The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

‘My thinking was naive.’

Lancel swallowed the bitter taste of having wasted over ten years without meaning.
Looking back, that was true.
Roadness was a prosperous metropolis, but it wasn’t a world easy enough for a fifteen-year-old girl to live alone.

The spirit “Pinna,” visible only to her, was nothing but a nagging presence who probably didn’t offer direct help.
His head throbbed. If it had to end, he would rather have it end quickly than waste ten years like this.
As he thought so, a familiar birthday table was suddenly set before him.

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Lancel Dan—”
“I’m going to the islands. Since you’ll probably try to stop me anyway, just grab your sword and come outside quickly. There’s no time.”
“Huh?”
His heart was urgent.
If he saved useless time, he could reduce the journey to the islands to about half a month.

Accompanied only by the fastest horse and a single servant, Lancel arrived at the islands as if chased by something.
It was exactly the nineteenth day.
“Still nothing?”
“Huh?”

The servant looked at Lancel strangely as he gazed emptily into the air.
Again, the game system screen did not appear before him.
Another ten years.

[Playtime 0 years 16 days]
—Merigold has died.
—No marriage partner.

—No achievements.
[Bad Ending 2. Poor Fallen Noblewoman Merigold]
—Ending recorded in the Memory Album.
—Would you like to restart the game?

“This is driving me crazy.”
By this point, Lancel was certain.
The fact that the game screen hadn’t appeared when he first entered the islands meant the ending had already been determined. The game was effectively over.

The death ending was a prime example.
What remained afterward was just a world where the protagonist was gone.
Though Roadness on the islands was lively every day with endless events and incidents, Merigold, who had to live within it, was already gone.

Well, if the protagonist Merigold had died but the game system still worked fine, wouldn’t that be strange?
‘Huh.’
Honestly, it was a shock.

When he first opened his eyes as “Lancel Dante,” he believed himself to be the protagonist.
Overconfident?
Isn’t it natural for a person reincarnated from the 21st century into a medieval world of swords and magic to think that?

‘But an extra? Me?’
What had he been living for the past hundred years?
He had no great mission to accomplish or great evil to defeat. Only a nobody named Lancel Dante existed.

Because he was a supporting character.
Because he was an extra.
‘So that’s how it was. Yeah, that explains it. No wonder it felt strange. There was just nothing to do. I was so bored I even wrote a seafood travelogue.’

He felt rather relieved.
The tedious endless regression, the damn empire, the cursed royal family, wars, crime, madness, debauchery, famine, tragedy, agony — none of it was his problem. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. It wasn’t his responsibility.
Because the protagonist of this world was—

‘Merigold.’
What kind of person was she?
Even his memories of her were now hazy.

He’d find out when he met her, or so.
.
.

.
“Happy eighteenth birthday, Lancel Dante! Why do you look so damn miserable on such a good day?”
“I got this face from my parents.”
“Come to think of it, your mother did have an affair.”
“I heard she was once a eunuch.”
“……Did I say that?”
“Who knows.”
Having witnessed the same death ending twice, Lancel was in no hurry. He wasn’t discouraged or disappointed.

He decided to take it as a blessing, easing his mind. After all, he had infinite time left.
‘And having died twice already, there’s no way it’ll happen again, right? Just take it slow, take it slow.’
.

.
.
[Playtime 0 years 52 days]

—Merigold has died.
—No marriage partner.
—No achievements.

[Bad Ending 7. Overwork is Bad for You, Merigold]
—Ending recorded in the Memory Album.
—Would you like to restart the game?

“…….”
Fifteen-year-old Merigold.
Dead again.

 
Back at eighteen, Lancel Dante asked the steward before him.
“Steward, have you ever heard of a family called Merigold?”
“The Merigold family…”
“The count family from the eastern empire, now vanished. The Merigold family.”
On the darkening balcony of the mansion, Lancel shared a bottle of alcohol with the steward of the Dante family.

“…….”
The steward was silent for a moment, face flushed.
“That name brings back memories.”

When he spoke again, a bittersweet smile lingered on his face.
“Don’t be too curious about that family, young master. Just know that it was a noble family that disappeared disgracefully.”
“Disgraceful?”
“Yes. Disgraceful.”
Lancel fixed his gaze on his cup and spoke.

