Wow, thanks for your detailed feedback, I am very happy you appreciated the game! If I've improved in a lot of departments since I released it (and thinking that HSL was only released a year ago makes me dizzy), this game can't help but me my favourite of mine because of its story!
Thanks for appreciating the character-writing, and you're right: Matthieu was written, more than after Humbert Humbert from Lolita, after Phaedra (which I'm allowing myself to mention here because you played The Daughters of the Sun), the Queen's remorseful passion for her step-son being here turned into the teacher's inappropriate affection for his student. And you're raising interesting points regarding his characters, and there are indeed several ways to read them: for Matthieu, I detailed a bit the way I see him in a devlog, but long story short, a mixture of self-depreciation and narcissism. He doesn't think highly of himself, so when he finds a kindred soul in Chloé, he loves her mostly as a way to love himself. However, he does realise this relationship is problematic (considering Chloé is 16, and his student), which only makes his own self-hatred grow. Ultimately, his many meltdowns are indeed a way for him to get reassured by Chloé, so that he can be comforted in his attitude (that's why he ends up telling the whole school about their relationship when she finally rejects him and tells him it is not okay for him to use a minor, and even his victim, as emotional support). And you're therefore right when it comes to Matthieu's projection into the novel: he fails to see it as anything other than the apology of a groomer because that's what he is reading in it.
Thank you for the compliments on the GUI! The "crayon"/"doodle" vibe is indeed to anchor the game into Chloé's very naïve and innocent views, and to highlight that, despite what she pretends or is trying to, Chloé, in the end, remains a child.
And finally, I had a lot of fun referencing a lot of classical works! It isn't always appropriate to do so in every story alas, but here, I was happy I could get quite heavy (and I even get heavier in the genderbend sequel I'm developing right now haha, I guess the groomers being literature teachers help).
Once again, thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and your appreciation for the game, it comes a lot coming from you!