The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

‘So, what exactly is a Demon Lord?’
‘Something like a being of darkness…’
‘Isn’t the Demon Lord a bad person?’
‘He’s bad, but cool.’
‘Anyway, he’s bad.’
‘Don’t speak ill of my Demon Lord.’
‘…But you said he’s bad?’
‘He is bad!’
‘…?’
The older sister’s understanding of the Demon Lord only grew more confusing the more Ransell heard it, but one thing was certain:
He was bad.
Anyway, a bad person.
‘Well, that makes sense.’
He wasn’t just any king, but a Demon Lord — if he wasn’t bad, that would be strange. Just the name alone said it all.
魔 (Ma) — Demon.
王 (Wang) — King.
King of evil.
‘So, what exactly was that Demon Lord Marigold talked about?’
Ransell didn’t think Marigold used the name Demon Lord just as an excuse to travel with him. She wouldn’t say it without any basis.
The Demon Lord definitely exists.
Ransell knew that better than anyone.
Somewhere in this world, the Demon Lord certainly exists.
‘The Demon Lord is real!’
Is that all? He could even meet Marigold and theoretically marry her. At least according to the game his sister made.
‘But I’ve never seen him.’
Demon Lord.
Demon Lord.
Demon Lord…
“Ransell, you’re quite drunk. It’s time to sleep now.”
Only then did Ransell notice the empty bottle in front of him. One by one he had downed the shots until it was all gone.
“Help me to bed, butler.”
“Of course.”
Stumbling, he threw his drunk body onto the bed.
Memories from previous cycles haunted his mind.
‘Marigold, when will you ever be happy?’
.
.
.
—Bride Mary, kiss the groom.
—Would you like to restart the game?
—Don’t cry, Mary. We will meet again.
—Penalty…
“...!”
Ransell’s eyes snapped open.
Unorganized memories swirled then vanished suddenly from his mind.
“Ugh.”
He lifted his heavy upper body.
The time was still the dark hours of the night.
“...”
Suddenly, a sense of déjà vu washed over him.
A familiar space, a familiar ceiling, a familiar scent. A scene he had seen many times before.
Instinctively, he looked at the window — and as expected, a familiar presence was watching him.
“Mary.”
Unicorn Marygolde.
“Again.”
Still no answer.
She climbed down from the windowsill and was slowly approaching him.
Knowing what was about to happen, he was almost resigned.
Yeah.
Do it.
Do as you please.
“Ugh!”
His soul was sucked out.
Now that he thought about it, wasn’t this forced molestation?
‘Let me breathe!’
Ransell only patted Unicorn Marygolde’s shoulder, sending out a distress signal.
 
===============
※ Karma 15 points: Initial travel funds stolen.
If the penalty karma was like a light flick on the head, this was the weakest stage — no bumps yet.
But Ransell had long suspected it wouldn’t be so easy.
Think about it.
A ten-year-old body.

No strength, no skills, and only cleaning inns, laundry, or serving as a maid as means of making a living.
And if even the initial travel funds of 15 silver coins disappeared?
What would happen then?
Just imagining it was terrifying. Wandering empty-handed on the streets, unable to survive the winter, starving to death — nothing strange about that.
‘That can’t happen.’
So from early in the cycle, Ransell was already under fire.
Anxiety that he might already be dead pressed on him. He didn’t want to waste another ten years idly.
“Spread out and search.”
“Yes, young master.”
He deployed every thief guild he could command to inquire about Marigold.
The results came faster than expected.
“Found her!”
“Really?”
“Yes, young master.”
Exactly one week later, the thief guild master came to him.
“But I’m worried if it’s really that girl. Everything matches what you said, but…”
“What is it? Why?”
“Please come with me first.”
“Why so suspicious?”
“You need to see for yourself.”
The thief guild that searched the Capital and its surroundings thoroughly found Marigold in just one week.
“It’s a theater.”
“We’ve reserved seats. Let’s go in.”
It was a theater right in the middle of the Capital’s streets.
Inside, many nobles had already taken their seats.
“This is your seat.”
“I don’t like theaters much.”
“Surprising, for a noble. I thought everyone loved them.”
“Look at that.”
Ransell nodded toward the side.
“Sir, you shouldn’t behave like that here, Baron.”
“Hohoho, why not? Isn’t that why I came?”
“Ahem...”
The smell of alcohol and perfume stung their noses.
The Capital’s theater was essentially a place for nobles to hang out.
A dim, music-filled space where the upper class who sponsored the theater came to play.
Nobles and tycoons regarded enjoying romance with women of equal status here as much more refined than frequenting red-light districts. And this was the result.
“Kiss me, Baron.”
“As much as you want, my Rosario.”
“Ahh...!”
“Hrmph...!”
Damn.
‘...Please don’t start going at it right next to me.’
The situation on the theater’s second floor, used by court nobles, was a bit different, but this first floor seat where he was was like this.
Frowning at the raucous voices from all around, the stage lights brightened soon.
Bang!
“Lisenn! I condemn your crimes! Lisenn!”
The play began.
Ransell glanced sideways.
The thief guild master smiled at the corner of her mouth.
“So why did you bring me here?”
“Thought we might go on a date… just kidding, just kidding.”
When he tried to leave immediately, the thief guild master stopped him.
“Look over there.”
She pointed her finger toward the start of the opera.
“...Mary...”
Ransell saw Marigold.
“Lisenn! For betraying the love of His Royal Highness the Prince and giving your heart to the villain! For being deceived by a rebel’s sweet words and throwing this great empire into chaos!”
“Ah, love forbidden by the gods! Then this love must be a demon’s curse!”
A third-rate romance drama.
Marigold was among the actors, though only an extra.
She barely spoke any lines, mostly singing chorus from behind.
Her few lines were just being slapped by the cruel countess and falling down.
“P-please calm down, Countess!”
“Shut up, you lowly creature!”
“Waaah!”
Anyway, that was Marigold.
It was Marigold.
“Is this the woman you were looking for?”
“...Take this.”
Ransell placed three gold coins into the thief guild master’s hand.
“Hoho, you’re quick to settle, young master.”
“I have to go now.”
“Shouldn’t you watch the play?”
“Well... maybe.”
The thief guild master was whispering something slyly beside him, but Ransell didn’t even glance at her.
He fixed his gaze on Marigold running all over the stage, passionately performing.
“Cleaning is done!”
“Cleaning! Cleaning!”
“The night the trees mourn!”
Sometimes in noble clothes, sometimes as a maid, as a chambermaid, or even as a tree or a signboard, Marigold kept appearing.
Ransell saw her eyes shining.
‘She means it.’
This cycle’s Marigold wanted to act. Ransell noticed it even from afar.
“Lisenn... Even if death separates us...”
The curtain fell after the climax.
“Thank you! Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of the Capital, thank you for coming today!”
 
