The daily affection loop started exactly when Yuki decided it started, which was whenever she saw me trying to have a peaceful moment.
She marched into the training pit like she owned the sand.
"Hero Ren," she announced, clipboard up, bell ready, "report to the market pavilion. You have a scheduled stabilization rotation, two micro-dates, one royal courtesy tea refill, and a new challenger filing a jealousy complaint."
I stared at her. "A jealousy complaint."
Yuki nodded. "Very common. Very annoying. Very profitable for the permit office."
Valeria Ardent, standing five steps away with her practice sword, went stiff.
"A jealousy complaint," Valeria repeated, voice sharp. "Who."
Yuki flipped a page. "Multiple parties."
Valeria's eyes narrowed. "Name them."
Yuki smiled. "That is confidential."
Valeria hissed, "Coward."
Yuki rang the bell. Ding. "Let's go."
Elise tugged the tether chain lightly, steering me toward the market pavilion like she was escorting a runaway disaster.
Valeria followed.
Not officially.
But very closely.
And every time she realized she was following, she tried to pretend she was just walking in the same direction because of… weather.
At the pavilion, the whole chorus was already there.
Freya sitting on the railing like a smug cat.
Sofia leaning against a pillar like she was the pillar's owner.
Charlotte politely sipping something like she was at a salon.
Kaori clutching her charm basket like a shy priestess of romance.
Rika bouncing, tail swishing, eyes bright with menace.
Mira holding a scroll as if romance required documentation.
Hana and Anya standing close, one smiling, one observant.
Lucie grinning like she was about to steal my socks.
Evelyn looking elegant enough to make even flirting feel formal.
And under a canopy slightly to the side, the foreign queen sat with her tea, crown glittering, posture perfect, gaze steady on me like she'd arrived to collect a promised moment.
Yuki cleared her throat.
"Today's loop includes a new clause," she announced. "Because the harem is expanding."
Sofia smirked. "It's not expanding. It's multiplying."
Freya grinned. "He's a limited banner."
Rika whispered loudly, "I pulled him first."
Elise snapped, "No you didn't."
Yuki continued, unbothered. "New clause. The Jealousy Clause."
I blinked. "That sounds bad."
"It is," Elise muttered.
Yuki pointed at a new board.
JEALOUSY CLAUSE
IF ANY COURTER FEELS IGNORED, THEY MAY FILE A CLAIM
CLAIM IS RESOLVED BY A MICRO-DATE
MICRO-DATE MAY INCLUDE: HAND-HOLD, WALK, ONE KISS IF PERMITTED
NO, YOU MAY NOT FILE TEN CLAIMS IN A ROW
YES, WE ARE LOOKING AT YOU
Rika looked away whistling like she couldn't read.
Valeria stared at the board like it was an insult carved into wood.
"That's ridiculous," Valeria snapped.
Yuki nodded. "Correct."
The queen sipped her tea. "Lustra truly is a paradise of problems."
Elise sighed. "Your Majesty, please don't encourage it."
The queen smiled politely. "I'm not encouraging. I'm observing."
Sofia murmured, "She's enjoying."
Charlotte added, "She's calculating."
Valeria bristled. "Why is she here."
The queen's gaze slid to Valeria, calm and sharp.
"Because I am courting him," the queen said simply.
Valeria's face went red instantly.
"I don't care," Valeria snapped, too fast.
Freya whispered, delighted, "She cares."
Kaori whispered, "Valeria…"
Rika chirped, "Valeria cares a lot."
Valeria hissed, "Shut up."
Yuki raised her bell. Ding. "Order. Hero sits."
I sat on the bench like I was about to be processed.
Elise stood behind me like a guard at an execution.
Valeria hovered nearby like a furious statue pretending she wasn't hovering.
Yuki pointed at the first name on her list.
"Charlotte," she said. "You filed a Jealousy Claim."
Charlotte smiled calmly. "Yes."
Elise narrowed her eyes. "When."
Charlotte sipped her drink. "When he trained alone."
Valeria snapped, "It was training."
Charlotte smiled at Valeria. "Exactly."
Valeria's ears went red.
Charlotte turned to me, perfectly polite.
"Ren," she said softly, "may I have a micro-date. Hand-hold and a short walk. No kiss required."
I nodded, grateful. "Yes."
Charlotte took my hand and guided me a small circle around the pavilion, calm and measured, thumb brushing my knuckles once like a quiet reminder.
"Are you okay," she asked softly.
I exhaled. "I'm alive."
Charlotte's smile warmed. "Good. Continue being alive."
We returned to the bench. Charlotte released my hand like she was being generous.
Yuki scribbled. "Claim resolved."
Valeria muttered, "That was… tame."
Freya grinned. "Charlotte is the slow poison type."
Charlotte smiled. "Thank you."
Yuki pointed. "Next. Sofia."
Sofia stepped forward, eyes half-lidded, smile sharp.
