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Chapter 18
The table looked like it had been conquered by chocolate.
A chocolate tart. Hot chocolate topped with floating marshmallows. Strawberries dipped in glossy chocolate.
A whole chocolate feast.
It was all Martin’s doing.
The moment he had peeled me out of his arms and taken a proper look at me, he had ordered Louis to bring every blanket in the manor. Then he had turned to the maids waiting nearby and instructed them to have the head chef gather every sweet thing in the kitchen.
The result was the scene before me.
Three blankets wrapped around my legs, stomach, and shoulders, and enough chocolate to stock a confectionery shop.
At last, warmth had begun to return to my body, so I cautiously tried to lower the blanket draped over my shoulders. Immediately, Martin, seated beside me, silently pulled it back into place.
“J-Just leave it…”
“But Martin… even if we’re heading into autumn, it’s still summer.”
“Y-Yeah, but it’s raining…”
After a lengthy negotiation, we finally reached a compromise: only my legs would remain covered.
Martin didn’t seem pleased with the arrangement, but he reluctantly handed me a mug of hot cocoa.
“L-Lindsay… what happened? I was really worried. Y-You should’ve been resting, and yet… in weather like this…”
“Ah, well…”
I hesitated.
Should I tell him what had happened?
If I tell him… will he distance himself from me?
Martin was kind—far too kind.
If he learned that I’d fought with my father because of him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d blame himself.
After a moment’s thought, I forced an awkward smile.
“I just… had an argument with my father. I think he’s been a little sensitive because of everything that’s happened.”
“T-That’s understandable…! When I saw you lying in bed… I was upset too. I was angry that you got hurt… and angry at myself for not being able to protect you…”
“Martin, don’t think like that. This was Thomas’s fault from the very beginning. He’s the one who tried to hurt you. There’s no reason to turn that blame on yourself.”
Martin quietly nodded and took a sip of his hot chocolate.
Watching him, a question suddenly surfaced in my mind.
“By the way, Martin… speaking of Thomas, what happened to him and the others? Father said both families were discussing their punishment.”
“Ah… that…”
His fingers tightened around the mug.
He seemed strangely hesitant.
“I-I think… they were expelled.”
“Expelled?!”
My eyes widened.
Expelled?
The other boys, perhaps.
But Thomas Luxel?
That didn’t make sense.
The reason Thomas had been able to bully Martin so openly was because he was the only son of House Luxel. While the Luxel family wasn’t directly involved in imperial affairs like House Ritberg, they controlled vast territories and held considerable influence throughout the Empire.
And the Imperial Academy expelled someone like Thomas Luxel?
The more I thought about it, the less believable it seemed.
I stared at Martin.
“Wait. I’m not sure I understand. How did that happen?”
Martin hesitated once more before setting down his mug and turning toward me.
“L-Lindsay… if I’m going to explain that… I think I need to tell you about myself first.”
His gaze lowered.
“I haven’t really told you much about my life, have I? You’re my precious friend… and I think I’m finally ready to tell you.”
My entire body tensed.
I’d never pushed him before because I didn’t want to burden him.
But the truth was, I’d always been curious.
Curious about Martin.
“I-I probably can’t tell you everything,” he said carefully. “There are family matters involved…”
“That’s okay, Martin. The fact that you’re willing to tell me anything at all means a lot.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Thank you… Then…”
He paused, gathering his thoughts.
“I-I don’t have a mother anymore, just like you. My father works in the capital. I can’t tell you exactly what he does, but… he’s a high-ranking noble.”
That much wasn’t unusual.
In this era, losing a parent wasn’t rare.
Healing magic existed, but it remained the closely guarded secret of the Mage Tower, hidden from public knowledge.
I nodded for him to continue.
“Not long after my mother died… a new mother suddenly entered our home.”
His voice grew quieter.
“Along with my younger brother.”
My breath caught.
Martin’s brother was only two years younger than him.
Which meant—
The woman had already been his father’s mistress while his mother was still alive.
“I-I was confused,” Martin continued. “And as soon as my stepmother entered the household, everything changed. My nanny… the maids… the servants… everyone who used to take care of me started focusing on my brother instead.”
His expression remained unreadable.
“I was neglected. I’d lost the struggle for my place in the family. Eventually, I ran away here.”
“Then this place is…”
“My mother’s family’s estate. My uncle manages it now.”
A small smile softened his features.
“Thankfully, my uncle loves me and takes care of me. This incident… it was probably resolved because my uncle met with Marquis Ritberg.”
Pieces of the story felt disconnected, but I did my best to fit them together.
“I see… You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”
“Yeah… I did.”
For a moment, sadness flickered across his face before disappearing.
“But I’m okay now. Honestly, I’m happy here. Nobody threatens me. The servants listen to me… and my uncle protects me.”
Threatens me.
The words made my hands tremble.
This wasn’t simply family conflict.
It was exactly the kind of succession struggle I’d only ever heard whispered about among noble houses.
The sort where family members destroyed one another to secure inheritance rights.
And as time passes, those threats will only become worse.
Right now, Martin was safe under his uncle’s protection.
But once he grew older—once he became an adult—he would become a far greater obstacle to his younger brother.
And obstacles had a way of disappearing.
Suddenly, I understood.
So that’s what Father meant.
The reason he’d avoided telling me the truth.
The reason he’d called it “an adult matter.”
This was a world beyond anything children could change.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
But one thing remained unchanged.
I had no intention of distancing myself from Martin.
He was my friend.
The friend who had helped me find happiness in this novel’s world.
Perhaps he noticed the turmoil on my face.
Because Martin suddenly smiled.
“M-More importantly… I have you, Lindsay.”
His voice was soft.
“You gave me a reason to wake up smiling every morning. Thank you. Truly.”
My chest tightened.
All this time, I’d thought I was the one receiving kindness.
I never imagined I’d been giving him something in return.
The realization filled me with warmth.
I reached out and took his hand.
“I feel the same way, Martin.”
My throat burned.
“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Emotion surged through me before I could stop it.
I threw my arms around him.
“Ah…”
“We’ll get through this together. When I said I’d protect you, I wasn’t lying. I mean it. Today, tomorrow, and every day after that. I’ll become strong enough to protect you. I’ll become someone truly great.”
Martin froze for a second before carefully wrapping his arms around me.
His embrace was clumsy and uncertain.
But sincere.
“I’ll do the same…”
His voice trembled slightly.
“I’ll become someone who won’t be ashamed to stand before you when we meet again someday.”
After that, we talked for hours.
About trivial things.
About dreams.
About the countless little secrets hidden inside our hearts.
Perhaps someone might have overheard us.
But neither of us worried.
Outside the window, the rain poured endlessly from the sky.
And the sound of it drowned out everything else.
