First Inheritance Loop: Lancel Behind the Scenes
‘How the hell is that even possible?’
Lancel couldn’t shake off his bewilderment. Traitors? Those people?
As far as he remembered, the Marygold Count family wasn’t the type to pull off something as bold as rebellion. Even in the occasional flashbacks to Marygold’s childhood in the game, it had been the same. He pictured the endlessly benevolent count and his wife. Did that good-natured family really have the guts to stand up to the imperial family?
If you were asked to imagine a typical happy, prosperous noble household, there was a high chance it would look just like the Marygold Count family.
‘Marygold Count family. Traitors. Ancient archenemies.’
Before long, the carriage arrived in front of the palace.
“Well then, see you tomorrow at the imperial ball, Lancel. Don’t skip out—you’re at that age where you should be thinking about marriage.”
“The Marygold Count family……”
“……?”
“……I heard they vanished during the war. Is there something I don’t know?”
The 2nd Prince, stepping down from the carriage, turned his head. A faint smile played at his lips, barely there.
“It’s because of my father’s humanity. He was the type who even loved the old empire he’d crushed himself.”
The old empire. His sister had named it the Elf Empire, but for some reason, the continent only remembered it as the old empire.
“People get reflective as they age, right? My father must’ve realized his time was coming and didn’t want to end up in hell. After spilling so much blood, who could blame him?”
The 2nd Prince let out a silent chuckle.
“But still…… handing over the empire’s legacy to them? Doesn’t that feel a bit off to you, Lancel?”
“……”
“Anyway, don’t dig too deep. It’s for your own good. I’ve lived long enough to know ignorance is bliss.”
Pat pat.
The 2nd Prince patted Lancel’s shoulder and walked away from the carriage.
……
‘No clue.’
His head throbbed, but Lancel decided not to overthink it. In times like these, simple was best.
‘Just grab her and run.’
Yeah. Right now, only the 2nd Prince knew that “Mary” was “Marygold.” Snatch her up quick and make a break for it. Hide her somewhere safe. Hole up tight and survive the ten-year loop somehow. The continent was vast, plenty of places to stash Marygold, and ten years was too short for the imperial family to chase them down properly.
Lancel immediately turned the carriage toward where Mary was.
The streets were already buzzing with festival energy.
“Pardon? Lady Mary is at the eve-of-the-festival party right now.”
“What?”
Lancel heard the news at the house Mary had set up in the capital.
‘Wandering around at a time like this?’
The maid kept cleaning as she answered him.
“She left in a hurry saying she was going to meet you, Sir Lancel…… Why are you here? Didn’t you summon her?”
“Summon her? Me?”
“Some high-ranking person called for her……”
Bang!
“Eek!”
The maid flinched at the sound of Lancel bolting out. His figure was already vanishing into the distance.
18.
“Hoo, huuuuh.”
“Why do you keep sighing so dramatically?”
Pina’s chattering voice flew into Marygold’s ear as she took deep breaths.
“Ugh, I just can’t calm down.”
Marygold clutched her head inside the carriage. She was fully dressed for the party, heading to the eve-of-the-festival event.
“Wh-what do I even say when I see him? What do I do? Should I ask him to dance first?”
“You’ve seen each other plenty—why are you still awkward? Just be yourself.”
“Parties are different, Pina! This is the real deal!”
“Isn’t it just dancing and snacking?”
“No, it’s not! Hoo, huuuuh!”
Her heart was already pounding.
It had started when the carriage arrived to escort her—There’s someone waiting for you at the eve-of-the-festival party. Allow me to take you there. Her chest had felt floaty ever since.
Under the dark sky, the brightly lit palace ballroom came into view. Marygold felt like she was facing the most nerve-wracking moment of her life.
“We’ve arrived, Lady Mary.”
“Eep!”
Before she could compose herself, they were there.
“I’ll escort you. This way.”
“Y-yes…… yes!”
Marygold shuffled awkwardly toward the ballroom interior.
* * *
“We’ve arrived, Sir Lancel.”
“Thanks.”
“Sir Lancel?”
Lancel leaped from the carriage. The palace ballroom entrance was swarming with well-dressed nobles, blocking his path in their little groups.
“Coming through.”