Ransell was left alone on the first floor after the curtain fell.
“Ensemble! Stay behind and clean everything thoroughly! Don’t fool around as soon as you get to your rooms, go straight to bed! Got it?”
“Yes!”
“When I inspect tomorrow, if there’s even a speck of dust, you’ll be beaten again! Especially you, Mary!”
“Yes, yes!”
“If you break the props one more time because you’re clumsy... you know? Your debt is already fifty silver coins!”
“I-I will remember! I will remember!”
“Don’t just remember, work it off! Dismissed!”
Among the ensemble was, of course, 15-year-old Marigold.
“Heard that? Let’s finish quickly before you get beaten again.”
As they started cleaning busily, a middle-aged man who had been warning them strode out.
Ransell grabbed his passing arm.
“Ah! Wh-who...?”
“Are you the troupe leader?”
“Yes?”
He blinked his eyes.
Ransell felt him quickly scan him from head to toe.
The troupe leader immediately caught sight of Ransell’s shoes, bracelet, and jewelry at once.
“Oh, young master, I didn’t recognize you.”
Wearing expensive clothes ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) after a long time seemed to have worked.
Ransell saw the greed fill the man’s eyes.
“What brings you here so late... Perhaps to deliver sponsorship funds?”
“That girl.”
“Yes?”
Ransell pointed to Marigold, who was busy cleaning the theater floor with a wet towel.
“I want to sponsor her from now on.”
“...Ah...”
“Please deliver this.”
“I see.”
The man, hesitating, spoke again.
“If you don’t mind, how much do you plan to give?”
“This.”
Ransell took all the money from his pouch and placed it in the man’s palm.
It was a heavy sack filled with mixed gold and silver coins. The man’s nose twitched at the weight.
“Don’t skim too much. Send at least half to her. I’ll be checking in from time to time.”
“...Such a large amount... understood. May I ask your name?”
“Ransell Dante.”
Ransell stopped there and stood up.
For some reason, he didn’t want to show himself in front of Marigold today.
He could see clearly that she had sincerely entered the “Primadonna Marygolde of the theater” route.
For whatever reason, the place where Marigold had settled after wandering the streets penniless was a theater.
For now, he just wanted to watch from afar and see how she followed this route.
“When’s the next performance?”
“Our turn will probably be in ten days.”
“Good.”
There were many theater troupes, so it was natural the intervals were long.
“I’ll come then.”
“Please take care, young master!”
.
.
.
One week later.
“Gotcha, you little thief! Come with me right now! You’re to be hanged without trial!”
“No, it’s unfair! I didn’t steal anything! I just relocated silver coins scattered across this continent into my own pocket!”
“Nonsense! That’s stealing, you dumb kid!”
“Ouch! Don’t do that!”
There was Marigold, bound by guards.
‘...?’
Ransell was overwhelmed with disbelief.
How was Marigold, who had been an ensemble member in the troupe not long ago, now being dragged away as a thief?
“Waaah! Let me go! I still have a bright future ahead!”
“Be quiet!”
“Ugh!”
Only after a fist hit her head did Ransell snap out of his shock.
If he had been a moment later, he would have witnessed Marigold’s ending dangling from the gallows again.
“Wait!”