They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System Chapter 572: Let Her Be Managed

She tilted her head again, eyes wide with mock innocence, as if she truly couldn’t rember why she had made them stay in the first place.

Daniel was on the verge of snapping, his patience fraying like a thread pulled too far. Elin, steadier, took the lead.

"You asked us to wait behind, Your Highness. What are your instructions?" she asked, her tone calm but edged. Even she couldn’t hide that standing for nearly an hour with no purpose had worn her thin.

"Oh yes, I rember now." Nnenna set her napkin neatly on the table, as if the thought had only just returned to her. "I’ll be having a eting with all the security personnel closest to Carl tomorrow morning. Nine sharp."

Daniel blinked, startled. "Is there... a problem, Your Highness?"

Nnenna’s eyes flicked toward him, her tone suddenly carrying the weight of entitlent. "Do I need a problem to call for a eting? I didn’t know."

Her words left him biting his tongue.

"Anyway," she added lightly, already rising from her seat, "make sure everyone’s there before I arrive. You’re dismissed."

With that, she swept out of the hall, leaving the two stunned in her wake.

Back in her room, the air felt quieter, freer. She sat on the edge of her bed, pulled out her phone, and typed a ssage with uncharacteristic hesitation.

[I’m safe. I went to see Carl... Thank you.]

Her fingers hovered, unsure if she should add more. Involving Arthur in her investigation might speed things up... but then it might also ruin her plans by startling the enemy, and besides, she was confident she could handle it herself.

"This is enough," she whispered to herself, hitting send.

In Prigrian, at the royal training ground, Arthur was locked in a spar with one of the lead crown guards.

The clash had gone on for nearly an hour, the guard panting hard and drenched in sweat. Arthur, however, stood as calm and dry as when they had begun, his movents sharp but effortless.

Then a distinct notification tone rang out across the arena.

In less than five seconds, the fight ended. Arthur shifted his stance once, and with a single, precise move, he swept his opponent clean off his feet.

The young guard crashed onto the ground, breathless and stunned. A dawning realization struck him like a heavier blow than the fall itself, His Highness hadn’t even been using ten percent of his strength this entire ti.

What he thought was his proudest effort had been nothing more than Arthur indulging him.

What a monster, the guard thought bitterly, sha burning through his fatigue.

But Arthur didn’t even glance at him. He strode quickly toward his device, the guard’s feelings a distant afterthought. Unlocking it, his eyes landed on the short ssage:

[I’m safe. I went to see Carl... Thank you.]

He stared at it for long, silent minutes. Then, quietly, he exhaled. Relief. The tension in his shoulders eased.

He typed back a single word.

[Good.]

But after a mont’s hesitation, his fingers moved again.

[Take care of yourself.]

—

The next morning, Nnenna stirred before dawn, her body clock attuned to years of early training with Arthur.

At 4 a.m. she was already awake, refreshed, and steady. She freshened up, arranged her thoughts, and began ticking off the matters she had set for herself.

By the ti she looked at the clock again, it was 7:46 a.m. Almost ti.

She rose smoothly. Before the eting with the guards at nine, she decided she would go see Carl first.

-----------

At the guards’ quarters, inside Daniel’s office, the heads of the various security departnts sat stiffly, faces set in grim lines.

Daniel leaned forward, his voice tight with frustration as he recounted the previous night.

"She’s pure evil. She kept us standing there on purpose. No respect for His Highness, no concern for his safety. Nearly an hour wasted! Ti we could’ve used to move the investigation forward."

"Exactly." Christopher, the head of surveillance, slamd a hand lightly on the table, jaw clenched. "I had a plan ready last night. A perfect window. But her little tantrum of delaying you two made us lose it. That chance is gone now."

A murmur of agreent rippled through the room.

"We have to tell His Highness," Rick, the head of training, growled. "I can’t believe he wants her involved in this at all. She’s dragging us down. We should report her directly. At the very least, His Highness could warn her to stop interfering in our work."

"Yes. That’s right." Christopher backed him up imdiately, his tone heated.

"That’s a good idea." Another voice joined in.

"She should be controlled," soone else muttered darkly.

One by one, the officers chid in, frustration building like a storm in the small office.

"No."

The single word from Elin cut through the rising noise like a blade. It was the first ti she had spoken since the eting began, and instantly, the room fell silent.

"His Highness is very sick," she said firmly, her calm tone carrying more weight than Daniel’s heated words. "He shouldn’t have to waste energy on trivial matters. His health must co first."

The officers shifted uneasily, so averting their eyes.

"Yes, she may be a tyrant with no regard for His Highness," Elin continued, her gaze sharp, "but don’t forget, she makes him happy. For that reason alone, we should tolerate her as much as possible."

The silence thickened.

"Here’s what we’ll do," she said finally, leaning forward. "Involve her in our investigation, on the surface. Let her play detective, while we, the real investigators, work in the shadows. This way, she believes she’s part of the effort and won’t see the need to throw her silent tantrums."

The corner of her mouth tilted ever so slightly. "She’ll think she’s leading, when in truth, she’s being managed."

Daniel’s eyes lit up. He slapped his forehead. "You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that?"

--------------------------------------------

A special Happy Birthday shout out to Jennifer 🎉 Thank you for being such a wonderful reader and supporter!