The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

“Prepare all arrangements and board the train by noon tomorrow?”

Lancel received that letter on the evening of the wedding day.
If it had come from anyone else, there would have been an uproar—“Who’s going to make widows right away?”—but this was a letter sent by none other than the emperor (the fake one).
Such overwhelming power made complaining pointless. Besides, it wasn’t certain yet that he would actually die.

“War, huh? A war at this time…”
War wasn’t surprising.
The empire was a country always plagued by big and small wars.

Naturally, for any knight-class person, the chance to march out (willingly or not) happened often.
Lancel had spent most of his early rounds at the border because of this tedious war. After all, it was a vast empire that took up half the continent; their front lines were impressively wide.
He flipped to the back of the letter. The royal seal was stamped on wax mixed with gold dust.

“Reinforcements sent from the royal family, huh.”
That meant there was a high possibility that a royal family member would lead the troops directly.
“What do you plan to do?”

Hesti asked with concern.
“I’ll go.”
“Master.”
Before Lancel could finish, Merigold approached.

“Take me with you.”
Her eyes held firm determination.
“If master goes, I’ll follow. Even if I have to walk.”

She tightly gripped the necklace she had received from Lancel.
“It’s the royal reinforcements’ route, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous. But a battlefield is a battlefield. Are you really going?”
No need to ask the answer.
Merigold was determined to follow Lancel, even by force.

Bang!
“Lancel!”
“Court Count?”
Someone rushed through the rain late at night and flung the door open. He took off his drenched coat and walked toward Lancel.

“Knock…”
Hesti tried to say something but was quickly silenced.
“Did you hear that?”
“That?”

He showed the deployment order.
The court count wiped his face.
“I saw it. The emperor decided on his own, so I had no way to intervene. If I had known earlier, I would’ve tried something.”

“It’s okay. It’s not like I’m going to die.”
“There’s no guarantee you won’t.”
While saying that, the court count handed something to Lancel: the Iceford family crest.

“Wear this when boarding the train. They’ll put you in the last carriage, right next to His Highness the Prince.”
It was an order to receive protocol. It was a relatively safe position even in war.
“I wish you success. If you come back alive, I’ll treat you well.”

The court count seemed in a hurry and said no more before disappearing again.
“Knock…”
Only Hesti’s voice quietly followed behind. Did she have a ghost who died because she never knocked?

‘So finally, I’ll get to see Merigold and the prince in the same place.’
What kind of person would he be?
There were seven princes in total in the royal family. And all of them had the potential to be connected to Merigold. At least in the game, that was true.

Excluding the Fifth Prince, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ who was already on the battlefield, there were six candidates.
Lancel briefly considered who would be the ‘best’ and the ‘worst’ among them.
‘Preferably the Second Prince, or if not, the Fourth Prince is fine too.’

The Second Prince was at least sensible, and the Fourth was frail but mentally sharp. They were probably the best options.
The worst was…
‘No need to say.’

Lancel grimaced as he thought of one man.
.
.
.
“Question. Who has command of this unit?”

Lancel couldn’t stop the twitching around his eyes.
“That would be me.”
===========
—Encounter event triggered. Merigold has joined the First Royal Reinforcement Unit led by Sixth Prince Karin Craig Freesia.

“The empire’s luckiest and most handsome man, Karin Craig Freesia.”
Lancel desperately tried to keep a straight face. Merigold looked at him worriedly.
“Master, are you alright?”
“No. I think the alcohol I drank yesterday is coming back up.”
“You really did drink too much…”

Merigold patted his back as she spoke, but his feelings had nothing to do with a hangover.
Lancel swallowed bitterly while looking at the Sixth Prince.
‘Why him of all people?’

The worst.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard what kind of person I am. I hope no one makes me their enemy.”
He was literally the worst candidate.

 
“Why is this place so cramped? Change it immediately. How can you spend ten days in such a stifling place?”
The moment they boarded the train, complaints dripped from the Sixth Prince’s voice.
Thanks to the graciousness of his respected father-in-law, Lancel was seated closest to the Sixth Prince, which ironically made him suffer even more.

“The music is awful! Play something faster and livelier! The food’s cold and the wine isn’t chilled. Who made this?”
The royal reinforcement troops gathered for the war were all being treated like servants. Even the knights were sweating profusely while helping.
If Lancel and Merigold hadn’t worn the Iceford crest, they would have been part of that group.

“This is better. Hey, open a window. The dust is flying everywhere because of you guys.”
Full of complaints all along, the train car eventually transformed into a party hall.
“Master, is it okay to have so much alcohol on a battlefield?”
“Do you think so?”

With a pile of wine bottles and oak barrels on one side.
Lancel already knew their purpose, and the next day, it started to be put to use.
“You, come take some of my wine. You too, there.”
“P-Prince, this wine is…”
“Refuse the prince’s wine?”
“I’ll accept it as a blessing!”
“Of course it’s a blessing. This is wine blessed by the bloodline of the gods. That’s a true blessing.”

