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

Chapter 521: The 'You LetDown' Look "Somto looked like he was in a hurry. I remember watching him leave and then-" she laughed dryly, "I grabbed my bicycle and started trailing his car without telling anyone." She looked sideways at Nnenna.

"Guess what happened." "What?" Nnenna leaned in, her curiosity piqued. This was more than gossip, it was a peek into the deeper, tangled roots of the circle she had somehow found herself drawn into.

Ava's expression darkened.

"I was almost kidnapped." Nnenna's eyes widened in horror.

"Turns out, speople were after Somto that day. And there I was, this little idiot, riding straight into danger. They nearly grabbed me. But Carl... Carl was in the kingdom at the time, and by smiracle, he crossed paths with us." She shivered at the memory.

"If Carl hadn't been there, if he hadn't interfered, I honestly don't know what would've happened." She shook her head. "I was scared out of my body, Nnenna. And even then, after everything, Carl didn't shout or scold me. He just huggedquietly, drovehome, and said he was glad I was safe." She smiled faintly, eyes soft with the memory.

"When we got home, I had already calmed down a little," Ava continued, her tone more subdued now. "But I was still bracing myself. My parents and Arthur had already gotten wind of what happened. They were waiting for us at the castle gates the moment we arrived." She exhaled sharply, like she could still feel that tension in her chest.

"I was ready to get the scolding of my life. I mean, full on thunder and brimstone. I had disobeyed, almost gotten kidnapped, and nearly caused Somto's mission to fail. I was already rehearsing how to cling to Carl's thigh and beg for mercy." Nnenna let out a soft laugh at the image, already picturing Ava hugging Carl's leg like a guilty puppy.

"But that wasn't even the worst part," Ava said, shaking her head. "It was Arthur. You know that disappointed look he gives, the one that says, 'You've failed the universe'?" Nnenna winced. "Yeah. That look hurts more than words." "Exactly! I could already see it coming." Ava rolled her eyes at her past self. "I was ready to act pitiful and play the baby card. But guess what happened?" "Who scolded you?" Nnenna asked, already forming the answer in her mind based on what she knew of Carl. Ava gave a lopsided smile. "Carl." Just as Nnenna had guessed.

"We were just a few meters from the main castle entrance," Ava said, her voice now low and reflective. "My family was standing outside, clearly fuming. Then, right before we reached them, Carl suddenly pulled the car to a stop." Nnenna leaned in.

"At first, I thought he was about to make a U turn and flee the scene with me," Ava said with a short laugh. "But no. He turned off the engine. And then..." she paused, remembering vividly, "he turned towith this look I had never seen on him before." "He looked at me," Ava said, her voice quieting, "with those piercing eyes of his. His face was still calm, patient even, but the air around him changed." She stared out the window, remembering.

"One second... two seconds... three seconds... I couldn't take it anymore." She shook her head, a wry smile on her lips.

"I burst out crying. Not out of fear, but because, in those three seconds, it hit me. The weight of what I had done. The danger I walked into. The people I could've hurt." Nnenna didn't interrupt. She felt the shift too, even in the retelling.

"And then cthe scolding of a lifetime." Ava let out a breath. "He didn't shout. He didn't insult. But every word cut deeper than a blade. He toldhow disappointed he was. How reckless I had been. How I hadn't just risked myself, but Somto... my parents... even him." "Ouch," Nnenna murmured softly.

"Exactly." Ava nodded. "And when he was done, he didn't wait for a reaction. He just turned the key, started the car again, and drove straight to the castle gates, where my entire family was standing, ready to breathe fire." A beat passed.

"But the moment I stepped out of the car, Carl just... drove off. No goodbye, no parting glance. Nothing." Nnenna blinked. "He ghosted you."

"Yes!" Ava exclaimed, half laughing now. "And that was even worse than the scolding. Because I k knewd really, really messed up. She leaned back against the seat with a small sigh. "All the fury my parents and Arthur had built up? Vanished. The moment they saw my tear stained face, they said nothing. Not even Arthur." A long pause.

"That day changed everything for me," Ava finished. "Carl is kind, gentle, loving, and he'll always show it. But don't be fooled. He's just as terrifying as Arthur when disappointed... only without the cold aura. That's what makes it worse." "I was planning to hide behind Carl," Ava admitted with a tic sigh, "use him as a human shield from Arthur's soul piercing stare. But instead, I got hit with it full force, and Carl abandoned me." Nnenna chuckled under her breath.

"And I swear," Ava added, squinting like she could still see it, "I wasn't hallucinating... but I think I saw pity in Arthur's eyes that day." "No way," Nnenna said, trying not to laugh.

"Yes! Pity!" Ava nodded firmly. "And thank God, because if I had gotten two of those looks in the sday, I think my soul would've packed up and left." She hugged herself in exaggerated trauma.

"Fortunately, Somto didn't cback.

for months. By the the did, the matter had already died down. So, I didn't have to face him too. After that day, I stuck to mischief that wouldn't provoke that kind of look. My parents' scolding? Sure. That disappointed, 'you letdown' look? Never again." A beat passed.