1.
“How is it?”
“It’s alright.”
It was on that day.
As he answered his older sister’s questions with curt replies, quite a few questions swirled around in his head.
The Fallen Noblewoman Simulation was a seemingly ordinary romance fantasy game, but it had an exceptionally peculiar system.
“Is it always so random like this?”
“Why? Is it weird?”
“……Isn’t it a bit strange if there are no fixed events at all? Doesn’t that defy common logic?”
“Maybe.”
“Why is the harvest festival held during some years but not in others? The swordsmanship competition is supposed to be held every five years, so why didn’t it happen? And where did the traitor suddenly appear without any warning?”
“That’s what makes it fun—the unexpected variables.”
Everything was random.
Nothing was set in stone.
“I’m asking because I genuinely don’t understand, but what’s with the Demon King? How can there be a Demon King in this kind of setting?”
“There has to be! Demon Kings are cool.”
“What does he even do?”
“I guess he’s just some kind of dark entity.”
“…….”
The reasons were all so simple.
“Unexpected characters, unexpected fun, unexpected encounters, unexpected twists, unexpected endings! Isn’t that great?”
“……It’s certainly unexpected.”
The game was unexpected in many ways.
Lancel didn’t really feel the need to point out the strange mix of medieval and modern elements in the game’s setting.
After all, it wasn’t the sort of game that needed to stick to historical accuracy.
For some reason, the fact that over a million citizens were living in the Imperial Capital alone, which was considered to be a part of the Great Joy Mountain’s territory, had been overlooked.
Wars, both large and small, were waged on a daily basis across the continent, and demonic beasts and bandits would attack anyone who stepped outside the walls of the capital.
The capital was rife with traitors, criminal groups, mercenaries, and swindlers. Yet, within the Imperial Palace, parties and festivals never ceased.
But it was possible because it was all just a game.
Only one question remained in Lancel’s mind: ‘When on earth will this protagonist find happiness?’
Even after going through the list of endings in the “Album of Memories,” every single one of them was bittersweet. At least, that was how it seemed in Lancel’s eyes.
Even when the protagonist married the Crown Prince, for some reason the story always ended with a hint of impending doom.
“That’s what makes it more interesting.”
‘More interesting?’
“Hmm.”
2.
‘Let’s go to the capital.’
Looking back, Lancel had many opportunities to visit the Imperial Capital in his past life regressions.
First of all, the Academy, the largest educational institution in the continent, was located in the capital.
It was also no surprise that most social events, both big and small, would take place in Rodnis.
Any knight with even a modicum of notoriety would often travel to Rodnis under the pretext of attending the swordsmanship tournament only to meet the young noblewomen who would gather there, and Lancel wasn’t immune to such invitations. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that he indulged in them.
So why did he remain in the countryside all this time?
On the contrary, what other reason did he have to go all the way there?
Even in the past, when the entire continent praised Lancel and erected statues in his honor, he still lived and died on the battlefield.
Moreover, Lancel had little interest in festivals, social circles, swordsmanship competitions, or romances with the young noblewomen. His ambition for success or marriage had also been lukewarm.
Over the past century or so, the total time that he spent being in a romantic relationship might amount to five years at most. Lancel never even thought about marriage. In his third regression, when he had achieved the highest fame as a knight, Lancel himself even rejected the advances of the princess. Contrary to the rumors that had been circulating at the time, his masculinity and virility were perfectly normal.
‘But now I must go to the capital.’
He had uncovered the secret of this world.
He finally had a reason to go to visit the capital.
“Happy eighteenth birthday, Lancel Dante! Have you been bitten by a bug? You look uncharacteristically serious.”
“Father, now that I am of age, I will go to the capital.”
“You cannot.”
“Why not?”
“You are still not skilled enough to visit the Imperial Capital. I cannot allow you to tarnish the longstanding reputation of the venerable Dante family.”
“Very well then. Come outside with your sword. Your son will show you a trick.”
“Ha ha… How amusing. I will personally show you that the blood on your head isn’t dry yet. Once the heat drains out, you’ll understand the situation.”
After exactly three exchanges of their blades, the patriarch of the Dante household fell to the ground like a frog.
“I will go to the capital.”
“Then I’ll write you a letter. There is someone at the capital who will provide you with a place to stay.”
The next day, Lancel boarded a carriage heading straight for the Imperial Capital, with only a small amount of money and accompanied by three servants.
When they finally crossed the walls of Rodnis, over a month had passed since beginning their arduous journey.
“…?”
Yet, nothing appeared before his eyes.
* * *
“You’ve grown so much since I last saw you, Lancel. Please, think of this place as your hometown and your home.”
“Then I shall also think of you as my father, Lord Ibil.”
“That’s good. Viscount Dante certainly raised his son well.”
“Yes, so well that he is now bedridden.”
