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

Chapter 575: Did | Just Walk into a Trap??

Men and women in uniform moved briskly, voices low, papers exchanged, boots thudding on the floor. Not a

single one paused to acknowledge her. No greetings, no bows. It was as if she were invisible.

And Rick, looming behind her, made no effort to correct them.

Nnenna'’s lips curved in the faintest smile. Interesting.

After a quick sweep of the room, she turned sharply to face Rick. Her eyes were steady, her tone firm.

“Gather everyone involved in the investigation. Ten minutes. It’s almost nine o'clock. Anyone who misses this

meeting can meetin the dining hall at lunch. And | take, no excuses.”

She let the last two words fall like stones, each syllable carrying weight.

Rick’s brows furrowed. Dissatisfaction flickered across his face, but not alarm. They already had their “functional

plan,” and he was banking on it.

“Your Highness,” he began cautiously, “protocol demands that you—"

“No excuses.”

Nnenna cut him off, her voice razor sharp. She took a step closer, tilting her chin up so her gaze met his

squarely.

“Either you get them here,” she said slowly, every word deliberate, “or you follow protocol... and accept your

punishment for defying a royal. Your princess.”

Her eyes, sharp as glass, locked onto the man who stood three times her size. And in that moment, Rick

understood, she was not bluffing.

That's unusual.

He was taken aback by her boldness. For a moment, his mind scrambled. This is vicious... in subtle ways? Using

quiet methods to punish?

What a load of nonsense, Assistant Head Captain Elin’s voice spat in his memory. What part of this looks subtle

or quiet?

Rick's jaw tightened. Why hadn't Daniel or Elin mentioned that she wasn’t a pushover? They must have

underestimated her completely.

What do | do? A flicker of worry stabbed through him. But slowly, after a few seconds, his thoughts shifted.

He was Rick, the man in charge of training the guards, one of the strongest fighters in the crown prince’s inner

circle. His rank might not shine next to the others, but right now, those others weren't here. He was.

And he had earned this position with blood, sweat, and grit.

With it cpower. Authority. Respect. Even His Highness acknowledged him in ways others couldn't ignore.

Yet here she was... this girl... threatening to punish him like scommon recruit.

His hesitation cracked, and his heart hardened. The nerves faded. The more he thought, the clearer it became, if

worse cto worse, they would simply cut her off. Deny her audience with His Highness.

She couldn't report him if she couldn't see the crown prince.

In fact, Rick almost smirked at the thought. One day, His Highness will thankfor this. Once he sees her for

what she truly is, an ungrateful little pretender, already itching to grab power.

“I will not summon the others,” Rick finally said, his voice firm.

The original plan had been to fake obedience, to deflect quietly until she got bored.

But that was when they assumed Nnenna relied on subtle tricks. Since she had chosen to be direct, he decided it

was better to match her energy head on.

And judging from the murmurs of agreement rippling through the onlookers in the lobby, his methods seemed

far more convincing.

Confidence swelled in his chest. His gaze swept across the large room, satisfied, before finally settling back on

her.

Then his stomach dropped.

Nnenna was smiling. Brightly. Too brightly. Almost as if she wanted him to disobey.

Did | just walk into a trap? Rick wondered, unease flickering, but there was no tto unravel the thought.

“Very well,” Nnenna replied, stepping closer. Her dazzling smile never wavered.

Instinctively, Rick stepped back. Only when his boot scraped the marble floor did he realize what he had done.

The air thickened. The girl walking toward him radiated something far beyond what he had heard in whispers or

seen in her earlier defiance. Her aura pressed against him like an unseen mountain.

How can someone be this frightening while smiling so brightly?

The thought froze him. And then, unbidden, a single nslammed into his mind.

Carl.

This was exactly what his highness was known for. That sterrifying blend of charm and menace, like a storm

hidden behind sunshine.

Whispers broke out around the lobby as Rick stumbled backward.

“Wait... did he just retreat?” one guard muttered, eyes wide.

“No way. Captain Rick? Against a kid?” another whispered back, almost disbelieving.

“She didn’t even raise her voice... just walked up smiling,” someone else added, shuddering.

A younger guard leaned close to his colleague. “Why does this feel like... like His Highness all over again?”

“Idiot, don’t say that out loud!” the colleague hissed, though his own eyes never left Nnenna.

One of the clerks near the corner spoke in a trembling voice. “I've never seen Captain Rick take a step back

before... never.”

“Maybe he’s testing her?” another offered weakly.

“Testing? Look at his face, he’s terrified!”

More voices rose, disbelief blending with awe.

“She's just a princess, isn’t she? How is she scarier than half the crown prince's guard unit?”

“Scarier? She's exactly like him.”

The murmurs grew louder, a tide of

nervous speculation filling the room.

And in the center okt 2) REKOUl

oplykedp Suhbiing back, heart

pounding, as Nnenna's bright,

merciless smile followed him like a

predator closing in. The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

Rick's pride snapped. With a roar he

swung his fist at eRe: theblow

cgmarenest of years spent

training warriors twice her size. The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

But Nnenna... didn’t even flinch.

She tilted her head slightly, her braid brushing her cheek as the punch sliced through empty air.

Before Rick could recover, her body

moved like water, swift, fluid, om

merciless. One paricanght Kis wrist,

her Sholkdar pressed against his

chest, and with a sharp twist of her

hips— The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

THUD!

Rick’s body slammed against the polished lobby floor, the sound echoing like a dropped boulder.