HLM 03

Chapter 3

What was it about that boy?

‘We only met today, yet strangely enough…’

I found myself wanting to draw closer to him.

I cradled the white cardboard box to my chest like a mother bird protecting her nest. Though it was just an inanimate object, it felt almost alive against my hands, beating with a sweet heart made of chocolate tart.

Bill, our carriage driver, had perceptibly slowed the horses to a gentle trot the moment he noticed me carefully clutching the box. Smiling at his silent consideration, I spoke up.

“Did you wait long, Bill? Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it, My Lady. It is merely my duty. Though, it seems you had quite an enjoyable day. The smile hasn’t left your face since you climbed aboard.”

Bill met my gaze through the small carriage mirror, his eyes crinkling with a mixture of fondness and gentle curiosity. Since we weren’t quite at the stage of casually sharing personal stories, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words.

He was right, though. Why was I in such a good mood?

I had only truly seen that boy for the first time today. In the week since I transferred, he had been practically invisible in the classroom. If Mr. Schuler hadn’t called on him to answer today, or if I had actually managed to guess the right answer on my own… I would never have grown this close to Martin.

“It was fun. I made a friend today.”

At my brief, honest admission, Bill’s eyebrows rose slightly before his smile widened.

“Hearing that brightens my own day, My Lady. Truth be told… the staff at the estate have been terribly worried about you. This is the first time you’ve been separated from His Excellency for so long, after all…”

Perhaps realizing he had overstepped, Bill offered a sheepish smile and quickly redirected his focus to the road ahead.

‘That makes sense.’

If I were the real Lindsay, I probably would have been miserable. Having lost her mother, the original Lindsay couldn’t bear the thought of being apart from her father. He was her entire world, the only family she had, and the sole person who indulged her every whim.

‘Maybe that’s why the Marquis practically fell backward in shock when I so readily agreed to attend the academy.’

I wasn’t entirely sure how the original Lindsay had behaved prior to my arrival, but my overnight transformation had prompted the Marquis to summon an entire team of physicians, convinced I had fallen gravely ill. From my perspective, rather than enduring the constant, suspicious scrutiny of a father who had known his daughter her entire life, it seemed far safer to retreat to the academy and establish my independence.

‘Besides, it’ll be much easier to claim that the academy experiences simply matured my personality when I see him next.’

Perhaps because I was overthinking things, a dull ache began to throb at my temples. Looking to clear my head, I rolled down the carriage window, allowing the warm evening breeze to comfortably fill the cabin. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, I watched the darkening sky, the passing silhouettes of trees, and the evening crowds drifting by. Before I knew it, the grand estate of the Rietberg Marquisate loomed in the distance.

“We have arrived, My Lady.”

“Thank you for your hard work today, Bill. Oh, and I believe I’ll be returning around this time about three days a week from now on. I have a partner project for my math assessments.”

“Is that so? Then, if you simply inform me of those days in advance, I will ensure the carriage is waiting for you.”

I offered Bill a cheerful wave, telling him to get some good rest. Just then, a tall silhouette approached the carriage from the twilight outside, and the door was smoothly pulled open.

“My word, My Lady. I was terribly worried something untoward had happened. You have never returned this late before.”

“Lucas! I’m so sorry. The project was only just assigned today, so I had no way to send word.”

“I did not say it to extract an apology from you, My Lady. I am simply relieved you are safe.”

Lucas gazed down at me with deeply sincere, almost maternal eyes. Honestly… just what kind of strict instructions had the Marquis left with his staff? Every single servant in this estate treated me like I was made of fragile glass.

“I’ll likely be returning late two or three times a week from now on. Mr. Schuler assigned us a joint math project that will run until the end of the semester.”

“Oh! That is wonderful news. And what kind of person is the young lady you partnered with? Do your personalities mesh well? I certainly hope she isn’t too demanding.”

I stared blankly at Lucas as he rubbed his smooth jawline, a look of serious contemplation on his face.

“…What are you talking about, Lucas?”

“Pardon?”

At my deadpan question, Lucas blinked, his eyes widening in confusion.

“Why do you assume my partner is a lady? I’m paired up with a boy. And we get along just fine. He’s incredibly sweet, actually—he’s so accommodating that I feel like he’s just matching my pace. So, I’m going to make an effort to get to know him better.”

