Aria woke me up at a much more reasonable hour than Sera.
8 AM. With breakfast in bed.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, setting down a tray of perfectly prepared food. "I made breakfast!"
**[ARIA]: PROPER girlfriend behavior! Breakfast in bed! This is what NORMAL couples do! I read THREE romance novels to prepare!
"You cooked?"
"Well, the kitchen staff cooked. But I SUPERVISED. With blessings. Holy blessings for every ingredient."
**[ARIA]: The eggs are blessed. The toast is blessed. The JUICE is blessed. Nothing is poisoned and everything is spiritually pure!
"That's... very thorough."
She beamed.
**[ARIA]: He appreciates my thoroughness! Date status: WINNING ALREADY!
After breakfast, she led me to a carriage decorated with flowers.
Actual flowers. Everywhere.
"Aria... is that the ENTIRE estate garden?"
"Just the pretty parts! I wanted it to be ROMANTIC!"
**[ARIA]: Flowers are romantic! Everyone says so! More flowers = more romance! MATH!
We rode through town toward the countryside, and I noticed Aria had dressed in her finest robes—pure white with gold embroidery, her hair crowned with a delicate flower wreath.
She looked like an actual angel.
"You look beautiful," I said.
She turned bright red.
**[ARIA]: BEAUTIFUL! He said BEAUTIFUL! Sera got "fun date" but I got "BEAUTIFUL!" VICTORY!
"T-Thank you! You look handsome too!"
**[ARIA]: Smooth, Aria. VERY smooth. Compliment received and returned. Relationship protocols: SUCCESSFUL!
We arrived at a picturesque meadow with a small lake, and Aria had set up an ENTIRE romantic picnic.
Blanket. Basket. More flowers. Candles (even though it was daytime).
"This is..." I looked around, genuinely impressed. "This is really nice, Aria."
She looked relieved.
**[ARIA]: He likes it! No illegal markets! No chases! Just PURE WHOLESOME ROMANCE! Take THAT, spy!
We sat down, and Aria started unpacking the picnic basket.
Sandwiches (blessed).
Fruit (blessed).
Wine (also blessed).
"Did you bless everything?"
"Of course! I'm a chaplain! It's what I do!"
**[ARIA]: Also it gave me something to DO while being nervous. Blessing things is calming!
We ate and talked, and for a while, it was perfect.
Peaceful. Calm. Romantic in a traditional, wholesome way.
Then Aria said: "I thought we could do some couple activities!"
"Like what?"
She pulled out a list.
An actual, written list.
"Activity One: Meaningful conversation about our future."
**[ARIA]: Romance novels say communication is key!
"Activity Two: Feeding each other fruit romantically."
**[ARIA]: This is VERY romantic according to page 47 of 'Love Under the Moon'!
"Activity Three: Gazing into each other's eyes for exactly three minutes."
**[ARIA]: The book was VERY specific about timing!
"Activity Four: A romantic boat ride on the lake."
"Activity Five: Watching the sunset while holding hands."
"Activity Six: Exchange of meaningful gifts."
She'd planned our ENTIRE date down to the minute.
**[ARIA]: STRUCTURE. PLANNING. This is how PROPER dates work! No chaos! Just organized romance!
"Aria," I said gently, "this is very sweet. But we don't have to follow a schedule."
"But the BOOKS said—"
"The books aren't us. We can just... enjoy being together?"
She looked uncertain.
**[ARIA]: But without a PLAN, what if I mess up? What if it's not romantic ENOUGH? What if Sera's chaotic date was BETTER?!
"How about we do some of these activities, but naturally? Not on a schedule?"
She considered this.
"...Okay. We can try."
**[ARIA]: Improvisation. Terrifying. But he's right. This isn't a MISSION. It's a DATE.
She visibly relaxed, putting away her list.
"So," I said, "tell me something about you. Not chaplain stuff. Just... Aria stuff."
She blinked, surprised.
"Like what?"
"Anything. Your favorite color. Your childhood. What makes you happy."
**[ARIA]: Nobody's ever asked about just... ME. Not my skills. Not my faith. Just ME.
She thought for a moment.
