I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Asuna's smile froze on her face, then her expression quickly darkened, a murderous aura surging within her, and she reached for her waist with her free hand.

Before she could even grasp the sword hilt, Yuu Tenkuji slipped the crystal card into her hand, then raised her hand and called out:

"The pass is here."

The soldier glanced at it, but didn't take it to check if it was a fake. He just pointed the tip of his sword at the small door next to him.

"Go in that way, welcome to the 'Land of Love,' young couples."

"Husband, wife?!"

Asuna, who had been glaring at them with displeasure, froze again, her gaze shifting away, her ears turning slightly red.

This is the first time I've been told this to my face.

Even though I know it's just a game and that there's nothing between us, my heart still races a little when I think about how other people perceive our relationship.

I feel a little shy...

"After all, we're wearing rings now. I guess having a pass won't be enough; you have to be a married couple to enter the city."

Yuu patted her on the shoulder, then turned to the soldier and said, "I'd like to ask how to obtain the 'Flower of Beloved Beauty'."

"Please go to the Civil Affairs Bureau; you'll find the information you need there," the soldier replied succinctly and forcefully, without looking away.

"understood."

After saying that, Tenkuji Yu took the lead and walked towards the normal small gate, which was about two meters high, next to the Love City gate.

"Pah—" After sticking out her tongue and making a face at the soldiers, Asuna quickly caught up with him, still complaining, "What kind of attitude is that? Pointing a sword at people all the time. Even the security guards are more civilized than him..."

"Don't expect too much from an NPC."

"Grandma Ma is an NPC too!"

"They're just different levels of intelligence; you can just think of them as an automatic response program."

"Well... to be honest, I thought they would open that big city gate and let us in with great fanfare."

"Wouldn't this split the love in two? It would damage the prestige of our nation."

"Huh? So that's the reason..."

"Probably not, I was just saying."

"..."

As if dissatisfied, Asuna lightly kicked his shin.

△

"Land of Love".

The decor is reminiscent of 19th-century Venice, with well-arranged houses, streets, and canals intertwined. The enthusiastic shouts of vendors fill the streets and alleys, giving it a more lively feel than the "Town of Beginnings".

Love is the main theme here; heart-shaped sculptures and merchandise are everywhere, and occasionally you can see heart-shaped balloons slowly floating into the blue sky, as if there is something to celebrate every moment.

"What a peculiar place..."

Having completely transformed into a tourist, the chestnut-haired rapier wielder curiously surveyed his surroundings, looking as if he were about to switch into shopping mode and rush into every store to take a look.

To prevent Asuna from disappearing, Yuu Tenkuji grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the Civil Affairs Bureau on the map.

"Don't look anymore, you can go shopping after you finish your mission."

"Okay, I don't have much time to play today..."

With a helpless, drawn-out tone, Asuna glanced at her wrist, which he was gripping tightly, and suddenly remembered something.

The basic instructions state that if a female player is harassed by a male player, a system window will pop up asking "Do you want to punish the player?" If you choose to agree, the male player will be sent directly to the prison below the Black Iron Palace.

But it's unclear whether the prison isn't finished yet, or if being married would automatically disable the harassment reporting function—even though he held her hand without her consent, the system didn't pop up a similar notification window.

In that case, if he suddenly has evil intentions, wouldn't I, who can't launch an attack from within the safe zone, be completely at his mercy and subject to his actions...?

Asuna couldn't help but swallow, once again feeling worried about her chastity.

But she also knew that this was just her paranoia—all her reactions from the day of their "marriage" until now proved that her virtual husband probably really had no interest in her at all.

Thinking about this, a strange sense of loss and displeasure welled up in my heart, giving rise to a faint feeling of irritability.

—Don't misunderstand, it's just that my self-esteem as a woman has been hurt.

She wished he could always be such a gentleman!

Chapter 49 No Singles Allowed

"Asuna, look."

Asuna's wandering thoughts were pulled back by Yu's voice. She quickly composed herself, her expression turning strange, and replied in a serious tone:

"what happened?"

Following his gaze, on the gray-brick road leading to the Civil Affairs Bureau, the shopping street had been transformed into a residential area. The vendors' shouts had diminished, replaced by…

Couples and spouses were everywhere on the streets.

"This……"

With her mouth slightly agape in surprise, Asuna stared in disbelief as men and women held hands and embraced intimately at street corners and on the road. Some even shamelessly kissed on the spot, passionately exchanging their feelings with their tongues in front of onlookers.

Such behavior not only did not draw criticism or disdain from others, but instead garnered applause and admiring glances.

With her eyes wide open, Asuna's worldview seemed to crumble at that moment.

"What kind of country is this?!"

△

"In this country, love is the only thing that allows single people to enter."

