Haruto vs. The Goddess of Surveillance (Maximum Suffering Edition)

Haruto refused to accept this.

There had to be some way to escape. Some method, some loophole, some divine technicality that would let him slip out of this absurd nightmare.

Vellaria was still watching. She never blinked. Never looked away. Never gave him so much as a moment to breathe without the weight of divine surveillance pressing down on him.

Haruto sat up, rubbing his temples. "Alright. Fine. You win. I accept that I'm under surveillance."

Vellaria tilted her head slightly, suspicious. "You are conceding rather quickly."

"Yeah, yeah," Haruto waved a hand dismissively. "I get it. I'm an anomaly. You need to monitor me. That's fair."

Her glowing eyes narrowed. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing," Haruto said, standing up and dusting himself off. "I'm just saying—if you're going to watch my every move, you might as well do something useful."

Vellaria raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

Haruto cracked his knuckles. "Laundry. Cooking. Carrying my stuff. I mean, if you're going to be here anyway, you might as well help out."

The Goddess of Order stared at him.

Then, in a perfectly neutral voice, she spoke:

"No."

Haruto flinched. "Okay, didn't expect that level of instant rejection."

"You are the subject of my observation," she continued. "I do not assist anomalies. I observe."

"That's just fancy talk for being useless," Haruto grumbled.

Vellaria glared. The sky rumbled. The air grew heavy.

Haruto took a step back. "Okay, okay, I take it back! Don't smite me, sheesh!"

A long silence.

Vellaria sighed, rubbing her temple. "Your behavior is illogical. The probability of you escaping my watchful gaze is precisely 0%. Any attempt is a waste of time."

"Maybe," Haruto muttered, "but a man can dream."

---

Haruto returned to the capital in complete and total defeat.

The moment he stepped back inside, Lilia appeared.

"Oh my~! Back so soon? I was preparing a dramatic rescue~!"

"There was nothing to rescue me from!" Haruto snapped.

Lilia giggled knowingly.

Emilia, standing nearby, simply sighed. "This is truly pathetic."

"I know!" Haruto threw his arms up. "Thank you for finally agreeing with me!"

"I was talking about you," Emilia said dryly.

Haruto died internally.

Vellaria stood beside him, completely unbothered. "The anomaly has been returned to a controlled environment."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"Designation is accurate."

"I HAVE A NAME!"

"Irrelevant."

Haruto groaned.

---

Night fell, and once again, Haruto tried to claim his bed.

It was occupied.

Again.

Vellaria was already lying there.

Her arms were crossed. Her eyes were closed, but Haruto knew she wasn't sleeping.

"You don't even sleep." Haruto's voice was already half-broken.

"This remains the most efficient surveillance position."

"IT'S MY BED!"

"Incorrect."

"THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

Vellaria opened one eye. "Adapt."

Haruto had never wanted to dropkick a deity more than he did in this moment.

He turned to leave—but the door swung open.

Lilia stood there.

And she was smirking.

"My, my~! Another night together already? How scandalous!"

"SHE STOLE MY BED, LILIA!"

"Oh, how bold~! Does that mean I should join as well?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Vellaria let out a long, slow sigh. "I will smite you both."

Haruto collapsed onto the floor. He had given up.

His life was no longer his own.

Vellaria watched over him.

Lilia made things worse.

And Haruto screamed into his pillow.

Somewhere far away, the gods were probably laughing at him.