The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

“Come out, Logi Troupe leader who stole my money.”
Ransell burst into the theater preparing for the play.
The nobles who had been seated early paid him no attention, absorbed in their amorous antics.
Using the crowd’s indifference as a shield, Ransell boldly climbed onto the stage platform.
Behind the curtain, he found a familiar face.
“Logi Troupe leader.”
“...Who are you?”
“You’re the noble who got swindled out of money, who else?”
Ransell’s foot kicked the troupe leader.
“Ugh!”
“Let’s start with a beating.”
“W-why, why are you doing this! Ugh!”
“I don’t like the look of you.”
“That’s not...!”
The troupe actors screamed and scattered.
“Lord Ransell!”
The merciless violence continued until the Thieves’ Guild Master, who arrived late, stopped him.
“Lord Ransell, calm down, calm down!”
.
.
.
“Why did you do that, Lord Ransell?”
“I didn’t know he had backing.”
“You didn’t listen when I tried to stop you.”
Ransell and the Thieves’ Guild Master were heading up to the theater’s second floor.
Ahead of them was the swollen-faced Logi Troupe leader leading the way.
“Madam Ox... may we come in for a moment?”
“Logi, come in.”
The private room on the theater’s second floor where court nobles stayed.
Inside, a middle-aged woman known as Madam Ox scowled.
“What’s the matter? Why does your face look like a badly baked whole wheat bread all messed up? It ruins my appetite.”
“Madam Duchess Ox.”
Ransell pushed past Logi and strode forward.
“To think a noble lady is backing the son of a street thug who deals in human trafficking, am I understanding this correctly?”
“L-Lord Ransell.”
The Thieves’ Guild Master hurriedly tried to stop him. Ransell shook off her restraint.
“You shouldn’t be using kids who want to be actors for your business, madam. Maintain your dignity as a noble of the capital.”
“I think there’s a misunderstanding, young knight.”
Madam Ox looked at Ransell with intrigued eyes.
“Helping children who want to pursue the arts find someone good for them isn’t human trafficking? None of those kids have ever regretted it.”
“That’s exactly what human trafficking is, madam.”
“Hohoho, it’s disappointing to hear you call this desperate measure for homeless kids that. If you want, I can even take in a few of your men and raise them.”
“No, thank you.”
“Or do you want something from me?”
“...This fellow here gobbled up the sponsorship money I gave him. A large sum... about ten gold coins.”
She just stated it bluntly.
Madam Ox’s eyes narrowed.
“Is that true, Logi?”
“N-no! That’s impossible, madam! I, I would never...!”
“Madam, may I cut off this one’s head right here and now? In the name of chivalry, may I separate this body from its neck for daring to lie in front of the duchess?”
“I’d rather not dirty the floor, young knight.”
Madam Ox seemed amused.
“What is your name?”
“Ransell Dante.”
“I see. The Viscount Dante family. The viscount was also a fiery and impressive man like you. Though not the best judge of women.”
She chuckled, resting her chin on her hand.
“There are thirty troupes allowed to perform in theaters. Do you know that every year the eight troupes with the poorest performance are expelled? Ransell.”
That was common knowledge among capital nobles.
“I’m listening.”

Ransell suddenly leaned sideways, confused as to why she was telling him this.
“Our troupe is scheduled to be kicked out of the Rodnis Central Theater next year. Then all the kids here will be left wandering the streets, since I have no intention of taking them in.”
“...So you’re selling them off as concubines to nobles rather than letting them go to the streets.”
“Why? I think I’m doing a good thing.”
“That’s against imperial law, madam.”
“Save your old-fashioned words, Ransell. Those kids will need support to keep pursuing the arts anyway.”
Ransell snorted.
If the nobles who took troupe kids as concubines were all good people, that would be quite a convincing story.
If he didn’t know the average quality of nobles who bought people, he might have been tempted.
“Well, if someone appeared to take over the whole troupe, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} that would be different.”
“I see. Then I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
“Will you take them on?”
As Ransell was about to turn away, Madam Ox grabbed him immediately.
“There are many women these days raising troupes at court.”
“...”
“But those bitches have been getting on my nerves lately. Saying they expect to be kicked out, saying my family isn’t suitable for the arts.”
“Well, the Ox duchess family isn’t a traditional noble family, but from a barbarian tribe...”
“Lord Ransell.”
The Thieves’ Guild Master quickly pinched his waist.
“...Being a family of warriors, it makes sense they’d hear things like that.”
The duchess opened her fan, covering her mouth. Her exposed eyes glared fiercely at Ransell.
“I want to put those filthy women in their place somehow... but I think you’d be good for it. I’ll give you full management rights of the troupe, want to try?”
True to her title as the wife of a duke, Madam Ox’s choice of words was quite refined.
“My intuition says you’d be different from Logi. What do you say?”
Without a word, Ransell bowed and turned away.
“If you change your mind, come find me anytime, Ransell.”
Marigold was not at the theater.
The only news was that a sponsor had appeared and she had left the troupe.
‘Ah.’
As soon as Ransell heard that, he quickened his pace.
After all, when it came to Marigold’s sponsor—
There was only one person.
.
.
.
“Benefactor?”
Returning to the mansion, Marigold was waiting for him.
Wrapped in a thick cloak, carrying a large bag.
Butterfly ornaments decorated the braided hair on both sides.
“Mary.”
The anxious expression on the girl instantly brightened into a smile.
“You were my benefactor?!”
“...Let’s go inside first.”
 
