The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

“Aaah!”
“Quick, get Her Highness the Princess to safety!”
“Who is that bastard? Stop him at once!”
The midnight camp erupted into chaos. Shouts and screams mixed endlessly.
The brazier had toppled, flames soaring, while a dozen knights lay sprawled on the ground, groaning and crawling helplessly.

It was all because of a single intruder.
“Gyaaah!”
With a single slash, another knight’s arm flew off. It was hard even to realize what had just happened.

The moment the black cloak flickered before their eyes, yet another knight collapsed, retreating from the front lines.
Some were dead, others had limbs severed, and a few—luckier ones—were only unconscious.
“Do you know who stands before you? Do you know who this is? This person...!”

He lifted the jaw of a struggling, fallen man with the tip of his boot. The man’s eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness like a dead frog.
“...This is... treason...!”
It was unbelievable that these were royal knights trained to the extreme—they were utterly defenseless.
“Just as much as the royal family suffering treason, do you think the heart of some poor imperial subject forced into treason wasn’t also in pain?”
“What kind of nonsense is that...!”

The man in the black cloak.
The traitor who raided the royal family’s hidden camp.
He now walked to the very center of the camp.

“Why does this happen when the main force is absent...!”
“Ah, that’s exactly what an ambush is. You attack when the main force isn’t here. You still lack the know-how of war.”
“Ugh!”
He struck the jaw of the last remaining knight with the scabbard. The man’s knees buckled and he collapsed.
When nearly twenty knights had been wiped out, the camp suddenly fell into a silence as quiet as a mouse.

Only one large tent they had risked their lives to protect remained.
“You are skilled.”
“You flatter me, Your Highness.”

“If you don’t mind, may I ask your name?”
“...You expect a traitor who comes with a knife in the middle of the night to reveal his name?”
“I can’t resist my curiosity.”

Beyond the tent, the shadow flickering in the candlelight let out a low laugh.
“Whoever you serve, I like you. If you live under me, I will forgive all your past mistakes.”
The man in the black cloak smiled faintly, muttering to himself, ‘Still the same.’

“I am destined to rise to the most honorable position in this empire. I promise you won’t be slighted.”
“Even to someone who pointed a knife at you?”
“The sword belongs to the wielder. If you are the sword, I will take you into my hand and handle you carefully. I promise you, knight, once you come under me, you will never turn that blade against me again.”
The man knew her words were not lies.

He was not someone light enough to mouth lies for deception.
His words to cover up tonight’s incident and his promise never to slight her were sincere.
“Knight, tell me what I must do to gain you.”

There was always resonance in her words. That must be why # Nоvеlight # she had captivated him for so long.
“Violet Rune Freesia. As the rumors say, you are indeed eloquent. I almost fell for it.”
“That’s a good sign. Just a little more to go. Honestly, I wanted to return to the capital, eat another cheesecake from the palace patissier, then die.”

“...”
“I suddenly remembered I left a bite when I came here. Heh heh.”
She smiled, and he smiled along.

“May I ask some questions?”
“By all means.”
The man in the black cloak was silent for a moment, then spoke.

“Marigold, the Countess’s hidden daughter. What exactly is she to you?”
“The royal family’s sworn enemy, the emperor’s ghost, a trophy for the empire’s next ruler...”
The answers spilled out instantly, except for the last, lingering phrase.

“And to me, a danger that must be killed without fail.”
 
“What are you doing, Kyle?”
“Nothing.”

Kyle Dante had been plagued by a strange feeling watching the women sent to the capital this time.
Among dozens of women, there was one face that seemed oddly familiar.
“She looks like someone I’ve seen somewhere before...”

As he tried to sneak closer for a better look, for some reason the woman kept turning her head away to avoid his gaze.
“Hm?”
Kyle crept closer and examined her appearance again.

“This time, it’ll probably be another dead end. Anyway, this is a battlefield now. We don’t have time to chase after women. Time to finish up and leave. Kyle!”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Why are you always looking around?”

“There was a familiar face among the women...”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Kyle answered quickly and glanced back toward the women again. Had she changed position? The woman had disappeared from his sight somewhere.

“What is your brother up to these days, Kyle?”
“I heard he’s going to the capital.”
“The capital? Why?”

“There’s a royal ball soon.”
“Tsk tsk, the Birdnia Knights, all dandies. Even in the middle of this, preparing a social gathering? Your brother is quite busy.”
Laughter escaped from the knights’ mouths.

A silent war was raging on the border, yet in the capital they were preparing a feast, heated up to the brim.
Even in this absurd story, none of the knights found it strange.
Everyone knew that festivals and parties would continue in this empire until the day before its collapse. Even if the empire falls tomorrow, today would still be spent at the party.

