She had never been happier, and the thought of going back to the chaos of the royal family only made her dread it more.
"Your second brother has something to say to you too," the Queen said with a practiced smile. Her voice was gentle, but it carried an unspoken command. "Come over here, Obinna."
Obinna's reluctance was palpable as he slowly walked over, his hands stuffed in his pockets. His eyes avoided Nnenna's as though even glancing at her might cost him something.
Finally, he pulled out a small, elaborately wrapped box and held it out stiffly.
"This is for you. I hope you... get better soon," he said, his tone colder than the hospital air conditioning. Without waiting for a response, he dropped the box onto the bed beside her with a careless toss and turned on his heel to walk away.
Nnenna stared at the box, her expression unreadable. She then shifted her gaze to Obinna's retreating back, a soft, bitter smile tugging at her lips.
Not a word escaped her as her fingers lightly brushed the box's corner before withdrawing completely. Whatever was inside, it seemed to hold no importance to her at the moment.
For a brief second, silence filled the room. It wasn't the silence of peace, it was heavy, laden with unspoken thoughts and hidden wounds.
Nnenna turned her head away, her gaze drifting toward the window as if searching for an escape from the suffocating presence of her "family."
It was a small act of defiance, but it spoke volumes.
Queen Chioma let out an awkward, nervous laugh, waving her hand lightly as though to dispel the tension in the air. "You know your brother," she began, her voice coated in fake warmth. "He's always been someone of few words, so don't mind him. Come on, open the gift and see what it is." Her chuckle was strained, but she tried to maintain her dignified composure.
Nnenna barely acknowledged the comment, her fingers hesitantly reaching for the box. The others watched as she opened it with careful hands, pulling out what appeared to be a piece of clothing.
The moment her eyes landed on it, her movements paused. Recognition flickered across her face.
This fabric... it was all too familiar. A sharp, bitter memory surfaced. Wasn't this the dress her so called "twin sister" had worn about three years ago during one of the royal events? Her fingers brushed against the fabric's edges, and she noticed how worn it felt.
Her lips curled into a bitter smile as she thought to herself, 'So, this is all I'm worth? Second hand clothes?' It wasn't just second hand, it was practically a relic. The realization struck her like a cruel joke. The dress was out of style, out of date, and discarded.
'How fitting,' she thought. Second hand clothes, second hand toys, second hand treatment... Or maybe not even second hand, more like tenth hand. 'Even the servants get treated better than I do.'
She dropped the dress back into the box without a word, the sound of it hitting the container barely audible. Then, with a calculated calmness, she slid the box to the side and leaned back into her bed, her head tilting slightly as she gazed at the ceiling.
The queen's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, masking her discomfort. The tension in the room thickened, but Nnenna remained silent, her calm exterior hiding the storm raging within her.
Despite her calm exterior, Nnenna's heart clenched painfully. She didn't show it on her face, but deep inside, she felt the ache. It hurt, more than she wanted to admit.
For ten years, the people she called family treated her like she was less than even the castle servants. Not once had they shown her the love and care she desperately craved.
Her mind churned with frustration, but she forced herself to remain outwardly composed. Then, an idea struck her like a spark in the dark.
"Love System," she called out inwardly, her voice firm despite her swirling emotions. "I want him to change this gift."
The system's voice echoed in her mind, calm and mechanical. "Are you sure you want to waste your good points on this?" it asked, its tone neutral, yet questioning.
"Yes," Nnenna replied without hesitation. "Change this gift now."
A moment of silence passed before the system responded. "Understood."
A soft chime followed, and the system announced, "Ding! Changing hearts to change gifts. 200 good points deducted."
Nnenna's lips twitched with a faint, bitter smile as she thought to herself, 200 good points. 'He must truly despise me to make me pay that much to change his gift.'
A hint of sadness crept into her heart, but she quickly shoved it aside. It doesn't matter. 'I'll deal with it like I always do.'
Barely a minute had passed when Obinna's expression shifted dramatically, his brow furrowed as if he were genuinely perplexed.
He took a step closer and blurted out, "Hey, wait! This isn't the gift I originally planned to give you!"
He rummaged through his pocket, his movements quick and slightly frantic. To everyone's astonishment, he pulled out a gleaming, gold-plated Rolex watch, an unmistakably luxurious item worth millions.
Without hesitation, he extended it toward Nnenna. "Here, this is the real gift I prepared for you," he said, his tone suddenly lighter. "Don't mind me. I was just playing a little prank earlier. I mean, it's normal to tease my sister, right?" He let out a forced laugh, attempting to pass off his earlier actions as harmless fun.
Nnenna stared at the watch, momentarily stunned. She felt subtle nudge in her heart, reminding her that her points had indeed been well spent. But the system withdrew silently and didn't seem happy that she had wasted her good points.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the rest of the family tried to process what had just happened. Their gazes darted between Obinna, Nnenna, and the priceless watch now sitting in her palm.