Though Lancel had once stabbed someone and burned at the execution ground, the Sixth Prince was not truly a villain. Compared to a real villain, that was true.
The problem was he just loved to party to a ridiculous degree, and his taste was eccentric.
“Bring the ceremonial swords.”

The drunken Sixth Prince threw two swords in front of them.
Clang!
Thin rapier-like swords vibrated metallically and rolled on the floor.

But the Sixth Prince’s words didn’t end there.
“Look at this. Gold coins. Imperial royal gold coins.”
Clatter, over ten royal gold coins were thrown on the floor again.

Mouths watered everywhere. Even for nobles, ten royal gold coins was no small sum.
For the soldiers, it was a life-changing amount.
“Let’s make a bet. The two who fight, the winner takes these. How about that?”
“P-Prince, now’s not really the time for that…”
“Why? It’s not like I’m ordering anyone to die. Surely no one will die from ceremonial swords, right?”

To prove his point, the Sixth Prince took one sword and sliced his palm without hesitation.
“Eek!”
“Y-Your Highness!”
Both Lancel and Merigold frowned deeply.

‘Sixth Prince, this crazy bastard.’
He smiled showing the blood on his palm.
“See? It’s dull.”

Lancel barely suppressed the urge to say that he died because he got stabbed with that sword.
“It’s good exercise before war and a way to make money. Aren’t you fools if you don’t join? Right, Lancel?”
The arrow turned toward Lancel, who stood beside him.

“You won the empire’s three greatest beauties with your swordsmanship, didn’t you? That woman was the one I had my eye on. I almost died because I was jealous.”
The Sixth Prince came closer and started massaging Lancel’s shoulder. He spoke as if to be heard by everyone.
“Look at this. If you’re good with a sword once, you get beauties, titles, and riches. Everyone should follow Lancel’s example. Now I’ll count to ten.”

The tension began.
“10… 9…”
Before the number eight was out, two soldiers sprang out lightning-fast. Without hesitation, they grabbed ceremonial swords simultaneously.

“Yikes…!”
“I’m first…!”
A smile spread across the Sixth Prince’s face.
“The one who bleeds first loses, begin!”

The two soldiers looked at each other carefully and then began swinging their swords. Clang! Metal clashed and heavy breathing burst out.
“Lancel, who do you think will win? Let’s bet. I’ll take the left guy. He’s quicker. Looks like he’s good.”
“Then I’ll take the left one too.”
“If you pick the same one, it’s not a bet.”
“Why should I lose the bet?”
“...Is that so?”
“Of course.”
The Sixth Prince suddenly shifted his gaze to Merigold standing next to Lancel.

“Is she your lover? How can a married man walk around with a lover? Lady Iceford will be sad.”
“Please don’t misunderstand. She’s my bodyguard and close aide.”
“That’s just another word for lover.”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Why would I lie when there’s no reason to deceive Your Highness?”
“Bodyguard, huh? Hmm, she’s tall but doesn’t look that skilled…”
“She’s stronger than any soldier here.”
“Oh?”
The Sixth Prince looked at Merigold with a strange expression.
Merigold stepped closer to Lancel, as if rejecting his gaze.

His eyes opened wide.
Because Merigold gave him a cold glare before immediately losing interest.
Since being born a prince, this was an attitude he rarely saw: a chill blowing off her.

“Hmph.”
The duel ended shortly after.
“Ugh!”

A soldier was stabbed in the shoulder blade with a rapier and collapsed in shock.
Even a dull blade cuts flesh the moment it pierces.
“I-I won. I won.”

The Sixth Prince slowly walked over and raised the winner’s hand.
“Applause for the winner!”
Ten gold coins changed hands.

“M-Money! Gold coins!”
“Yes, yes. Real royal gold coins, winner! When the war ends, you can sleep with ten women each.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! Long live the Sixth Prince! Long live!”
Seeing the real stakes, the atmosphere inside grew sultry.
The soldiers watching showed both regret and greed in their eyes. Sighs of “I should have fought first!” escaped.

“Shall we raise the stakes and play some more?”
Fighting again?
This time I’ll jump out and fight immediately.

Just as the soldiers’ eyes started to sparkle greedily—
The Sixth Prince’s pupils fixed on Lancel. More precisely, on Merigold beside him.
“Mary, huh? Lord Lancel’s aide?”
“Yes, that’s right. Why?”
“Listen! From now on, for exactly one week!”

What came from his mouth overturned everyone’s expectations.
“I’ll give three hundred gold coins to anyone who flirts with that woman before me.”
“Th-three hundred…!”
“Ha!”
Not only the soldiers but also the noble youths and knights aboard the train were dumbfounded. Three hundred gold coins was truly that valuable.

A confident smile formed on the Sixth Prince’s lips.
“Of course, I’ll win myself.”