They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System-Chapter 469: Meaning of True Friendship

Just...someone who forgot.

And he respected that. He didn’t even have any romantic ideas about her in the first place. She simply seemed like the kind of person who shared his values and goals, someone it would be good to have as a friend.

"Add it now," he said, holding out his hand calmly.

Nnenna blinked, surprised by his direct tone. "Your...your phone number?"

"Now," George repeated, gentler this time but still firm.

She fumbled for her phone, almost dropping it in her rush. Then pulled put the little folded piece of paper she had kept since that first day. Without thinking, she held it up, unfolded it carefully, and keyed in the number written on it.

George watched her fingers moving across the screen. He nodded to himself.

I was right.

She hadn’t thrown the paper away.

Nnenna was honestly surprised by his reaction. He didn’t make a fuss, try to guilt trip her, or twist the situation to make her feel small.

Just simple understanding. In this academy full of nobles who loved to posture and whisper behind people’s backs, it felt almost... refreshing.

Once she entered his phone number into her contact list, she quickly sent him a short message:

"This is Nnenna."

A soft ping chimed almost immediately on his phone. George glanced down, smiled faintly, and saved her number right in front of her without any drama.

"You seem like you’re headed somewhere," he said calmly, slipping his phone into his pocket. "I won’t keep you any longer. I’ll text you later."

He nodded to her with the same friendly composure he had shown the first time they met, then turned and walked away with an easy stride.

Nnenna stood there blinking, momentarily caught off guard by how normal he was. She slowly nodded back, watching him go until he disappeared into the stream of students.

She couldn’t help but turn around one last time, half expecting to see him looking back. But he didn’t. He just kept walking, not trying to make anything feel more significant than it was.

He really seems like a good person, she thought, a small smile tugging at her lips.

If he wanted to be friends...maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea.

With that thought softening her mood, she adjusted the strap of her bag and headed down the hall toward Carl’s office, her steps a little lighter than before.

Once Nnenna reached Carl’s office, she paused to greet his assistant with a polite nod. The woman glanced up, immediately recognizing her and offering a small smile before waving her through.

There was no need for introductions anymore, Carl had made it clear from the very first day that Nnenna should always be allowed in without question.

Nnenna walked briskly past the waiting area, feeling the curious stares of a few people seated there. She tried not to pay them any mind as she reached the tall door with its smooth, gleaming surface.

She knocked gently, though a bit hurriedly, her heart fluttering from how late she was.

"Come in," came Carl’s calm, warm voice from inside.

With a soft click, the door automatically slid open, recognizing his voice command.

A month ago, she might have stopped to stare at the smooth technology that seemed almost alive, doors and lights obeying without a single touch.

But now she hardly blinked. Living on this continent had made it all feel normal, like the simplest thing in the world.

She drew in a breath, straightened her posture, and stepped inside.

"Sorry I’m late," she said quickly as she stepped closer to Carl’s desk, not even pausing to look around properly.

"It’s alright," Carl replied in that gentle tone of his. He gestured with a graceful wave of his hand toward a chair set to the side. "Give me a minute to round this off."

Only then did Nnenna realize she wasn’t alone in the office.

There was an elderly man with silver hair and a dignified bearing, flanked by two middle aged men who looked like important officials. And beside them sat two youths, a young man and a young woman, both dressed in tailored uniforms that hinted at influence.

The elders barely spared her a glance, their eyes distant, as if her presence meant nothing. But the younger pair turned to look at her directly.

Their expressions stayed composed, almost bored, but Nnenna didn’t miss the faint flicker of surprise that flashed in their eyes before quickly vanishing behind their polite masks.

If she hadn’t been trained to read people so well, she would have thought she imagined it.

She nodded silently to Carl, feeling no irritation. After all, if she hadn’t been late, he wouldn’t have needed to fill the time with other meetings.

She was already halfway to the door, stepping aside as it slid open on its own, when Carl’s calm voice rose behind her, threaded with confusion.

"Where are you going?"

The question cut through the sober air of the room, interrupting the middle aged man who had been speaking. An awkward hush followed.

Carl turned toward the man and inclined his head respectfully. "Excuse me," he said, his voice courteous but firm. He had always believed that when someone treated you with proper respect, you owed them the same in return, even when you had to break protocol.

Nnenna froze and turned around slowly, realizing with a jolt that he had been talking to her.

"I’m going to the waiting area," she explained carefully. "Like you said."

Carl’s eyes warmed with quiet amusement. He shook his head, his golden hair shifting slightly with the movement. "I did not say that."

She blinked at him, confused.

"I said give me a minute to round this off." His hand lifted again, gesturing toward the same side of the office he had indicated before. "Aren’t there seats over there?"

Nnenna glanced in that direction, and only now noticed the smaller alcove tucked discreetly behind a polished wooden screen.

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