They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 352: That Feeling, That Look

Chapter 352: That Feeling, That Look

His fingers unconsciously tightened around Nnenna’s wrist.

These words made Nnenna pause.

Until now, she had been swept up in the chaos, the fear, the relief, but now, the questions began creeping in.

Yes, Somto hadn’t appeared for months. He hadn’t come for the funeral. He hadn’t even sent a message. And to everyone watching, that absence felt like abandonment.

But…

He had said something just now. Something about being in the middle of something he couldn’t walk away from. Something dangerous. And, more importantly, he had said that he knew who was behind their father’s death.

That one detail changed everything.

Nnenna turned to Abuchi, whose shoulders were still stiff with emotion. But even he, somewhere deep down, had to admit one thing:

Yes, back then they needed him, but not nearly as much as they needed him just this very morning.

Because if Somto hadn’t arrived when he did… they would all be dead.

No matter how hurt they were by his absence, they couldn’t ignore what had just happened.

He didn’t send soldiers. He didn’t delay. He came himself.

And judging by the sheer power he walked in with, and how fast he had gotten there from wherever he had been, it was obvious.

He had dropped everything.

Was that not family?

Was that not love, even if buried beneath layers of misunderstandings and responsibility?

Somto had chosen them.

Still, to Abuchi, that wasn’t a good enough excuse for abandoning them emotionally.

A simple phone call… a message… even a bird with a note tied to its leg, anything to show he knew what they were going through would’ve been better than silence. Abuchi’s jaw tightened as the thoughts ran wild in his head, the bitterness still fresh.

He was about to say more, something sharp and heated, when Nnenna gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

It worked like a pause button.

He turned to look at her, his lips already parted with fury, but the calm in her eyes softened him. Not entirely, but enough.

“He showed up for us,” she said quietly, her voice like water quenching flames. “He might not have come back then… maybe he really had something too serious to leave behind. Or maybe he just couldn’t face it. He was his father too.”

Her hand stayed on his shoulder. Her tone didn’t waver.

“But the moment we truly needed him, when it wasn’t just grief, but our lives and our friend’s lives at stake, he came. Not with words, not with excuses. He came himself.”

Abuchi fell silent. Her words echoed in his mind.

He was still upset. Of course he was. A brother should be there for his family, through loss, through mourning. They needed more than just action; they needed comfort.

But…

Somto hadn’t sent soldiers. He hadn’t watched from a distance.

He had come personally. Likely traveling through the night, from who knows where, abandoning whatever important mission he was on, just to get there on time.

That wasn’t nothing.

That was everything.

Abuchi let out a slow breath, the weight of frustration loosening ever so slightly. He was still serious, but no longer furious.

“He showed up when it mattered most,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Nnenna nodded.

Abuchi finally let out a sigh.

As his anger began to dissolve, clarity crept in. He realized that his fury hadn’t really been about Somto at all. It was about their father.

He had lost his father without warning. Without preparation. Without closure.

There were things he had wanted to say. Questions he had hoped to ask. Regrets he now had to carry alone.

Somto had just become an easy target for all that bottled up pain.

“I’m sorry,” Abuchi said quietly, his voice sincere.

Somto didn’t reply, but he gave a subtle nod to show he understood. He hadn’t taken the emotional outburst to heart. Family pain came with deep emotions, he knew that better than most.

Without a word, he led Nnenna inside the castle, never once letting go of her hand.

A servant rushed over with a first aid kit, offering it hesitantly. Somto took it silently, like it was just another part of the mission.

The others watched, confused at first, thinking the supplies were for Abuchi. He was the one who looked more injured, after all.

But then… Somto gently pulled Nnenna’s injured hand closer and began dressing her wounds.

Right there. In front of everyone.

It was… unexpected.

Something about the way he focused on her so intently, the gentleness in his movements, the care behind every gesture, felt almost too intimate.

John, Ruth, Abuchi and even some of the guards and attendants exchanged glances, thoughts forming unspoken on their faces.

Even Ekene was caught off guard by what he was seeing. That feeling, that gentleness, that look…. the look in the first prince’s eyes right now…. was so similar to his when he looked at Nnenna. It was even more intense.

They’re siblings, they all reminded themselves.

But not by blood.

And though none of them dared say it aloud, a quiet murmur of suspicion stirred in their minds. If something more were to blossom between them… it wouldn’t exactly be forbidden, would it?

Still, there was no real evidence.

Just a handful of gestures.

So, tired minds chose to dismiss the thoughts. Maybe he was simply being a good older brother. Maybe it was nothing.

But maybe…

Maybe it wasn’t.

Nnenna shifted uncomfortably as Somto continued treating her wounds in full view of everyone. She could feel the weight of their eyes, the hushed whispers that followed each of his movements.

She tried pulling her hand back again, just slightly, but he didn’t let go. His grip wasn’t rough, but it was unyielding.

Eventually, she gave up and sat still, cheeks flushed with quiet embarrassment. The way he handled her made it feel like nothing else around them existed… but that was the problem. Everyone else still did.