"Civil Affairs Bureau," the young lady behind the counter replied with a light laugh.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she also had a wedding ring on the ring finger of her left hand.

"This is a country that only couples or spouses can enter. Children born in this country must go out into the world to find their other half and obtain 'proof of love' before they are allowed to return."

"As a married couple, and having obtained a pass from the 'Crystal Guardian,' the two adventurers will enjoy the same level of treatment as citizens of this country, as well as a property belonging to both of them."

After answering the questions, the young lady placed two keys on the counter and pushed them towards them with a polite smile, then returned to the silence expected of an NPC.

"They even give away houses..." Asuna covered her cheeks with her hands, sitting in a chair and letting out a deep, incredulous sigh. "What on earth did the game designers eat to come up with such a strange country...?"

"I suggest you beat up your brother, maybe that will tell you." Responding casually, Tenkuji Yu picked up the key and opened the instruction manual, which listed the property address and owner.

It's just the two of them, and there's no time limit—but there is a relationship restriction.

"The property is automatically reclaimed upon divorce... It seems absurd, but it also makes sense."

After reading the instructions, Yuu Tenkuji tossed one of the keys to Asuna.

She hurriedly caught it, blinking her big, bewildered eyes as she looked over.

"What, we have our own home now, aren't you happy?"

"Home……?"

Seemingly still not having reacted, Asuna murmured it again, staring blankly at the key.

Yuu Tenkuji nodded: "Although it's a freebie, and we probably won't have to pay a mortgage or spend money on renovations, we'll likely be living there until the mission is complete."

“But compared to a tent or a hotel, this should be considered a ‘home,’ right?” He laughed, patted her head, and teased, “Congratulations! You not only married a skilled husband, but you also got a property for free.”

"What marriage? You..." Asuna was about to retort instinctively, but noticing the saleswoman was still watching them, she swallowed the rest of her words, bit her lip with a slightly flushed face, gave him a reproachful look that seemed both shy and annoyed, and then huffed:

"Does getting the house have anything to do with how good you are? You know, I was the main force in dealing with that crystal guard! Don't make it sound like all the credit is yours."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say." Tenkuji Yu shrugged, ignoring her sulky look, and turned to talk to the NPC girl again.

Without even looking back, one could tell that the reward of three thousand yen and a one-time skill revealed her current good mood.

"……snort."

Asuna struggled to control her facial muscles and prevent herself from making any strange expressions.

All feelings—happiness, joy, surprise, peace of mind, and pleasure—became 'strange expressions' at this moment.

To avoid giving the guy who was flirting with the receptionist a misunderstanding, the chestnut-haired girl calmly examined the key in her hand, repeatedly scanning the text on it.

"No. 20, Lane 5, Love Avenue... What a strange place name."

Seeing those two names again, Asuna glanced at them discreetly before quickly looking away, but a slight smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

"Home..." she muttered in a voice only she could hear, "It's just a temporary place to stay, and even the marriage is fake. It's too early to call it home, isn't it?"

Ultimately, they had only known each other for a few days and didn't know much about each other's lives. Their relationship was probably more like that of ordinary friends or teammates.

Being forced into marriage is bad enough, but now they have to live under the same roof and jointly build a sanctuary called "home"...

Honestly, this feels even less real than playing house, and it would be foolish to be swayed by something like this.

"But, never mind~"

Holding the key tightly in my hand, even though it was a virtual, cold object, for some reason, a warmth like the rising sun spread throughout my body.

Asuna lowered her head, covering the corner of her mouth with her fist, only letting her eyes narrow into crescent-shaped arcs.

Like a flower blooming under the moon, it shimmers with quiet and gentle light.

Even though I don't want to laugh, I can't help but laugh. This is probably because...

This isn't a real-world relationship, is it?

△

"Now you have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear?"

On the way to "20, Lane 5, Love Street", Yuu Tenkuji said to Asuna, who was walking briskly beside him.

She touched her crimson lips with her finger and thought for a moment, then glanced at me with a mischievous smile, blinking her big eyes twice: "Sorry, I don't want to hear any of it~ Just write it down in a message and send it to me, that way I can know it all at once."

"The good news is..." Yuu Tenkuji completely ignored the answer, dodging the angry kick from the woman's fair leg as she continued, "According to the counter staff, the 'Flower of Beloved Beauty' isn't a rare item, at least not here. Everyone has a chance to obtain it as long as they complete the 'Trial'."

He then took her little hand, which was trying to pinch his cheek, and naturally placed it at his side, holding it firmly. This made her stop, her face flushed, and she instantly became incredibly obedient.

"The bad news is that the test will not start until tomorrow, and the difficulty will vary from person to person, with virtually no repetition. Therefore, we cannot prepare in advance, and there are no precedents to refer to. We can only pray that it will not be too difficult for people."