Having waited in the cold until her ears were red, Marigold immediately buried her nose in the food laid out before her.
She hastily devoured hot soup and bread. Ransell asked her,
“Are you—! Haah! Mm.”
Had she gone several days without eating?
“Mary, what did you hear when you came here?”
She hurriedly swallowed the food in her mouth.
“Well, I heard there’s a noble sponsoring me as an actor. They said to go and obey them... But I never dreamed it was my benefactor...!”
“...”
So that was it.
Anyway, it was fortunate that Ransell Dante was the first sponsor to appear for Marigold.
“I worried all day if he was a scary person, but I guess I’m lucky, hehe!”
“It’s too soon to be relieved. I might be a scary person, you know?”
“No way.”
Marigold’s smile flew at him.
It was a smile without a hint of doubt.
“Lord Ransell is a good person. We’re destined.”
Yes.
If it was fate, then it was fate.
A fate terribly intertwined.
“Benefactor, we’re family now, right?”
“...Does it work like that?”
“The troupe leader said I’m going to be family... Isn’t that right?”
The troupe leader’s ‘family’ meant concubines, but
Fifteen-year-old Marigold didn’t seem to know that part.
“Let’s say we’re family.”
“Family! Family with Lord Ransell...”
Marigold’s face lit up brightly.
“I’ll stop stealing now and live honestly so I won’t embarrass you. Just watch. I’ll become the troupe’s lead actress!”
“Ah, about that.”
What should he say?
Ransell met her eyes and said,
“Your troupe’s already gone bankrupt.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re fired too.”
“...What?”
Her expression drained of all spirit.
“Bankrupt? The troupe...?”
“No success. No people. The funding dried up and they’re about to go under. Sorry, Mary.”
“So then... I... if I’m not a troupe actor anymore... what should I call myself...?”
“If I had to say, maybe just a petty thief?”
Simply petty thief Mary.
There was no other word for someone fired from an acting troupe.
Tears like chicken droppings fell from Marigold’s eyes.
“My dream...”
“...Are you crying that much?”
“My dream... my dream...”
Just as he was about to offer some mild comfort.
==============
[Game Guide]
The list of obtainable endings has been updated!
1-1. Thief Master Marigold. -A Rank-
1-2. Theater Prima Donna Marigold. -A Rank-
1-3. Young noble, Ransell Dante’s concubine Marigold.
※ There is a multi-ending bonus. Achievement bonus points apply from 2x to 3x.
Ransell’s eyes snapped open.
‘Multi-ending!’
It was the strange phenomenon where after seeing one ending card, another suddenly appeared.
At first it was a bug in the game made by his sister, but later it was shamelessly pushed as an intended system.
Thinking about it now,
Being both Thief Master and Prima Donna wasn’t impossible. Either way, you just had to work hard.
‘And the achievement bonus is doubled or tripled?’
Ransell’s heart raced in that moment.
Achievement points weren’t something you could do without to summon “Returnee Marigold.”
He still hadn’t finished the previous run. Somehow, he had to bring her back in front of him.
Multi-ending.
Should he try it?
“Mary!”
“...Yes...”
Ransell grabbed Mary’s slumped shoulders.
“Don’t cry, Mary. I’ll make your dream come true. To be the theater’s prima donna!”
.
.
.
The next day, the Logi Troupe’s lodging was empty. It was practically already disbanded.
“No people, no props, no money, no future.”
Ransell, lost in thought, looked at Mary.
“Mary.”
“Yes, Lord Ransell.”
There was only one option left.
“Let’s run away.”