They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System Chapter 615: That’s... Impossible

"... Annoying for so, but very nice for a psychiatrist, you know. Made much better than I ever was. Well, second best," he added with a grin, clearly reminded of the housekeeper’s jab.

"Convenient and effective," Nnenna nodded, sounding genuinely impressed. "Where did you pick that up?"

"Where else? Obviously from the best." His eyes narrowed slightly, a playful but sharp edge slipping into his tone. "Your boyfriend’s best friend."

"My... boyfriend?" Nnenna raised a brow. "Don’t tell you’re talking about Arthur." She let out a laugh as she pronounced the na.

"Who else?" Darius shot back imdiately. This ti, his jealousy was harder to hide.

"Not possible. Besides, I don’t date." Nnenna shook her head, looking more amused than offended.

"Why?" Darius asked, curious, leaning a little closer.

But Nnenna wasn’t in a hurry to answer. "Is this part of the session, or off the record?" she asked first.

"Does it matter?" Darius countered.

"Yes." Nnenna nodded firmly as she wheeled herself into her room after pressing her palm to the scanner. Once inside, she continued with a calm but pointed tone. "Because my psychiatrist has no business knowing that. But a potential friend? Sure."

"Potential friend?" Darius repeated, following her in. He circled around and stopped in front of her, his eyes searching hers. "Are you saying... you would give us a chance?" His voice held a thread of hope.

"No." Nnenna turned him down flatly, leaving no room for misinterpretation. His face showed the sting of disappointnt, but she didn’t pause.

"I’m saying everyone has to start with friendship. Which brings to your other question. I don’t date because I don’t believe in it. I believe in friendship first. Then, if sothing real sparks, courtship, then marriage. I don’t waste my ti with this word ’dating’ that doesn’t even have a proper definition. For , courtship is the right word."

"Why’s that?" Darius asked, pulling up a chair.

"Courtship," Nnenna began, a spark of passion in her tone now that she was sharing her values with soone willing to listen, "is between two people who are ready for marriage. Not just financially ready, but emotionally, psychologically, in character, in all areas. Not perfect, no. But prepared, and willing to learn along the way. It’s about respect. Respect even to the point of sexual purity."

"Then, when the ti is right, after the couple truly understands each other, then they get married," Nnenna concluded, her tone calm but firm. "That friendship period before courtship gives ti to know each other without the pressure to perform or pretend just because of attraction. By the ti they reach courtship, before emotions run too deep, they should already know who the other really is."

"That’s an interesting view," Darius replied, clearly impressed. A small smile tugged at his lips. "I heard you’re a dical student. Ever considered majoring in psychiatry?"

"Not really," Nnenna said lightly, "but I’ll think about it."

"So," Darius leaned forward, his curiosity sharpening, "is that why you’re friends with Arthur and not courting him yet?"

"No," Nnenna shot back imdiately, her voice clipped. "And I don’t think that’s any of your business."

"Maybe not as your psychiatrist," Darius admitted smoothly, "but as soone who wants to be your friend, it kind of is."

"Well, you can drop it," Nnenna replied shortly. "I don’t have feelings for Arthur. He’s my big brother."

"For now," Darius murmured suddenly, his expression shifting into sothing more pointed. "Plus he doesn’t seem to feel the sa. With this friendship between you two... sothing might change before you even recognize it."

Silence

"Pfffff" Nnenna burst out laughing. The laughter shook through her until tears spilled from her eyes.

Darius just leaned back, watching her with a small, amused nod. Clearly, she didn’t believe him.

"You’re way off point," Nnenna finally managed between laughs, wiping at her eyes.

"Maybe I am," Darius conceded with a shrug, "but remind , who’s the psychiatrist here? or you?"

"You," she admitted, still chuckling, "You really love playing that card, don’t you? Fine then. You seem to forget we already have a resident psychiatrist living here, Carl. And he happens to be the best in the field since he took it up a few months ago. If there was even a hint of what you’re suggesting, he would’ve told ."

"Or maybe he’s covering it up," Darius pushed, his eyes narrowing in thought.

"Yeah, right." Nnenna’s voice dripped with mockery, though the corners of her lips curved in amusent. "You really need to polish your skills more. You’re talented, sure, but if you’re not careful soone else might take that second best spot and bump you down to third."

Her sincerity slipped through despite the teasing.

Darius paused at that, staring at her for a few seconds before a smile tugged at his face. "You’re right. I must be imagining things. Arthur has been preoccupied with finding his childhood sweetheart for over a decade now. He’s... unbelievably loyal. The kind who never lets go. He wouldn’t just fall for you unless—"

He stopped mid sentence, his gaze locking on her.

"—unless you’re the one he’s been searching for."

The air shifted.

Now fully caught in thought, his tone softened into sothing almost distant. "Co to think of it... you do bear a striking resemblance to her." His eyes grew unfocused, lost in a daze.

Nnenna froze for a fraction of a second, her expression betraying just the slightest flicker of worry before she quickly masked it.

"But no," Darius shook his head, dismissing the thought with a sigh. "That’s impossible. They were all massacred that year."

The weight of his words lingered in the silence that followed.

"Anyway," Darius stretched as if the earlier heavy words hadn’t just been spoken, "now that I’ve safely escorted you to your room, I should be on my way to settle down in a guest room. Plus, sothing tells if Carl sees hanging around here without a proper reason, he might go all ’off with his head!’"