The moment the kingdom became rich again, the women came back.
They did not knock.
They did not queue.
They arrived like a natural disaster.
Aerin stood at his bedroom window watching it unfold in horror.
Down below, the palace gates were under siege—not by enemies, but by people holding flowers, letters, pastries, and in one alarming case, a full-sized painting of Aerin looking dramatically into the distance.
"…Is that me with sparkles?" he whispered.
"Yes," Lina said, standing beside him. "Very flattering."
"Why is this happening?"
"Because you're rich again," she replied. "And famous. And accidentally mythic."
The Harem Alarm was ringing in the distance like it was losing its mind.
WEEEOOOO WEEEOOOO
Aerin grabbed the curtain. "Make it stop."
"Can't," Lina said. "You fell into destiny."
"I slipped!"
Elira suddenly appeared at the window, glaring at the crowd.
"They are dangerous," she said. "They bring intentions."
"They bring pastries," Aerin whispered. "That one has cinnamon rolls."
"I will eliminate the cinnamon woman."
"No!"
The council chamber was worse.
Every noblewoman with a title, every foreign princess with a ship, and every mysteriously beautiful traveler within three kingdoms had suddenly remembered they were "free this season."
Lord Halbrecht stared at the pile of proposals.
"I hate oil," he muttered.
Lady Merrowin smiled thinly. "Oil brings opportunity."
"It also brings idiots," Halbrecht snapped.
Aerin sat in his chair, pale.
"They're all staring at me," he whispered.
"Because you're the Oil King," Cassian said smugly. "People love a king who falls into fortune."
"I fell into a puddle!"
"Legends start small."
The Harem Alarm flashed:
⚠ CANDIDATE OVERFLOW ⚠
Mira slipped quietly into the room.
Aerin noticed immediately.
His heart did something inconvenient.
"Mira!" he said.
She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Busy day," she said.
"Yes," he replied. "Very… flung at."
Elira stepped between them.
"She cannot stand this close," Elira said. "It suggests intent."
Mira raised an eyebrow. "I have intent."
Elira hissed.
Aerin made a strangled noise.
The palace hosted an Emergency Royal Gala that night.
Because nothing says "we're stable" like expensive lights and chaos.
Aerin stood at the top of the stairs, dressed in formal attire, while Lina adjusted his collar and Cassian looked like he was enjoying this far too much.
"You look like a disaster waiting to happen," Cassian said cheerfully.
"Thank you."
Below them, the ballroom glittered.
Women laughed. Dresses shimmered. Everyone looked up at him like he was a winning lottery ticket.
"I want to go back to being broke," Aerin whispered.
Mira stood near the edge of the crowd, quiet, composed, watching him.
Elira stood beside her, glaring at anyone who looked at Aerin longer than three seconds.
"This is unacceptable," Elira muttered. "They are hunting him."
"That's not how people date," Mira replied.
"That is how assassins choose targets."
Aerin descended the stairs.
The crowd parted.
Someone tripped trying to reach him.
Another woman fainted.
The Harem Alarm rang so hard it almost cracked.
"Please," Aerin begged quietly, "no more."
A woman grabbed his hand.
Another grabbed his sleeve.
Someone tried to give him a ring.
He panicked.
Mira saw it.
She stepped forward.
"Enough," she said calmly.
The room quieted.
"He's not an object," she said. "He's a person."
Several women looked offended.
Elira nodded approvingly.
Mira turned to Aerin.
"Can we talk?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Aerin said immediately.
They escaped onto the balcony.
The noise faded behind them.
Mira leaned against the railing, hands trembling slightly.
"I almost told you before," she said.
"I know."
"I didn't want to complicate things."
"You are my complication," Aerin said shyly.
She laughed softly.
"Mira," he said, heart pounding, "I—"
Elira burst through the doors.
"There you are," she said. "Someone attempted to flirt with you."
Aerin closed his eyes.
Mira stared.
"Elira," she said, "please."
Elira crossed her arms. "I am protecting."
"From what?"
"From heartbreak," Elira replied seriously.
Mira blinked.
Aerin took a breath.
"Elira," he said gently, "I need to talk to Mira alone."
Elira hesitated.
The Harem Alarm chimed.
Slow.
Encouraging.
Elira stepped back.
"…I will wait by the door," she said.
Mira smiled gratefully.
Aerin turned to her.
"Mira," he said, "you were going to say something."
She took a deep breath.
"I care about you," she said. "Not because you're king. Not because of oil. Not because of any of this."
She gestured vaguely to the glowing palace.
"I like the way you listen. The way you're kind to everyone. The way you're terrified but still try."
Aerin's heart melted.
"I think," she continued softly, "I'm in love with you."
The Harem Alarm rang once.
Clear.
True.
Aerin stared.
"I—really?" he whispered.
She nodded.
He smiled so hard it hurt.
"I think," he said shyly, "I might be in love with you too."
She laughed, eyes shining.
They leaned closer.
Almost kissed.
The doors burst open.
Cassian appeared.
"THE OIL DELEGATION FROM DRAVAKAR JUST ARRIVED," he shouted.
Aerin screamed.
Mira laughed.
Elira re-drew her knives.
The Harem Alarm screamed in joy.
Somewhere in the palace, chaos resumed.
But for the first time, Aerin didn't feel lost.
He felt chosen.