Thief Marigold

5.

“Director Rogi, who stole my money, come out.”

Lancel Dante stormed into the theater where they were preparing for a play.

The nobles who had arrived early didn’t even pay him any attention, engrossed in their romantic affairs.

Using the indifference of the crowd as a shield, Lancel fearlessly climbed onto the stage platform.

Pulling back the curtain, he discovered a familiar face.

“Director Rogi.”

“…Who are you?”

“A noble who got ripped off, who else would I be?”

Lancel’s foot connected with the director.

“Ugh!”

“Let’s get some hitting in first.”

“Why, why, why are you doing this! Ack!”

“I don’t like the way you look, that’s why.”

“That’s no reason…!”

The theater actors scattered, screaming.

“Lancel Dante, please!”

The merciless violence continued until the Thieves’ Guild Master, who had belatedly rushed over, stopped him.

“Lancel Dante, calm down, calm down!”

.

.

.

“Why did you do that, Lancel Dante?”

“I didn’t know he had someone backing him.”

“You wouldn’t listen when I tried to stop you.”

Lancel and the Thieves’ Guild Master were heading up to the second floor of the theater.

Ahead of them, Director Rogi, his face swollen, led the way.

“Mrs. Ox… may I come in for a moment?”

“Rogi? Come in.”

The second-floor private room of the theater, where court nobles stayed.

As they entered, a middle-aged woman called Mrs. Ox frowned deeply.

“What’s wrong? What happened to make your face look like a badly baked whole wheat bread? I’m losing my appetite.”

“Mrs. Ox.”

Lancel pushed Rogi aside and strode forward.

“A noblewoman backing a lowlife who deals in people? Am I understanding this correctly?”

“La, Lancel Dante.”

The Thieves’ Guild Master hurriedly tried to stop him. Lancel brushed off her restraint.

“You shouldn’t be trading in children who want to become theater actors, Mrs. Ox. Maintain your dignity as a noble of the Imperial Capital.”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding, young knight.”

Mrs. Ox looked at Lancel with an intrigued expression.

“Finding good people for children who want to pursue art is not dealing in people. It’s actually necessary for them. I haven’t seen a single one regret it.”

“That’s what you call dealing in people, Mrs. Ox.”

“Hoo-hoo-hoo, it’s disappointing to call the last resort I provide for children who want to pursue art that have nowhere else to go that. Would you like me to take a few and raise them for you, young knight?”

“I have no interest.”

“Or is there something you want from me?”

“…This guy swiped the sponsorship money I gave him. A considerable sum… about 10 Gold coins.”

He just named a high price.

Mrs. Ox’s eyes narrowed.

“Is that true, Rogi?”

“No! That’s not true, Mrs. Ox! That never happened…!”

“Mrs. Ox, may I cut off this man’s head right here and now? May I, in the name of chivalry, separate the body from the head of this man who dares to lie in front of the Duchess?”

“I think it would make the floor dirty, so refrain from that, young knight.”

Mrs. Ox seemed intrigued.

“What’s your name?”

“Lancel Dante.”

“I see. From the Viscount Dante family. The Viscount was a fiery and wonderful man, just like you. Although he had no taste in women.”

She rested her chin on her hand and smiled.

“Do you know that there are thirty theater troupes that can perform in the theater? And that every year, the eight troupes with the lowest performance are kicked out? Lancel Dante.”

Every noble in the Imperial Capital knew that fact.

“I’m listening.”

Lancel leaned back, wondering why she was suddenly telling him this.

“Our troupe is scheduled to be kicked out of the Rodniss Central Theater next year. Then all the children we have now will be wandering the streets, right? I have no intention of taking care of them.”

“…So you’re saying that instead of sending them to the streets, you’re selling them as mistresses to nobles.”

“Why? I think I’m doing a good thing?”

“That’s a violation of Imperial Law, Mrs. Ox.”

“We don’t need stuffy talk here, Lancel Dante. Those children need support to continue their art, right?”

Lancel let out a hollow laugh.

If all the nobles who took the theater children as mistresses were good people, it would be a plausible story.

He might have been fooled if he didn’t know the average quality of the nobles who bought people.

“Well, it would be different if someone appeared before me to take over the entire troupe.”

“I see. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Would you take it over?”

Mrs. Ox immediately stopped Lancel, who was about to turn around.

“There are many women in the court who are raising theater troupes these days.”

“…”

“But those bitches have been getting on my nerves lately. Saying that I’m going to be kicked out of the theater, that my family isn’t suitable for pursuing art.”

“Well, the Ox family isn’t a traditional noble family, but a barbarian…”

“Lancel Dante.”

The Thieves’ Guild Master pinched his waist urgently.

“…They are a family famous for war, so it’s understandable that they would hear such things.”

The Duchess covered her mouth with a fan. Her exposed eyes stared intensely at Lancel.