“You will have to bear with that.”
A well-fed, middle-aged man with a gleaming face and dark black hair clasped Lancel’s hand.
The man’s name was Baron Ibil Shen, he was the epitome of a wealthy aristocrat living in the capital.
Though officially a baron, his status in the Imperial Capital was practically that of a merchant, and he was widely known throughout the capital to be “the most successful stablemaster.” Baron Ibil Shen had made his fortune by buying high-quality horses, grooming them meticulously, and selling them to the nobles of the capital. He had essentially become the city’s most prominent stablemaster.
To the extravagant aristocracy of the capital, a well-bred horse was akin to a luxury good. The newly ennobled Baron Ibil Shen had capitalized off of the desires of the wealthy aristocrats.
“Money truly is a wonderful thing,” Lancel remarked.
“Isn’t it? Even though they call me a stable keeper, how can I possibly stop from smiling when I have such a magnificent house as this?”
“Indeed. I would like to apologize for any preconceived notions that I had before coming here.”
“I’m curious to hear what those notions were.”
“Let’s just say that they would not be inappropriate to bring up on such a pleasant day.”
“As expected, Viscount Dante has done well at raising his son.”
“I hear that often.”
Baron Ibil Shen, who had given the entire top floor of his three-story mansion to Lancel, quickly disappeared with hurried steps.
Lancel decided then to subtly elevate the baron’s status from a country bumpkin who stank of horse manure to a wealthy and convenient miser.
3.
One month had passed.
After arriving at the capital, Lancel spent nearly a month loafing around like a vagabond.
When he was hungry, he would summon his servants and have them prepare food for him, and when he got bored, he would wander around the capital to kill time.
Indeed, the fact that the landlord was a diligent miser was one of the advantages to being a guest at Baron Ilbin’s estate. Since he was always out of the house, there was little need for Lancel to be mindful of his presence.
However, the servants of the Shen family, who had always thought it was natural for nobles to live busy lives, seemed to regard Lancel as somewhat peculiar.
“He seems to have nothing to do. He’s a noble, after all.”
“He once laid in bed and slept for two days straight.”
“He’s supposed to be a knight, but I’ve never seen him train. What’s going on?”
Lancel, who had been listening to their whispers from afar, could only chuckle.
‘You guys try living for over a hundred years. Then you’ll learn the incredible ability to kill time.’
Of course, Lancel wasn’t doing this by choice.
‘Why isn’t she showing up?’
The Fallen Noblewoman Simulation.
Despite searching every nook and cranny for even a single trace of the protagonist in the capital, he found nothing but the bustling scenery of the Imperial Capital.
‘How much longer do I have to wait?’
Two months went by.
Then three months.
Then four months.
A year passed just like that.
Lancel could only stare blankly at the relentless passing of time.
‘When the hell does this damn game start? Did I miss something?’
Then it happened one evening.
Later that day, Lancel brought up the subject to Baron Ibil, who had returned home to enjoy a rare evening banquet for the first time in a while.
“Have you ever heard of the Marigold family?”
“……!”
The house of Count Marigold’s family. This was the family of the game’s protagonist.
A family that was once so prosperous that any noble would have heard of it had completely fallen into ruin and lost its glory by the start of the game.
Upon hearing their name, Baron Ibil’s eyes widened and he looked around.
“Have you heard about them too?”
“……?”
Lancel blinked in surprise at the sudden lowering of Baron Ibil’s voice. His reaction was unexpected.
“The woman who was caught poaching outside of the Imperial Capital some time ago…it turns out she was actually a daughter of the Marigold family.”
Lancel lifted his teacup, trying to hide his agitation.
“This world is truly unpredictable. It’s absurd enough that the once prestigious Marigold family was reduced to rubble in an instant… but to think that even their last remaining heir would meet such a fate ….”
“So, when do you think she’ll be released?”
“Released? What do you mean ‘released’?”
The baron lowered his voice even further. “It’s been quite some time now since she was executed by hanging under the assumption that she was just some commoner. In any case, don’t ever bring this story up elsewhere. If the rumour spreads, it would be a disgrace upon the nobility.”
So that was it.
Poaching is punishable by hanging.
A noble could have escaped such a fate, but she was the daughter of a fallen family. With no one to vouch for her status, there was no way anyone would believe her claims of nobility in prison.
‘So does that mean the storyline of this regression is set in this world after the main character has already disappeared?’
“… unexpected twists, unexpected endings! Isn’t that great?”
Just like that.
Ten years passed.
Lancel was finally able to see the game’s system screen that he had been longing for.
[Playtime: 0 years, 29 days]
—Marigold has died.
—No marriage partner.
—No achievements.
[Bad Ending 8: The Falsely Accused Marigold]
—This ending was added to the “Album of Memories.”
—Would you like to restart the game?
“…What the heck…”
