18.
Under the full moonlight, Marigold sat with one knee raised, resting her cheek against it.
Her flower-adorned horn, the silk dress that revealed an unusual amount of bare skin, and the faint smile she wore as she gazed at Lancel—it was unmistakable. This was the same one-horned Marigold he had seen before.
Though this time however, she didn’t suddenly pounce on him and steal his lips.
‘I can’t move.’
Lancel was pinned to his bed, able only to toss and turn. His body felt strangely heavy, as if he were swimming underwater while carrying a mountain of cotton blankets.
Just as he managed to prop himself up, Marigold quietly stepped down from the windowsill.
“Mary, no. Don’t do this. Marigold.”
Marigold remained unfazed by Lancel’s protests. Without a word, she glided onto the bed, her moonlit skin and the movements of her supple body evoking the image of a silk-skinned serpent.
She settled herself on Lancel’s waist.
Her upper body filled his vision as he glanced up slightly.
Her shimmering golden hair cascaded like curtains, gently veiling his peripheral vision. In that instant, his world narrowed to a space occupied solely by Marigold.
Drip.
Something crystalline and glistening fell onto his cheek. Lancel raised a hand to wipe it away.
It was moisture.
“…Mary?”
When he looked up again, Marigold’s smile still filled his vision.
‘Lancel.’
The voice echoed directly in his mind.
Marigold’s palms gently cupped his head.
Sensing what was about to happen, Lancel tried to pull away, but his body was already trapped on the bed, his escape routes completely blocked. He had neither the strength nor the space to break free.
“Wait a minute. Why don’t we talk?”
Marigold’s face drew closer.
“Talk… Mmph!”
‘Not again.’
Lancel’s body stiffened once more under the relentless invasion of her presence between his lips.
“Mmph!”
Marigold’s energy surged into him like a waterfall, as if savoring every moment of his being. He could feel her obsessive determination not to waste a single moment.
‘I can’t breathe, Marigold.’
The scent of wildflowers drifted to his nostrils, emanating from the blossoms clinging to her horn.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
He couldn’t escape the tidal wave of Marigold’s energy crashing over him.
That was the last thing Lancel remembered.
.
.
.
“You’re not doing it properly.”
“Ouch!”
Marigold, who was struck by a piece of dried meat, clutched her forehead.
“If you lose, you’re supposed to scrub the floor diligently, not half-ass it.”
Tears welled in Marigold’s eyes as she glanced nervously at Lancel.
“…Um, Sir Lancel?”
“Professor.”
“Professor Lancel.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you angry with me first thing in the morning? I thought I was the one who should be upset…”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Ow!”
Marigold grimaced, struck by another piece of dried meat. Despite Lancel knowing that his behaviour was mere pettiness, he continued to torment Marigold relentlessly.
This was his way of venting the helplessness he’d felt under the full moon, when he couldn’t even tell if it was a dream or reality. Once was bad enough, but twice? That was too much.
“…Sir Lancel has fallen from grace as a knight. We have to find a way to bring him back…”
“Your hands seem idle, Marigold.”
Another piece of dried meat struck Marigold’s forehead.
“Ow!”
19.
———
[Fallen Noblewoman Simulation]
Schedule for the second week of April:
Monday – Lecture followed by punishment cleaning (Location: Academy).
Tuesday – Lecture followed by punishment cleaning (Location: Academy).
Wednesday – Lecture followed by punishment cleaning (Location: Academy).
Thursday – Lecture followed by punishment cleaning (Location: Academy).
Friday – Camp training (Location: Hunting grounds outside the capital).
Saturday – Camp training (Location: Hunting grounds outside the capital).
Sunday – Assist with airship development (Location: Baron Zenith’s mansion).
※ Cleaning the knights’ dormitory! What utter humiliation!
———
“Looks good, wizards.”
After the first match ended, hundreds of Magic Department students—commoners and nobles alike—flocked to the Department of Knights’ dormitory daily, lugging cleaning supplies.
“Scrub harder! Scrub harder!”
The knights watched with undisguised disgust as the Magic Department’s wizard scrubbed every corner of the dormitory. This had become the daily routine for students at the Department of Knights.
“Look at these bookworms trying to clean. What a waste of effort!”
“They’ll have to keep doing this, so they might as well get used to it now! Heh heh heh!”
The Magic Department students endured the knights’ mocking laughter day after day.
“Ughhhhh!”
Marigold clenched her teeth, gripping the cleaning broom tightly.
“To lose to knights… to lose to knights…”
“Hey! Marigold!”
“Hic!”
“Look here. The dust is still there. Are you not going to do it properly?”
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Tsk.”
“Did you just click your tongue?”
“When did I ever do that?”
“Loser. If you’ve lost, just clean up obediently.”
Marigold’s eyes flashed as she retreated to a corner.
“I won’t forgive them. Those knights. I won’t forgive them. I won’t forgive them. I won’t forgive them…”
And so, when the week finally came to an end…
“Good work. I look forward to next week as well.”
Within the ranks of the wizards, the anger that had been steadily accumulating was now nearing its boiling point.
“Damn it, those bastards.”
“They’re saying we’ll be camping outdoors this week. Do you think that’s safe?”
“It doesn’t matter! We’re going to win this time, no matter what!”
Marigold was, of course, among the wizards venting their frustration.
“I won’t hold back anymore either. I’m going to make every knight in this land bow their heads! I’ll never lose again—not until they’re trembling under my heel, pissing themselves in awe of magic’s greatness! Never again!”
“Y-yeah, yeah. Right.”
The wizards seemed to sense a different intensity in her words, but they didn’t care. Their sole focus was making the knights clean the Magic Department’s dormitory.
