Chapter 103: Devoted Lover Better Not Be Overrated

"Congratulations, Host. The target has reached the Devoted Landmark."

Adrian read the notification twice.

Then once more.

Devoted Landmark?

His thumb remained hovering over the screen.

That was sooner than he’d expected.

Not that he’d actually been keeping track. Rose’s devotion rate had been climbing steadily, but Adrian hadn’t exactly been sitting around calculating how many percentage points remained before the next milestone.

He had other things to worry about.

Classes. Investments. The system’s increasingly ridiculous tasks.

And, occasionally, figuring out what Rose wanted to eat.

So seeing the notification now caught him off guard.

Especially because he couldn’t remember doing anything recently that should have pushed her over a landmark.

Did I even do anything?

Adrian thought about it.

Nothing came to mind.

That bothered him slightly.

The system usually made its cause and effect obvious. Spend money, get cashback. Invest in someone, receive a return. Complete an objective, get a reward.

This was different.

Rose had simply crossed the threshold.

Maybe that was the point.

The relationship had reached a stage where it could progress without Adrian actively forcing anything along.

That thought was strangely satisfying.

He opened the notification.

The Billionaire Cashback System expanded across his phone.

[Devoted Lover Landmark reached.]

A second panel appeared beneath it.

[Effect: The target’s romantic, sexual, and physical attraction toward the Host will increase drastically.]

Adrian’s eyes moved to the next line.

[This heightened attraction will remain active even when the Host is absent.]

He stopped.

"Even when I’m not around?"

That was different.

So the system wasn’t merely saying Rose would react more strongly whenever Adrian was standing in front of her.

Her attraction itself had changed.

She could be at home.

At school.

Doing something completely unrelated to him.

And the effect would still be there.

Adrian stared at the screen.

That sounded less like a temporary mood and more like the system had altered one of the underlying parameters of their relationship.

Which raised another question.

How much is "drastically"?

His eyes narrowed.

That was annoyingly vague.

The system loved giving him descriptions that sounded precise until he actually needed a number.

Adrian reread the notification.

One phrase stood out.

Sexual attraction.

His eyebrows lifted.

"Seriously?"

A faint smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

Okay.

That was something he could test.

Not immediately.

Probably.

He slipped the phone into his pocket, then remembered where he was.

The lecture hall was still crowded.

Students were moving toward the exits, chairs scraping against the floor while conversations overlapped around him.

Adrian looked down at himself.

Standing in the middle of everyone while smiling at his phone probably wasn’t going to help him look normal.

He moved toward the outer section of the hall instead.

There was an empty bench near the wall.

Good enough.

He sat down.

For a few seconds, he simply watched people leave.

Someone dropped a pen.

Someone else immediately stepped on it.

Neither person noticed.

Adrian almost laughed.

University was strangely consistent that way.

He pulled his phone out again.

If he wanted to test the landmark, he needed an opportunity.

And unfortunately, Rose was probably the easiest person to observe.

As if summoned by the thought, her name appeared on his screen.

Rose: On my way home. When you get back, come over to my place. I have a surprise for you.

Adrian stared at the message.

"A surprise?"

His first instinct was curiosity.

His second was suspicion.

Rose didn’t usually announce surprises.

She just did things.

That was one of the things he’d noticed about her.

If she wanted something, she could be surprisingly direct about it.

Adrian reread the message.

When you get back, come over.

There was nothing particularly strange about that.

They were dating.

They’d already planned to spend time together.

Still...

His eyes drifted back toward the system notification.

Devoted Lover.

Adrian’s lips twitched.

Could the timing really be that convenient?

He shook his head.

Probably not.

He was starting to blame the system for everything.

His phone vibrated again.

Rose: Where are you? I’ve been waiting forever.

Adrian blinked.

He checked the time.

She really hadn’t been waiting that long.

At least, not long enough to justify forever.

He leaned back against the bench.

"Okay."

That was a little more interesting.

Rose wasn’t normally impatient with him.

Or at least, not like this.

Maybe the system really was doing something.

Adrian couldn’t help smiling.

"If this is the effect..."

He stopped himself.

There was no point jumping to conclusions.

He’d know soon enough.

Still, curiosity won.

"What’s the next landmark?"

The system responded immediately.

[Next Landmark: Unity.]

Adrian stared.

"Unity?"

