The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

Could this also be a kind of arrogance?
It seemed that Ransell had become too accustomed to only being the one to reject suitors. He had even turned down a princess’s proposal, so saying more would only be a waste of breath.
His attitude toward Marigold had been the same. He had always tried not to let her affection for him grow too much.

Of course, that was still true now. Marriage to Marigold was basically close to a bad ending, so even if they tried to continue, it would only add another bitter memory.
But.
“Ransell, please step back a little. You’re too close.”

“......”
Did he hear wrong?
Ransell was struck by shock.

Her attitude after boarding the train was completely different from before. He clearly saw her quickly turn her face away and put a slight distance between them.
‘This can’t be!’
Since meeting Marigold, this was the first time he had experienced such a thing. It had always been Ransell who backed away first between the two, never her.

But now it was the exact opposite.
“We’re traveling together for a mission, so if you get too close, it’s troublesome. Please understand.”
“Ah, okay.”

Ransell wiped the sweat from his brow. Even in hundreds of years of life, it had been a long time since he’d felt so flustered.
“Ahem......”
Marigold seemed hot, fanning herself with her sleeve while avoiding his gaze.

“......”
Unable to escape his mental confusion, Ransell had no choice but to step back slightly. She told him to move away—what else could he do?
Indeed, it was true that they had been too close the moment they met. Not out of ulterior motives, but simply because he was glad. He was just so happy to see Marigold in her ‘normal’ state. That was why.
And rightly so.

Before coming here, Ransell had met a Marigold who was overwhelmingly abnormal compared to all previous loops.
.
.
.
“Human!”

“......Mary...?”
After the returnee Marigold died, Ransell had not been able to find her for a full four years in the next loop.
Of course, he thought she was dead. Marigold had always been dangerously close to death, one way or another.

But she was alive.
And very much so.
“Hand over the food, human!”

“......Is this for real?”
She was healthier than expected.
“Hurry up! Right now!”

It was pure luck that Ransell found Marigold in the southern imperial forests.
There was a rumor—never heard in hundreds of years of memories—that a ‘blond female monster’ occasionally appeared in the forest stealing food by force, and he had gone there half-jokingly... only to find it true.
“Give me the fruit in your bag! Then I’ll let you go peacefully!”

“Hey, put down the spear. It’s dangerous.”
“You have two! Just give me one!”
“How do you know I have two?”

“I can smell it!”
“You’re no better than a bloodhound.”
Clothed only barely in animal hides covering her chest and lower body, gripping a spear tightly, and accompanied by nine wolves—

It was Marigold the wild woman.
‘What kind of years have you lived through, Marigold!’
Ransell squeezed his eyes shut briefly in despair, then quickly recovered.

He had a job to do.
“Can I leave the food here?”
“Yes!”

“I’ll leave both.”
“Human... could it be that you’re a good human?!”
“......”

Though mentally shaken, he had found Marigold once again.
“I’m here.”
From the next day, Ransell consistently visited her.

“Human! You gonna eat that?”
“Yes, I’m leaving it.”
One day.

“You came again today! I wasn’t waiting, but nice to see you, human!”
“You’re human too. I’m leaving it.”
Two days.

“How do you get so much fruit? Teach me your secret!”
“Huh? I bought it at the market.”
“Eek! Market! Scary!”

“......?”
One week.
“Thanks, human. You’re the best among humans.”

“I told you, I’m human too.”
One month.
“Human. Won’t you stay with me and not leave?”

“If you live in the city, I’ll do that.”
“No, no city! I want to live in nature, human.”
“What exactly happened in the city?”

“Waaah!”
One year.
“Ugh, just have kids with me already!”

“......”
“Ah, don’t run away!”
Three years.

“Human, I built a house for you. Remember when it suddenly rained and it was hard to get back? From now on, you can stay here. Look, it’s spacious and nice. There’s even a wool bed. How about that?”
Ten years passed like that.
.
.
.

[Playtime 10 years 0 days]
—Marigold has turned # Nоvеlight # 25 years old.
—No marriage partner.

—No achievements.
[Normal Ending 98. Barbarian Marigold of the Cabin]
—The ending has been recorded in the ‘Memory Album.’

—Opening the album.
‘I’ll do all the hunting, farming, and gathering. Human, just stay by my side. You don’t have to do anything.’
Once hating humans and fleeing into the forest, Marigold’s distrust had melted away like snow.

