The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

“What is this?”

Ransell stared blankly at the scene unfolding before his eyes.
“It’s not too late yet, phew.”
“Look! Is the food not ready yet? I skipped a meal rushing here, so I’m a bit hungry.”

“Oh my, what are you touching, you pervert?”
“I didn’t touch you! You’re accusing the wrong person!”
“Um, there’s nowhere to park the carriage, so could you tell me where I should go...?”

Before him was the mansion of Baron Evil Shen, filled with masked nobles and wealthy merchants.
Even at that moment, lavish carriages came and went at the mansion’s gate non-stop, filling both the interior and the garden to bursting.
Roughly several hundred people at least, and counting their entourages and servants, it easily surpassed a thousand.

‘...Is this some secret organization?’
Ransell snorted.
It wasn’t a secret organization.

This was...
“Wow, I don’t know what kind of social club this is, but so many people are coming. This is the first time my mansion has hosted this many guests.”
Baron Evil Shen’s grin stretched ear to ear. Having hosted a grand social party at his mansion, his pride as a nouveau riche was soaring.

In truth, even now Ransell had no idea what Darkhood really was, but one thing was clear.
This was no secret organization. By appearances and as Baron Evil Shen said, it was just a ‘social club’. A faction, a gathering, like the ones the royal family and court each had.
“Where’s Mary running off to again with all this going on?”

“If caught, she’ll have to do cleaning duty for another month, can’t have that.”
Amid the busy maids, they looked for Marigold.
Ransell had already caught sight of her nearby.
“Hello, sir.”

Golden hair neatly braided, a red party dress, a white mask covering eyes and nose.
It was Marigold.
“You look like it’s your first time at the assembly. If you want, shall I escort you?”

Before Ransell could answer, Marigold linked arms and clung tightly, as if to not miss him.
She seemed to already know who he was.
No matter how much she wore a mask, the silhouette was too familiar to be missed.

She probably hadn’t realized he knew her true identity.
“Heh heh heh.”
Marigold, putting on a mask, was shamelessly clingy.

“It’s nearby.”
“So what? This is normal. Everyone else is doing the same.”
It was obvious to anyone that it wasn’t.

“Would you like one? Here, say ah. I’ll feed you specially. Come on, say ah. Ah ah ah uwup!”
As Marigold tried to feed him a canapé, Ransell pushed a cookie into her mouth instead. She choked with a harsh cough.
“Ugh.”

Mumbling, Marigold swallowed quickly and spoke again.
“I was going to feed you…”
“This party is really grand.”

“Right?!”
Marigold’s expression brightened rapidly, a somewhat smug look on her face.
“How’s this? Our Darkhood assembly. Amazing, isn’t it? Truly grand. I don’t know who made it, but it’s incredible, right?”

“...Honestly, I didn’t expect so many people.”
“Hehe, right? I was surprised too! I think there are ten times more people than last time.”
“Ten times?”

“Yes!”
“Ten times... and you hadn’t noticed until now?”
“Eh?”

Ransell’s question implied, ‘Isn’t this your world you made?’
“The last time I saw, I think there were about thirty people. But today, it’s grown tremendously?”
“...?”

He glanced casually toward the party hall. It was packed with people.
“There must be at least several hundred. Are you sure there were really only thirty?”
“Yes. Thirty? Thirty-one? I’m pretty sure that was the number. After all, it’s a secret organization.”

“...So you’ve been around from the early days?”
“Ye-eah?”
Marigold let out a loud sound, then quickly covered her mouth.

“Ah! No! That’s not it, just rumors! Yes! I heard it from rumors!”
“A secret organization with rumors...”
“Ah, ah! Not rumors but, well, that, that... uh...”

She was wracking her brain.
Apparently no good excuse came to mind.
Eventually, Ransell spoke first.

“If the size suddenly grew tenfold, there must be a reason. Any idea what it is?”
“Um... If you bring a noble as a recommender, they give a little share of the trading company. Oh, not me! The head of this organization! Lemon Verbena! The wizard who always appears as a crow, you know? Yes!”
“A pyramid scheme?”

“Eh?”
Marigold’s vacant expression.
Honestly, it wasn’t very surprising.

‘Right. She couldn’t have built this huge social club on her own ability.’
Just making some money, handling black magic — that alone wouldn’t build an organization this size.
She probably didn’t realize how big the automated hunting she left running at home had become.

‘But Lemon Verbena is definitely the leader, right?’
Ransell shivered slightly.
Whatever the reason, the important thing was that the owner of this huge social club was now Marigold. This party was held by her will.

Among the attendees...
=============
—Encounter event triggered! Met ‘Third Prince Yuri Langris Freesia’.
—Encounter event triggered! Met ‘Second Prince Arwen Rui Freesia’.
‘Two princes.’

Ransell spotted them easily.
Nobles clustered tightly around both, clearly making no effort to hide.
“What to do. Looks like Darkhood’s charm has run dry. The riffraff have come into the party hall. It always happens when you want some fun.”

Second Prince Arwen cleaned his nails and glanced sideways.
Third Prince’s lips twisted into a sneer.
“I came to see the face of the one who was so obsessed with coral she wandered day and night. No surprise at all. If my sister finds out, she won’t let it go.”

Second and Third Princes. Two royal siblings notorious for their bad relationship.
Tension spread around them like thin ice constantly cracking.
“Who are those people and why are they always fighting? They’re ruining the atmosphere we worked hard to create.”

Marigold whispered into Ransell’s ear.
He was momentarily lost for words.
‘You don’t even know who they are?’

Marigold.
No, Lemon Verbena.
How on earth did you make this social club?

“Brothers usually don’t get along well.”
Ransell answered calmly.
“R-Ransell, you also have brothers.”

