They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System Chapter 636: I’ll Remember This

Bright and early the next morning, Darius showed up at the Prigrian castle. Since Carl had already inford the staff of his arrival, he was quickly let in. He didn’t waste a second, rushing straight to the dining hall where the royal family was already gathered for breakfast.

"Where’s my favorite girl?" he called out the mont he burst in, voice booming with excitent.

The entire table turned in his direction just as his sharp eyes landed on Nnenna. In the next heartbeat, he practically flew across the room toward her, completely oblivious to the fact that she was sitting on a normal chair now and not a wheelchair.

"You’re here?" Nnenna blinked, startled at how fast he had gotten there. He must have left the very mont Carl called, she reasoned.

"Of course I am," Darius grinned, shalessly blocking Arthur with his broad chest as he leaned closer to her. His voice softened dramatically. "I heard you missed , so I ca as soon as I could."

Nnenna only raised a brow at him, unimpressed.

"Fine," he sighed, throwing his hands up. "I missed you. That’s why I ca so fast. Sheesh, what does a man have to do to leave a lasting impression on a damsel like you?" he lanted loudly, as if he were performing on stage.

"Ahem."

Queen White’s deliberate throat clearing sliced through the air.

Darius froze, finally realizing what he had ignored until now: the entire table was staring at him, King White, the Queen, Ava, Arthur, and Carl, all wearing various expressions that ranged from stunned to coldly displeased.

And just like that, the cheerful energy he barged in with suddenly felt like it might cost him his neck.

"Oh sorry," Darius quickly straightened up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Good morning, Your Majesties. Your Royal Highness, Princess Ava."

His greeting was polite enough, but the response was nothing like before. No warm nod from King White, no amused laugh from the Queen, not even the polite acknowledgnt he usually got from Ava. This ti, he received little more than cool nods, or worse, silence.

It hit him imdiately. Ah... so they’ve all joined Carl and Arthur in the sa boat, disapproving of chasing after their precious Nnenna.

"Tough crowd," he sighed theatrically, loud enough to draw attention.

The corners of Nnenna’s lips twitched, and before she could stop herself, she let out a laugh that quickly turned into a small choke.

Arthur’s cold voice cut through the mont. "I see you still have no regard for Carl and I." He casually slid a glass of water toward Nnenna, his expression flat but his eyes flickering briefly to hers, almost like a warning to be more careful.

Nnenna tried to down the water, but the choke caught in her throat and her coughing only grew worse.

Arthur was already beside her, his hand on her back in steady, firm pats, his other hand pushing the water closer. "Easy. Small sips," he instructed in his usual cold tone, but his nearness betrayed him. His arm brushed against hers, his hand lingered a fraction too long on her back, his entire presence far too close.

The more he helped, the more flustered she beca. Her cheeks ward, not just from the coughing, and her coughs doubled, sharp and ragged.

Arthur’s brows furrowed. "Focus on breathing," he muttered, shifting closer, steadying her shoulder as if he could physically anchor her.

That only made it worse. Seriously? Of all tis, why am I choking more with him beside ? Her lungs refused to cooperate, her heart hamred wildly, and she had no idea which one was betraying her first.

Finally, desperate to escape, she scooted her chair slightly away, just enough to break free of his reach. "I—I’m fine," she said quickly, her voice hoarse, waving him off with a shaky hand.

Arthur’s hand hovered in midair before he drew it back, his mask slipping for a fraction of a second.

Inside, Nnenna was anything but fine. Her pulse raced in ways she couldn’t explain. Why did his touch make nervous? Is it because... no. I can’t think about that, not until he admits it. And if he really does... and I’m not ready... nothing between us will ever be the sa again.

The dining hall was far from silent.

Queen White let out a soft laugh, quickly covering it with her hand. "Well, isn’t this a lively breakfast," she said lightly, though her bright eyes betrayed her delight at Arthur’s uncharacteristic display.

