I have stumbled upon a story the description of which made me quite excited. It went something something young aristocrat something single something. I loved the premise of the story that the mc wants to be single... and actually fucking does STAY SINGLE. God knows, I'm so annoyed with romance being a basically necessary attribute for a story where it really isn't necessary to the point that I am starting to fetishize the idea of lack of thereof. Blame the media for my aversion to amatonormativity (new term I learned in the review section) However, that novel had a fatal flaw and that was... MUAH FRIDGGEEE!!! MUAH MODARRRN TECHNALAJEEE! Have I mentioned that I hate the modern technology? Or, at least the unhealthy belief that "progress" is a good thing in the midst of our entire ecosystem slowly shutting down and our rights getting weaker by the day? I certainly am hardly able to enjoy a novel where the usual Japanese resident doormat licks the boots of the modern society like the good slave he/she/it - mostly it, is. So, if you can recomend a novel where MC EXPLICITELY AVOIDS ROMANCE AND NEVER EVER EVER ENDS UP WITH IT, that'd be great. Not the usual - yeah, I don't want to do romance but some bunch of cringy hot ikemen keep pursuing me in borderline illegal ways And without the usual worship of the modern society. It is going to hell, and truly truly belongs there. Best if there is nothing mentioning the modern world at all.
My House of Horrors(the yandere ghosts obsession with MC is played for jokes and there's no genuine romance). Discusses the depravity of human beings and is in modern setting, so no boasting about modern life. Chinese Novel. The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind no interest in anyone but himself. Kusuriya no Hitorigoto Girl has no interest in romance and finds it a hinderance. Romance eventually happens. but it hardly counts. I know a ton of no-romance stories. But an MC who states they're against romance is always a romance, or else why bring it up? Some No romance(I'm lazy): - Trash of the Count's Family - Omniscient - Founder of the great Financial Family - Running Away From The Hero - Praise the Orc - Thriller Paradise
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47030/tori-transmigrated - note: While it may feel like there is a romantic subplot developing with a possible counter harem to the protagonist's harem, the author sinks all of the ships at: Spoiler: chapter ch-57 where the MC states that she is Aromantic. She also reemphasizes it at later parts of the story to her parents and siblings, and to the parents of the ML. The ML and her other friends are cool with it. - note: The story world is from a mobile game, so the fantasy world already has some modern-ish fantasy tech. Of course, the MC does invent a few things using the game world's limited magic system, but it's not overly significant to the MC personally. - note: In regards to food, the MC does "invent" some modern food, but it's Americanized casual foods, like the breakfast burrito. She also introduces the fast casual dining concept.
I second Tori Transmigrated. A slightly similar story is Memoirs of Your Local Small-time Villainess. The MC explicitly states she has no interest in romance, and it shows. The story is mostly about adventure/action, along with some politics the transmigrated MC has to deal with as a baroness. Demesne the MC shows absolutely zero interest in romance (or friendship/relationships of any kind). I don't recall if she explicitly states she's uninterested in romance, but it's pretty clear. Salvos - the MC is a demon and seems to be aromantic/asexual. Owlnother World - the MC is an owl, and thus not interested in humanoid romantic partners. And since she hasn't found any other sapient owls, romance is off the table. The Reincarnation of Alysara - at some point once the MC comes of age, she starts getting inundated with courtship offers; she explicitly says she's not interested in any romance (though mostly because she's too busy, and that probably won't change soon) Millennial Mage - the MC is uninterested in romance so far
Maiden of the Splitting Moon If this one has romance, it would be at the very very end where they just decide she should get married to someone just because. But she states very specifically that she just wants to focus on cultivation. And it isn't the fake kind either, she actually means it and won't just suddenly change her mind once she meets a dude with mysterious eyes.