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Chapter 1
“Hey, did you hear? Apparently a prince attends our academy!”
“No way. Why would a prince come to some backwater academy like this?”
“Well, it is an academy managed by the Imperial Family. There’s no reason he couldn’t.”
The intriguing conversation caught my attention, and I instinctively turned to look at the girls walking past.
Noticing my gaze, the two students glanced at me briefly before quickly looking away and lowering their voices.
“Who’s that? I’ve never seen her before.”
“Oh, she’s the new transfer student in Class B-4. You know, from the House of Ritberg!”
The moment she heard the answer, the other girl visibly startled. She ducked her head and hurried off.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
It had already been a week.
A week since the academy students started watching me with curious eyes.
A week since they learned my family name and immediately backed away in fear.
In other words, I had spent an entire week at the academy without making a single friend.
Is the Ritberg Marquisate really that intimidating? Do people seriously avoid me because of it…?
Pouting, I let out a small sigh.
“Is having a father who works beside the Emperor really such a crime? It’s not like I report everything to His Majesty. I’ve never even met the man!”
At this point, it felt like the entire world was collectively trying to ostracize me.
Frustrated, I pushed open the window in front of me and looked out over the academy grounds.
A summer breeze, thick with the scent of lush greenery, rushed inside. The contrast between the cool hallway and the warm sunlight outside felt pleasant against my skin.
Then the bell rang.
Dong. Dong. Dong.
Listening to the rough chime, I quietly made my way back to Lindsey’s classroom.
* * *
“And once you substitute the value you solved for into this magic formula, the result becomes…”
I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
And honestly, how could I?
I had transmigrated.
Into a novel I only vaguely remembered.
At first, I had panicked. I threw tantrums, desperately searched for a way back to my original world, and even ran away from home using the body I had possessed.
But every attempt ended the same way—with Lindsey’s father, the Marquis of Ritberg and now my father, holding me tightly while crying his eyes out.
Eventually, I gave up.
There was no way home.
All I could do was adapt.
Fortunately, Lindsey’s life wasn’t bad.
Lindsey Ritberg, the only daughter of one of the Empire’s most prestigious marquis families, had grown up showered in affection by her father. Aside from not having a mother, she lacked for nothing.
The problem was…
This girl was hopeless.
“Lindsey? Lindsey Ritberg. Could you solve this problem for us?”
The moment Professor Schuler called my name, silence fell over the classroom.
Everyone looked at me.
The students in front.
My deskmate.
Even the students by the windows.
As I stared blankly at the incomprehensible equations on the board, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Right. This is my chance! I need to act confident. I’ll show them that I’m not some difficult girl—I’m charming and self-assured!
Ignoring the suffocating atmosphere, I sprang to my feet.
Then I confidently declared,
“Negative one.”
“Oh dear. That’s incorrect. Please sit down.”
…
How was that possible?
Wasn’t the answer to every difficult math problem either -1, 0, or 1?
Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head and sat back down.
My attempt at showing off had failed spectacularly.
Perhaps sensing my humiliation, Professor Schuler quickly shifted his attention elsewhere.
“Then… Martin. Would you like to answer?”
Hold on.
Why was his voice gentler than when he called on me?
Wasn’t that discrimination?
While I was busy feeling wronged, a soft voice drifted through the classroom.
“Th-The answer… is three.”
The voice was warm, like the summer breeze that had blown through the window earlier.
Except it came in nervous, broken fragments.
I turned toward its source.
The window beside him was slightly open, and the wind ruffled his messy golden hair.
Huh?
Between those tousled strands, I caught sight of a pair of vivid green eyes.
They were stunning.
Like precious emeralds held beneath sunlight.
Completely captivated, I stared at him.
Perhaps he felt my gaze, because he glanced in my direction.
But then—
Wait, what?!
He immediately turned his head away.
What was that?!
Did he just avoid me?
No.
There was no room for doubt.
When I continued staring, he actually turned his entire body away from me.
I sat there, mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Then—
“Pfft.”
A mocking laugh echoed through the room.
“Man, that nerd. Is he seriously still stuttering?”
At someone’s instigation, several students burst into laughter, stealing glances toward the boy.
The classroom instantly grew noisy.
Professor Schuler frowned and struck the blackboard with a pointer.
“Quiet! Quiet down!”
The room gradually settled.
“Honestly… You children. If this is how little compassion you show your classmates, then what hope does the Empire’s future have?”
He looked as though he wanted to say much more.
But in the end, he pressed his lips together and swallowed his words.
There was only so much a teacher could do.
The academy preached equality regardless of status or birth, but subtle discrimination still existed everywhere.
He’ll probably just warn them and leave it at that.
After all, teachers had to consider parents’ influence.
And once students graduated, the academy’s protections disappeared entirely.
As expected, Professor Schuler simply sighed and nodded toward Martin.
“Correct. Very good, Martin. As expected from our top student. It would be wonderful if the rest of you put in even half as much effort.”
After giving the class a pointed look, he smoothly changed the subject.
“Now then, Class B-4 is progressing ahead of schedule, so we’ll stop here for today. Instead, let’s discuss your practical assessment.”
He explained that the assessment would be completed in pairs.
For the remainder of the semester, each pair would solve advanced mathematics assignments together and submit reports explaining their reasoning.
“Three times a week, I’ll hand out a worksheet filled with problems. You and your partner will solve them together, then write a report explaining how you arrived at your answers.”
A girl seated near the far wall raised her hand.
“Can we choose our own partners?”
Professor Schuler considered it briefly before nodding.
“Very well. If you work alongside close friends, difficult problems may become easier to solve.”
He then announced that everyone had until the end of class to find a partner.
Immediately, students began standing up and moving toward their friends.
Laughter and conversation filled the room.
Unfortunately, only two people remained seated.
Me.
And him.
What should I do…?
I remembered how Martin had avoided my gaze earlier.
If he was simply shy, I could approach him.
But if he genuinely disliked me…
I hesitated.
Then I shook my head.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Besides, this assignment required a partner.
And the only students left without one were the two of us.
Professor Schuler must have been worried, because when our eyes met, he silently mouthed:
You can do it, Lindsey.
I offered him an awkward smile in response.
Then, while the rest of the classroom buzzed with cheerful conversation, I took what felt like the most difficult walk of my life.
Martin seemed aware of my approach.
With every step I took, the hand holding his fountain pen trembled slightly.
Ah. Does that mean I should take the lead?
Feeling strangely responsible, I sat down in the seat beside him.
Then I turned toward him.
His name was…
Glancing at the neat handwriting on his notebook, I finally spoke.
“Hi, Martin. I’m Lindsey Ritberg.”
My voice wavered despite my efforts.
Why was my heart pounding this hard?
I wasn’t confessing to a boy I liked.
I was just asking someone to be my partner.
“If it’s okay with you… would you like to work together for the assessment?”
Martin seemed just as nervous.
The tips of his ears had turned red.
“…”
Turning his face slightly away, he gave no verbal response.
Instead, he simply nodded.