‘Now my dream is to build a kingdom. From today on, I’ll slowly increase houses one by one, build a village, and fill the entire forest with my beloved family. This wooden house will be the starting point. How about that, human? Hmm? Where will I call all those people from? What are you talking about, human?’
The eyes of the great barbarian Marigold gradually turned wild.
‘Don’t you understand what the word "build" means?’

[Normal Ending. Barbarian Marigold of the Cabin – fin]
—Would you like to restart the game?
.
.
.

“......”
Ransell shuddered.
The vivid eyes of the wild Marigold were still fresh in his mind.

How could he not be happy? Marigold had become so human-like, even landing a respectable job.
That job was at the Imperial Central Administration Bureau, probably the best position a commoner could get.
 
Meeting this loop’s Marigold was not easy either.

First, she had not appeared on the streets of the capital, and second, Ransell realized she was much more honest than he had expected.
===========
—Congratulations! Marigold has been selected as the top graduate of the Academy’s Department of Administrative Records!
‘Academy?’

No wonder she wasn’t visible.
It wasn’t swordsmanship or magic either. It was the Department of Administrative Records, a broad study of imperial administration, laws, records, geography, management, and history—a starting point for the ‘Imperial Administration Route.’
Marigold had become the top graduate by her own effort. Exactly three years after the loop started, the year she turned eighteen.

‘Well, that’s good at least.’
Though he didn’t know the conditions for a happy ending, he understood one thing for sure.
‘Nothing is more intuitive than material wealth.’

Ransell went straight to the academy where Marigold was.
“Lord Ransell? I’m afraid Miss Merry is currently refusing all personal sponsorships...”
“Huh?”

Ransell, who had come loaded with gold coins, tilted his head at that. She disliked money? Who? Marigold?
Remembering clearly Marigold’s overwhelming stinginess in the merchant route, the academy official’s words were surprising.
“We usually tell people to accept it anyway, but she doesn’t want to owe any personal favors to nobles, so it’s hard to persuade her.”

“It’s unusual for someone attending the academy not to accept sponsorship.”
“Maybe Miss Merry has big dreams?”
“She wants to become an administrator?”

“If not, there’s no reason not to make noble connections.”
The imperial administrative official’s routes were basically two:
Attach to a noble and transfer to local administration.

Keep climbing the imperial administration ladder to become a manager.
Most officials chose the first.
Because it was much easier, more comfortable, and paid well.

The mandatory service period in the capital was twenty years, after which they would enter a local noble’s service and live comfortably. This was the usual mindset among officials. The empire also used this as an excuse to legally exploit manpower for at least twenty years.
But Marigold did not want that. Why?
“If Miss Merry’s mind ever changes, let me know.”

“Yes, Lord Ransell.”
After that, Ransell tried a few more times to contact her, but Marigold’s mind remained unmoved. He could not guess what her goal was in this life.
Eventually, Ransell got the chance to meet Marigold about three months after she graduated from the academy and became an administrative official.

===========
—Regular event! Starting your first job as an imperial administrative official. Recruiting a guard to accompany you for administrative duties. Hopefully a good person.
“Is it now?”
“...Huh? Ransell?”

Ransell immediately got up. He ignored the curious gaze of Baron Evil Shen, who was drinking tea with him.
Normally, guards accompanying officials were mercenaries recommended by the empire. It was a job too low for someone of knight status to do.
“Excuse me? A guard? You mean Lord Ransell?”

Of course, it wasn’t a problem for Ransell.
“This is usually a mercenary’s job, but why would someone like Lord Ransell...”
“Do I have to satisfy your curiosity too?”

“No, not really...”
“Then just do as you’re told.”
He could just ignore them.

Ransell easily joined as Marigold’s guard.
Among imperial officials, there was only a brief rumor about a strange knight who wanted to accompany a rookie administrative official on a tough path.
“Nice to meet you! I heard you will be helping me. Marry, the imperial central administration’s records officer.”

Through these complicated and eventful processes, Ransell met Marigold again today. Yes, carrying hopeful expectations.
But now, it was like this.
.
.
.

“When the workday ends, we’ll part ways until the next morning. Of course, we’ll use separate rooms.”
“...I’m fine, but are you okay with that? What if you get attacked while sleeping?”
“I’m okay. We won’t be going to such dangerous areas. I’ll just accept your concern.”

“......”
Why on earth?