The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

18.
Under the full moonlight.

Marigold rested her face on one knee, raised beside her.
The blooming flower on her horn, the silk outfit that exposed a striking amount of bare skin, the faint smile she wore as she looked at Ransell—
It was unmistakable. This was the same one-horned Marigold from before. She hadn’t suddenly jumped him and stolen a kiss like last time, but—

‘I can’t move.’
Ransell was pinned to the bed, unable to do anything but shift slightly. His body felt unusually heavy. Like swimming underwater with a blanket full of down strapped to his back.
When he finally managed to lift his upper body, Marigold silently stepped down from the windowsill.

"Mary. Don’t. Don’t do it, Mary."
Despite Ransell’s warning, Marigold didn’t so much as blink. Without a word, she climbed onto the bed. Her moonlit skin and flowing movements were like a silk snake gliding toward him.
Marigold straddled Ransell’s waist.

His vision filled with her upper body.
Shimmering golden hair gently fell to either side of his face like curtains. In an instant, his whole world became Marigold and nothing else.
Drop.

Something glassy and wet landed on his cheek. Ransell lifted his hand to wipe it.
Moisture.
"...Marigold?"

When he looked up, her smile hadn’t changed.
—Ransell.
The voice echoed directly in his head.

Marigold’s palms gently cradled his head.
Ransell tried to back away, anticipating what was about to happen, but on this bed, trapped beneath her, there was no escape. No strength, no space.
"Wait. Let’s talk for a second?"
Marigold leaned closer.

"Talk—mmph!"
This again.
Ransell froze once more as her lips descended on his without pause.

"Mmff!"
Her force poured in like a waterfall. It felt like she was savoring his very existence. There was a desperation in it—like she refused to waste even a single second.
‘I can’t breathe, Marigold.’

A wildflower scent filled his nose. It came from the blossom blooming on her horn.
"Mm! Mmff!"
There was no escaping the wave of her momentum.
Ransell’s memory cut off right about there.

.
.
.
"You’re not doing it right."
"Ow!"

Marigold yelped, rubbing her forehead after being smacked with a piece of jerky.
"If you lost, then scrub that floor properly, like your life depends on it."
Tearing up, Marigold glanced up at Ransell to gauge his mood.

"...Um, Ransell-nim."
"Professor."
"Professor Ransell."

"That’s better."
"Why are you mad at me since this morning? I thought I was the one who should be upset, honestly..."
"You don’t need to know."

"Ow!"
She got hit with jerky again and pouted. Ransell kept scolding and hounding her, fully aware it was petty.
It was his way of venting. That helplessness he felt under the full moon... Was once not enough? Twice was just excessive.

"...Ransell-nim’s been corrupted by the knights. I have to fix it somehow..."
"Your hands aren’t moving, Marigold."
Another whack of jerky struck her forehead.

"Owww!"
19.
———
[Fallen Noble Lady Simulation]

Drafting schedule for 2nd Week of April:
Mon – Class, then punishment cleaning. (Location: Academy)
Tue – Class, then punishment cleaning. (Location: Academy)
Wed – Class, then punishment cleaning. (Location: Academy)
Thu – Class, then punishment cleaning. (Location: Academy)
Fri – Outdoor camping training. (Location: Hunting Grounds outside the Capital)
Sat – Outdoor camping training. (Location: Hunting Grounds outside the Capital)
Sun – Assistant for airship development. (Location: Zenith’s estate)
※ Clean the knights’ dorms! What a disgrace!
———
"Nice view. Look at those mages."

Since the first duel ended, every day hundreds of Magic Department students—commoners and nobles alike—made their way to the Knight Department dormitory. Armed with cleaning supplies.
"Scrub it good! Harder!"
It became a daily routine to watch the disgusted expressions of mages as they scrubbed every corner of the dorms.

"Look at these dainty weaklings scrubbing like peasants. Must be tough."
"Better get used to it. This is your life now, hahaha!"
Days passed—one, two, three—amid the knights’ sneering laughter.

"Grrrrrrrr!"
Marigold clenched her teeth as she held her broom.
"To lose to knights... to lose to knights..."

"Hey! Merry!"
"Eek!"
"Look here. There’s still dust. You trying to slack off?"

"I-I’m doing it! See? Hmph."
"Did you just click your tongue?"
"I didn’t!"

"Loser. If you lost, clean quietly."
In the corner, Marigold’s eyes gleamed murderously.
"Unforgivable. Knights. Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable..."

When the week finally ended—
"Good work. We’ll count on you again next week."
Inside the Magic Department, the anger that had been slowly accumulating reached a boiling point.

"Goddamn bastards..."
"We’re camping outdoors this week, right? Is that even safe?"
"Doesn’t matter! This time we’re winning for sure!"

Naturally, Marigold was at the center of the outraged crowd.
"I won’t hold back anymore. Every last knight on this land will bow their heads in shame! They’ll tremble beneath my ass, soaked in piss at the majesty of magic!"
"Uh, yeah. Sure."

