Ryouko's mind swirled with unfamiliar emotions. Jealousy? Annoyance? Whatever it was, it caught her off guard. She wasn't the type to let her feelings show easily—but seeing Haruno half-naked and standing beside an impossibly beautiful girl wrapped in nothing but a towel stirred something deep inside her. Her instincts screamed caution… but then she took a better look at the girl's face and blinked in disbelief.
No wonder she felt familiar. That vibrant pink hair, the emerald-green eyes, and the devilish tail swaying behind her—there was no mistaking it. Lala Satalin Deviluke. Princess of Deviluke. One of the most famous figures in the galaxy. But… Why was she in Haruno's apartment?
Before she could voice that thought, Lala suddenly asked, "Haruno, who is this person?" Her tone was casual, but the subtle sharpness in her eyes said otherwise. Lala wasn't sure why, but seeing another beautiful woman close to Haruno made her heart sting.
"Ah, this is Ryouko-sensei," Haruno explained quickly. "She's my teacher. She's been staying here because of some trouble."
Then turning to Ryouko, he added, "She's… an alien. Mind watching over her for a moment while I change?"
And with that, he slipped away—leaving both girls in awkward silence.
Haruno didn't take long to change—he had thrown on a clean shirt and pants in record time. Still, even that short moment away had left him a little anxious. He hurried back to the living room, half-expecting tension to fill the air. But to his surprise, he found Ryouko and Lala chatting in a surprisingly civil—if slightly awkward—manner.
"Sorry if I took a while," Haruno said as he stepped into the room and took a seat across from them.
"It's fine!" Lala chirped with her usual bright smile. "It wasn't long at all."
She was still clad in the towel he'd handed her earlier, though she didn't seem the least bit concerned about it. Haruno tried not to let his eyes wander too much as he sat down.
"So, you're Lala, right?" he began, feigning ignorance. "You're an alien… but why did you suddenly appear in my bathtub?"
Even though he already had a pretty good idea—thanks to his memories of the manga—there was no guarantee things would follow the same script in this world. He had to treat every encounter with caution, especially after what happened with Ryouko. After all, there was never a slime alien attack like that in the original manga.
"Ah, that's easy!" Lala said proudly, raising her arm to show off a strange-looking device strapped to her wrist. "I used this! It's one of my inventions—Pyon-Pyon Warp-kun! I don't fully understand how it works yet, but it lets me warp living beings a short distance!"
Her eyes sparkled with pride, completely unaware of the chaos her arrival had caused.
"Really, that's amazing..." Haruno couldn't help but be genuinely impressed. Seeing Lala's invention up close—and hearing her explain it with such cheerful pride—made it all the more surreal. Despite her youthful appearance and bubbly personality, Lala was a certified genius. Sure, many of her creations had a habit of exploding or misfiring spectacularly, but the fact that she could invent things like a working teleportation device was nothing short of incredible.
"Hehehe, it still has a few bugs, but I can fix it!" Lala beamed, clearly delighted by the praise. She proudly raised her arm to show off the device strapped to her wrist. "I used it while I was in the spaceship's bathroom, and it just happened to teleport me into your bathtub!"
Haruno raised an eyebrow. "So… that's how you got here?"
Lala's smile dimmed, her expression turning serious. "I'm being chased. I thought I'd be safe if I escaped to Earth, but the people after me followed me here. I was almost taken back onto their ship. If I hadn't used this device in time, I probably would've been captured."
The atmosphere turned heavy. Haruno could feel the weight behind her words. As a princess of Deviluke, she was constantly under pressure—especially with the royal matchmaking her father insisted on. All she really wanted was the freedom to choose her own path… and maybe, her own love.
"Is that so? Well, I wonder if there's anything I can help with?" Haruno asked, his voice soft but steady. His offer wasn't made out of obligation—it was sincere. Seeing Lala in distress stirred something protective in him, and even if things were moving faster than expected, he couldn't ignore someone who needed help.
He glanced at Ryouko for a brief moment, silently checking if she had any objections. Instead, he saw her watching him with a thoughtful look in her eyes. She didn't say a word, but her gentle expression said enough.
'He really is a kind person…' Ryouko thought, her heart warming. 'Helping a complete stranger—an alien princess no less—without hesitation. He did the same for me…'
From her perspective, there was no harm in letting Lala stay. In fact, it might be safer for all of them. Ryouko knew she was still being hunted, and if Haruno was seen with both her and Lala, it could send a message to their pursuers. It would be risky to act against someone who had the Deviluke princess by his side.
"Eh? Really!?" Lala's eyes sparkled, her voice trembling slightly as she responded to Haruno's offer. A blush bloomed on her cheeks as she smiled shyly and glanced away, trying to hide it behind her hand. This strange, fluttery warmth—she didn't quite know what it was yet, but she liked it.
"Of course. There's no way I'm going to let someone who's being chased go without help," Haruno said with a calm, unwavering voice. It was the kind of thing any good person would say—but for Haruno, it carried an extra layer. Deep down, he wasn't just acting out of kindness. He knew Lala. Maybe not in this life, but in his heart, she was one of the precious few—his Soulmates. That connection went beyond logic or circumstance.
To others, it might've seemed like a basic gesture of decency. But to both Ryouko and Lala, it meant the world. His willingness to protect them without hesitation—despite how crazy their situations were—left a deep impression.
'Ah, what a kind soul he is…' Both women thought it at the same time, though they didn't share it aloud.
Before the atmosphere could grow too heavy with emotion, a sudden thud! hit the nearby window. Everyone flinched slightly, and Lala's eyes lit up in surprise.
"Peke!" she cried out, recognizing the floating white figure outside.
The tiny android with a rounded head, spiral accents, and a formal-looking bowtie floated frantically as Lala opened the window. The moment it slipped inside, it rushed into her arms.
"Lala-sama, are you alright?" Peke's voice trembled with worry.
"Peke, you're finally here. I'm so glad you escaped too!" Lala hugged her companion tightly.
"Yes. I was lucky—the ship hadn't left Earth's atmosphere yet."
The reunion was sweet, emotional… even heartwarming. But for Haruno, this was something else entirely. He recognized the moment for what it really was—the true beginning. Peke's arrival meant that others weren't far behind. The royal guards of Deviluke were on their way.
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Author's Note:
Sorry for the delay in posting. I had to take my mom to update her phone card and visit a sick family member who was undergoing surgery.
The next chapter will be released around the same time as usual (between 5:00–6:00 AM, GMT+7).
Thank you for your patience and support!
You can read 10 chapter at patr*on.com/Iam_HaremLover123
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