"Blue," she said softly. "My favorite color is blue. Like the sky. Because when I was training at the Church, we weren't allowed outside much. But I could always see the sky through the window. It meant freedom."
**[ARIA]: I've never told ANYONE that. Why am I telling HIM? ...Because I trust him. Completely.
"That's beautiful," I said honestly.
"What about you?"
We spent the next hour just talking. Really talking.
I told her about Earth—about blue skies there, about freedom, about missing simple things like pizza and video games.
She told me about her strict upbringing, about discovering she had magic, about the Church being both a sanctuary and a prison.
**[ARIA]: This is REAL conversation. Not scripted. Not planned. Just... honest. And it's BETTER than any romance novel.
"Aria," I said, "can I ask something?"
"Of course."
"Do you ever regret joining the Church?"
She was quiet for a long time.
**[ARIA]: Honest answer. He deserves honest answer.
"Sometimes," she admitted. "They took me in when I had nothing. Gave me purpose. But they also used me. Sent me to kill. Made me question my faith."
"And now?"
"Now... I'm questioning everything again. But in a good way. Because of you."
**[ARIA]: You make me want to be BETTER. Not just a weapon. Not just a tool. A PERSON.
I took her hand.
"You're not defined by what the Church made you. You're defined by who you CHOOSE to be."
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
**[ARIA]: How does he DO that? How does he say exactly what I need to hear?
"Thank you," she whispered.
Then, on impulse, she leaned forward and kissed me.
Not on the cheek like I'd done with Sera.
An actual, real kiss.
**[ARIA]: KISSING. I'M KISSING HIM. IS THIS ALLOWED?! The Goddess will judge me but I DON'T CARE!
When she pulled back, she was blushing furiously.
"That was... that was Activity Seven. Which I didn't write down. Because it felt too forward. But I wanted to. So I did. Was that okay?"
I was still processing.
"That was VERY okay," I managed.
**[ARIA]: SUCCESS! ROMANTIC SUCCESS! Take THAT, Sera with your CHEEK KISS! I got a REAL KISS!
We spent the rest of the afternoon doing her planned activities, but naturally.
Fed each other fruit (which was sweet and funny and only slightly awkward).
Went on the boat ride (where Aria blessed the boat "for safety" and we both laughed).
Watched the sunset hand-in-hand (which was genuinely beautiful).
And exchanged gifts.
Aria gave me a blessed pendant.
"For protection," she said. "So even when I'm not there, you're safe."
**[ARIA]: Practical AND romantic! PERFECT!
I gave her a book I'd found in the estate library—a collection of poems about freedom and sky.
"I thought you'd like it," I said.
She hugged it to her chest, eyes shining.
**[ARIA]: He LISTENS. Really listens. He remembered my favorite color and freedom and EVERYTHING.
"This is perfect," she whispered.
As we headed back to the estate in the flower-covered carriage, Aria leaned against me.
"Kyle?"
"Yeah?"
"This was the best day of my life."
**[ARIA]: Better than any romance novel. Better than I imagined. Just... PERFECT.
"Mine too," I said honestly.
And it was.
[BACK AT THE ESTATE - EVENING]
Sera and Eliza were waiting again.
"How was it?" Sera asked, trying to sound casual.
"Please tell me it was normal," Eliza added.
**[SERA]: Did she out-romance ME? Is that possible?!
**[ELIZA]: ████ PLEASE SAY ██████ IT WAS ████ BORING ██████ I NEED ████ MY DATE ██████ TO COMPETE ████
"It was wonderful," Aria said dreamily. "We had a picnic. And deep conversations. And a boat ride. And..."
She touched her lips, blushing.
**[ARIA]: We KISSED. Real kiss. But I'm not telling them THAT.
Sera's eyes narrowed.
"And WHAT?"
"Nothing!" Aria said too quickly.
**[SERA]: SHE'S HIDING SOMETHING. Something GOOD. Did they—?! No. She wouldn't. Would she?!
"Aria," Sera said slowly, "did you—"
"We exchanged gifts!" Aria interrupted. "Very romantic! Very proper!"
