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

Chapter 1: The Forgotten Princess

"Why did I ever try so hard for people who never cared?"

Nnenna lay weakly in the cramped storage room beneath the stairs, her so called "room" for the

past ten years. Her body shivered from the cold, the threadbare blanket doing little to protect her

from the icy drafts that seeped in.

She could barely move, her strength sapped from the illness that had plagued her for weeks.

From beyond the door, cheerful voices floated in, clear and mocking in their joy.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Princess Ebere, happy birthday

to you!"

Laughter followed, a mixture of voices rising in celebration. Even the usually aloof elder brother

joined in with a rare show of emotion.

"Happy Sweet Sixteen, Princess Ebere!" he declared, his tone warm and sincere.

Nnenna clenched her fists weakly. It was her birthday too.

But, as always, no one remembered. No one cared. Not a single person had ever thought to

acknowledge her existence, let alone her birthday. She was nothing more than an afterthought, a

shadow to the radiant Princess Ebere.

Ten years ago, she had been adopted into the royal Achebe family. Ten years ago, she had been

taken in, not out of love or kindness, but to be a companion for their precious six year old daughter.

By scruel twist of fate, they happened to share the sbirthday. And yet, for a decade, that fact had

never mattered.

For ten years, Ebere had been the shining star of the family, beloved by everyone, their parents, the staff, the

diplomats, even the kingdom's citizens. Ebere was the Princess of the Achebe royal family, the jewel in their

crown.

And Nnenna?

Nnenna was invisible. The servants knew her nonly because they occasionally had to deal with her. Her

adopted family treated her as though she didn't exist.

A month ago, she had caught a cold, made worse by living in a closet like space with no proper blankets or

heaters. She had tried asking for medicine, but no one had listened.

They never did. It wasn't the first tshe had been sick, but this twas different. Her body was failing, worn

down by years of neglect and untreated illnesses.

As her vision blurred and her breaths grew shallower, she heard something unexpected, a voice calling her

name.

"Mom, where's Nnenna? It's her birthday too," Ebere asked, her voice filled with innocent curiosity.

Scoff.

The sound was sharp, disdainful, and cfrom none other than Queen Chioma herself.

"Don't know. Don't care," the queen replied coldly, her words dripping with venom. "That girl is so lazy and

selfish she couldn't even bother to show up to her sister's birthday. It's kind of you to think of her, Ebere, but

don't waste your kindness on trash like her.

She's always been jealous of your position as the princess. Mark my words, one day, she'll do something more

drastic to hurt you. It's in her nature."

Princess Ebere's fourth brother sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Tellabout it. The only reason she's

here is to keep Ebere company, and she can't even do that right."

The room filled with murmurs of agreement, laughter blending with the soft clinking of cutlery. Even the guests,

eager to curry favor, joined in the mockery.

Only a handful of the servants kept their heads down, their faces blank, refusing to be part of the cruelty. They

all knew the truth about the household, the hierarchy, the abuse, and yet most remained complicit to secure

their jobs and stay in the royal family's good graces.

But a few stood firm. They didn't care if it meant being fired.

Lazy? Selfish?

Nnenna lay in her cold, cramped space beneath the stairs, her frail body trembling as she overheard their words.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips, though it cout weak, more a gasp than a sound.

She had worked until 2 a.m. the night

before, sweeping and mopping the

entire hall, Ses {Ho pecfection,

PER theniate ials for the

celebration, rewashing the fine china,

and completing countless other

tasks, all while battling the fever that

sapped her strength. The content is

on novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

Every day, she woke before even the

servants to begin her chores. She

dressed Ebere, styled ter rai Waited

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op her ke@ maid, even though she,

too, bore the title of princess. A title

in nonly. In truth, she was

nothing but a slave. The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

And yet, they called her lazy.

Her condition had worsened because of this unrelenting workload. She hadn't even been able to

rest properly. When the old housekeeper noticed her declining health and tried to give her

medicine, it had been Ebere, sweet, kind, beloved Ebere, who had stopped him.

"If you give her that medicine, I'll fire you," Ebere had said sharply, her tone leaving no room for

argument.

But the old man didn't care. He had watched Nnenna grow up in this house, her resilience and quiet

strength earning his admiration. In his heart, he saw her as a daughter. Risking his job, he tried

again, this tin secret.

It hadn't worked. Ebere, with her network of spying servants, found out and escalated her threats.

"I'll ruin your family," she hissed. "Your sons, your wife, everyone you care about. Do you want to

risk them just for her?"

Faced with no choice, the housekeeper had backed down temporarily.

Nnenna's chest tightened as the memories surged. Yes, she was jealous. Not of the title of princess,

but of Ebere's effortless way of being loved.

Ebere didn't have to try. She didn't have to lift a finger. Everyone adored her just for existing.

Meanwhile, Nnenna had done everything to win their approval, taken the blfor her fourth

brother's mistakes, endured false accusations from Ebere, and offered business ideas to her second

brother, which earned him their father's favor.

She had moderated fan groups for her third brother, defending him against online attacks until her

fingers were raw from typing. She had nursed her first brother through sicknesses no one else could

genuinely bother with.

And yet, no one cared.