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

Chapter 561: You Lost Someone You Loved "...Every day I'm tempted to do something stupid, just to make the pain stop. But I know it won't help. It'll only make things worse." Her gaze locked on Nnenna, sharp and unyielding. The mask of indifference on Nnenna's face faltered, the cracks showing at last. Ava knew she had struck the right nerve.

"Think about that," Ava finished, turning toward the door.

"I'm... sorry for your loss." The words slipped out of Nnenna before she could stop them. Ava froze, halfway out.

"This whole tyou guys have been here for me, and I shut you all out," Nnenna admitted, voice trembling but steady enough to carry. "I knew you might be hurting just like me, but I was too messed up to help anyone. So I stayed away, thinking it was better... but I did not realize that wasn't much help to you either." Ava turned slowly, eyes widening as Nnenna continued.

"You lost someone you've loved since you were little. I'm sorry for not being there for you. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be here if I can. I'm still a mess, I know... but at least I'll listen." Her words hung in the air, fragile but genuine, the first crack in the wall she had built around herself.

"Thank you," Ava whispered with a small, trembling smile as a tear slid down her cheek. "But... you should say this to Carl too. You hurt him, you know that, right?" "I know," Nnenna admitted, her voice heavy with remorse. "But saying it won't change anything. I still plan to go ahead with my plans, and that'll just make things worse between Carl and me. It's better if I just leave him alone. You would all be better off withoutin your lives. I only bring harm to everyone who loves me." Her face hardened as she spoke, sealing the words like a verdict.

Ava's chest tightened. She had just gotten through to her, now they were back at square one.

"It's not your fault," Ava snapped, her patience breaking. "How could you even put that burden on yourself? He chose to save you guys. It was his choice. It's not on you, not even a little. And if you really believe this, then Arthur should be drowning in guilt too. The three of you were hanging off that cliff together, remember?" "You don't understand!" Nnenna snapped back, her voice sharp before dropping to a whisper. "You don't know what really happened that day... not the full story." Ava froze, frowning. She almost didn't catch the words, they were so quiet. But she heard them.

Not the full story? Arthur had never said anything that suggested Somto's death was tied directly to Nnenna. Was she twisting it in her grief, or was there something else none of them knew? Ava's heart ached as she looked at her friend.

She's still blaming herself. Still carrying it all alone.

"Just... think about what I said, okay?" Ava whispered.

Silence.

With a helpless sigh, Ava turned and left, closing the door softly behind her.

"Love System... what's the percentage of failure for this plan?" Nnenna asked as if Ava was never there.

Her asking wasn't that she wouldn't go through with it, she just wanted to hear the numbers.

"I can't tell you that," the system replied, calm and steady. "But I can say this, the result isn't too far from the first plan." Not reassuring. Not discouraging either.

"Death? You can say it. There's a high chance I'll die." Nnenna muttered under her breath. "Might as well go ahead with it." With that, she slipped out of her room. Every step was careful, calculated. She made sure her footsteps barely touched the ground, ears straining for even the faintest sound of movement.

She wasn't sure if she could actually evade all the guards stationed around the castle, but one thing she was absolutely certain of, she did not want to run into Arthur.

Arthur was dangerous in more ways than one. His martial arts expertise aside, the man seemed to sense her every movement, like he could smell her intent from miles away.

To her surprise, she made it all the way to the main gate without being stopped. That alone sent a chill down her spine. Unusual. Too unusual.

"Maybe luck's on my side," she whispered. Or maybe the guards weren't paying attention. Either way, she wasn't about to waste the chance.

She crouched low, about to slip past the final stretch of the gate— "So... you're really going?" The familiar voice froze her in place.

Her head jerked upward.

Arthur sat perched on the high stone wall like he had been waiting there all along, one knee raised, an arm draped casually over it.

The moonlight outlined him sharply, broad shoulders relaxed but alert, sharp eyes gleaming with that supreadable coldness that always unnerved her. His white hair caught the faint light, making him look like a ghost pulled out of the night itself. Expressionless. Calm. Watching.

He didn't raise his voice, didn't move aggressively, but the weight of his gaze was enough to pin her in place.

It was obvious now, he had been following her the entire time. And if he was sitting there so casually, that meant he had probably told the guards not to stop her. "Yes," Nnenna replied, her voice steady though her chest felt like it might collapse. "I'm not trying to hurt you guys. I have to do this, for my sake." Arthur didn't flinch. His eyes didn't even soften. "I understand." No persuasion. No lecture. Just calm, almost detached acceptance.

He leaned slightly forward, the moonlight sharpening the lines of his I jaw. "Ava already spoke to you. I allowed her, hoping you would listen. Since you didn't... then go ahead." As if on cue, the heavy gates creaked open behind him, the sound echoing like a warning bell in the night.

Nnenna's eyes narrowed.