They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 357: You’re Someone I can Talk To

Chapter 357: You’re Someone I can Talk To

Yes, his proposal made sense, and yes, the school’s name carried serious weight. But it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion. Someone with no hidden agenda. Someone who would give it to her straight.

Her mind made up, she reached for her phone.

“I need to talk to Carl,” she whispered.

She picked up her phone, hesitation tightening her chest. Guilt crept in like a cold wind, she hadn’t called Carl in a while. In fact, it was always him reaching out, checking in, making sure she was okay. Every single time.

She always picked up, yes… but she never truly reached back.

When they went to Purlit, she had to abandon her phone in the castle for security reasons.

And when she finally turned it on days later, her screen had lit up with a flood of missed calls. Friends from the store. A few curious contacts. But Carl’s name stood out, the sheer number of calls he made dwarfed the rest.

And then, two weeks after that… silence.

He stopped calling.

She had no idea why. Maybe he found out she went to Purlit. Maybe he just assumed she’d contact him when she could. Maybe… he was hurt.

Now, here she was, only calling because she needed information. It felt selfish. Cold. But still… she needed to hear his voice.

The call rang once.

Then it connected.

“You finally decided to call me today, lil sis,” Carl’s familiar, teasing voice came through, soft but with an unmistakable edge. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Nnenna smiled faintly, the tension in her chest easing a little.

He was teasing, but she knew him well enough to hear the truth laced beneath the humor.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, sincerity dripping from every word. “I’ll try to call more. I’ve just been… really busy.”

There was a pause on the line. Then came his low chuckle.

“Of course you’ve been busy, busy endangering your life,” Carl’s voice dropped the playful tone in an instant. It cut sharp and deep, laced with genuine anger and concern.

“What exactly were you thinking? Going off on a mission like that without telling me?” His voice cracked with emotion now. “You could’ve just asked for help. What am I, a decoration in your life? Was your pride really worth risking everything? Did you even think about how the people who care about you would feel, knowing you were out there, in danger, and completely unreachable?”

Nnenna froze.

She had never heard Carl this upset. His words weren’t just scolding, they hurt. Because she knew he was right. She had been reckless.

And the worst part? She hadn’t even considered the emotional impact it would have on someone like him.

So she kept quiet. There was nothing she could say in her defense.

Carl took her silence as an answer and continued, his voice quieter now, but no less intense.

“Why didn’t you just ask me for help, Nnenna?”

“…I wanted to improve my skills,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t want to always rely on others. What if… one day, you’re not there? Or none of you are? I need to survive on my own, Carl.”

There was a long pause. Then, with quiet conviction, Carl replied, “You’re thinking too far ahead.”

“If there ever is a day when we’re not around, it won’t be because we left you, it’ll be because we died protecting you.”

His words hit like thunder.

“You don’t have to carry everything alone, Nnenna. That’s what we’re here for.”

“At the very least, you should’ve told Somto before doing something so dangerous,” Carl added, voice still laced with frustration. “If you don’t consider me someone you can talk to, then you should’ve at least told him.”

Nnenna’s brows furrowed, her voice soft but firm. “Somto isn’t always around… You know that. He just came back recently after saving us. You, you’re someone I can talk to. Even more than Somto. You know this too.”

Carl went silent for a second, then sighed. “That’s true. But you really don’t act like it sometimes. And disappearing sounds just like Somto. Still… what you did was reckless, and don’t think I’ll just let it go.”

“I know,” she murmured. “I’m sorry.”

Carl exhaled slowly on the other end of the line. The edge in his tone softened, but only slightly. “So… why did you call? Not that I’m not glad to finally hear from you, but I can still tell you’re calling because you need something.”

Nnenna winced. He wasn’t wrong.

Not knowing how else to ease the tension, she decided to cut straight to the point. “Elder brother mentioned a school. A very special one. He wants me to transfer and attend it instead of Royal College.”

Carl raised a brow on his end. “What school?”

“Omniora Academy.”

Silence.

“Omniora Academy… in Prigrian?” Carl echoed slowly, the name hanging heavy in the air.

“Yes. That one.”

“Wow… there’s no mistaking it then. That’s the one.” His voice turned serious, contemplative. “So he wants you to go to that school… That’s a big deal.”

“I thought so too. That’s why I wanted to hear your opinion about it before deciding.”

Carl didn’t answer immediately. Then he said, almost wistfully, “If it were up to me, I would want you to go. That school… it’s not just prestigious, it’s legendary. The kind of training and knowledge they offer can’t be matched.”

He paused.

“I wanted you to attend that school too but I’m not able to bring you over here for now.”

“Since he’s offering to send you there, what’s there to even think about? Just accept,” Carl said casually.

“You really think so?” Nnenna asked softly. Her elder brother’s opinion mattered more to her than she liked to admit.

“Yes, it’s okay. Besides,” he added with a light chuckle, “it’ll bring you closer to me, so I can keep an eye on you, and make sure you don’t do anything stupid again.”