The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

“Gueee...”
“You’re on a strict no-drinking order starting today.”
Every time his horse trotted through the forest, Marigold complained of nausea.

He wanted to stop immediately to let her regain her composure, but the situation wouldn’t allow it.
“Hurry, catch them!”
“Flank and block their path!”

Dozens of cavalry pursued them.
If they stopped now, those dozens would swell into hundreds.
Even Ransell couldn’t handle that many at once. They weren’t ragtag—they were all trained knights.

“Yi-at!”
He urged his horse onward again.
Flash!

Piercing sounds echoed as something whizzed past him. Seven crossbow bolts embedded themselves in the trees and dirt.
“Shoot them!”
“Avoid hitting the woman! The prince ordered that the woman be captured alive and unharmed!”

‘Helpful tip.’
Then—
“Manager Mary, it’s your turn to shine.”

“Hyaaah!”
Ransell suddenly lifted Marigold and moved her to the saddle behind him.
She found herself wrapped around his waist from behind.
“Hold tight, shield! No, Manager Mary!”

“W-what do you mean… uuugh…”
Behind her, Ransell placed a wooden shield. His last act of protection.
“Using a woman as a shield…!”

“D-don’t shoot!”
“Y-you crazy bastard!”
“Are you even a knight, acting like that?!”

Ransell glanced back and shouted,
“Never thought a rebel would lecture me on chivalry! I’m leaving!”
He instantly accelerated the horse’s speed.

Leaves kicked up by hooves scattered behind him, blocking the pursuers’ view.
Seizing the moment, Ransell sharply pulled the reins, vanishing from their sight in an instant.
“What? Where did they go?”

“We lost them!”
“Damn it...!”
Gueeeeek!

Only faint retching echoed in their stunned ears.
.
.

.
“Only one.”
The Fifth Prince’s expression turned cold upon hearing the news.

“You came back empty-handed because you couldn’t catch just one? Did I hear that right? You expect me to listen quietly to you failing because you couldn’t catch just that one? Useless bastards!”
The knights couldn’t lift their heads. The prince’s rebuke had lasted for over an hour.
“Idiots!”

“If I may speak, Your Highness.”
A quiet voice interrupted.
“Is there any particular reason to capture Manager Mary alive?”

“Lunter Marquis.”
The elderly lord approached and asked; the prince calmed down, running a hand through his hair.
“Because she’s needed. She’s someone I want alive, right by my side.”

“I see.”
The Marquis didn’t press further.
“In that case, I will order the troops to guard the surroundings. Ransell Dante will have no choice but to show himself eventually. Anyone who enters this forest can only escape through the granary plains.”

“You mean...”
“Wait for the moment she comes out onto the plains. There’s nowhere to hide in the open fields, so capturing Manager Mary won’t be difficult.”
“...Fine. That should do. No need to rush. Even he can’t run away in the plains.”

The Fifth Prince regained composure. This was their territory — a de facto new state guarded by hundreds, thousands of troops.
No matter how skilled a knight Ransell Dante was, escaping this land safely was tough.
“We’ll catch her soon. Unless Ransell Dante decides to hide in this forest forever, he will show himself on the plains…”

.
.
.

“Then shall we hide here for a while?”
Ransell stretched his back and muttered.
 
“This is a rebellion, Lord Ransell.”

“Now you say that?”
The day Marigold recovered from her hangover.
On the second day living in the forest with Ransell, she suddenly spoke with a serious face. It was about 30 hours after the Fifth Prince had completely eliminated the imperial troops.

“Rebellion! It’s definitely a rebellion! If we just block the railways and mountain passes leading to the plains well, it will isolate the empire quite a bit and make a good stronghold. That’s why bandits have always swarmed here. In short, it means the imperial army can’t easily project power here.”
“That’s true.”
Marigold kept talking while sipping on the stew Ransell had roughly made.

“After winter, they’ll surely send troops to fully control the western empire. We must report immediately. The capital will surely flip upside down! And I’ll get another promotion!”
Burning with ambition, she was currently on her second cycle as natural Marigold — stuck in the forest, helpless.
Outside the forest, two or three guards patrolled on horseback, never failing to appear.

The Fifth Prince was deliberately waiting for their appearance. He was watching for the moment they came out onto the plains.
Why he was doing all this was unclear, but one thing was certain — the Fifth Prince was sincere.
===========
—Affection Event! The Fifth Prince Ervin Col Frisia’s affection increases. Current affection stage: ‘Attachment.’

Day one.
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—Affection Event! The Fifth Prince Ervin Col Frisia’s affection increases. Current affection stage: ‘Possessiveness.’
Day two.

===========
—Affection Event! The Fifth Prince Ervin Col Frisia’s affection increases. Current affection stage: ‘Obsession.’
Next week.
Even while Ransell stayed in the forest, the Fifth Prince’s feelings were increasingly drawn toward Marigold. Whether it was truly affection or love was uncertain, but in any case, the prince’s feelings for her were genuine.