"You filed," Elise said flatly.
Sofia's smile widened. "Of course."
She looked at me.
"Ren," she said, voice velvet, "may I have a micro-date. Sit with me. Two minutes. One kiss optional."
Elise snapped, "No praise."
Sofia smirked. "I didn't ask for praise."
I swallowed. "Okay. Yes. Sit. No kiss."
Sofia sat beside me, close but proper, shoulder touching mine.
She leaned in slightly and murmured, soft enough to be private, "You said no. Good."
I blinked.
Sofia's smirk softened into something almost approving.
Then she leaned back, still close, still warm, still making my brain react like a traitor.
"You're learning," she murmured. "That's attractive."
Elise hissed, "Sofia."
Sofia smiled sweetly. "What. It's a compliment."
Yuki tapped the timer. "Time. Claim resolved."
Sofia stood, satisfied.
Valeria's jaw clenched like she wanted to duel compliments.
Yuki pointed. "Freya."
Freya raised her hand. "I filed seven claims."
Yuki pointed at the board. "No you didn't."
Freya pouted. "I tried."
Yuki sighed. "You filed one. Ren, micro-date request."
Freya leaned in with the grin of a woman who enjoyed chaos as a hobby.
"Ren," she said sweetly, "may I have a micro-date. One kiss. And I want to fix your hair. Your hero hair is becoming tragic."
Valeria snapped, "His hair is fine."
Everyone slowly turned to Valeria.
Valeria froze.
"I mean," she snapped, "if he's going to fight, his hair should not block his eyes."
Freya laughed. "So you stare at his eyes."
Valeria's face went red again. "No."
I cleared my throat. "Freya. One kiss. Hair fix. Hands visible."
Freya clasped her hands like she'd been blessed. "I'm a model citizen."
Freya kissed me quick and playful, then immediately lifted both hands up near my head like she was defusing a bomb and carefully ruffled my hair into something slightly less tragic and slightly more kissable.
She leaned close and whispered, delighted, "You smell like jealousy."
I blinked. "What."
Freya's eyes flicked toward Valeria with a grin, then she skipped away.
Yuki clicked her pen. "Resolved."
Valeria looked like she might explode.
Yuki pointed. "Kaori."
Kaori startled. "M-me?"
Yuki nodded. "You filed a claim."
Kaori's cheeks went bright red. "I… I didn't file…"
Mira lifted a scroll. "I filed on her behalf."
Kaori squeaked. "Mira!"
Mira replied calmly, "You were sad. That's filing in spirit."
Kaori looked like she wanted to vanish.
I softened. "Kaori, do you want a micro-date."
Kaori nodded tiny. "Just… hand-holding."
I held out my hand. "Yes."
Kaori took it gently, fingers light. She breathed out like the world stopped shaking.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Yuki tapped the timer. "Resolved."
Kaori released my hand quickly, still smiling shyly like she'd been given something precious.
Valeria watched that with a strange expression, like she didn't understand softness but was learning it.
Yuki turned to the canopy.
"Royal claim," Yuki announced. "Filed by the queen."
Elise stiffened. "Your Majesty, did you file jealousy paperwork."
The queen smiled politely. "Yes."
Freya gasped. "She filed jealousy like it's diplomacy."
Sofia smirked. "That's hot."
Charlotte's eyes narrowed. "Bold."
Valeria snapped, "Ridiculous."
The queen looked at Valeria calmly. "Yes."
Then she looked at me.
"Ren," the queen said softly, "may I have a micro-date. Tea refill and hand-holding. One kiss only if you want."
Elise's jaw tightened, but she didn't forbid it.
I nodded. "Yes. Tea and hand-holding."
The queen poured tea with quiet elegance, then took my hand gently across the table like it was a promise made in public.
Her thumb rested on my knuckles, steady.
"You're doing well," she said softly.
Valeria muttered, too loud, "He's always doing well."
Everyone turned again.
Valeria froze again.
"I mean," Valeria snapped, "he's… still alive."
Freya grinned. "That's basically love."
Valeria hissed, "No."
The queen's eyes sparkled with amusement, but she stayed polite.
"Thank you, Dame Valeria," she said. "I'm glad we agree he should remain alive."
Valeria stiffened. "Of course."
The queen looked back at me, voice gentle. "May I have the kiss."
I swallowed.
It was safe. It was calm. It was sincere.
I glanced at Elise.
Elise's eyes were sharp, but her voice was steady. "Your choice."
I nodded to the queen. "One. Yes."
The queen leaned in slowly, careful, and kissed me warm and composed, like she wasn't trying to win a crowd, just trying to keep a promise.
When she pulled back, she smiled softly.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Yuki tapped her timer. "Royal claim resolved."
Valeria's pride made a noise like grinding teeth.
Yuki looked down at her list.
"All claims resolved," she announced cheerfully. Then she paused. "Except one."
I blinked. "One."
