Succession Round 1, Behind the Scenes with Ransel. (5)

11.

“What is this?”

Lancel stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him.

“Not too late, whew.”

“See here! Is the food not ready yet? I skipped a meal rushing here and I’m famished.”

“Oh my, where do you think you’re touching, you lecher?”

“I didn’t touch you! You’re grabbing the wrong person!”

“Excuse me, there’s no place to park the carriage, could you tell me where I should go…?”

Baron Ibil Shen’s mansion, filled with masked nobles and wealthy merchants, was before his eyes.

Even at this moment, lavish carriages were constantly entering the mansion’s entrance, filling the interior and gardens to the brim.

Roughly estimated, there were hundreds of people, and if you included their families and servants, it easily exceeded a thousand.

‘…This is a secret organization?’

Lancel let out a hollow laugh.

This wasn’t a secret organization.

This was…

“Wow, what kind of social club is this that so many people are coming? It’s the first time I’ve ever had this many guests at my mansion.”

Baron Ibil Shen’s mouth was practically splitting his face. He was holding a large social party at his mansion, and his spirit, which had only been called nouveau riche, was soaring at once.

In fact, even now, Lancel had no idea what Darkhood was, but he knew one thing for sure.

This wasn’t a secret organization. From what he could see, it was just a ‘social club,’ as Baron Ibil Shen said. A faction that every imperial family and court had. A gathering. That kind of feeling.

“Where is Mary running off to when we’re so busy?”

“If I catch her, I’ll make her clean for another month, I swear.”

The maids were looking for Marigold in the midst of their busyness.

Lancel had already spotted her nearby.

“Hello, sir.”

Well-braided golden hair, a red party dress, and a white mask covering her eyes and nose.

It was Marigold.

“It seems like you’re new to the gathering, would you like me to escort you if you don’t mind?”

Before Lancel could answer, Marigold linked arms with him and stuck close. She pressed her whole body tightly against him, as if afraid of losing him.

She seemed to already know that he was Lancel.

Even with a mask on, it was hard not to recognize such a familiar silhouette.

But she didn’t seem to realize that her own identity had been exposed.

“Hehehe.”

Marigold. Just because she’s wearing a mask, she’s being so blatant.

“We’re close.”

“What’s wrong with that? This is normal. Everyone else is doing this, right?”

That was clearly not the case.

“Would you like to have one of these? Here, say ah. I’ll feed it to you specially. Come on, say ah. Aaaah-ooops!”

Lancel pushed a cookie into Marigold’s mouth as she tried to feed him a canapé. She started coughing unsightly, “Kehek, kek!” as if it was stuck in her throat.

“Hic.”

Marigold, who swallowed it quickly while mumbling, opened her mouth again.

“I was going to feed it to you…”

“The party is really grand.”

“Isn’t it?!”

Marigold’s expression brightened rapidly.

She looked somehow smug.

“How is it? Our Darkhood gathering. Amazing, right? Fantastic, right? I don’t know who made it, but it’s incredible, right?”

“…To be honest, I didn’t expect there to be this many people.”

“Hehehe, right? I was surprised too! It feels like there are ten times more people than last time.”

“Ten times?”

“Yes!”

“You didn’t know it had increased tenfold…?”

“Yes?”

Lancel’s question implied, ‘Isn’t this the world you created?’

“I remember it being around thirty people when I last saw it. But today, it’s grown so much?”

“……?”

He glanced at the party host. It was crowded with people.

“There must be hundreds of people here at least, are you sure it was thirty?”

“Yes. Thirty people? Thirty-one people? I definitely remember it being around that number. It’s a secret organization, after all.”

“…You seem to have been there from quite early on?”

“Yesss?”

Marigold made a loud noise and quickly covered her mouth.

“Ah! No! It’s not like that, just rumors! Yes! I heard it through rumors!”

“A secret organization that has rumors circulating…”

“Ah, ahhh! Not rumors, but what should I say, that, that, thaaaat…”

She was racking her brain.

She couldn’t seem to think of a suitable excuse.

In the end, Lancel, unable to watch any longer, spoke first.

“If the size of the organization suddenly increased tenfold, there must be a reason. Can you think of anything?”

