Chapter 16: The Most Beautiful Girl

    He wasn''t the type to waste time or energy on things he considered irrelevant. And yet...he had made time to visit this girl, a girl who couldn''t seem to stop talking.

    Four''s gaze flickered toward her, his expression unreadable. ''Why would he bother visiting her?''

    For the first time since she had entered the room, Four felt something other than irritation toward her. He felt curiosity.

    Since when did Prince Somto start caring enough to visit someone four times in four months?

    That was an anomaly for a man of his caliber and reputation, especially given his relentless focus on his work and his impossibly busy schedule.

    Four''s curiosity deepened as he shifted his gaze from the book to the girl sitting across from him.

    For the first time, he truly looked at her. His sharp eyes swept over her figure, analyzing every detail like she was a puzzle he couldn''t quite piece together.

    The sudden attention made Nnenna freeze mid sentence. Her usual chatter came to an abrupt halt as she locked eyes with him, her heart thumping unexpectedly under his intense scrutiny.

    Four''s expression remained unreadable as he continued his silent evaluation. ''What am I missing here?'' he wondered. He searched for something, anything, that could explain why Prince Somto had bothered to visit her.

    Was it her chess skills? No, those were admirable but hardly extraordinary. Was it her constant stream of words? Highly unlikely.

    In the end, he found nothing remarkable. No hidden spark, no extraordinary quality to set her apart. Aside from her sharp mind for chess and her seemingly boundless ability to talk, she appeared...ordinary. Or so he thought.@@@@

    His conclusion settled as he looked away, dismissing the question entirely. ''It must have been familial obligation. After all, they are siblings,'' he thought, his interest fading as quickly as it had come.

    He returned to his book, flipping a page with practiced calm, but Nnenna wasn''t about to let this moment slip away.

    She, however, remained undeterred and continued talking, bragging even, but Four offered no reaction. His silence was absolute, as if she no longer existed in his world.

    Eventually, even Nnenna had to admit defeat when she noticed he had finished his book and reached for another. His calm and deliberate actions made it painfully clear that he had completely tuned her out.

    Letting out a sigh of exasperation, she stood, her pride only slightly bruised. She gripped her drip stand for support but felt a surge of satisfaction when she realized she wasn''t as reliant on it as the first day.

    "It''s getting late," she murmured to herself. The housekeeper would be coming over to see her soon, and she didn''t want to be caught loitering in Four''s room.

    Slowly, she made her way to the door, her steps cautious yet determined. Each step was a small victory in her self assigned physical therapy.

    As she exited, she walked carefully, ensuring she wouldn''t fall and risk attracting the disdain of the nurses for a second time.

    Behind her, Four didn''t spare her a second glance, flipping the pages of his new book with the same detached focus he had displayed all along.

    As she reached the door, Nnenna paused and glanced back at the silent figure by the window. His profile was illuminated by the fading light, and despite his cold demeanor, she felt compelled to offer him a parting word.

    "Hey!" she called, her voice soft but firm. "I think you should take your physical therapy seriously. You might need your legs one day, and it might be too late by then."

    Without waiting for a response, she gently closed the door behind her, the soft click echoing in the quiet hallway.

    Inside the room, Four remained still, her words lingering in the air. Though his expression didn''t change, they managed to seep into his mind. Yet, he neither moved nor offered any acknowledgment.

    Meanwhile, Nnenna waddled back to her room, each step deliberate as she stretched her muscles.

    She wasn''t entirely sure what physical therapy entailed, but she figured that moving her arms and legs was a good start.