They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 481: Something Feels Off About Him

Chapter 481: Something Feels Off About Him

Arthur turned slowly to face her, his gaze unreadable. He didn’t respond.

Inside, though, his thoughts weren’t nearly as calm as his face suggested.

Stay focused. You made this rule for a reason. Don’t let her distract you.

But it was easier said than done.

Seeing her standing there, bright eyed, determined, looking like she actually wanted to be here, it shook something in him. Her anticipation for the day’s training, the quiet eagerness she carried, it chipped away at the discipline he had spent years perfecting.

Just a little.

But enough to make him feel it.

He couldn’t understand it.

Just under a year ago, his entire heart had belonged to his childhood best friend, pure, unwavering, loyal. And now... little by little, pieces of that same heart were slipping toward Nnenna.

It made him feel helpless. Unworthy of the love he had once carried so proudly. Disloyal to a memory that had shaped him.

But what could he do about it?

He didn’t have an answer. Not anymore.

"Let’s begin," he said simply, voice clipped and distant.

Nnenna paused, mid step, surprised by his tone. This version of Arthur... was even colder than usual. She hadn’t thought it possible. But there it was, a deeper chill in the air around him.

Still, she could tell something was off. His movements were sharp but not as fluid, his energy focused but oddly forced.

’Love System... what’s going on with Arthur?’ she asked internally as she bent forward into her first stretch.

’You know I can’t tell you that,’ the Love System replied smoothly.

’Since when do you keep things from me?’

’Since some truths are locked behind "Need to Know" levels. And this one... definitely counts.’

Nnenna frowned, eyes narrowing slightly as she stretched her arms.

’That means this really is one of those secret things, huh?’

The Love System didn’t reply. And that silence was answer enough.

After a while, the Love System finally responded.

’If you really want to know what someone is thinking, the best way is to ask them.

They might not want to tell you, sure, but asking is always the first step, especially when the person matters to you.’

Nnenna nodded inwardly, her body still moving through her stretches.

But... Arthur has rules.

She remembered them clearly. No personal talk during training.

"I don’t want to disobey his rules," she mumbled under her breath.

The Love System didn’t hesitate.

’Then wait till after training. When you’re no longer on the training grounds, the rule shouldn’t apply, right?’

Nnenna let out a soft sigh, eyes flickering toward Arthur as he stood facing the far edge of the field, still as a statue.

Normally, yes.

But then she remembered the other thing he had said.

"What happens in the training ground stays in the training ground."

Her lips tugged downward slightly.

"That means... even if something feels off during training, I can’t ask him about it after. Unless he brings it up first."

She stretched deeper into her pose, heart tugging quietly.

Arthur’s rules weren’t just strict, they were shields.

And today, they felt even thicker than usual.

The Love System went quiet for a few seconds, like she was thinking carefully before responding.

"Technically," she said slowly, "his mood didn’t start in the training ground. So if it continues after, then asking him wouldn’t break the rule. It would just be like someone asking a friend or family member what’s wrong."

Nnenna narrowed her eyes a little. "Do you think he considers me either of those?" she asked, suspicious.

"Do you think he doesn’t?" the Love System shot the question back at her.

Nnenna sighed.

Another question I should probably ask him after training, she thought.

Then she smirked slightly. "Or... you could just read his mind for me," she said hopefully. "I’ve earned enough good points for that, haven’t I?"

The Love System let out a scoff.

"Yes, you have. But, isn’t that a violation of his privacy? Do you really want to go down that road?"

Nnenna winced.

"Besides," the System continued, "are you planning to read his mind every time you’re confused about something? Instead of building the kind of honest, effective communication you already have with Carl and Somto?"

She groaned and covered her face for a second.

’Why do you always have to be so logical?’

But deep down, she knew the system was right.

Any good relationship needed honest communication. Reading his mind might give her answers now, but it wouldn’t help long term. It would only be a temporary fix for something that needed deeper trust.

’Fine,’ she sighed inwardly. ’I’ll ask him after training.’

Thankfully, that wasn’t too far off.

They wrapped up by 6:30 a.m. A full thirty minutes earlier than usual. Nnenna couldn’t help but admire how Arthur had organized the session.

He had structured their training so precisely that, as long as they started on time, it always ended exactly when he planned.

’So efficient...’ she thought, a small smile tugging at her lips.

She made a quiet decision: I’ll talk to him during breakfast.

Arthur’s family had always been big on bonding over meals. His parents strongly believed in nurturing a happy household, so breakfast and dinner were sacred moments, the kind of quiet rituals no one in their soul dimension skipped.

If she was going to ask him something personal... that would be the time.

Nnenna had already decided, she would ask Arthur during breakfast.

She was just about to walk out of the training ground when his voice stopped her.

"Don’t come here again unless it’s exactly 4 a.m."

She blinked, caught off guard.

"You shouldn’t be sacrificing your sleep just to impress me by showing up too early," he added, still facing away, his voice back to that cool, unreadable tone.

It wasn’t harsh. But it wasn’t warm either. Just his usual sensei voice.

Nnenna stood there for a second, puzzled. Why was he stopping me from coming early? she wondered.