He bulldozed right between them.
“Kyaa! What’s your problem, you barbarian!”
“Hey, watch where you’re going!”
“No! My glass……”
“Oops, you okay? Hey! Act like a noble, pal!”
Shouts and complaints flew at him nonstop, but he ignored them all. Lancel pushed into the dazzling ballroom interior. Ornate decorations, sparkling chandeliers, soft music, dancers and chit-chatters everywhere.
He scanned the chaotic scene frantically. Soon, a maid appeared before him.
“Do you need something, sir?”
“Seen someone named Mary?”
“Pardon? Mary…… who might that be……?”
“Never mind.”
Lancel brushed past her and plunged deeper into the ballroom.
‘Where the hell did she go?’
Soon, a familiar face popped up.
“Oh! You made it, Sir Lancel!”
It was Baron Ivil Shen, already thoroughly drunk. Lancel grabbed his shoulder hard.
“Mary!”
“Ow! Easy, man—what’s with you?”
“You seen Mary?”
“Mary? You mean the one I know?”
“Mary the baronet.”
“Huh? Nah. Where you off to, Sir Lancel? Hey! Come party a bit……”
Lancel shoved him aside the second he answered. Baron Ivil Shen shot him a hurt, droopy look, but there was no time for complaints.
============
1st Prince Delpi Aaron Phrigia has met Marygold.
※The palace’s blooming rear garden makes Marygold look even more beautiful.
(Poise, Charm, Morality UP!!)
============
‘……!’
Lancel kicked off the floor at the perfectly timed system alert. He shoved through the crowd blocking the way to the palace rear garden and bolted.
The path he left behind was chaos for a while.
The moment he burst outside, he sprinted into the garden. He sped up, crossing endless flower petals.
* * *
“This way, please.”
Marygold had felt an off vibe since arriving at the garden. Armed knights dotted the area here and there, as if encircling her.
Finally, at the destination, she saw only the back of a man in a crisp uniform.
Her unease had hardened into certainty. She knew at a glance it wasn’t Lancel.
“Gone by November.”
Much taller stature. Long hair for a man. Perfect posture without a flaw.
The man brought a folded golden hydrangea to his lips, savoring its scent.
“Blooms again in June.”
The man slowly turned. Marygold stepped back.
An unprecedented terror emanated from him.
“You’re alive, Marygold.”
Her name slithered chillingly into her ear. No mistake. Not “Mary”—Marygold.
“……!”
Marygold kept backing away. She hastily summoned her mana. She had to escape this place. Urgent instinct sharpened her senses.
“……Miss!”
Pina’s protective shout burst out.
“Mary!”
At the familiar voice, Marygold turned. Lancel, sword drawn, filled her vision. Relief flooded her.
“Lancel……!”
Stab!
A cold sensation pierced Marygold’s lung in an instant.
* * *
“Lancel……!”
A silver-white sword burst through Marygold’s chest.
“……sir……?”
‘Ah.’
The regressor Marygold’s first loop met a tragic end.
The scene sank into Lancel’s eyes in excruciating slowness. Blood trickled from Marygold’s mouth. Her legs gave out, and she crumpled.
Behind her, an armored knight withdrew his blade. Cold air, hydrangea scent, faint metallic blood, gazes turning toward Lancel, the 1st Prince’s stoic face.
Every element of the space etched itself onto Lancel’s retinas one by one.
‘Marygold.’
Honestly, even now, he had no idea what Marygold had wanted. What Darkhood’s goal was, what Lemon Verbena even was—he hadn’t seen any of it coming. He’d just instinctively figured, Well, it’s Marygold, so nothing too crazy.
But.
“Lancel Dante. Bad luck. If you’d been a little later, she might’ve survived.”
At the 1st Prince’s voice, Lancel stared silently at the fallen Marygold. She coughed repeatedly, soaked in her flowing blood.
‘Pathetic, Marygold.’
Knight slowly closed in around him. Lancel smacked his lips bitterly.
19.
Marygold opened her eyes in the garden flowerbed. A familiar sensation. She realized she was lying with her head pillowed on someone’s leg.
She slowly raised her gaze to the sky. Familiar eyes met hers. Only then did she notice she was cradled in Lancel’s arms.