“So it wasn’t a family that simply burned down in war.”
“That’s what people say.”
“How much do you know, steward?”
“Neither I nor anyone else knows more than what I just said... including that it’s better not to know more.”
It sounded like many things were being skipped, but Lancel chose to believe the steward. He wasn’t the type to lie about such things.
“I was just curious and asked. Consider it a question that never happened.”
“Of course, young master.”

Lancel set aside further questioning and drained his cup.
‘Well, that makes sense. The Merigold family’s circumstances weren’t detailed even in the game’s settings.’
Except for occasional childhood memories Merigold recalled, the Fallen Noblewoman Simulation rarely mentioned them.

They were a prosperous count family from the empire’s east, annihilated in a single war — nothing more.
Lancel put down his cup.
“I’m heading to the islands tomorrow.”
“The head of the family will oppose that.”
“It’s no problem. I knocked him out in the training ground, so he gave his permission.”
“……I’ll tell him to prepare for your departure.”
“You’re not going to ask why?”
“Any fine knight dreams of life in Roadness.”

The steward smiled kindly, adding:
“By the way, the train to the islands will pass through this area in two days. It’s a detour, but if you’re not in a hurry, you might take it.”
“A train… how long would it take to get to the islands?”
“This train will take roughly four months, I «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» think.”
“Four whole months…”
Of course, he was in a hurry. Because of the unlucky noblewoman who might drop dead anytime, it was better to go early.

But after several failed attempts, Lancel was surprisingly calm.
Whether hurrying or taking it easy, after three unchanged experiences, he’d learned a sense of helplessness.
“The train is comfortable, at least.”
“I’ll arrange a room for you. Leave it to me.”

 
The train to the islands arrived at a station in the fields.
Though a bit ahead of its medieval setting, after seeing it often enough, it no longer seemed strange.
The sister who made the game dismissed questions of historical accuracy with “In romance fantasy, trains can exist!” — and she wasn’t wrong. If it exists, it exists. That’s that.

“How long have you been waiting?”
A man in uniform descended from the first carriage. A middle-aged man with an impressive mustache.
“They say he is Baron Rokte of the Imperial Railway Company. Heard the Dante family just had a coming-of-age ceremony for their son — and he looks reliable.”
“I’m Lancel Dante.”
“Lancel, that’s a good name. A long journey ahead. Get on. Your room is the second one in carriage two. If anything happens, tell the train guards immediately. They’ll probably grant most requests.”

He pointed to a sleeper car for nobles only.
Inside were luxurious decorations, alcohol, fruit, and a bedroom spacious enough for one to live in luxury.
Though slower than horses for various reasons, it was definitely comfortable.

“This is nice.”
Lancel roughly unpacked and threw himself onto the bed. Though nice, he had to spend four whole months here. Eating boring meals and killing time — at some point, it would become torture.
‘I’ll just learn how to waste time well. Time is plentiful anyway…’

He closed his eyes on the bed.
He felt the train start to move from the station.
————
—Imperial Year 816, June 21. Clear weather.
—Event in progress: ‘I’ll go with you for a while!’
————

“……!”
Lancel felt his entire body freeze.
What was happening? Had his ability to waste time truly reached a superhuman level so that four months passed while his eyes were closed?

Impossible.
He held his breath at the next scene that appeared.
———
[Fallen Noblewoman Simulation]

Scheduling the third week of June.
Mon — Find work on the train.
Tue — Find work on the train.

Wed — Find work on the train.
Thu — Find work on the train.
Fri — Find work on the train.

Sat — Rest (train).
Sun — Rest (train).
※105 days left until arrival at Roadness.

※Lack of spending money. Find a part-time job.
———
‘She’s here.’

His hair stood on end.
Merigold. He didn’t know why she was on the train to the islands, only that she definitely existed here.
Thirty years.

Thirty whole years.
The time it took to witness this screen, the time it took to be in the same place as Merigold.
Lancel jumped up reflexively and left the room.

Merigold would now surely have the status of a commoner. She must be in the general carriage.
“Lord Lancel? Do you need something…?”
“Move aside.”
“Ah! Y-yes…”
Pushing away the guards who tried to stop him, Lancel boldly pushed into the train car.

“Lord Lancel, from here it’s not nobles-only…”
“Don’t get in my way.”
Without hesitation, he opened the door to the general carriage.