༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (42) ༻
Emma didn’t have a surname.
In a society where family names symbolized honor and authority, surnames were exclusive to the nobility, and being the daughter of a humble herbalist, Emma was as far removed from the nobility as the earth was from the sky.
The stark reality of her social standing became evident every time her thoughts turned to her unrequited love
Ian Percus. Just as his name indicated, he was the second son of the Percus family, a lower noble family situated in a rural area.
While his family’s status leaned towards the lower rungs, he was nonetheless a bona fide noble with a fundamental gap in status from commoners.
It was uncertain whether he would inherit the family title, but given his recent accomplishments, his future was promising. He could easily choose from a plethora of romantic interests without concerning himself with a mere commoner, and this deeply hurt Emma.
Ironically, it was because of her love for him that she didn’t dare confess her feelings. Instead, she simply wished to devote herself to him and cherish him from a short distance.
However, the intensity of a first love occasionally kindled some unconventional desires.
She, who had previously only immersed herself in alchemical texts, found herself captivated by romance novels, many of which were commonly found romantic fantasy stories that portrayed ordinary women being rescued and pursued by capable, handsome noblemen.
Such stories, however, were nothing more than fantasies that would never occur in real life.
Nobles couldn’t live as truly free individuals. They were ensnared by duty to their households and were akin to tools to further their families’ agendas.
Even marriage was far from a union based on personal desires and was only a means to forge blood relations with other noble households. Therefore, the selection of marriage partners demanded great deliberation, and in the far past, commoners were often executed after being caught spending the night with a noble
Despite this, tales of love between nobles and commoners weren’t entirely unheard of. After all, love was a force that transcended all barriers, including status, and nothing in the world was capable of suppressing the most primal of emotions. Forsaking their family name to elope with their lover was one of, if not the most, notable outcomes in such cases.
Periodically, tales and rumors emerged, christened as ‘Romances of the Century’, and while the majority ended in tragedy, the stories fueled the impossible dreams within the hearts of many a commoner girl.
A wry smile played on Emma’s face as she turned the pages of her novel.
She had never envisioned herself succumbing to the very fantasies she had once considered foolish and naive.
However, it was out of her control.
Ever so aware of the unbridgeable gap separating nobles and commoners, she had never even imagined falling in love with a nobleman.
She had always believed that she would eventually meet a decent man. She didn’t expect him to be of noble birth. She was confident she would be able to lead and provide a comfortable life with a man of similar birth, as graduating from the academy practically guaranteed a stable livelihood.
The future she had envisioned up until recently was one that would unfold gradually, allowing her and her partner ample time to develop their love before marriage.
Then, unexpectedly, a young man named Ian Percus abruptly entered her life, spending a staggering 10,000 gold to save one common girl. It was an amount incomparable to the life of an ordinary person.
Recalling the memory of that day, Emma’s eyes glazed over as she closed the book.
She had received a grace she could never repay. Thus, it was only natural for her to devote herself to him.
Reassuring herself that she was merely fulfilling her duty, that it was only natural since he had saved her life with such an exorbitant sum, Emma began walking towards the temple.
On a trail near the temple, she saw a familiar figure with golden hair and blue eyes, whose limbs were trembling pitifully.
It was Lady Lupesia, the very person who had previously slapped Emma, only to have her two arms and a leg severed by Ian.
Since that incident, Emma made an effort to visit her regularly. She hoped that doing so would provide the young lady even the smallest bit of consolation.
Aware of the increasing animosity towards Ian within the academy, she wished to lessen the number of his enemies by even one person.
And to her surprise, Lady Lupesia didn’t outright push her away.
The young lady feared Ian, and knowing that he cherished Emma, she didn’t dare treat Emma poorly.
Although their initial interactions were strained, their relationship gradually warmed with time, as evidenced by the young lady’s willingness to engage in conversations.
The lady was often brusque and sighed frequently, but Emma found solace in the fact that, at the very least, she didn’t mock her as a ‘lowly commoner girl’.
“You… You’re a fool, aren’t you?”
“Huh? How come?”
Emma tilted her head and asked back.
Normally, she would have respectfully addressed Lady Lupesia formally, but the lady still seemed haunted by the memories of that day, and treating each other as equals appeared to offer the young lady a measure of peace.
As a result, to onlookers, they looked just like close friends. Admittedly, Emma’s beauty, which was comparable to any other noble young ladies’, contributed to such perceptions.
“Do you genuinely believe that man will keep you in his heart? Nobles have their own world. They won’t even spare a glance for a low-born girl… unless it’s to use them as playthings.”
While tactless, it was, in its own right, sincere advice containing the young lady’s concern.