He read it again.

That sounded unnecessarily dramatic.

The system could have called it something normal.

Instead, apparently, it had decided his relationship needed to sound like the final stage of some mysterious cultivation technique.

He closed the interface.

Whatever Unity meant, he’d find out when he got there.

For now, Rose was waiting.

Adrian stood and stretched.

His shoulders were a little stiff from sitting through lectures all day.

He adjusted his bag and headed for the parking lot.

The walk gave him enough time to think.

The Devoted Landmark didn’t seem to change Rose’s personality.

At least, that was what Adrian assumed.

It simply amplified something that was already there.

That distinction mattered.

Rose was still Rose.

She’d just become more strongly attracted to him.

If anything, that made the whole thing easier to understand.

So the system isn’t creating something from nothing.

Adrian liked that explanation.

It fit what he’d seen so far.

He reached his Corolla and unlocked it.

The inside was warm from sitting beneath the afternoon sun.

He opened the door, tossed his bag onto the passenger seat, and started the engine.

The drive home was mostly uneventful.

Traffic wasn’t terrible.

That alone felt like a reward.

Adrian kept one hand on the wheel while his thoughts occasionally returned to Rose.

He wondered what her surprise was.

Then he wondered whether the surprise had anything to do with the landmark.

Then he decided he was thinking too much.

I’ll find out in a few minutes.

That was usually the easiest solution.

By the time he reached the apartment complex, the sun had started dipping lower.

Adrian turned into the parking area.

His phone buzzed from the passenger seat.

He glanced toward it.

Jenna: Are you free right now?

His eyebrows drew together.

Jenna?

That was unexpected.

He hadn’t heard from her since the last thing they’d discussed.

Maybe something happened with the audition.

Maybe she’d gotten an update.

Adrian slowed as he entered the parking area.

A car behind him sounded its horn.

He looked into the mirror.

Right.

He was blocking the entrance.

"Oops."

He waved a hand through the window and pulled forward.

The other driver waved back before driving past.

Adrian parked properly this time.

He turned off the engine and picked up his phone.

Jenna’s message was still there.

Are you free right now?

He considered calling her.

Then decided against it.

If it was important, she’d explain.

Adrian: Kind of. Just text me. I’ll respond when I can.

He sent it.

Then he locked the car and stepped outside.

His eyes automatically moved toward Rose’s place.

The curtains were open.

She was home.

Adrian looked at the window for a second.

Then at his phone.

Then back at the window.

Right.

He had a girlfriend waiting for him.

Jenna could wait a few minutes.

Adrian headed upstairs.

The closer he got to Rose’s door, the more curious he became.

Not nervous.

At least, he didn’t think so.

Just curious.

He stopped in front of the door.

For a moment, he looked at it.

Then he raised his hand.

A ridiculous thought crossed his mind.

Let’s see what devoted Rose is like.

Adrian smiled to himself.

Then he knocked.

The door opened almost immediately.

Rose stood there.

Adrian’s smile disappeared.

Not because anything was wrong.

Quite the opposite.

Rose’s cheeks were already flushed.

Her eyes met his, and for a moment she simply stared.

"Adrian—"

She grabbed the front of his shirt.

He barely had time to react before she pulled him closer.

Adrian stumbled forward, more surprised than anything else.

Rose closed the remaining distance between them and kissed him.

It caught him completely off guard.

Not because they hadn’t kissed before.

They had.

But there was something different about the way she did it.

There was no hesitation.

No little pause where she usually seemed to think about what she was doing.

She simply wanted him close.

When she finally pulled back, Adrian looked at her.

Rose’s face was even redder now.

He opened his mouth.

"Rose, what’s—"

She moved closer again.

Adrian instinctively steadied her as she leaned into him.

His mind briefly returned to the system.

[Sexual and physical attraction toward the Host will increase drastically.]

Well.

That explained quite a bit.

Adrian couldn’t help the small smile that appeared.

Maybe he’d underestimated what drastically meant.

Rose glanced past him toward the hallway.

Then she looked back at him.

"Lock the door."

Adrian paused.

He looked at her.

Then at the open doorway.

Then back at her.

For once, the system didn’t need to explain anything.

Adrian reached behind him and pushed the door shut.

The lock clicked.

And somewhere in the back of his mind, one thought remained.

Yeah.

Devoted was definitely interesting.