Chapter 3

[1st POV]

The customers were all shocked, but my staff was the most shocked. They just grabbed chairs and sat around me, completely ignoring their work.

Mrs. Donovan spoke up with a sly grin on her face and excitement in her eyes.

"Well! Tell us, Don Juan, how did you manage to charm her, and when are you going on a date with her?!"

It seems I've gotten myself into trouble!

Since that moment, another ten days have passed, and my life has only become more complicated. 

Every day, Emma would come to my café, bat her eyelashes at me, and try to strike up a conversation, but I kept giving her the cold shoulder. 

In the end, she would spend several hours here, only leaving for personal or company matters, and then come back in the evening.

She was usually accompanied by her secretary, the financial director, the HR manager, and a couple of other subordinates dealing with her business affairs. 

After they left, she would try to talk to me again.

In short, this proud and independent woman was behaving like a child and a lovesick schoolgirl due to the schemes of the God of Games.

I would be happy to help her get over this, but I simply couldn't imagine how to do that. 

When she left, Mrs. Donovan would pester me with her moral lessons about how I shouldn't turn away from my "destiny"...

This went on for ten days...

To make matters worse, my self-esteem took a hit with the new title of "Untouchable" that I received this morning.

[Untouchable: You are a very moral man with high standards for your partner.]

[+100 in relationships with all virgins, +2% chance that you will become the victim of a strong, independent woman with predatory behavior and indiscriminate taste in sexual partners.]

On the tenth evening, Emma caught me as I closed my café. She once again tried to negotiate a date, but this time more insistently.

"Chri-i-i-is."

She whined.

"You don't have to be such a grump. I have a beautiful yacht, and we can go on a little cruise wherever you want! I promise I won't harass you."

"My answer is the same as when we first met in my café. NO!" 

I continued to close the door.

"Chri-i-i-is..."

"Ding!"

[You have received a personal message from the God of Games]

[Hello, my dear player Christian Smith.

I must confess, I'm confused. On the one hand, I want to praise you for your moral qualities, willpower, and life principles, but on the other hand, I want to punch you in your fat face and throw you in prison... in the chicken coop, since you don't want to take advantage of the gifts that I generously shower upon you.

I'm not planning to put my second instinct into action just yet. I've watched you and your actions, and that's how I came up with this proposal. It's completely honest and give you my word! And I keep my word, ask anyone who knows me.

The essence of the proposal is that you go on a date with Emma Frost on her terms. After it's over, you are free to make a choice based on the results of this event. If you enjoy spending time with her, you will randomly receive a second lady in your harem. But if you don't like it, you can choose any cute individual as your partner. And this individual will love you just like Emma does. If you don't like Emma, I'll free her from this forbidden and unrequited love once and for all!

Oh, and one more thing. If you decide to ignore me, I will impose sanctions on your existence for thirty years. You'll be sent to prison for thirty years, and as you can understand, a chicken coop awaits you there, along with a shared life with twenty pumped-up sweaty rapists!

Best wishes, my dear, stubborn and persistent player!]

'Holy shit!'

"… And also…"

"I agree!" 

I shouted when I realized this was the only way to escape a difficult situation. 

"Under your terms, I agree to go on a date with you. But remember, it will only be one."

"W-what? Really?"

She was even surprised by my sudden change of heart.

"Great. I assure you, you'll enjoy it. When are you available?"

"Whenever you want."

"Right now!" 

She blurted out.

"Alright, let's go."

She immediately called her driver, and within a few minutes, a black-tinted Hummer pulled up.

After getting in, we headed straight to the pier where I saw her yacht, which was truly enormous and luxurious. 

It had a captain, his assistant, a mechanic, a couple of waiters, a chef, several maids, and a few bodyguards.

We were greeted with a nice dinner, elite rare wine, pleasant music, and rare social conversations about the weather and common topics.

It didn't stress me out, but I can't say I enjoyed it either. 

I was deliberately cheering myself up to ensure there was no chance this date would appeal to me.

Emma clearly sensed something and tried to lighten the mood and engage me in conversation. 

However, I held my ground, as my future depended on the outcome of this date. 

After about an hour, I could tell that Emma was becoming uneasy and nervous.

I decided to distract both of us with a rather neutral topic so she wouldn't think I was completely clueless. 

I started talking to her about mutants. 

In this world, mutants and Inhumans are no longer a secret, and there are even some superheroes, including Iron Man and the Hulk.

However, there are currently no discriminatory laws against them. I expressed my views on peace, love, and chewing gum.

Emma was pleased with this, and I even gained several hundred points in relationships.

One word led to another, and we started discussing science, business, and culture. I mostly spoke while she supported the conversation. 

I maintained my distance when she tried to find opportunities to hug me or sit closer.

I didn't back down.

After several more hours of conversation and another meal, I gained the following skills:

[Alcohol Resistance: A particular skill that allows you to resist the effects of alcoholic drinks on your body and be more resilient in their consumption. You will also become drunk more slowly. 

[+1 Endurance at each new level.]

[Persuasion: A particular skill that allows you to convince the other person of anything and to negotiate effectively. 

[+1 Luck or Intuition at each new level.]

[+1 Endurance.]

[+1 Luck.]

It was dawn. 

We stepped onto the shore, and Emma was fidgeting.

"Thank you for this night." 

I said somewhat ambiguously.

"Did you enjoy it?"

'Damn it! You can't ask questions like that when the "Sword of Damocles" is hanging over me.'

I can't tell her that everything was terrible, nor can I say it was good. Otherwise, my principles are in jeopardy.

"Umm..."

Instead of an answer, I kissed her and gave her a little squeeze on the butt since I had to do it anyway.

After a minute or so, I stepped away from her and said, "Sorry, but I have to go." 

I shamefully ran with all my might toward my apartment.

I walked around my apartment for about half an hour, drinking tea, and then I went for a hot shower to shake off what had happened and finally relax. 

I needed to go to bed already, and my eyes were getting heavy. 

Fortunately, it was Mrs. Donovan's turn to cook today.

"Ah! How nice. Just great," 

I said with satisfaction as I stepped out of the shower.

[The System thanks you for your response.]

'What? No, no, no! I was talking about the shower I was in, not about the date with Emma.'

[Your emotions and words regarding the date indicate the same thing. Thank you for your reply. Within forty-eight hours, you will meet the second individual who will join your harem. Considering your earlier prayers and requests, the God of Games has decided that the second "target" will be dark-haired. So don't be so harsh on my superiors with your complaints. Sweet dreams!]

"Nooooo!" 

I shouted.

'I'm in trouble!'

I didn't mean that. 

'God of Games... you sly one. You just caught me off guard...'

'What should I do now? Who will I get? And how am I supposed to handle this?!'

To be continued…