It’s More Fun.

1.

“How is it?”

“So-so.”

That day.

As he replied tersely to Noona’s question, his mind was actually swirling with quite a few doubts.

Fallen Noble Lady Simulation was, on the surface, an ordinary romance fantasy life simulation, but it had a very peculiar system.

“Is it always this random?”

“Why? Is it weird?”

“…Isn’t it a bit strange, logically, that there aren’t any fixed events?”

“Maybe.”

“The Harvest Festival happens some years and not others? The Swordsmanship Tournament is supposed to be every five years, so why didn’t it happen? And the traitor just suddenly popped out of nowhere without any warning.”

“That’s what makes it fun. Unexpectedness, variables.”

Everything was random.

A plot with nothing set in stone.

“I’m genuinely asking because I don’t know, but what’s with the Demon King? How can there be a Demon King in this kind of setting?”

“There has to be! Demon King, because it’s cool.”

“What does he do?”

“Something like… a being of darkness.”

“……”

Every reason was simplistic.

“Unexpected characters, unexpected fun, unexpected encounters, unexpected developments, unexpected endings! How great is that?”

“…It’s certainly unexpected.”

It was an unexpected game in many ways.

He didn’t particularly want to point out the bizarre mix of medieval and modern settings.

Well, it wasn’t a game that needed to adhere to historical accuracy.

The fact that the Imperial Capital alone somehow had over a million citizens was now part of the Great Euphoria Mountain range, so he lightly brushed it aside.

The fact that small and large wars were constantly breaking out all over the continent, and that Demon beasts and bandits would attack as soon as you stepped outside the city.

The fact that the Imperial Capital was overflowing with traitors, criminal organizations, mercenaries, and swindlers. And the fact that parties and festivals never ceased at the Imperial Palace despite all that.

It was all possible because it was a game.

His only question was:

‘When is this protagonist ever going to be happy?’

Even after looking through the ending list called the Album of Memories, every single ending seemed bitter in some way. At least, that’s how it seemed to him.

Even if she married a prince, it often ended with an implication of disaster.

“That’s more fun, isn’t it?”

More fun?

“Hmm.”

2.

‘Let’s go to the Imperial Capital.’

Come to think of it, he had many opportunities to go to the Imperial Capital in past playthroughs as well.

First of all, the academy, the largest educational institution on the continent, was located in the Imperial Capital.

It was also natural that most of the large and small events in high society took place in Rodniss.

Any knight who had made a name for himself would head to Rodniss under the pretext of the Swordsmanship Tournament in the Imperial Capital… to meet the noble ladies gathered there, so it wasn’t as if Lancel hadn’t received their invitations. In fact, it would be more accurate to say he was practically bombarded with them.

So why was he stuck in the countryside?

Conversely, what reason was there to go?

Even when the entire continent praised Lancel and erected statues of him in the past, he still lived and died on the battlefield.

Moreover, he had little interest in festivals, high society, Swordsmanship Tournaments, or romances with noble ladies. His desire for success or marriage wasn’t particularly strong either.

In the past hundred years, the total time he had spent in relationships was, at most, about five years? He had never even considered marriage.

In his third playthrough, when he had achieved the highest fame as a knight, Lancel had even rejected the Imperial Princess’s advances. To add, his masculine functions were perfectly normal, contrary to the rumors that were circulating at the time.

‘But now I have to go to the Imperial Capital.’

He knew the secret of this world.

He finally had a reason to go to the Imperial Capital.

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Lancel Dante! What, did you bite a bug? You’ve got an uncharacteristically serious face.”

“Father. Now that I’m an adult, I’ll go up to the Imperial Capital.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Your skills aren’t good enough to play around in the Imperial Capital. I can’t allow you to tarnish the reputation of the Dante Family, which has a long history.”

“Then that’s perfect. Come outside with your sword. This son will teach you a thing or two.”

“Heh heh. Interesting. I’ll personally confirm that the blood in your head hasn’t dried yet. Once the hot stuff drains out, you’ll understand your place.”

After exactly three exchanges of swords, the Dante Family Head was flattened like a frog.

“I’ll go to the Imperial Capital.”

“I’ll write you a letter. There’s someone who will provide you with a place to stay.”

The next day, Lancel immediately boarded a carriage headed for the Imperial Capital. Only simple travel expenses and three servants accompanied him.

After a long journey of over a month, when he crossed the walls of Rodniss.

“……?”

Nothing appeared before his eyes.

“You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you, Lancel. Please, think of this place as your hometown, your home.”

“I’ll think of you as my father as well, Lord Ibil Shen.”