‘This only happens when aiming for the Queen Consort ending.’
Day by day, the guards and tracking became more stringent. Ransell had already been living primitively in the forest with Marigold for ten days.
There was no need to hurry.

Nor was there no plan.
“Lord Ransell! Look! Winter strawberries! Hehehe!”
“Nice. Where did you find these?”

“Hehe, winter strawberries are vines growing on moss in shaded spots. If you look carefully, you’ll find them quickly.”
“Well done. Come here!”
Ransell tousled Marigold’s hair and fed her strawberries one by one.

Their shelter was a hut dug beneath tree roots — cleverly camouflaged so the patrolling guards rarely noticed.
It was a bit cramped, though.
“Why do you lie so far apart? It’s cramped.”

“I-it might smell… I haven’t washed in over a month.”
“My nose has lost its sense of smell, so it’s fine.”
“...What do you mean, Lord Ransell?”

“Use your imagination.”
“That’s mean!”
Their food was limited to hardtack, jerky, and foraged raw food. Even lighting fires had to be done cautiously.

Life was uncomfortable in many ways.
Still, neither Ransell nor Marigold complained much.
After two weeks passed—

“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“Sometimes you mutter to yourself. Why?”

Ransell casually probed her.
The spirit ‘Pina’ was invisible to anyone but Marigold, so if she knew about it, that would be stranger.
“Um… it’s like a friend who only I can see…”

Marigold twirled her hair nervously, trailing off.
“That’s… weird, right?”
“It is.”

“Ahaha… No, Pina! Don’t say bad things about Lord Ransell… Ah! It’s nothing! Yes!”
“...”
What on earth did that damn fairy say? Ransell felt unsettled by the invisible entity’s unheard complaints.

.
.
.

===========
—Affection Event! The Fifth Prince Ervin Col Frisia’s affection increases. Current affection stage: ‘Very Strong Obsession.’
One month later.
Ransell finally witnessed a procession of flames sweeping over the entire forest.

Hundreds of people holding torches scoured the woods. The pungent scent of burning wax and oil stung his nose.
Dogs barked and panted endlessly, wherever they had been unleashed. The Fifth Prince was determined to find the two, or rather, Marigold.
‘The time has come.’

Ransell and Marigold finished preparing to leave their beloved hut.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, Lord Ransell.”

It had been six months and one month since their departure. Ransell sensed that the awaited time was near.
“Enemy attack! Everyone retreat to the main camp! Enemy attack! Everyone return to the main camp!”
Soon loud shouts burst out one after another. The soldiers who had entered the forest retreated bewildered.

Only then did they notice the night sky was brightly lit by unexplained flames.
“Manager Mary.”
Ransell looked back at Marigold and spoke.

“How far can an administrator who helped suppress a rebellion be promoted?”
 
“If no reports arrive after half a year, send a second support troop… Today’s that day. What do you think, Chief Steward?”
The court steward bowed to the voice beyond the curtain.

“I think His Majesty’s judgment is correct.”
“Don’t just give the obvious answer.”
The person beyond the curtain crossed their legs.

“I want your honest opinion. If you were this noble, how would you view these arrogant young knight and administrator’s letters? Would you listen to them? Or ignore them?”
“…If it were me…”
After a moment’s thought, the steward continued.

“The envoys sent to the western empire all went silent, which is worrying. I would believe their letters but hold the Dante family responsible if it turned out to be false, Your Majesty.”
The person beyond the curtain finally uncrossed their legs and stood.
“I agree. Those arrogant young knight’s letters were probably written with that in mind.”

They smiled.
“Send the second support troop. They ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ should arrive in about a month.”
.

.
.
“Enemy! Enemy!”

“The imperial army! Why is the imperial army here...!”
The Fifth Prince’s rebels.
The second imperial support troop.

On the vast plains of the Lunter territory, two armies faced off. They recognized each other as enemies and immediately drew their weapons.
“Attack!”
“Block them!”

The fight broke out instantly.
As the war began, the fertile granary lands of the Lunter Marquisate caught fire. The dark night sky was swallowed by the red flames, glowing like late afternoon.
The war had begun.

“What a damn mess.”
Ransell didn’t care who won.
There wouldn’t be a resolution today. The war would continue repeating until this land turned into a wasteland of death.

He just wanted to run away while he still could.
“Run!”
“Yes, yes!”

Ransell and Marigold broke free from the forest at once.
From here on, they had to cut through the chaotic Lunter plains.
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—Affection Event! The Fifth Prince Ervin Col Frisia’s affection changes. Current affection stage: ‘Deep attachment, deep hatred.’

※The elite knights of the Lunter Marquisate chase after Manager Mary.
‘What is this now?’