Yeah same I really hope it doesn't turn into romance. I feel like it might be taking this path to show how Arthur still hasn't fully accepted that he's in another world/ that he has people who care about him. I think this whole romance thing will help further his character development by helping him open up but I don't think he'll ever see tess that way. I feel like he just cares about all the girls, minus the princess maybe, as like a sister or a cousin.
I really like the story and hoped it wouldn't focus on romance too. It's really great lore wise, and there's still a lot more in the story to be told. So I really hope there would be less romance in it.
it might be cringe now but the romance arc is gonna end soon(?I hope) and things will def get better from there :D
right now i dont think arthur is catching feelings or wtv for tess, he just seems like hes having a problem on how to deal with it rather, worrying for tess as a sorta big bro?
He's getting confuse because tess action, and people around him pressuring him as well (including his beast lol) and began questioning his own principles, thats why I'm afraid it will focusing on sorting this out first, its mean it will be a romance chapter.
Hoping its doesn't turn out focusing on romance yet, art is 30yo man inside, so he will never see a kid as a woman, thats why he said lets wait for a couple of years (its means when all the girls around him become an adult) and I'm not really a fan of tess change of personality, her past personality is far more interesting than now, and kinda wish we got more lore oriented story than romance, since it seems like the world building are large.