“Hmm… If you brought a noble as a referral, they would give you a small share of the guild. Ah, not me! The head of this organization! Lemon Verbena! You know, that magician who always appears as a raven? Yes!”

“Is it a pyramid scheme?”

“Yes?”

Marigold’s face was blank.

Honestly, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

‘Right. There’s no way she could have built this huge social club with her own abilities.’

It wasn’t a size that could be achieved just by earning some money or using some Black Magic.

She clearly didn’t know that the auto-hunt she had left running while lazing around at home would grow this big.

‘But still, Lemon Verbena is definitely the leader, right?’

Lancel was slightly thrilled.

No matter what the reason, the important thing was that Marigold was now the owner of this huge social club. The party today was held at her will.

Moreover, among the participants…

==========

—Encounter Event! You have met ‘Third Prince Yuri Langris Phrygia.’

—Encounter Event! You have met ‘Second Prince Arwen Louis Phrygia.’

==========

‘Two Princes.’

Lancel easily found them.

How could he not when nobles were gathered around them? From the start, they didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding.

“What a pity. It seems like Darkhood is already past its prime. Commoners are coming into the party? It’s always like this when I try to have some fun.”

Second Prince Arwen trimmed his nails and glanced sideways.

Third Prince’s lips twisted into a sneer.

“I came to see the face of the person who was obsessed with coral and wandered around day and night. As expected, it’s just as I expected. My sister won’t let this go.”

Second Prince and Third Prince. Two people who were famous for having a bad relationship among the imperial family.

Tension was spreading like thin ice around the two, who were constantly clashing.

“Who are those people who keep fighting? They’re ruining the atmosphere I worked so hard to create.”

Marigold whispered in his ear.

Lancel was momentarily speechless.

‘You don’t even know who those two are?’

Marigold.

No, Lemon Verbena.

How did you even create this social club?

“Brothers are usually not on good terms.”

Lancel replied calmly.

“Lan… You have siblings too, don’t you?”

She had no intention of hiding her identity, Marigold. Information that only a regressor would know was pouring out.

“…I do. Three of them in the Imperial Knights. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them because they’re far away.”

“So you’re the youngest?”

“I am the youngest, but.”

Lancel shook his head for a moment, thinking of his three brothers.

“I think I matured earlier.”

“Is that so?”

Marigold didn’t seem interested in Lancel’s answer. It seemed that her only purpose was to stick close to him under the guise of anonymity.

“Hehehe, heehee.”

“…You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Just because.”

“…….”

His arm was getting sweaty.

‘You didn’t call me here just for this, did you?’

Even as Lancel chuckled, the argument between the two Princes continued.

“What a pathetic excuse. Just be honest. ‘I’m just a younger brother who’s only left with inferiority and follows his older brother around,’ say it.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about. Inferiority? Are there younger brothers who feel inferior to their less capable older brothers?”

“What else should I call it? The feeling a younger brother has who has never beaten his older brother.”

Third Prince’s eyes sharpened.

“Don’t fabricate, brother. Who said I’ve never won?”

“It’s the truth.”

“…If that’s the case, it might be good to settle it here and now. I’ll show you that I can win.”

“Are you trying to ruin the party atmosphere?”

“Who ruined the atmosphere first?”

Second Prince Arwen smiled and stood up from his seat.

“Interesting.”

His lips formed a curve, but his eyes were coldly frozen.

“Then let’s do this. If I lose, I’ll gladly kneel before you and apologize as an incompetent older brother. Conversely, if you lose…”

“Alright. What do you want to do?”

Third Prince Yuri also stood up.

“I’m fine with anything.”

“Anything… then.”

Second Prince, who was contemplating, had a good idea and looked around before opening his mouth.

“Lemon Verbena!”

“Hic!”

Marigold’s shoulders flinched.

“Lemon Verbena, who is watching somewhere in this mansion, I’ll pass the choice to you. How about it? You don’t have any complaints, do you?”

“Alright. As the host of the gathering, you have that much qualification.”

“Did you hear that? Lemon Verbena.”

Marigold’s gaze was constantly shaking. Her expression was momentarily stiff as the ball was suddenly passed to her.

“Please come out and decide!”