Yuki looked up, eyes bright with impending chaos.
"Filed by Dame Valeria Ardent," Yuki said.
The entire pavilion went silent.
Valeria's head snapped toward Yuki like a sword being drawn.
"I did not file anything," Valeria snapped.
Yuki held up a paper with a signature.
VALERIA ARDENT
Valeria's face turned red instantly.
"That's not my signature," Valeria snapped.
Mira adjusted her glasses. "It is."
Valeria glared. "Traitor."
Mira replied calmly. "You were visibly jealous. I filed for efficiency."
Valeria made a strangled sound of pure humiliation.
Freya whispered, delighted, "This is my favorite day."
Sofia smirked. "She's trapped."
Charlotte watched like she was studying a rare animal.
Kaori whispered, "Valeria…"
Valeria's pride tried to stand. Her face stayed red. Her eyes flicked to my mouth for half a second and she looked away like she'd been attacked.
Yuki smiled sweetly. "Proceed. Micro-date required. Dame Valeria. Make your request."
Valeria looked like she wanted to jump into the fountain.
"I do not need a micro-date," she snapped.
Yuki pointed at the board. "Jealousy clause."
Valeria's jaw clenched. She took one stiff step forward.
Then, like it physically hurt her, she asked, voice harsh and defensive,
"Ren," Valeria said, "may I have… a micro-date."
I tried not to smile and failed.
Valeria's eyes narrowed. "Stop smiling."
I cleared my throat. "What do you want."
Valeria hesitated, cheeks burning.
She glanced at Elise like Elise was the main obstacle, then glanced at the queen like the queen was the main rival, then looked back at me like I was the problem.
"Hand-holding," Valeria snapped. "And… a walk. For training. So people stop staring."
Freya whispered, "She's lying."
Sofia murmured, "So hard."
Charlotte's eyes narrowed. "But it's cute."
Elise didn't stop it. She just watched closely.
I nodded. "Yes."
Valeria stepped closer like she was marching into battle.
She held her hand out stiffly, palm up, like it was a sword handle.
I took it.
Valeria's fingers tightened around mine like she was afraid I'd slip away.
We walked one circle around the pavilion.
At first she stayed rigid.
Then, slowly, her grip loosened just a little.
Her thumb brushed my knuckles once, accidental or not, and she froze like she'd just done something illegal.
I leaned in slightly, voice low, playful.
"You're holding my hand pretty well for someone who doesn't care."
Valeria's face went red again.
"I'm holding your hand," she hissed, "because it's part of the clause."
I tilted my head. "Sure."
Valeria glared at the fountain like it was guilty.
Then she muttered, low enough only I could hear,
"…Don't kiss them so much."
I blinked.
My heart did that stupid jump again.
I smiled, quiet and evil.
"Are you filing another claim," I whispered.
Valeria stumbled mid-step like she'd been struck.
"No," she snapped, too fast.
I leaned closer, still walking, still holding her hand.
"Then why are you jealous."
Valeria's ears went red.
"I'm not jealous," she hissed. "I'm… competitive."
"Competitive," I repeated.
Valeria's jaw clenched. "Yes."
I lowered my voice further, teasing.
"Do you want a kiss, Dame Valeria."
Valeria froze so hard she almost stopped walking.
Her eyes widened, then narrowed, then widened again, like her pride and her feelings were fighting in her throat.
Then she snapped, loud enough for the nearest two people to hear,
"No."
I waited.
Valeria's cheeks burned brighter.
"…Not here," she added quickly, like she could patch the damage.
I grinned.
Valeria's glare turned murderous.
Yuki called from the bench, delighted, "Time."
Valeria released my hand instantly, like it was a weapon that might expose her.
"Claim resolved," Yuki announced.
Valeria stood there for half a second, breathing like she'd just fought a dragon.
Then she snapped at everyone, red-faced and furious.
"I am not in love."
Freya raised her hand. "Nobody asked."
Sofia smirked. "But thank you for the update."
Charlotte smiled politely. "We'll record it anyway."
Mira wrote something down.
Kaori squeaked.
The queen sipped her tea, amused.
Elise looked at Valeria for a long moment, then muttered, almost unwillingly, "At least you asked."
Valeria blinked, shocked, then snapped, "Of course I asked."
Elise's gaze flicked to me. "Are you okay."
I exhaled. "I'm alive."
Elise sighed. "Barely."
Valeria looked away, cheeks red, and muttered like a secret she hated,
"…Good."
My system chimed like it was laughing.
NEW RIVALRY DETECTED
STATUS: TSUNDERE KNIGHT ACTIVATED
WARNING: JEALOUSY CLAIMS WILL INCREASE
TIP: YOU ARE DOOMED
And the chorus all smiled like predators and friends at the same time, already planning tomorrow's permits, tomorrow's teasing, tomorrow's kisses.
Because in Lustra, romance didn't rest.
It just filed paperwork.