Emma had no surname.
The reason was simple. Emma was a commoner.
A noble family’s surname, symbolizing honor and power, was the exclusive property of the nobility. There was a distance between Emma, the poor daughter of a herb seller, and the noble society that was as far apart as heaven and earth.
So every time she thought of the name of the man she had feelings for, she would unconsciously realize this.
Ian Fercurus, the man was, as his name proved, the second son of the Percus family.
He was a lower-tier noble from the countryside, somewhat of a lesser quality among nobles.
But no matter how you put it, he was still a noble. His status was fundamentally different from that of a commoner.
Whether he would inherit his title was uncertain, but given his recent achievements, his future seemed bright. He had countless options, and he didn’t have to cling to a mere commoner girl.
That fact pained her.
Because she loved him, Emma couldn’t even dare to entertain the thought of confessing her feelings to him. It was enough for her to be able to dedicate herself to him from a slight distance.
However, the fever of first love sometimes ignited a strange passion.
It was around that time that Emma, who had only read alchemy-related books her whole life, began to read romance novels. They were stories close to delusions commonly sold in the marketplace.
A commoner woman somehow being saved by a noble man who is both capable and good-looking, and nurturing love with him.
In reality, it was almost akin to a dream that could never come true.
Nobles could not live as complete individuals. Each one of them was a part and a tool of their family.
Marriage was the only means to bind them by blood to another noble family.
Naturally, marriage partners had to be chosen cautiously. In times long past, commoners were executed for merely spending a night with a noble.
Still, it was not the case that there were no romances between nobles and commoners.
After all, love had no barriers.
Not even the wall of status. There was nothing in the world that could suppress the most primal of emotions.
There were instances where people abandoned their families to elope for their lovers.
Rumors of such “romantic affairs of the century” would circulate every few years, but the fact that most of them had unhappy endings didn’t make them entirely unpleasant stories.
They often inspired commoner girls with dreams that were impossible to realize.
Emma could not help but smile wryly as she read romance novels, realizing she was having the same delusions she once thought were foolish.
In truth, Emma bore no guilt.
To begin with, she could not even imagine loving a noble. She was more aware than anyone of the gap between nobles and commoners.
She simply thought that someday she would meet a good man while living her life.
The counterpart wouldn’t be a noble. However, Emma, having graduated from the academy, was more or less guaranteed success, and even if she married another commoner, there was no need to worry about living expenses.
There was plenty of time. Slowly getting to know each other and marrying was the vision of the future Emma had dreamed of until recently.
But suddenly, a man named “Ian Percus” had burst into her life.
Also, he paid a staggering sum of 10,000 gold with the life of a commoner as its price.
As Emma recalled that day, her gaze momentarily drifted. Her slender hand snapped shut the book she had been reading.
Yes, Emma had received an unpayable favor from Ian.
So it was only natural for Emma to be devoted to him. She told herself she was just doing what she ought to do and moved forward.
It was a walking path a little distance from the temple.
There stood a familiar figure. A noblewoman with blonde hair and violet eyes, whose trembling limbs were pitiful.
Lady Lupeisia.
Once, she had slapped Emma and was a woman who had lost both her arms and legs to Ian. After that, Emma had been visiting her regularly.
The reason was simple.
She hoped that perhaps Lupeisia’s heart would soften even a little.
Emma was already aware that most of the academy was hostile toward Ian. She wished for that hostility to lessen even by one.
To her surprise, Lady Lupeisia couldn’t strongly reject Emma.
She realized that Ian’s presence was firmly behind Emma. Even out of fear of Ian, she couldn’t carelessly treat Emma poorly.
Though they initially had an awkward relationship, as they continued to meet, a little bit of affection naturally developed.
The fact that Lady Lupeisia began to converse with Emma was proof enough.
Even if it was in a voice mixed with sighs, at least she didn’t make fun of Emma as a “commoner girl.” At the very least, that’s how Emma felt.
“……You’re a fool.”
“Yeah, why?”
At the abrupt comment thrown, Emma could only tilt her head in confusion.
She should have been addressing her as “Miss” and treating her with respect, but it seemed that Lady Lupeisia had nightmares of that day lingering in her memories.