It was the moment when everyone’s atmosphere was directed towards Lemon Verbena, who was hiding somewhere in this place.

12.

“Hic…”

Lancel looked at Marigold, who was clinging to him. Cold sweat was beading on her trembling forehead.

She was being cocky, she should have known this would happen.

“I already know you’re here. Decide on something. Come on, don’t run away.”

What are you going to do, Marigold?

“Isn’t it ready yet? Come out quickly.”

Thump.

Thump.

Marigold’s pounding heartbeat could be heard right next to him.

‘It seems like I just need to throw her a toy.’

Lancel, who was thinking that, suddenly remembered something. He continued to speak in a voice that only Marigold could hear.

“If.”

“……?”

“If I were Lemon Verbena, I would do something like this. For example…”

It was at that moment that Marigold’s wandering mind snapped back.

“Why are you hesitating so much?”

It was then that Second Prince’s voice flowed out once again.

-Swoosh!

A murmur spread.

In the center of the party hall, a large raven with its wings spread wide appeared.

“Caw!”

“Oh, it’s out.”

“Lemon Verbena’s raven!”

The raven’s beak slowly opened.

A distorted voice began to resonate through it.

“If you really want me to, I’ll decide for you!”

Marigold, who had quietly closed her eyes, was visible. She had summoned her Familiar and connected all her senses to it.

“At the upcoming Imperial Ball, the man who receives my proposal will win.”

“…….”

“…….”

A shocking statement.

“Of course, it’s your choice whether or not to accept.”

“…Do… Do you know who you are that we…”

“I’ll reveal a hint about who I am once a month. Please find me and make me want to do that. That’s all.”

The faces of the two Princes were simultaneously dumbfounded.

The raven’s form scattered into the shadows and disappeared.

No one moved. Not even a breath could be heard.

“Whew.”

Marigold, who opened her eyes again, could only let out a sigh of relief with her face flushed red.

‘You really did it, Marigold…’

Affairs of the heart.

Ball.

Romance.

All of that was an element that the nobles of the Imperial Capital in this romance fantasy were crazy about.

The atmosphere of the party hall was slowly stirring, and it could be felt on the skin.

‘So, you’re going to make the Princes… have a public love affair…?’

‘The Prince who finds Lemon Verbena and gets a proposal wins? Am I understanding this correctly?’

‘Who the hell is Lemon Verbena in the first place? No, is she even a woman? She’s not a man, is she?’

The Princes couldn’t back down.

They didn’t want to be considered defeated for being the first to say they wouldn’t do it in a bet that had already started.

The bet between Second Prince and Third Prince soon became a rumor and spread throughout the Imperial Capital.

13.

—It seems like things have gotten too big. I would like to ask for advice on what to do.

—P.S. As an aside, I have already decided on the person I will propose to at the Imperial Ball. So, I think Lancel can rest assured.

—From Lemon Verbena.

This was the content of the letter that arrived from Marigold a week later.

‘What is she telling me to rest assured about?’

Lancel didn’t think that Marigold’s reaction was too unexpected.

It was understandable that she was anxious.

Since the end of the party, the air in the Imperial Capital had been flowing in a very strange way.

The cause was the imperial family.

==========

—Special Event! The competition of the imperial family towards Marigold’s alias, Lemon Verbena, has officially begun! Hmm… Is this really a love fight?

-Second Prince ‘Arwen Louis Phrygia.’

-Third Prince ‘Yuri Langris Phrygia.’

-Fourth Prince ‘Cerild Olivia Phrygia.’

-Sixth Prince ‘Karin Craig Phrygia.’

-Seventh Prince ‘Molly Comet Phrygia.’

-Second Princess ‘Sena Po Phrygia.’

-Third Princess ‘Claria Arild Phrygia.’

-Fourth Princess ‘Artena Set Phrygia.’

A total of 8 members of the imperial family are looking for Lemon Verbena (Marigold).

※The time remaining until the hint about the identity of Lemon Verbena (Marigold) is revealed is 15 hours and 35 minutes.

==========

‘What the hell is going on?’

Marigold was sitting still and had become an existence that controlled the Imperial Capital and the imperial family.

Yes.

Without even knowing it herself.