“A ball. Sounds fun.”
“Can we go too?”
Knights, mercenaries, and soldiers were being slaughtered at the front, royal family members were fighting for power and turning the region into a wasteland, yet the nobles of the capital lived each day intoxicated with social parties and romance as always.

“Kyle.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Let’s gather some men and head to the capital.”

“Oh!”
“Can we go to play?”
“Nonsense!”

To the knights, suddenly stirred up, the captain of the Orleans Knights grinned.
“No matter how much the Birdnia scions are dandies, they didn’t come down here without purpose. Kyle, take some men and check it out.”
...

“A danger that must be killed without fail.”
The knight in the black cloak.
Ransell was momentarily speechless at the voice of the First Princess.

“I didn’t expect the empire’s highest-ranking Violet Princess to be afraid of anything.”
“You have quite the prejudice, knight. Despite appearances, I am a fearful person.”
He knew well.

She was a cowardly princess.
“My father, the late emperor who is no longer in this world, did something absurd to this empire. What do you think?”
Ransell already knew.

—The emperor told all branches of the imperial family to divide the empire fairly. I found out just one month before I ran away.
“I already know about the inheritance issue.”
“...Who’s the gossip spreading such rumors?”

The reaction was surprised.
Unlike the Third Princess, the First Princess had never revealed this secret even when a knife was at her throat.
“Since you know, there’s no need to hide it. The late emperor said he would also inherit the empire to the last child of the Marigold Count family.”

It was known information.

But he hadn’t expected it to be that much.
“Twenty-five percent of the empire’s land, huh.”
It was generous for a dying man to be so benevolent. Ransell couldn’t even grasp the scale of 25% of the empire’s land.

It was more land than any individual royal had been granted.
“It seems he wanted to wash away his guilt over the fallen old empire. Maybe he worried he wouldn’t reach heaven after death? Or maybe he just enjoyed it? Who can know a man’s sly mind?”
“So, you tried to kill her. The Marigold lady.”

“You’re a quick-witted knight.”
The First Princess answered in a low voice.
“The empire will soon fall into my hands anyway. But what if that woman ends up with another child and gets married? What if my innocent younger siblings, who never cared about greed, get foolish ideas?”

“...Marriage...”
“That’s why I told Delphy to kill her.”
Her tone was calm, but the content sent chills down Ransell’s spine.

It was the Violet Princess who had ordered the First Prince to kill Marigold.
“Unfortunately, I was born a woman, and my brother Delphy already has someone else.”
Even if a marriage with the prince were to succeed, the aftermath was predictable.

The continent would be ravaged by decades of war for the empire’s throne.
Even if Marigold became empress consort, she would never have a happy ending.
But—

‘Marigold becoming empress consort.’
Ransell felt it wasn’t impossible as he had once thought.
It was strange in retrospect. The prince who married Marigold in the game always became emperor. Yeah. Thinking it over, it was really strange. In the game it was just a game, so it didn’t matter, right? But in reality, it made no sense.

Yet everything was connected by this backstory. It was the emperor’s last will.
That was it.
Marigold could become empress consort.

If a prince who learned of her owning 25% of the empire’s land appeared, it would be more than possible. In fact, she would receive eager suitors among princes.
Ransell’s hard work trying to make Marigold empress consort had been a complete waste. She was born to be empress consort herself. She was the key to deciding the empire’s successor. Damn.
What would happen to Delphy Aron Freesia, already betrothed? He might be abandoned like trash, just as in the game, if handled well. Marigold might boldly take his place.

Empress Consort Marigold.
Yes.
That was surely what Ransell wanted.

Once, he believed that was the only way for Marigold to have a happy ending.
Even if not, he thought it would be a decent ending to see once.
There was a time he helped her solely with the conviction of making her suitable only for a prince. Ransell believed he wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw her become empress consort.

For Marigold?
No, only for himself.
Because he thought it was the way to end the cycle.

Wasn’t this game originally about making Marigold empress consort?
That was exactly how Ransell first saw her. At least, he thought she wasn’t the right woman for him. Young noble Ransell Dante couldn’t make her happy. He believed that was already proven.
But—

‘...’
If—
Really if—

‘If the regressed Marigold remembers that I once wished that... The regressed Marigold now knows that I wanted her to be empress consort?’
Time seemed to stop.
He felt the scattered pieces of the puzzle fitting together.

==========
—Do not seek.
—To my Ransell.
—“Marigold Curtain Marigold.”
Thump.
Thump.

Thump.
“Marigold. Was this your plan all along?”
Ransell felt something beating fiercely in his chest.

“Do you have no more questions, knight?”
The First Princess’s quiet voice pierced his ears.