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

Chapter 637: Love is Unpredictable

Darius did as he was told, casually crossing his legs, while Carl took a seat opposite them.

"You left so early this morning that I didn’t get the chance to ask about the trouble you ran into," Carl began, his

tone calm, measured.

Arthur scoffed from the side, not surprised that Darius ran into trouble again.

Darius shot Arthur a glance but didn’t address the scorn. "Actually, it’s nothing, Carl. | can handle it," he

reassured him, trying to sound confident.

"It didn’t sound that way when | called you," Carl pointed out gently, his voice steady but carrying just enough

weight to make Darius pause.

"Yes... because it wasn’t then. But it is now. Trust me, everything's fine," Darius replied, forcing a casual tone.

"Okay, if you say so," Carl finally let it go, nodding.

"You mentioned you needed a strategy consultant," Darius brought up, leaning back slightly. His curiosity was

piqued.

"Oh, that," Carl nodded. He leaned forward, hands folded over the table, while Arthur stayed absorbed in his

phone. "What I'm about to tell you," Carl began carefully, "is confidential. | need you to promiseyou won't

reveal it to anyone."

"Confidential?" Darius raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"| can’t promise that without knowing what it is," he added, teasing lightly. "Is it something bad? Are you joining

the bad guys?"

Darius smirked at Carl, expecting a reaction.

Carl, however, didn’t indulge him. He continued, voice calm and gentle, as if Darius’ teasing hadn't even existed,

letting the weight of the moment settle in.

"We need your help. It's not something immoral, you know us better than that."

Darius paused, studying Carl's calm expression. He did know them better than that, and that was the only

reason he hadn't walked out yet.

"Fine," he sighed, leaning back with a touch of theatrics. "I hope I don’t regret this."

But Carl shook his head, voice steady. "Are you sure you want to be involved? This isn’t something you can

unhear once it's said."

Darius raised a brow, half serious, half mocking as always. "Now you're makingmore curious. Don’t worry, I'll

keep the secret, even if | can’t help."

"Good." Carl nodded, accepting his word. Then he leaned forward, tone gentler but firmer. "It all started..."

From the beginning, Carl told him everything, every piece, every detail. He didn’t skip a thing, making sure

Darius had the full picture before he judged.

By the tCarl finished, Darius had unconsciously uncrossed his leg, sitting upright, his usual careless air

stripped away.

"Wait, so you're saying Nnenna is Anastasia?!" His voice cracked with disbelief.

"Yes," Carl affirmed simply.

"As in the dead Anastasia?!" Darius demanded again, eyes darting between Carl and Arthur, hoping for even the

smallest denial.

But the answer cin a different way. Arthur's aura sharpened instantly, the temperature in the room dropping

with his silence. The cold radiating from him at the word dead was enough to confirm it.

"No wonder..." Darius breathed, then blurted without thinking, "No wonder you have feelings for her."

The air froze even more, but he didn’t care. He leaned back with a bitter laugh. "I should have known. Your royal

iceberg couldn't just move on after a decade of searching. Gosh, | even saw the resemblance, but never thought

it could be real."

He dragged a hand through his hair, muttering almost to himself. "I should have known. I should have known..."

"Weren't that royal family all massacred that day?" Darius finally asked, still reeling. He turned to Carl, who only

leaned back in his chair, letting him process however he wanted.

"How did she survive?" Darius pressed.

"I have no idea," Carl said with a calm shrug.

Arthur's aura was still cold enough to cut glass, but Darius turned to him anyway. "Arthur?"

"Don’t know either," Arthur answered flatly, his voice clipped but steady despite the frost in his mood.

"We think it had something to do with Somto and his family," Carl added smoothly, "but the only people who

could tell us are either dead or have chosen to take it to their graves. Everyone else we've asked knows

nothing."

Darius exhaled sharply, finally beginning to regain his composure. "Okay... so you're saying Queen Athena is

after Nnenna’s life and her kingdom, and she’s already making moves that show war isn’t far behind?"

Carl nodded once.

"And you need another strategist on hand because Somto..." Darius trailed off, unwilling to finish. "... because

Somto’s gone?"

"Exactly," Carl said. "But don’t worry, Somto already mapped out most of the plans. You won't have to do much."

He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "Will you join us?"

Darius groaned, leaning back in his seat, eyes flicking between Carl and Arthur. "From what you're telling me,

this war's been cold for more than a decade. Are you sure it's going to get worse? Maybe we should just let it be

instead of wasting massive resources."

Arthur's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Athena won't stop until she gets what she wants. Whether it's

weeks, months, or years, this war will get worse. And we would rather end it, on our terms."

The quiet after his words was heavy.

"But Nnenna is her niece," Darius argued, brows furrowed. "Are you sure Athena actually wants to kill her?

Maybe this is all a misunderstanding. We should try dialogue first."

Carl shook his head. "Her sister and brother in law were also her family, and she killed them both. What stops

her from killing Nnenna as well?"

Arthur also scoffed in disagreement, his tone edged with disdain. "Dialogue? The last tshe kidnapped

Nnenna, we had plenty of dialogue. That option’s long gone." His eyes narrowed, cutting straight to the point.

"Look, we need you. Will you help us or not?"

Darius hesitated, tapping his fingers against his knee. "I have no experience in wars," he admitted.

"That's all right. We do," Carl said quietly, including Arthur in his glance. "Are you in?"

A long pause. Then finally—"Yes. I'm in."

Carl's smile was warm with relief. "Thank you. While you teach Nnenna, you'll also consult for us. Whatever

amount you want for compensation, it’s fine. Nit."

Darius leaned back, slipping back into his usual unserious tone. "Well, obviously | should be paid. Not all of us

are royals, you know."

But then his expression shifted, still playful, but with a rare earnestness beneath it. "But actually, | don’t want

your money this time."

Arthur's eyes snapped up, sharp. "Why?"

"Because I'm doing this for Nnenna. Whatever | can do to keep her safe, I'll do it gladly. And | don’t need you to

payfor it."

Arthur's jaw tightened instantly, cold rejection cutting through his words. "No. If you're doing this so she'll owe

you something, then don’t. We'll find someone else."

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Carl stayed silent for a moment, then spoke calmly. "I think you agreed because we're friends. Because you said

you would do almost anything for me. Not because you expect Nnenna to change her mind about you out of

gratitude."

Darius hummed thoughtfully, then leaned back. "You're right, of course. But..." His grin returned, sharp and

careless. "If something does change between us along the way, | won't mind either. These things are out of our

control. Love is unpredictable."

Arthur's gaze darkened instantly, but before he could cut in, Darius clapped his hands. "So, when do | start?"

"Immediately," Arthur replied, tone clipped.

"Then so be it." Darius’s smile widened, undeterred.

Days blurred into weeks, weeks into months. And then, at last, the day arrived. The day of Nnenna’s final exams.

The academy grounds swelled with

more distinguished guests than ever

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eager to witness the abnormality with

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nobles in jeweled attire, scholars in

crisp clothes, merchants whispering

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"She's the one, isn’t she? The girl who skipped four years?" someone whispered as Nnenna passed, heads

turning in her direction.

"I heard she finished six years’ worth of work in just two," another murmured, half in awe, half in disbelief.

"Impossible. Nobody can do that. She must have cheated somehow."

And then, like oil on fire, Stephanie’s voice cut through the murmurs. She stood at the edge of the crowd, arms

folded, her lips curved in a sly smile.

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