King White’s lips curved into the faintest smile, his hand resting over his wife’s in quiet approval. Reserved as ever, but his softened gaze said enough.

Ava, practically glowing, bit back the grin tugging at her lips. She didn’t say a word, only sneaked her brother a look that scread, Finally. When Arthur shifted slightly under it, she ducked her head over her plate, pretending innocence.

Carl didn’t speak, but he set his spoon down for a mont, eyes flicking toward Nnenna. There was no judgnt, only a steady watchfulness, as if to say he saw more than he let on, even if he chose to stay silent.

And then there was Darius. His teasing smile faltered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Arthur’s overprotective reaction. He had suspected before, but now, now it was undeniable. Arthur’s feelings for Nnenna weren’t just suspicions anymore.

The mood at the table shifted instantly; each person read the mont in their own way, their silence saying more than words could. But Nnenna sat stiff, pretending nothing was wrong, even as her chest refused to settle.

"I—" she stamred at last, clutching at the first excuse she could grab. "I have an early class." She pushed back her chair too fast, her eagerness to escape almost giving her away.

"Your legs..." Darius’s stunned voice cut through the air. His eyes were wide. "They’re okay? How’s that even possible?"

He turned toward the table, expecting the sa shock mirrored in everyone else’s faces, but no one looked surprised. To them, it was as ordinary as any other Friday.

"I’ll drive you," Arthur said flatly, rising to his feet without so much as a glance at Darius.

"No!" Nnenna blurted, too sharp. Her cheeks heated as she scrambled for a softer cover. "I an... no, I don’t want to be an inconvenience." Quick save, she applauded herself internally.

Arthur stood there, unreadable, then finally spoke. "You’re not an inconvenience." His shoulders lifted in a faint shrug. "I’m heading that way anyway." The added words landed like an anchor, too deliberate, too honest.

Nnenna "..."

Her mind whirled but found no new excuse. Fate had her cornered.

"I’ll drive her," Darius cut in quickly, stepping forward with a grin. "Just the two of us. It’ll be romantic."

He didn’t even flinch under the wave of glares instantly fired at him, though he registered them all the sa. Nnenna’s sharp look alone was enough to strike him down, so he backpedaled smoothly.

"I an... I haven’t been to the academy in a while. Since I’ve got free ti, I’ll drop by to greet a few friends."

"Not necessary," Arthur interrupted coolly, already moving toward Nnenna like her shadow.

"Actually, it is necessary." Darius squared his shoulders, voice slick, like a lawyer laying out his case. "She has only two months before the exams. She needs every lesson she can get. And you can’t exactly practice martial arts in a car. But ? I can teach while driving."

Without waiting for a reply, he strode forward and tilted his head toward Nnenna. "Co on, you’ll be late."

Snapped out of her frozen state, Nnenna scrambled after him, heart pounding louder than her footsteps.

The dining hall went quiet as they left.

"Since when does she go to lectures? I thought she prefers self studying?" Queen White finally broke the silence, though she already had an answer: Nnenna must have felt uncomfortable around Arthur. She shot him a sympathetic look, but his usual cold expression didn’t seem to need it at all. In fact, he looked... confident.

Lifting his head, Arthur shot Ava a glance, and like clockwork, she stood up.

"I also want to get to the academy on ti. I’ll hitch a ride with them," she said, already moving toward the door.

And just like that, the "romantic journey" Darius had in mind turned into a trio’s ride, with Ava occupying nearly all of Nnenna’s attention along the way, chatting, teasing, and leaving Darius completely out of the loop.

He wasn’t even in the mood to teach anymore. I’ll rember this, he thought, knowing full well it couldn’t have been a coincidence.

The day passed in a blur, and before anyone knew it, all three were back ho for the weekend.

Once Darius arrived, Carl led him into his study at the Prigrian castle.

"Have a seat," Carl gestured to a chair beside Arthur, who was glued to his phone, not bothering to look up.