“Ehehe.”
“Ha.”
Was her instinctive grin a bit absurd? Lancel let out a hollow laugh.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever seen grinning after taking a sword to the gut.”
“Sword…… did I…… get stabbed?”
“Stabbed right through a vital spot. You’re dying soon.”
“Mm, but…… why doesn’t…… it hurt……?”
“Lucky you.”
“Is that…… luck……?”
“Better than feeling it.”
“……Aha……”
Color drained from her face, dark shadows under her eyes, but a beaming smile lingered on her lips. In a way, she was remarkable.
Compared to his newbie regressor days, Marygold might’ve had ten times his mental fortitude. Or so Lancel thought.
“Feels like laughing, huh?”
“……Anyway…… we’ll…… meet again……”
Marygold smiled weakly as she spoke to him.
“……Next time…… I’ll do…… better……”
“At what?”
“……Just…… anything……”
Marygold’s eyelids slowly closed.
20.
Marygold’s consciousness faded completely. Strength slipped from the hand clasped in Lancel’s.
‘RIP. Marygold’s 1st loop.’
She never became empress. Maybe she never would.
What if they hid her identity thoroughly? Forced her into empress role anyway? Would that have worked? Could they have even married?
Lancel shook his head. It didn’t feel like the answer.
No. He didn’t even want to anymore.
He didn’t want to feed Marygold to those scumbag princes any longer. Nothing good came of it, he knew that now.
Lancel gazed silently at the peacefully closed-eyed Marygold.
“Asleep?”
What was this feeling? Odd.
Lancel realized anew how quiet a world without Marygold was. It had been ages since he’d seen one like that.
The dead Marygold felt strangely unfamiliar. Maybe because he held her corpse himself. Maybe because he felt her slipping away skin to skin.
She seemed like she’d sit up any second and spout more nonsense.
“Hey. Mind if I pinch your cheek?”
Until all warmth fled and she grew ice-cold.
Lancel just held her hand quietly.
Behind the curtain.
Backstage.
The story’s curtain fell.
Lancel alone remained on the stage.
October already. Flowers wilted in winter.
“……Honestly, not even hyped for the 2nd loop……”
He let out a brief chuckle.
And so, ten years passed.
……
3 years, 131 days
—Marygold has died.
—No marriage partner.
—Achievements earned.
▶Socialite Star +50 points.
▷Imperial Most Wanted +50 points.
—Total score: 100 points. (Remaining points for memory inheritance to 2nd loop: 300/1500)
—Loop saved to ‘Save.01’.
—Viewing flashback.
……
‘Young Master Lancel.’
‘What.’
‘Is it really okay for me to just leech off you like this, doing nothing?’
‘……Sometimes life’s like that. Feels like a perpetual vacation, right?’
‘Next time, I want to do better.’
‘Talking like there’s a next life.’
‘What if there is?’
‘Weird, huh.’
‘Then…… if the next life comes, marry me.’
‘Out of nowhere with that.’
‘If there’s a next life, I mean. You could do that much, right?’
‘……I’ll think about it.’
‘Positively?’
‘Yeah. Positively.’
‘It’s a promise.’
……
‘……?’
Lancel blinked at the unfamiliar screen. Just a string of dialogues between a freeloading maid and a moldy noble for an ending…… was it even an ending?
‘Save?’
No idea. Lancel just mulled over what had happened this loop.
-Regressor Marygold.
If she racked up achievement points again and regressed like this, what then?
“Regressor Marygold” would appear before Lancel again. Carrying every memory of dying in his arms intact.
Whether that helped or hindered, he didn’t know yet.
One thing was certain.
‘Screw the princes—let’s just aim for a happy ending, no matter what!’
Yeah. A happy ending. Something bright and hopeful, anyway.
That was all Lancel hoped for now. Believing Marygold’s “true happiness” was the only way to save him from this endless loop.
……
And so.
“Thanks for helping! I heard you’re here to assist me.”
Lancel reunited with a non-regressor Marygold.
“I’m Mary, records officer at the Imperial Central Administrative Bureau.”
[Inheritance 1st Loop. Behind-the-Scenes Lancel - END]
[NEXT - Civil Servant Marygold]