Marigold had no intention to hide her identity. Information beyond what a regresser would know spilled out.
“...I do. Three in the Imperial Knights. It’s been a while since I saw them because we’re apart.”
“So you’re the youngest?”

“Technically, yes.”
Thinking of his three brothers, Ransell shook his head briefly.
“I think I matured earlier.”

“Is that so?”
Marigold showed no interest in Ransell’s answer. Clinging closely under the pretext of anonymity seemed her only purpose.
“Heh heh, hehe.”

“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Just because.”
“...”

Sweat was building on Ransell’s arm.
‘You didn’t call me here for this, did you?’
While Ransell chuckled, the argument between the two princes continued.

“What a lame excuse. Just admit it. I’m a younger brother full of inferiority complex, always trailing behind my older brother.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about. Inferiority complex? Is there a younger brother who feels inferior to a worse older brother?”
“How else should I put it? A younger brother who’s never beaten his brother harbors these feelings.”

Third Prince’s gaze sharpened dangerously.
“Don’t fabricate, brother. Who said I’ve never won once?”
“It’s true.”

“...If you insist, shall we settle it here? I’ll show you that I can win.”
“Trying to ruin the party mood?”
“Who ruined the mood first?”

Second Prince Arwen chuckled and stood up.
“Interesting.”
His lips curved in a smile, but his eyes were cold and sharp.

“Alright then. If I lose, I’ll kneel before you and apologize as the useless older brother. Conversely, if you lose...”
“Fine. What do you want to do?”
Third Prince Yuri stood up as well.

“Anything is fine by me.”
“Anything... then.”
The pondering Second Prince looked around and spoke.

“Lemon Verbena!”
“Eek!”
Marigold’s shoulders twitched.

“To Lemon Verbena hiding somewhere in this mansion, I give you the choice. How about it? No complaints, right?”
“Fine. As the host of the gathering, I suppose I deserve that much.”
“Did you hear that? Lemon Verbena.”

Marigold’s gaze trembled wildly. When the ball was thrown her way, her expression stiffened briefly.
“Hurry up and appear and decide!”
At that moment, everyone’s attention turned to the place where Lemon Verbena was supposedly hiding.

 
“Eek...”
Ransell looked at Marigold clinging to him. Her forehead was drenched with cold sweat, trembling.
Knew this would happen after messing around.

“You know we’re here. Decide something. Come on, don’t run away.”
What will you do, Marigold?
“Not yet? Come out already.”

Thump.
Thump.
He could hear Marigold’s pounding heartbeat beside him.

‘I think just throwing her a trivial task would ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ be enough.’
While thinking that, Ransell suddenly remembered something. Speaking so only Marigold could hear, he continued.
“If I were Lemon Verbena, I’d do something like this. For example...”

At that moment, the spirit of the runaway Marigold snapped to attention.
“Why are you hesitating so much?”
Just then, the voice of Second Prince drifted in again.

—Swaaak!
A murmur spread.
From the center of the party hall, a large crow appeared with wings fully spread.

‘Caw!’
“Ah, it’s here.”
“Lemon Verbena’s crow!”

The crow’s beak slowly opened.
From inside came a distorted, booming voice.
‘If you want, I will decide for you!’

Marigold closed her eyes quietly, summoning her familiar and connecting all her senses to it.
‘At the upcoming imperial ball, the man who accepts my proposal will win.’
“...”

“...”
A shocking statement.
‘Of course, whether to accept or not is your choice.’

“...Do you know who we are to...”
‘I will reveal a hint about who I am once a month. Please find me and make yourself want to do so. That’s all.’
The two princes’ faces went blank simultaneously.

The crow’s shape slowly dissolved into shadows and disappeared.
No one moved. Not even a breath.
“Phew.”

Marigold, now wide awake, let out a relieved sigh, her face flushed red.
‘You really went for it, Marigold...’
Jealousy. The ball. Romance. The princes’ competition to win a woman.

All these were elements the nobles of this romance fantasy capital cherished.
The atmosphere of the party hall subtly stirred and rippled.
‘So the princes... are going to have an open jealousy fight...?’

‘Whoever finds Lemon Verbena and accepts her proposal wins? Did I understand correctly?’
‘Who exactly is this wizard Lemon Verbena? Is she even a woman? Not a man, right?’
The princes did not back down.

They disliked being considered the losers for refusing to join an ongoing wager.
The rivalry between Second and Third Princes soon became known throughout the entire capital.
 
—It seems things have gotten out of hand. I’d like advice on what to do.

—P.S. By the way, I’ve already chosen my proposal target for the imperial ball. So Ransell, you can relax.
—From Lemon Verbena.
A week later, this was the content of the letter from Marigold.

‘What am I supposed to be relieved about?’
Ransell was not very surprised by Marigold’s reaction.
It was natural to feel anxious.

Since the party, the atmosphere in the capital had been strangely shifting.
The cause was the royal family.
=============
—Special event triggered! The royal family’s competition for Marigold’s alias, Lemon Verbena, has officially begun! Um... is this really a love contest?

—Second Prince ‘Arwen Rui Freesia’
—Third Prince ‘Yuri Langris Freesia’
—Fourth Prince ‘Serild Olivia Freesia’
—Sixth Prince ‘Karin Craig Freesia’
—Seventh Prince ‘Molly Comet Freesia’
—Second Princess ‘Sena Pho Freesia’
—Third Princess ‘Claria Arild Freesia’
—Fourth Princess ‘Artena Set Freesia’
A total of eight royal family members are seeking Lemon Verbena (Marigold).

※ Time remaining until a hint about Lemon Verbena’s (Marigold’s) true identity is revealed: 15 hours 35 minutes.
‘What on earth is happening?’
Marigold quietly sat, becoming a force controlling the capital and the royal family.

Yes.
Without even realizing it herself.