Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains.
Birds chirped. The town bustled outside.
And Lilia?
Still in bed.
Wrapped like a depressed burrito in three blankets, hair a tangled mess, eyes staring dead at the ceiling.
"I'm not going today," she muttered.
No prince. No villains. No magical hot professor. No drama.
Just me. Bed. And safety.
After last night's emotional rollercoaster—alley thugs, awkward bonding, and magical professors—Lilia had decided: today was a break.
Mentally, emotionally, and romantically.
She rolled over.
"I deserve a sick day. I almost died in an alley, thank you very much."
She was this close to slipping back into dreamland when—
=========================
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Daily Routine Interrupted.]
[Skipping Academy = Missed Flag Opportunity]
[Are you sure you want to damage route progression?]
=========================
"...Huh?"
She blinked.
Sat up.
Squinted at the glowing screen floating in front of her face.
"No no no no—don't you dare guilt-trip me like this," she hissed, waving her hands at it. "I'm emotionally compromised!"
======================
[SYSTEM UPDATE: ACTIVE CHALLENGE LOADED]
["Surprise Hug Target: Prince Alric"]
[Time Limit: Before Sunset]
[Reward: +5 Affection]
[Failure Consequence: Mild route damage.]
======================
"Excuse me?!" she squeaked, scrambling upright like the bed was on fire. "Hug the prince?! Do I look like someone who wants to be turned into a rumor blender?!"
She reached out and tried to tap the X button.
Nothing happened.
She swiped her hand through it like she was shooing away a fly.
It only beeped politely.
[Would you like a motivational quote instead?]
[Sometimes love means taking a leap… into someone's arms!]
Lilia collapsed backward onto her pillow, smacking her face with it.
"This system is trying to kill me," she groaned.
Hug the prince. Sure. I'll just waltz up to royalty like, 'Hey, remember when you helped me off the ground? Well now it's cuddle time. 'And what's that about route damage?! This isn't a playthrough! This is my life!
She sat up again and glared at the system.
"…Is there a skip day feature? Or like, a 'cry into your blanket for 24 hours' DLC?"
Silence.
The system, as always, was unhelpfully optimistic.
[Side Tip: Affection won't build itself!]
Lilia flopped over dramatically.
"…If I get arrested for assaulting a prince, I'm blaming you."
[Noted.]
She sighed, dragging herself to her vanity to brush her hair. Her arms were sluggish. Her heart wasn't in it.
But somewhere inside, she knew—
The world wouldn't wait for her. Not even if she begged.
Even if she wasn't the real Lilia, she was here now.
And if she wanted to survive this sparkly nightmare with her sanity intact, she had to play smart.
Or at least… pretend she knew what she was doing.
Still muttering threats under her breath, she pulled on her academy uniform.
"Fine. I'll go."
Then she paused.
"…But I'm hugging no one. Zero hugging. No matter how blue his eyes are."
The academy courtyard was as busy as ever, filled with the scent of blooming florals, student chatter, and the occasional magical spark fizzling from someone's overexcited wand practice.
Lilia tiptoed through it like a fugitive.
Her eyes darted left and right as she clutched her bag tightly to her chest. The words from the system still echoed in her mind:
["Surprise Hug Target: Prince Alric"]
[Time Limit: Before Sunset]
"Nope," she muttered under her breath. "I'm a background character today. A side NPC. A tree."
She ducked behind a decorative topiary when she spotted a swirl of golden hair and a group of squealing girls in the distance.
Prince Alric.
The man was radiant, as usual, laughing effortlessly as his group of fanclub girls fawned over him like pigeons around a dropped croissant.
Lilia crouched lower behind the hedge.
Okay. I'll sneak to class. Sit in the back. Avoid eye contact. Then poof—sunset! No hugging required.
She slinked around the long stone wall toward the hallway—
WHAM.
She smacked into something solid.
Or rather, someone.
Books scattered to the ground. A startled "oof!" escaped her mouth as she stumbled backward—only to feel warm, firm hands catch her shoulders.
"Careful," came a smooth, too-familiar voice.
Her heart stopped.
She looked up.
Blue eyes.
blond hair.
Casual royal smile.
"Lady Lilia. Are you alright?"
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Surprise Hug Opportunity]
[Active: 6 seconds remaining.]
"NOPE," Lilia said out loud, panicking, instinctively lunging down to grab her books.
He blinked. "Pardon?"
She shot to her feet, clutching the stack of books like a shield. "I'm good! Totally good! No injuries! No need for physical affection!"
"…I didn't offer any," Alric replied, a little baffled.
[Surprise Hug Opportunity: 3 seconds remaining...]
Then it happened.
A stray wind spell—cast by some enthusiastic first-year nearby—detonated behind them. The shockwave slammed into Lilia's back and she tripped forward again.
This time?
Directly into Prince Alric's chest.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around him.
He staggered slightly but caught her.
They both froze.
Around them, the world seemed to pause.
Several girls nearby gasped so loud, they could've powered an opera house.
Lilia blinked.
Prince Alric looked down at her. "Lady Lilia?"
She looked up.
Still hugging him.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Challenge Complete! +5 Affection Earned]
[You make hugging look accidental. Impressive.]
Lilia made the strangest squeaking noise known to humanity.
Then she peeled herself off him like he was covered in acid.
"I—S-sorry! I tripped! I mean, I didn't mean to grab you—I mean—thank you for not letting me faceplant—OH LOOK THE FLOOR!"
And then she fled.
Literally fled.
Bag bouncing, cape flapping behind her, vanishing into the hallway while Prince Alric stood there blinking, one hand still half-raised.
He blinked and gently dusted imaginary lint off his shoulder, as if unsure what just happened. "That was… unexpected."
Behind him, his fanclub erupted in shrill gossip.
Later that day, Lilia was crouched behind the vending shelf in the library, cradling her face in her hands.
"Kill me now," she groaned. "Just let me die here next to the dusty encyclopedias."
[Side Quest Available: Compliment Prince Alric's smile next time!]
[Optional Bonus: Don't scream when you do it.]
She glared at the screen.
"...You are the devil."
[Correction: 'Romantic Success Facilitator']
"I'm going to throw myself in the moat."