And so, the second training session led by Lancel was now just one day away.
* * *
“Alright, let’s wrap up here for today… Has everyone heard about the Founding Festival this year?”
“What news do you have…?”
“The academy is selecting a skilled wizard to open the festival.”
Lancel, who had been trimming his nails in a corner, looked up at the voice.
It was the Headmaster’s voice. All the academy professors were gathered for their weekly meeting.
Having no interest in school administration, Lancel had been idly letting the conversation wash over him.
“Since the Imperial Family will be attending, we should select someone exceptionally talented. Fortunately, this year’s cohort is full of promising individuals.”
“That wouldn’t be difficult, but the Founding Festival is only half a year away. I’m not sure if we can prepare in time.”
“That’s your responsibility,” the Headmaster quipped, brushing aside Professor Laura’s concerns. “Just make sure they’re well-prepared.”
“You’re passing the buck, Headmaster,” Laura retorted. “You’re dumping everything on us and planning to feign ignorance if things go wrong.”
“Surely not. Think of it as trusting in your capabilities.”
In the end, it was just another way of saying, “Handle it yourselves.”
For Lancel, who wasn’t affiliated with the Magic Department, this was largely irrelevant.
‘Hmm… Marigold being chosen as the wizard to inaugurate the Founding Festival?’
He briefly imagined a scenario in which Marigold showcased her magic before the capital’s most promising nobles and members of the Imperial Family.
‘Ah, so this is what the magic of a game protagonist looks like. Amazing!…
No. This isn’t it.’
Lancel was snapped out of his reverie.
It had been a long shot from the start. Even with Marigold’s exceptional talent, it was hard to believe she could reach such a level in just six months. To grace the opening ceremony of the Founding Festival, one had to be among the top five wizards in the entire Magic Department.
Mission: Founding Festival Opening Wizard.
Reward: Popularity, Reputation, Favorability, Compensation, and Grants.
The potential gains were immense.
‘If she makes a good impression at the Founding Festival, her chances of being appointed as a Court Wizard will skyrocket. Her reputation will soar, and she’ll be on the fast track to becoming a great wizard…’
Lancel indulged in this fantasy for a moment.
“Sir Lancel. Sir Lancel? Professor Lancel Dante!”
“Ah, yes?”
“Are you listening?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
The Headmaster chuckled dryly at Lancel’s bold response.
“Tomorrow’s outdoor camping trip, which you and Professor Laura are leading, will now include all academy students.”
“Huh?”
“His Highness the Seventh Prince will be joining us as well.”
Lancel was bewildered.
‘The Seventh Prince? That brat?’
The Seventh Prince was the youngest member of the Imperial Family.
“He has requested to stay close to you throughout the trip, so please keep a close eye on him.”
“…Couldn’t we just tell him to stay cooped up in his palace? This is going to be a pain.”
“Do you think that would work?”
20.
“Are you Lancel Dante? I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Lancel broke into a cold sweat as he looked at the diminutive young prince who was barely 140 centimeters tall. The boy was even shorter than Marigold in this iteration.
Shiiiiik—!
Right beside them, the train’s engine hissed, spewing hot steam. With over a thousand students participating in the camping trip outside the capital, the Imperial Family had chartered the entire Royal Train.
This was all because of the boy standing before Lancel—the Seventh Prince.
‘Seventh Prince Molly Comet Freesia.’
Even when Lancel had been aiming for Marigold’s Empress ending, this kid had always been excluded from consideration.
To begin with, he was simply too young.
In the game, he was practically the only character who couldn’t be romanced until the late-game, when Marigold was at least twenty-three years old. This made him a perennial candidate for elimination. A prince you had to endure and woo for eight years? Just the thought of it was unappealing.
“Adult circumstances… something like that, I suppose.”
Even a thoughtless sister would be afraid of the law.
“To be honest, I rarely get the chance to leave the capital, so I created this opportunity. If I have tired you, I sincerely apologize.”
“Yes, it is quite tiring—oof.” Someone had pinched Lancel’s side.
It was Professor Laura Cote.
“We are honored to serve His Highness the Seventh Prince. Isn’t that right, Professor Lancel?”
“…Yes.”
“Is that so? Then I’m glad.”
The Seventh Prince’s beaming smile was utterly innocent.
‘Right, just bear with it. He’s not malicious, just a brat.’
As he thought this, Lancel mentally repeated the word patience over and over.
‘Patience. Patience. Patience.’
“Professor! Professor!”
“……?”
It was then that it happened.
“P-Professor Lancel! Professor Laura!”
An urgent voice called out from afar.
It was a woman wearing the insignia of the Department of Public Administration.
She rushed over, panting heavily as she caught her breath.
“The wizards and knights… they’re… they’re…!”
“What is it? Speak clearly.”
“They’re…!”
For some reason, her face had turned deathly pale.
“The wizards and knights are fighting fiercely over their seats… it’s really brutal! The atmosphere is so hostile… you have to stop them… gasp, gasp!”
“Huh?”
Lancel leaned forward and peered out the train window.
‘……!’
Marigold was right there, grabbing a knight by the collar and shouting at him.
‘What is going on?’
Judging by the atmosphere, a brawl was about to break out.
Lancel turned to the Seventh Prince.
“Your Highness, would you like to watch the show?”
“A fight?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds fun! Let’s go right now!”
The Seventh Prince’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Let’s go!”
“Full speed ahead!”
Lancel and the Seventh Prince clasped hands and dashed back into the train. Laura, who had been frozen in place with a dazed expression, followed behind.
“w-wait! Wait!”
