They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 197 - 197 The secret was out 2

Chapter 197: The secret was out 2 Chapter 197: The secret was out 2 But disappointment did not mean hesitation.

Without wasting a second, they shifted their focus.

Regret gnawed at them.

They had showered Nnenna with expensive gifts, believing her to be a true royal, one worth investing in.

Now, those gifts felt wasted.

And worse… the First Princess must have noticed.

On the first day of the ball, they had presented their gifts exactly as tradition demanded, placing their most precious gifts on the table for Nnenna.

Now, it was too late to take them back.

That meant the First Princess had likely realized the harsh truth, her gifts were inferior to her sister’s.

Would she still agree to a marriage alliance with them after such an insult?

Panic set in among the monarchs.

Their carefully laid plans had crumbled in an instant, and they scrambled for ways to salvage the situation.

Their frustration grew, their anger looking for an outlet.

Should they direct it at the King of Lionara for allowing such a deception?

At the royal family for keeping the truth hidden?

Or at Nnenna herself, the girl who had walked among them, accepting their gifts, pretending to be one of them?

They needed someone to blame.

And since they couldn’t openly challenge the King or the royal family, they chose the weakest target.

Nnenna.

Their resentment, their humiliation, their wounded pride, all of it would be thrown onto her shoulders.

She was no longer a potential queen or a valuable political ally.

She was a fraud.

And she would pay for it.

She should have told them from the start.

That was the thought running through the minds of the gathered nobles and royals.

Conveniently, they forgot that even King Ikechukwu himself had refused to reveal the truth.

Conveniently, they ignored the fact that King Ikechukwu said Second Princess had been shy and withdrawn for years, only stepping into the public eye after he had insisted when she turned sixteen.

No.

Instead of blaming King Ikechukwu or themselves for failing to see the signs, they concluded on turning their frustration on the easiest target, the one they deemed weak.

The tension in the air thickened.

Whispers turned into hushed murmurs.

Faces twisted in barely restrained outrage.

Some of them were on the verge of shouting, of demanding answers, but they held themselves back.

Not yet.

They needed confirmation.

Until King Ikechukwu himself addressed the situation, they would hold back.

Maybe, just maybe, this was all a misunderstanding.

But deep down, they already knew the truth.

The person who had leaked the information claimed it had come from one of the royal siblings.

That was enough for them.

If a royal had spoken, then it had to be true.

And once the King confirmed it, there would be no need for restraint.

Nnenna walked back to the castle in a daze.

The secret was out.

And she wasn’t ready to deal with it.

But did that matter?

No.

The world didn’t care if she was ready.

The moment the truth spilled, it was hers to handle, whether she wanted to or not.

She exhaled sharply, trying to push down the rising turmoil inside her.

The weight of a thousand stares burned against her skin, whispers coiling around her like unseen chains.

But she didn’t have time for them.

Right now, she needed to find her family.

She approached a group of servants, asking for directions.

But their reactions were…

different.

Cold.

Hesitant.

Some outright ignored her, turning their backs as if she were invisible.

Her fingers clenched at her sides.

Just yesterday, they had been eager to please her, fetching things before she even asked, offering polite bows, smiling with respect.

But now?

Now that the royals looked down on her.

Now that her popularity had shifted from admiration to disgrace.

Now that she was no longer “one of them.” The shift in their attitudes was almost laughable.

So, this is how it is.

She didn’t react.

She didn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her falter.

Instead, she straightened her back, lifted her chin, and found her way to her father’s study.

As expected, her entire family was gathered inside.

And, just as she had suspected They were talking about her.

“I told you!

I told you we should have revealed she was adopted from the very beginning!” The Queen Mother’s voice rang out sharply, slicing through the heavy air like a blade.

Her face was tense with frustration, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair.

“If we had just told the truth back then, people would have accepted it, gotten over it, and moved on!

But now?

Now, the ball is almost over, and we’re in the middle of a scandal!

How are we supposed to find her an engagement that benefits the kingdom when every single suitor is pulling away?” Silence.

Then, a voice responded, calm, but laced with restrained anger.

“Grandmother,” Somto spoke, his eyes cold as he leaned back against the desk.

“We did the right thing by keeping it quiet.” His gaze swept across the room, piercing.

“This wouldn’t have been an issue if someone had not pened their mouth.” His tone darkened.

“None of the castle servants would dare to speak of this, and even if they did, no one would have taken it seriously.

The only way this got out…” He trailed off, eyes narrowing.

Then, he said it.

“…is if someone in this very room leaked it.” His words sent a chilling wave through the study.

Everyone stiffened.

His voice sharpened.

“So, tell me, who did it?” A thick, suffocating silence followed.

One where the guilty were about to be exposed.

“Whoever did it did the right thing!” Ebere’s voice exploded through the study, raw with frustration.

She stood up abruptly, her eyes blazing with anger.

“We should have never let this secret last this long!

Look at how it’s affected all of us!

If we had just told the truth from the start, none of this would have happened!” ———————- Guys, if we move up the rankings, I’ve got stockpiled chapters here with y’all names on it!

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