Love Interest

The Love Interest is an important part of the Hero's journey. Can also be a Hero in their own right. Can also end up associating with the Overlord. It depends on which way the romance goes.
The Love Interest, or LI, is the person the hero falls in love with because the situation demands it, and not necessarily because the emotion is there.
For example, a hero might develop a LI because they rescued them, or because they were rescued by the LI, or because this person gave them emotional advice at a crucial juncture, or because they happened to be childhood friends who grew apart and then came together to fight the oligarchy. Sometimes it even happens because

A Few Standard Rules

The LI has their own section in the Hero's and Overlord's Code.
They are mainly rules for the Hero not going overboard when it comes to overwrought emotion.

If the Hero is irrevocably in love with someone evil, every effort will be made to rehabilitate this person.
Attractive Overlords or minions are not to be romanced casually for fear of vengeful reprisal.
If a marriage proposal is refused, slaughtering a village of minions is not an appropriate response.
If a spouse is caught associating with an Overlord, they shall be arrested but given a change to explain themselves.
No spouse shall ever be abandoned for political reasons.
If someone is known to be a conniving backstabber, they are not suitable as a consort.
No offer of an Overlord’s significant other is to be trusted without firm evidence backing them up.
If the Hero is rebuffed, assassination is not an appropriate response.
Spouses are prime targets for enemies and should only be chosen if they are strong enough to deal with this.
If the Hero’s significant other is killed, steps should be taken to ensure they do not go overboard in an attempt to bring them back from the dead.
As excerpted from the Hero's Code

Career

Qualifications

You have to be attractive to the Hero. This can include a lot of different kinds of people and they may not be what can be considered conventionally attractive. But the Hero has to be attracted to them. Love is not necessary for a LI. Lust is.

Career Progression

Being a LI usually ends up turning them into a Hero of their own. Also a fair number of Overlords come out of but those are usually the more sensible ones, or those with family connections.

Payment & Reimbursement

The LI receives a stipend from whatever government the Hero is based in because no one wants a non-romantically attached hero. Mostly because Heroes who can be easily wooed by a random pretty face tend to end up dead very quickly. Or else zombified, or turned into a minion of the Overlord because people can be really stupid when it comes to matters of the nether regions and paying someone to look pretty is overall a lot cheaper than training a whole new person as a hero.

Other Benefits

LI are not technically prostitutes. The comparisons can be made in some (most) circumstances, but they are not technically required to have sex with the Hero. Nevertheless, this is generally considered to be a perk of the position.

Type

Administration / Management