They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System Chapter 500: Boom. Checkmate. Royal edition

It was overwhelming.

Nnenna didn’t want it. It felt like too much, too formal, too public. She just wanted a quiet day with the people she cared about.

She needed soone to talk sense into Queen White. So she went to Somto.

To her relief, he agreed to help.

Although... judging by the odd look on his face, Nnenna wasn’t entirely sure if his reasons were the sa as hers.

Still, she had an ally.

That night, they both made a plan to talk to the King and Queen during dinner.

Whatever it took, they were going to try and stop that party.

Nnenna freshened up and headed downstairs right on ti. She always made it a point to be punctual, being late was impolite, especially in the royal household where even the King and Queen, despite their endless responsibilities, never kept anyone waiting.

She paused at the mirror near her door, giving herself one last look.

Neat. Composed. Ready.

With a small nod to herself, she opened the door and walked toward the dining hall.

As she approached, the door to the hall slid open, and her steps slowed.

She heard a voice. A very familiar one.

"She doesn’t like pink. Let’s go with purple instead," the voice said confidently, laced with gentle amusent.

Queen White’s voice followed, warm and appreciative. "Really? I’m so glad you’re here to help . I would’ve gone with pink, thinking all girls liked pink."

Nnenna blinked, frowning slightly as she stepped fully into view. Her eyes moved to the left side of the Queen... and there he was.

Carl.

Sitting comfortably, book open in front of him.

But it wasn’t just any book.

On the cover, bold and unmistakable: Planner.

Her brows lifted.

Planner?

Planning what?

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, suddenly piecing the puzzle together.

Carl. Sitting beside the Queen. Helping with... colors?

Oh no.

Was he helping her plan the party?

She hadn’t even stepped into the room yet, and sohow she already felt betrayed.

She stopped at the entrance and stared, one brow slowly rising.

Queen White hadn’t noticed her yet. She was too engrossed, completely absorbed, jotting down notes with the kind of intense focus only royalty planning a grand celebration could manage. She was nodding vigorously at every word Carl said, clearly impressed with his insight.

Beside her, King White sat like a man who had accidentally swallowed a fly. His expression was a mixture of disbelief, boredom, and suppressed annoyance.

This had been going on for four hours now.

Four. Full. Hours.

His beloved wife, his very own queen, had practically forgotten he existed ever since Carl arrived and sat down beside her with that cursed planner.

He liked Carl, truly. He always enjoyed the boy’s visits. But right now? He wanted him out. Out of the palace. Out of the planner. Out of his dinner slot.

If King White didn’t know his wife loved him, he would’ve sworn she was replacing him with Carl.

That boy was just too damn charming.

It used to be one of the reasons he liked Carl.

Now?

Not so much

He had tried, genuinely tried, to give input. Suggestions about colors, layouts, maybe even a dance floor shaped like Nnenna’s initials. But each one was swiftly and rcilessly rejected by Queen White with a tone as elegant as it was ruthless.

What had she said again?

"Oh, dear, your ideas are a bit... aggressively underwhelming."

Brutal.

And yet, every ti Carl opened his mouth, it was as if golden ideas fell out like raindrops of divine design. The Queen clapped. She smiled. She scribbled.

Carl said lavender? Lavender it was.

Carl said fireworks synced to orchestral music? She called the royal orchestra imdiately.

Carl said no cake, but a six tiered crystalline fruit sculpture? She ordered a custom made one from the Ice Artisan Guild before he even finished his sentence.

And the King?

He could only sit there. Jealous. Frustrated. Defeated.

Because as much as it stung, even he had to admit...

Carl’s ideas were... better.

Curated. Thoughtful. Aesthetic. Trend aware. Royal party certified.

Bla , the King thought bitterly, bla for not having Carl’s flawless taste, calm charisma, and uncanny ability to read won’s minds before they even speak.

Nnenna, still standing at the door, had seen enough.

She nearly fainted on the spot.

Wait, don’t tell all this is really for—

The planner... the notes... the Queen’s excitent... Carl’s strategic suggestions...

Her birthday ball?!

And it sounded more massive than Queen White originally said.

She turned sharply toward Somto, silently screaming with her eyes. Didn’t you say you would help stop this?!

But Somto... looked defeated. Absolutely, utterly defeated. He stared blankly into his teacup, as if trying to drown himself in it.

She couldn’t understand why he looked so defeated, but the reason had been spinning in Somto’s head for the past three hours.

Queen White’s sharp coback kept echoing like a curse:

"She may be your sister, but she’s my daughter now too, and I have a say in her life. Even more than you, as her mother. If you didn’t want to get attached, then you shouldn’t have let her live with us."

Boom. Checkmate. Royal edition.

Somto had tapped out since then.

As for Ava?

Useless.

She had happily sailed away on Queen White’s glittery party ship long ago and wasn’t looking back. Probably even picked the napkin colors already.

With no one left on her side, Nnenna made a silent, desperate decision: Arthur.

Yes. Cold, grumpy, emotionally vacant Arthur was now her only hope.

Just as she was plotting her escape, her presence was noticed.

"Oh dear, you’re here!" Queen White bead the mont she saw her.

Nnenna flinched.

"Carl says it’s better to let you choose your dress yourself, so I have a few options for you!" the Queen added cheerfully. "Co over here!"

She waved excitedly like she had just spotted a long lost daughter in a movie scene, then turned to a nearby servant and gestured for a chair.