“That’s good. The Dante Baron raised a son well, I must say.”

“So well that he’s lying in bed right now.”

“Please refrain from that.”

A middle-aged man with a well-fed, glossy face and black hair clasped his hands.

His name was Ibil Shen, Baron, who seemed to be the epitome of a wealthy Imperial Capital aristocrat.

Although he was a baron, his position in the Imperial Capital was practically that of a merchant. In the world, he was whispered to be ‘the most successful stable keeper.’

He bought good-quality horses, spruced them up, and sold them to aristocrats, actually acting as a huge stable keeper.

For the extravagant aristocrats of the Imperial Capital, well-raised horses were like luxury goods. Evil Shen, Baron, was a newly emerged aristocrat who had made a lot of money by exploiting their desires.

“Money is good, indeed.”

“Isn’t it? Even if I’m called a stable keeper, I have such a splendid house, how can I not smile?”

“Indeed. I’d like to apologize now for the prejudices I had before coming here.”

“I’d like to hear what those prejudices were.”

“I’ll just say that they’re inappropriate to bring up on a good day like this.”

“The Dante Baron certainly raised a son well.”

“I hear that often.”

Lord Ibil, Baron, who had given him the entire top floor of the three-story mansion, soon disappeared in a busy stride.

Lancel decided to slightly elevate his status from a country bumpkin smelling of horse manure to a wealthy and convenient miser.

3.

A month.

Lancel had spent almost a month in the Imperial Capital like a loafer since his arrival.

When he was hungry, he would call a servant to prepare a meal, and when he was bored, he would wander around the Imperial Capital to pass the time.

After all, one of the good things about being a guest was that the host was a diligent miser. Since he was always away from home, there was less need to be mindful.

However, the servants of the Shen Family, who had always thought it was natural for aristocrats to live busy lives, seemed to regard Lancel as a slightly strange person.

“He has nothing to do. Even though he’s an aristocrat.”

“I heard he slept in bed for two days straight.”

“He’s a knight, but I haven’t seen him training. What is he?”

Lancel, who had heard all those voices from afar, simply chuckled.

‘You guys should try living for over 100 years. You’ll master the ability to kill time like no other.’

Of course, Lancel wasn’t doing this because he wanted to.

‘Why isn’t it showing up?’

Fallen Noble Lady Simulation.

No matter how much he searched for it in the Imperial Capital for the past month, there was no trace of it.

Even if he deliberately looked into every nook and cranny, all he could see was the bustling scenery of the Imperial Capital.

“How long do I have to wait?”

Two months.

Three months.

Four months.

And then a year.

Lancel could only stare blankly at the passing time.

‘When the hell is this damn game going to start? Am I missing something?’

That evening.

Lancel brought up the story to Shen, Baron, who had come home to enjoy a rare dinner.

“Have you perhaps heard of the Marigold Family?”

“……!”

The Marigold Family, Earl. It was the protagonist’s family that appeared in the game.

At the start of the game, it had completely fallen and its glory had disappeared, but it was a family that had prospered enough for any aristocrat to have heard of it.

As soon as Shen, Baron, heard the name, he widened his eyes and looked around.

“Have you heard too?”

“……?”

Lancel blinked at Shen, Baron, who suddenly lowered his voice. His reaction was unexpected.

“That woman who was caught poaching outside the Imperial Capital the other day… it turns out she was a daughter of the Marigold Family.”

Lancel lifted his teacup, trying to hide his agitation.

“You really never know what will happen in this world. It’s absurd that the prestigious Marigold Family was wiped out in an instant… and to think that even the only remaining bloodline would end up like that.”

“So, when is she being released?”

“Released? What are you talking about?”

Shen, Baron, lowered his voice even further.

“Isn’t it long since she was executed by hanging, thinking she was a commoner? Anyway, never bring up this story anywhere else. It’s a disgrace to the aristocracy if rumors spread.”

That’s right.

Poaching was punishable by hanging.

An aristocrat could get away with it, but she was a noble lady from a fallen family. There was no one to vouch for her identity, so no one would believe her even if she claimed to be an aristocrat in prison.

‘Then does that mean the world in this playthrough is a world after the protagonist has disappeared?’

—Unexpected developments, unexpected endings! How great is that.

Like that.

When 10 years had passed.

Lancel was finally able to see the game’s system screen that he had so desperately wanted to see again.

[Playtime 0 years 29 days]

—Marigold has died.

—No marriage partner.

—No achievements.

[Bad Ending 8. Marigold Framed]

—The ending has been added to the ‘Album of Memories’.

—Would you like to restart the game?

“……What the hell…….”