With a casual shrug, I strolled past him and headed into the estate. Left standing by the carriage, Lucas could only stare after me in stunned, open-mouthed silence.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”

I had been ruthlessly interrogated through the entirety of dinner. I usually preferred to take my evening meals alone unless there was pressing estate business, but for some unfathomable reason, Lucas had decided to hound me with endless, probing questions about Martin. My head was still throbbing.

“Hehe, but the rest of the night is finally my time! I even dismissed the maids early…”

My eyes immediately zeroed in on the warm glass of milk and the chocolate tart resting on the left side of my desk. Thankfully, I had instructed the kitchen staff beforehand to prepare this specific dessert for me tonight.

“Ha, this really brings back memories of my past life. Sneaking out to buy snacks before evening self-study sessions and sharing them with my classmates…”

It was true. Being stuck at school until late into the night had been tedious, but it had its own undeniable charm. Two weeks before midterms, we would sign up for late-night study hall, feeling the absolute thrill of passing notes behind the proctor’s back. Whenever we got too drowsy, my friends and I would drag ourselves to the standing desks in the back of the room to work through our problem sets.

As the memories flooded in, a bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of my mouth before crumbling.

“Ah, what is wrong with me? I’m being ridiculous.”

I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes. Those days were so fun. How did I end up here, all alone in a world I don’t belong to?

Roughly scrubbing away a stray tear with my sleeve, I forced my gaze down to the neatly stacked math worksheets on my desk.

“…Still, ending up in this world wasn’t entirely a bad thing.”

For one, I finally had a father—something I’d sorely lacked in my previous life. It was the first time I had ever been on the receiving end of such profound, unconditional parental love. It felt awkward, terrifying even, but underneath it all, I fiercely envied the original Lindsay. I could sympathize with the agonizing grief of losing a mother a thousand times over, but with a father who loved me this unconditionally standing behind me, I felt invincible. It was the kind of blind, overwhelming affection that made it feel as though I could conquer any fear life threw my way.

“And…”

I traced my gaze over the neat handwriting filling the margins of the worksheet. Unlike my own wobbly script, which fluctuated between horribly thick and painfully thin as I struggled to master the fountain pen, his handwriting was meticulously consistent and elegant.

“…I think I’ve managed to make a rather lovely friend, too.”

It was all a matter of perspective. If I chose to embrace the good, life would be good. If I wallowed in the negative, it would become an endless abyss.

“Since I have no way back, and I have to live out this life anyway, I might as well give it my absolute best, right?”

Giving my cheeks a light, grounding slap to solidify my resolve, I pulled the silver dessert tray closer to me.

“Though, before all that hard work begins, a little mood booster is definitely in order.”

I stared affectionately at the chocolate tart, trusting it to melt away the last of my melancholy. Wafting an irresistibly rich, sweet aroma, it was entirely devoid of flashy garnishes—just a simple, honest tart bursting with a dense chocolate filling.

“…Goodness. I know his chef baked this, but it’s practically his twin.”

I playfully prodded the beautifully baked, golden-brown crust with the tines of my fork. It looked firm and unyielding on the outside, yet underneath the delicate ridges, it instantly gave way, leaving soft, faint indentations behind.

It was exactly like Martin. When he had rigidly avoided my gaze and feigned ignorance, he had seemed completely unapproachable. But the moment I managed to slip past those defenses, he had proven to be unbelievably soft and sweet.

Slicing off a generous piece, I popped it into my mouth.

Ah, perfection.

The decadent chocolate instantly melted over my tongue, perfectly balanced by the buttery, crumbly crust that kept the sweetness from becoming cloying.

“I thought you were just being modest. Your family’s chef really is a master at this, Martin.”

I couldn’t stop my fork from returning for another bite. And with every bite, I couldn’t help but picture the flushed, earnest face of the boy who had so hesitantly offered it to me.

After polishing off every last crumb of the tart in a single sitting, I calmly uncapped my fountain pen and set to work on my math problems.

I needed to finish this quickly so I could go to sleep.

‘Because once I fall asleep, tomorrow will come that much faster.’

And tomorrow meant I would get to talk to him again.