**[ARIA]: DEFLECT. CHANGE SUBJECT. They can't know I got a REAL KISS. That's MY victory. MINE.
Eliza was studying Aria's face.
**[ELIZA]: ████ SHE'S DEFINITELY ██████ HIDING SOMETHING ████ THAT BLUSH ██████ THAT SMILE ████ SHE KISSED ██████ HIM ████ DIDN'T SHE ██████
"Aria," Eliza said calmly, "you kissed him, didn't you."
It wasn't a question.
Aria's face went CRIMSON.
"I— that's— we— it was ROMANTIC!"
"YOU KISSED HIM?!" Sera shrieked.
"ON THE LIPS?!" Eliza added, sounding shocked despite herself.
"IT WAS A ROMANTIC MOMENT!" Aria defended. "The sunset! The boat! The feelings! It just HAPPENED!"
**[ARIA]: No regrets. ZERO regrets. Worth it. TOTALLY worth it.
Sera turned to me accusingly. "You let her kiss you?!"
"I mean, I didn't exactly STOP her—"
"I'm kissing you next time!" Sera declared.
"ME TOO," Eliza said immediately.
**[SERA]: NOT BEING OUT-ROMANCED. Absolutely NOT.
**[ELIZA]: ████ COMPETITIVE MODE ██████ ACTIVATED ████ MY DATE ██████ WILL BE ████ SUPERIOR ██████
"This isn't a competition!" I protested.
"YES IT IS," all three said in unison.
Aria looked smugly satisfied.
**[ARIA]: I may have started a kissing war. The Goddess will forgive me. Probably. But I WON today. Clear victory.
Marcus appeared from around the corner, notepad in hand.
**[MARCUS]: Date Drama Rating: 10/10. This is PEAK content. My memoirs will be LEGENDARY.
"My lord," he said professionally, "you have a visitor."
"A visitor? At this hour?"
"Yes. A... Lady Vivienne? One of your advisors?"
My blood ran cold.
Lady Vivienne. The advisor the King had assigned. The one whose chatbox showed she wanted to manipulate me.
I'd been so busy with dates and conspiracies I'd forgotten about her.
**[KYLE]: Oh no. Political scheming. During harem shenanigans. This is bad timing.
All three of my girlfriends immediately shifted into bodyguard mode.
**[SERA]: Threat detected. Unknown variable. ASSESS.
**[ARIA]: Protective blessings: ACTIVATED.
**[ELIZA]: ████ ADVISOR ██████ LADY VIVIENNE ████ HEARD ABOUT ██████ HER ████ MANIPULATIVE ██████ AMBITIOUS ████ DANGEROUS ██████
We went to the main hall, where Lady Vivienne waited.
She was stunning—elegant gown, perfect makeup, calculated smile.
**[LADY VIVIENNE]: There's the boy lord. And his three... companions. Interesting. The rumors are true then. This will be easier than I thought. Young men are so EASILY distracted by romance.
"Lord Henderson," she said with a curtsy. "I apologize for the late visit. I've been meaning to introduce myself formally."
"Lady Vivienne," I said politely. "My advisors mentioned you."
"All good things, I hope?" She smiled. "I wanted to discuss the Western Province's economic restructuring. I have some... suggestions."
**[LADY VIVIENNE]: Get him alone. Away from these guard dogs. Then I can work my influence. Men are so SIMPLE when you know what they want.
"Of course. Perhaps we could meet tomorrow—"
"Actually," Sera interrupted smoothly, "ALL of Lord Henderson's advisors should be present for economic discussions. I'll arrange a formal meeting."
**[SERA]: BLOCKED. Not getting him alone. Nice try, LADY.
Lady Vivienne's smile tightened.
**[LADY VIVIENNE]: The spy is PROTECTING him. Inconvenient. But I can work around it.
"How thoughtful. Though I was hoping for a more... personal discussion. To get to know our young lord better."
**[LADY VIVIENNE]: Flirtation attempt. This usually works on young nobles.
"Lord Henderson is quite busy," Aria said with a sweet smile. "His schedule is very full."
