension melted away as the two walked toward the library. What began as a quiet walk turned into a lively exchange of ideas and questions.

Inside the library, the girls didn’t just read, they challenged each other with quizzes, debated the material, and even explained difficult concepts back and forth.

Before long, they discovered something unexpected: they made an excellent team.

Study sessions became engaging. Difficult topics started to make sense faster. And for the first time since entering Omniora Academy, Nnenna felt like she had a true academic ally.

By the time the sun dipped low and cast golden light across the marble floors of the academy, the two girls had already decided.

“Let’s be study partners,” Emily suggested.

Nnenna grinned. “Absolutely.”

And with that, the two went their separate ways for the evening, no longer strangers, but partners with a shared goal and a growing friendship.

The next day, the academy was already buzzing back to life. The panic from the supposed assassination attempt had mostly died down, students were whispering about it less and less, as if trying to pretend it hadn’t shaken them.

Lectures resumed as usual.

But something had changed.

Now that everyone knew Jana meant absolutely nothing to Prince Carl, and that Nnenna might actually be the one he cared about, the atmosphere around her shifted completely.noveldrama

Suddenly, the same classmates who had thrown side eyes and cruel whispers were now acting overly sweet. They tried to sit near her, offering fake smiles and forced laughter.

Some even tried to apologize without actually saying the words, hoping to worm their way into her good graces.

Too bad for them, Nnenna wasn’t buying it.

She didn’t care enough to remember what they had said, or who said what. And she certainly wasn’t giving anyone a chance to start pretending now.

She simply walked past them and took her usual seat beside Emily, the only person she felt even the slightest connection with in the entire class.

Emily gave her a small nod and smile as she sat down.

“Guess you’re kind of famous now,” Emily said under her breath, eyes twinkling.

Nnenna chuckled. “I didn’t ask for it.”

“Fame never waits for permission,” Emily replied with a smirk.

As the lecturer entered the class and the murmurs died down, Nnenna allowed herself to relax just a little. Whatever the others were thinking or plotting now… it didn’t matter.

She had someone to sit with.

Someone she could trust.

But Jana wasn’t done.

There was no way she was going to let her fall from grace become permanent.