"Asuna, look at that."
Yuu's voice snapped her out of her wandering thoughts. Asuna quickly wiped the odd expression from her face and responded, pretending to be serious:
"What is it?"
Following his gaze, on the gray brick road leading to the civil registry office, the bustling shopping area had given way to a residential district. The clamor of merchants faded, replaced by…
Couples and married pairs everywhere.
"This…"
Mouth slightly agape in shock, Asuna stared dumbfounded at the men and women holding hands, embracing affectionately in street corners, even in the middle of the road. Some shamelessly kissed in public, under the gazes of others, passionately expressing their feelings with their tongues.
Such actions weren't stopped or mocked by others—instead, they drew applause, admiring looks, and praise.
Her eyes widened, and at that moment, Asuna's sense of values crumbled.
"What kind of country is this—"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Civil Registry Office.
"This country, in the name of love, does not allow singles to enter."
The young woman behind the reception desk answered with a faint smile.
Naturally, a wedding ring gleamed on her left ring finger.
"This is a nation only accessible to lovers or married couples. Children born here, once over fifteen, must venture into the outside world to find their soulmate and are only allowed to return after obtaining Proof of Love."
"You two, as a married couple who have obtained an entry ticket from the Crystal Guardian, can enjoy treatment equal to our citizens, including one property unit belonging to both of you."
After answering, the young woman placed two keys on the desk and slid them toward them, offering a polite smile before resuming her NPC-like silence.
"They're even giving us a house…" Asuna covered her face with both hands, slumping into a chair, sighing heavily in disbelief. "What did the game designers eat to come up with a weird country like this…"
"My advice? Beat up your brother—you might get answers." Replying casually, Yuu picked up a key and checked its description. It listed the property's address and owners' names.
It was both of them, with no time limit—but there was a relationship restriction.
"If we divorce, the property gets automatically reclaimed… It's weird, but it kinda makes sense."
After reading the description, Yuu tossed one key to Asuna.
She hurriedly caught it, staring at him with wide, confused eyes.
"What, we've got our own house now—aren't you happy?"
"A house…?"
As if still processing, Asuna muttered again, gazing at the key with a slightly dazed expression.
Yuu nodded: "Even if it's free, no mortgage payments, and it seems no decorating costs either. Until the mission's done, we'll probably stay there."
"Compared to a tent or an inn, this counts as a home, right?" He chuckled, patting her head teasingly. "Congrats. Not only did you get a skilled husband, but a free property too."
"What's this about getting a husband, you…" Instinctively wanting to argue, Asuna realized the young woman at the desk was still watching. Swallowing her words with effort, her pretty face flushed slightly, biting her lip. After glaring at him with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, she huffed:
"Getting a house has anything to do with your skills? Remember, I was the main star in defeating the Crystal Guardian! Don't act like all the credit's yours."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Yuu shrugged, unfazed by her sulky attitude, turning back to speak with the young NPC woman.
Without looking back, he knew—the three-thousand-yen reward and one-time skill indicated Asuna was in a great mood right now.
"…Tch."
Asuna tried hard to control her facial muscles to avoid showing any weird expressions.
All emotions—happiness, excitement, surprise, relief, joy—felt like strange expressions in that moment.
To prevent the guy flirting with the receptionist from misunderstanding, Asuna calmly examined the key in her hand, rereading the text description multiple times.
"Love Street, Alley Five, Number 20… What a weird place name."
Then she glanced at the two owners' names, sneaking a look at Yuu before quickly looking away, though the corners of her lips couldn't help but lift slightly.
"A house, huh…" she muttered in a voice only she could hear. "It's just a temporary place to stay, and even the husband-wife thing is fake—too soon to call it a home."
After all, they'd only known each other for a few days, barely understanding one another. Their relationship might not even reach the level of casual friends, just teammates.
Being forced into a fake marriage was enough—now they had to live together, building a so-called sacred place called a home…
Honestly, it was less realistic than playing house and would be utterly foolish to waver over something like this.
"But whatever~"
Gripping the key tightly in her hand, though the virtual object was cold, for some reason, a warmth like a sunrise spread through her body.
Lowering her head, Asuna covered the corners of her lips with her fist, leaving only her eyes, squinted into crescent moon shapes.
Like a flower blooming under moonlight, glowing quietly and softly.
She didn't want to smile, but she couldn't hold back her laughter. Maybe because…
This wasn't reality, right?
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
On the Way to Love Street, Alley Five, Number 20.
"There's good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
On the way to Love Street, Alley Five, Number 20, Yuu spoke to Asuna, who was walking lightly beside him.
Asuna touched her deep red lips, thought for a moment, then gave him a mischievous glance, her eyes blinking twice: "Sorry, I don't want to hear either~ Just write it in a message and send it to me, so I can know both at once."
"The good news is…" Yuu ignored her response, dodging her playful angry kick as he continued, "According to the woman at the reception desk, the Flower of Love isn't rare here. As long as we pass the trial, everyone has a chance to get it."
He grabbed her small hand as it tried to pinch his cheek, naturally holding it by his side tightly, leaving Asuna stunned with a flushed face, instantly becoming docile.
"The bad news is, the trial starts tomorrow, and its difficulty varies for each person, with no repeats. So we can't prepare in advance, and there's no prior example to reference. We can only pray it's not too tough."
After saying this, Yuu calmly looked at Asuna, acting innocent as if he'd done nothing.
"Well, any comments?"
"Comments… Heh."
As if provoked by his calmness, Asuna gritted her teeth, a mix of embarrassment and reluctance flashing across her face.
She couldn't keep letting this guy dominate her!
Taking a deep breath, Asuna suddenly laughed, tightly gripping his hand, actively leaning her shoulder against him, and clinging to him coyly.