As a noblewoman who rarely concerned herself with commoners, Emma was the exception. It went to show just how regrettable the young lady found the situation to be.
In all honesty, Lupesia didn’t understand why a good girl like Emma would fall for a madman like Ian.
Certainly, 10,000 gold was an unimaginable sum by commoner standards. However, wealth didn’t equate to love, and a man steeped in the stench of bloodshed hardly suited Emma, an earnest girl with a gentle heart.
Above all, the disparity in their social standings was simply too vast.
Emma didn’t argue against the young lady’s words. She was well aware that her unrequited love would likely lead to nothing but pain.
All she could manage was a bitter smile.
“…But what can I do about it?”
That short phrase encapsulated Emma’s feelings.
Silently walking together along the trail, the young lady sighed once more.
Brief sympathy flickered in her blue eyes, but she chose to remain silent without commenting further.
Such was the nature of love. The raw emotion of love rendered people helpless. It was clear just by looking at Emma.
It was then that shrill screams abruptly shattered the prevailing silence.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“UAAAAAAAGH!”
The two women were abruptly pulled out of their thoughts and back to reality as they exchanged panicked glances.
Off in the distance, people were running away in terror as if a terrifying existence was hunting them down.
The two anxiously retreated a few steps.
They were utterly incapable of confronting any sort of danger head-on.
Emma specialized in alchemical studies while Young Lady Lupesia was still in recovery, lacking not only strength but also a weapon.
At that moment, a fleeing figure spotted the two ladies.
“W-What are you guys doing? Quickly run away! T-The Homecoming procession was attacked by demonic beasts, and some of them have already reached the acade- AAAH-!“
However, his warning was abruptly cut off as a massive demonic beast swiftly pounced on him, carrying him away in its jaws.
This served as a stark warning to the two women.
With widened eyes, they immediately turned and began running. Luckily, they were near the temple.
Not only did priests reside within the temple, but holy knights were also stationed there. Their safety was guaranteed as long as they could just reach the temple.
However, the problem was Young Lady Lupesia.
Still in rehabilitation, she could barely manage to walk while staggering. In such a state, running was out of the question.
It didn’t take long for her to stumble and roll across the ground.
To make matters worse, the demonic beasts weren’t only coming from behind. Some also descended from the skies, their bodies mutating before self-destructing.
Emma rolled alongside the young lady.
They had to quickly escape.
Yet, upon witnessing the despair coloring the fallen lady’s face, Emma couldn’t bring herself to abandon her. Leaving her behind would undoubtedly seal the lady’s fate.
But despite her feelings, the fact was that Emma wouldn’t be of much help even if she stayed.
Recognizing this harsh reality, the young lady cried out desperately, determining that seeking help was their best chance at survival.
“Q-Quickly go and bring help…!”
However, it was already too late.
Spotting their next meal, several demonic cats swiftly encircled the two, turning Lupesia’s face deathly pale.
She repeatedly attempted to get back on her feet, but stumbled each time and collapsed back onto the ground.
Overwhelming fear sapped her strength, and tremors coursed through her body.
Emma gnawed at her lips as she glared at the approaching demonic beasts.
If escape was no longer possible, she had to protect the young lady. She was only a commoner, while Young Lady Lupesia was the precious daughter of an upper noble family.
Even if she died, her death would be regarded as a commoner’s noble sacrifice, and it was possible that it would alleviate some of the young lady’s negative feelings towards Ian.
Regardless, her life had once teetered on the edge of death, and if it was inevitable, sacrificing herself for a greater cause didn’t seem entirely bad—especially if it was for Ian.
And since she was just a commoner, he would likely forget about her soon after her death.
Resolving herself, Emma moved her body without a moment’s hesitation.
She stood firm with her arms outstretched, confronting the two demonic beasts leaping towards her.
Even so, she couldn’t help but tightly close her eyes, and in these few moments before death, Ian’s image flashed in her mind.
She longed to be with him a little longer.
Then, she would have been able to spend her days with her heart fluttering, lost in thoughts of her loved one…
She wondered what it would have been like if she had realized her love a little earlier.
Then, she would have known sooner that even simply loving him by herself was enough to make her happy…
Such were the thoughts of a girl-in-love staring death in its face—regretful, resigned musings that remained regretful only until the rustic smell of blood chased death away.
Emma opened her eyes in a daze.
Strangely, the two demonic cats that were attacking her were now headless, and an unseemly thought pervaded her mind—that if she were the heroine of a romance novel, this would be the moment he would appear.
With trembling eyes, Emma cast her gaze beyond the fallen beasts.
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