**[ARIA]: ALSO BLOCKED. He's OUR boyfriend. Back off, scheming lady.
"I'm sure we can find time," Lady Vivienne purred, looking directly at me. "Perhaps a private dinner? Just the two of us?"
**[LADY VIVIENNE]: Let's see him refuse a direct invitation. Young men NEVER refuse beautiful women offering private dinners.
All three of my girlfriends tensed.
**[ALL THREE]: ABSOLUTELY NOT.
"That's very kind," I said carefully, "but I make it a policy to have all advisory meetings with full staff present. Transparency in governance."
**[KYLE]: Please accept this. PLEASE. I don't want three jealous girlfriends AND a scheming advisor.
Lady Vivienne's smile didn't waver, but her chatbox showed frustration.
**[LADY VIVIENNE]: He REFUSED?! Nobody refuses ME. Those three women have him WRAPPED. This is more complicated than expected.
"Of course," she said smoothly. "How admirably professional. I'll coordinate with your staff for a proper meeting."
She left with another perfect curtsy, but her chatbox was already scheming.
**[LADY VIVIENNE]: Fine. If direct seduction won't work, I'll find his weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses. Even idealistic young lords with their little harem.
Once she was gone, all three women rounded on me.
"She was FLIRTING with you," Sera said.
"BLATANTLY flirting," Aria added.
"With obvious ulterior motives," Eliza finished.
**[ALL THREE]: THREAT DETECTED. ROMANTIC RIVAL. MUST ELIMINATE.
"I know! I saw her chatbox! She wants to manipulate me for political influence!"
"And you REFUSED her dinner invitation!" Sera looked proud.
"Without hesitation!" Aria beamed.
"Good instincts," Eliza said approvingly.
**[SERA]: He chose US over a scheming noblewoman. LOYALTY: CONFIRMED.
**[ARIA]: He recognized the threat and shut it down. WISDOM: CONFIRMED.
**[ELIZA]: ████ THAT'S MY ██████ BOYFRIEND ████ LEARNING POLITICS ██████ AND STAYING ████ LOYAL ██████
"So," I said, "we have a new problem. A scheming advisor who wants to control me."
"We'll handle it," Sera said confidently. "I'll gather intelligence on her."
"I'll monitor her activities," Aria added.
"And I'll review her background and connections," Eliza finished.
**[ALL THREE]: TEAMWORK. For once, we're in COMPLETE agreement.
They looked at each other and nodded.
United front: activated.
"Just..." Sera said, "promise you won't fall for any seduction attempts?"
"Or political manipulation?" Aria added.
"Or generally stupid noble schemes?" Eliza finished.
"I have THREE girlfriends who are trained assassins and combat specialists," I said. "I'm not THAT stupid."
**[ALL THREE]: Good answer. VERY good answer.
They all smiled, satisfied.
As we headed to bed, Eliza pulled me aside.
"My date is tomorrow," she said.
"I know."
"Fair warning: it's going to be completely different from the other two."
"Different how?"
She smiled mysteriously.
**[ELIZA]: ████ SECRET ██████ KEEPING IT ████ SECRET ██████ BUT IT'LL ████ BE PERFECT ██████ BETTER THAN ████ ILLEGAL MARKETS ██████ AND PLANNED ████ PICNICS ██████
"You'll see."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: DATE #2 COMPLETE!]
[ARIA'S ROUTE: SUCCESS]
[ROMANCE LEVEL: MAXIMUM]
[KISS COUNT: 1 (REAL)]
[BLESSING COUNT: LITERALLY EVERYTHING]
[OVERALL RATING: 10/10 - Perfect Wholesome Romance]
[WARNING: NEW THREAT DETECTED]
[LADY VIVIENNE: SCHEMING ADVISOR]
[DANGER LEVEL: POLITICAL]
[GIRLFRIENDS' JEALOUSY LEVEL: RISING]
[NEXT: ELIZA'S MYSTERIOUS DATE]
[DIFFICULTY: UNKNOWN]
[ROMANCE PROBABILITY: HIGH]
[CHAOS PROBABILITY: ALSO HIGH]