The others sensed her energy was... a bit off, but nobody said anything. All that mattered now was this: making the knights clean the Magic Department dorms.
And so, the second training led by Ransell loomed just one day away.
"That’s all for today’s meeting... Also, you’ve heard about the founding festival, right?"

"What about it?"
"I heard they’re picking one top mage from the academy to perform at the opening ceremony."
In one corner, Ransell looked up from where he was trimming his nails.

The headmaster had spoken. All the professors were gathered for their weekly meeting.
Ransell didn’t really care about school affairs, so most things just went in one ear and out the other.
"It’s a royal event, so we need someone impressive. Luckily, this year’s batch is full of talent."

"That’s not hard, but with only half a year left, is there even enough time to prepare?"
"That’s your problem."
To Professor Laura’s concern, the headmaster laughed it off.

"Do your best to get them ready."
"So you’re dumping it all on us, Headmaster? Just going to pretend it’s not your job?"
"Come on. Think of it as trusting your abilities."

In short: you deal with it.
It didn’t really matter to Ransell—he wasn’t in charge of the Magic Department.
Still.

‘Marigold getting picked to open the founding festival?’
He imagined it for a second.
Marigold casting a spell before a crowd of nobles and royals in the Capital.

—Ahh, so this is the magic of a main character!
—Amaaazing!
‘...No, that’s not it.’
He snapped out of the thought.

It was still unlikely at this stage.
No matter how gifted Marigold was, in just six months it was hard to imagine her rising to that level. The opening ceremony required someone among the top-tier mages in the entire Department.
—Mission: Opening Mage of the Founding Festival.
—Reward: Popularity, Reputation, Affection Points, Prize Money and Support Funds.

There was a lot to gain.
‘If she shines at the festival, her chances of becoming a court mage will shoot up. Her fame will rise... It’ll be a straight path to Grand Mage...’
Ransell indulged the fantasy briefly.

"Sir Ransell. Sir Ransell? Professor Ransell Dante!"
"Ah, yes?"
"Are you listening?"

"I was not."
The headmaster laughed weakly at the blunt reply.
"I was saying—tomorrow’s outdoor training led by you and Professor Laura? All the academy students will be participating."

"...What?"
"Even the Seventh Prince will be joining."
Ransell blinked.

‘The Seventh Prince? That little brat?’
The Seventh Prince.
The youngest member of the royal family.

"Apparently he wants to stick close to you. Take care of him, alright?"
"Can’t I just ask the palace to keep him locked up instead?"
"Can you?"

20.
"So you’re Ransell Dante. I’ve heard a lot about you."
"...Yes, Your Highness."

Ransell broke into a cold sweat as he looked down at the tiny prince, barely 140 cm tall—shorter even than this loop’s Marigold.
Hissss—
Beside them, the train’s mana engine let out a hot plume of steam. Over a thousand participants meant they had to charter a royal train just to move them outside the Capital.

And all because this kid wanted it.
Seventh Prince Molly Comet Prisia.
Even back when Ransell pursued Marigold’s Empress route, this kid had °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° always been excluded from romantic options.

He was just too young.
In the game, he was almost the only character who didn’t become a viable target until way into the late game—when Marigold was at least 23. Who wants to wait 8 years to court a prince?
Adult circumstances... or something like that.

Even the most reckless players probably hesitated when the law got involved.
"I don’t get many chances to leave the Capital, so I took this opportunity. Sorry if it’s a hassle."
"Yes, it’s certainly a hassl—ow."

Someone pinched his side.
Professor Laura Cort.
"We’re honored to serve the esteemed Prince. Right, Professor Ransell?"

"...Yes."
"Good. That’s a relief."
The prince smiled innocently.

‘Okay. Deep breath. He’s not a brat. He’s just a kid. Be patient.’
Ransell kept repeating it to himself like a mantra. Patience. Patience. Patience.
"Professor! Professor!"

"...?"
Then—
"P-Professor Ransell! Professor Laura!"

A frantic voice called from afar.
A girl wearing the crest of the Administrative Department came running.
Breathing heavily, she gasped,

"The mages and knights... they’re... they’re...!"
"What is it? Speak clearly."
"They’re fighting. Over seats. It’s gotten really nasty. Like, scary nasty! You have to stop them—hahh, hahh!"

Huh?
Ransell leaned out and looked through the train window.
‘...!’

‘...!’
Marigold was right there, grabbing a knight by the collar and yelling.
‘What are you doing now?’

It looked like a brawl was seconds away.
Ransell turned to the Seventh Prince.
"Your Highness. Want to watch a fight?"

"A fight?"
"Yes."
"Sounds fun! Let’s go!"

The prince’s eyes sparkled.
"Let’s gooo!"
"Let’s move!"

Ransell and the Seventh Prince held hands and ran into the train. Laura followed behind, her face frozen in disbelief.
"W-Wait! Wait!"