I was still trapped in the warm embrace of the three princesses, their tiny arms wrapped around me like I was some sort of cuddly pillow. Their small, soft breaths tickled my skin as they nuzzled closer, their sleepy smiles still present.
Just as I was enjoying the moment, the System's voice rang in my head again.
[ Ding! Hidden Quests Completed! ]
'…What?' My eyes twitched slightly.
[ Congratulations, Host! Both Hidden Quests have been completed immediately. ]
'...What the hell?!'
[ I mean… are you really surprised? ] The System's voice held a teasing edge. [ Liliana Noctis and Celeste Aurelius already had 80 Affection for you. That's way beyond a simple liking. They already crushed on you before you even knew it. ]
'…You're telling me they fell for me before they could even properly talk?'
[ Host, have you seen yourself? ]
'…Fair enough.'
[ Not to mention, you're literally the first friend they've ever had. You are hugging them, playing with them, and letting them stick to you like glue. Of course they were going to get attached Genius. ]
I mentally sighed. This was too fast, even for my overpowered cuteness.
'...Alright, whatever. Just store the quest rewards for now.'
[ Understood. Rewards will be stored in the Inventory for later use. ]
I took a deep breath, deciding to check something else.
'System, show me the Favorability Screen.'
[ Displaying Favorability Screen… ]
A transparent blue panel appeared before me.
---
Favorability Status
Liliana Noctis (Princess of the Demon Empire)
Affection: 80/100
Status: Minor Crush
Celeste Solis (Princess of the Human Empire)
Affection: 80/100
Status: Minor Crush
Evelyn Moonshade(Princess of Elven Empire)
Affection:85/100
Status: Crush
---
I stared at the screen for a moment.
'…80?85?They're literally babies!'
[ Host, did you forget? First of all this is not your world , children are naturally more intelligent and stronger due to the presence of energies like mana and ather Secondly they are royalty. Due to the effect of their parent's high strength, powerful ancestral bloodlines , they are naturally born with higher intelligence, better instincts and also a bit territorial The moment you entered their lives ,became their friend and they started liking you , you became one of their their precious person—and now, they don't want to let go, this is because they feel attached to you and this is good for the future. ]
I sighed again. ' I know and it feels good as well but still this is ridiculous…'
[ *Oh, you still think this is ridiculous? Just wait until they grow up. * ]
…For some reason, I had a bad feeling about that.
Soon, my mother, Seraphina Noctis, walked into the room with a gentle smile on her face.
At first, I thought, Oh, finally! Mom's here to save me!
I was so wrong.
The moment she reached out to pick me up, the princesses tightened their hold on me, their tiny hands gripping onto my clothes as if their lives depended on it. Their small faces puffed up in defiance, and they looked up at my mother with what could only be described as a possessive glare.
…Seriously? Even babies could be this territorial?!, I guess this annoying system was not wrong
My mother's smile twitched ever so slightly.
She was still smiling—but I could tell she was not happy.
I mean, which mother would be happy if her precious son was already being stolen away by other girls before he could even walk?!
For a moment, I thought my mother would declare war on her own best friend's daughter and her two nieces.
[ Pfft—HAHAHA! ]
The System was dying of laughter in my head.
[ Host, I swear, I've seen some crazy stuff in those soap operas and k dramas I watch , but watching a mother get jealous of baby girls stealing her son is next level. This is GOLD! ]
'Shut up, you damn AI!'
Before things could escalate, the other mothers finally entered the room.
"Alright, alright," Lilith, Sylvia, and Elaris sighed as they picked up their daughters, seeing their behaviour but not before fussing a little over me . "Time for a bath and breakfast."they said as they left.
The princesses whined and pouted, reluctant to let me go.
I could already hear their unspoken thoughts:
"We'll be back for you!"
To ease their tantrums, I smiled and gave a small, adorable wave at them. Their eyes sparkled, and they finally let go—albeit very reluctantly.
---
Now that I was finally free, my mother held me in her arms, and it was time for my morning feeding.
As she gently cradled me and I began to drink, I could hear her muttering under her breath.
"Trying to steal my baby…? Hmph! He's not even one year old, and they're already clinging to him like that."
I could feel her grip tightening slightly.
"I should keep him away from girls in the future…"
She sighed and stroked my hair, her crimson eyes softening as she kissed my forehead.
"Don't worry, my baby. Mama will protect you."
[ PFFFT—HAHAHA! HOST, YOU'RE SCREWED! ]
The System was absolutely losing it.
[ With how your mother is behaving, just forget about getting in a relationship before 30. You might not even be allowed to talk to girls without supervision. ]
'…You shut up before I find a way to mute you.'
At that moment, I realized—forget my future relationships.
Surviving my mother's protectiveness was going to be a bigger challenge than the protagonist.