“I want to crush those sluts’ noses somehow… and I have a feeling you’d be good for it. I’ll give you all the management rights of the troupe, would you like to try it?”

As expected of the Duchess, her choice of words was quite sophisticated.

“My gut tells me that you’ll be different from Rogi. What do you say?”

Lancel bowed without saying anything and turned around.

“Come back anytime if you change your mind, Lancel Dante.”

Marigold wasn’t at the theater.

He could only hear the news that a patron had already appeared and she had left the troupe.

‘Ah.’

As soon as Lancel heard that story, he quickened his pace.

Because if it was a patron who had appeared for Marigold.

There was only one person it could be.

.

.

.

“Benefactor?”

When he returned to the mansion, Marigold was waiting for him.

Marigold was wearing a thick cloak and carrying a large bag.

Butterfly ornaments were attached around her pigtails.

“Mary.”

The anxiety that had been hanging over her face was instantly replaced by a bright smile.

“It was you, Benefactor?!”

“…Let’s go inside first.”

6.

Marigold, whose ears had turned red from waiting in the cold, immediately began to bury her face in the food that was served.

Lancel asked the girl, who was gobbling down the hot soup and bread.

“Hap! Haap! Yum yum.”

Had she been starving for days?

“Mary, what did you hear when you came here?”

She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth.

“Well, I heard that there was a noble who would sponsor me as a theater actress. They told me to go and listen to what that person said… but I never dreamed it would be you, Benefactor…!”

“…”

So that’s what it was.

Anyway, it was fortunate that Lancel Dante was the first to appear for Marigold.

“I was worried about what to do if they were scary, but I guess I’m lucky after all, hehe!”

“Don’t be so sure. I might be a scary person, you know?”

“That’s impossible.”

Marigold’s smile flew towards him.

It was a smile without a trace of doubt.

“Lancel Dante is a good person. We’re destined to be together.”

Yes.

If it was destiny, it was destiny.

A destiny that was very deeply intertwined.

“Benefactor, are we family now?”

“…Is that how it works?”

“The director said that you would be the person who will become family in the future… is that not the case?”

The family that the director was talking about was the family as a ‘mistress’.

But there was no way that Marigold, who was only fifteen years old, would know that.

“Let’s just say we’re family.”

“Family! Family with Lancel Dante…”

Marigold’s face lit up.

“I’ll stop stealing now, and I’ll live a good life so that Lancel Dante won’t be ashamed of me. Just you wait. I’ll become the lead actress of the troupe!”

“Ah, about that.”

What should he say?

Lancel met Marigold’s eyes and said.

“Your troupe is bankrupt.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re fired too.”

“…Pardon?”

Her soul seemed to leave her face.

“Bankrupt, you say? The troupe…?”

“No performance. No people. No money. I heard that the money is dried up and it’s going to go bankrupt soon. Too bad, Mary.”

“Then I’m… now… if I’m not a theater actress… what should I say…”

“If you had to say something, wouldn’t you just be a petty thief?”

Just a petty thief, Marigold.

That was the only thing that could define her now that she had been fired from the theater troupe.

Chicken poop-like tears fell from Marigold’s eyes.

“My dream…”

“…Are you crying that much?”

“My dream… my dream…”

It was then that he was about to offer some shallow comfort.

==========

[Game Guide]

-The list of obtainable endings has been updated!

1-1. Thief Master Marigold. -A Rank-

1-2. Prima Donna of the Theater Marigold. -A Rank-

1-3. Young Noble, Lancel Dante’s Mistress Marigold.

※There is a multi-ending bonus. Bonus points are applied to achievements from 2x to 3x.

==========

Lancel’s eyes widened.

‘Multi-ending!’

It was a strange phenomenon where after seeing one ending card, another ending card suddenly appeared.

As expected of the game his sister made, it was a bug at first, but later they pushed it with the shamelessness of ‘it was intentional?’ system.

Come to think of it, that was right.

The combination of Thief Master and Prima Donna, there was no reason why he couldn’t do it. He just had to work hard on either side, right?

‘Even the achievement bonus is two to three times?’

Lancel’s heart skipped a beat.

Achievement points, weren’t they absolutely necessary to summon ‘Regressor Marigold’?

There was still a lot that he hadn’t finished in the previous playthrough. He had to somehow bring her back in front of him.

Multi-ending.

Should he give it a try?

“Mary!”

“…Yes…”

Lancel grabbed Marigold’s slumped shoulders.

“Don’t cry, Mary. I’ll make your dream come true. The dream of becoming the Prima Donna of the theater!”

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.

.

The Rogi Theater’s dormitory, which he visited the next day, was empty. It was practically already disbanded.

“No people, no props, no money, no future.”

Lancel, who was worried, looked at Marigold.

“Mary.”

“Yes, Lancel Dante.”

Now there was only one way.

“Let’s steal.”