Ironically, they found that treating each other as equals allowed Lady Lupeisia to regain some stability.
Thanks to that, Emma and Lady Lupeisia appeared to be quite friendly.
Of course, Emma’s equally stunning appearance as any noble contributed to that.
“Do you really think that guy would ever look at you? Nobles have their own social circles. A commoner girl won’t even catch their eye… unless as a plaything.”
It was a rather indifferent remark but contained a certain sincerity.
Lady Lupeisia wasn’t particularly concerned with commoners. It was rare for her to even throw a word toward them.
She was secretly lamenting the fact.
To put it frankly, there was no way a good girl like Emma would fall for a fool like Ian.
Indeed, 10,000 gold was a staggering amount from a commoner’s perspective.
However, the size of the amount did not directly translate to love. Especially for a girl with a good nature like Emma, she was utterly mismatched with a man who reeked of blood.
Above all, the wall of status was significant.
If things continued like this, all that would remain would be wounds, and Emma did not deny Lady Lupeisia’s words.
She merely left a single bitter remark.
“……What can I do.”
That one line spoke for Emma’s feelings.
Lady Lupeisia, walking slowly along the path, sighed once more.
A vague pity passed through her blue eyes, but she chose not to dwell on it any longer.
After all, love was originally like that.
Emma could tell. The truly unavoidable emotion was love.
The silence between the two women was suddenly shattered by a shrill scream.
“Kyahhh!”
“Ugh, ahhh!”
The two women, lost in thought, were abruptly pulled back to reality.
Their eyes met, both wearing startled expressions.
In the distance, people were fleeing.
Their faces were filled with terror. To anyone who looked, it appeared they were being chased by something.
Emma and Lady Lupeisia hesitated and took a step back.
Emma was originally a non-combat personnel, while Lady Lupeisia, still recovering, had no strength in her limbs. She was even unarmed.
Neither had the capacity to respond to danger.
Fortunately, one of the fleeing people approached them. He shouted in a frantic voice.
“W-what’s happening! Run away now! The procession for the return home is being attacked by monsters… some of them are even here near the academy… Kyahhh!”
However, he couldn’t even finish his sentence.
Because a giant cat monster had bitten him. He couldn’t even resist properly against that sudden attack.
And that became the most vivid warning.
Standing wide-eyed and speechless, Emma and Lady Lupeisia immediately turned to run. Fortunately, this place was near the temple.
The temple had not only priests but also holy knights stationed. As long as they could reach the temple, safety was mostly guaranteed.
But the problem lay with Lady Lupeisia.
Even when she was in rehabilitation, steadily building her muscles, trying to run suddenly would be impossible.
It wouldn’t take long for the woman’s body to roll on the ground.
To make matters worse, the monsters were not only coming from behind them.
They were falling from the sky as well. Some even self-destructed, causing Emma to roll on the ground several times while trying to stay next to Lady Lupeisia.
The goal was simple: escape.
However, when Emma saw Lady Lupeisia’s face filled with despair, she couldn’t bring herself to leave her behind. Without her, it was obvious Lady Lupeisia would die.
Of course, even with Emma’s presence, her help wouldn’t be substantial.
Recognizing that fact, Lady Lupeisia shouted desperately.
“P-please help us…!”
It seemed she deemed it more likely to survive that way. But by the time Lady Lupeisia made such a judgment, it was already too late.
Several cat monsters had spotted their prey and encircled the two women.
Lady Lupeisia’s face turned pale. She tried to get up several times but ultimately stumbled and collapsed back to the ground.
Fear had sapped her strength.
Lady Lupeisia began to tremble on the ground. Emma bit her lip and glared fiercely at the approaching monsters.
If it was too late, she had to save them.
Emma was merely a commoner girl. In contrast, Lady Lupeisia was a precious daughter of a high noble family; Emma’s sacrifice would be recorded as a model for commoners.
Then perhaps Lady Lupeisia’s unfulfilled feelings toward Ian would also soften.
After all, she was already a dead woman. If the chance of survival was slim, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to dedicate herself to something of greater value.
For Ian.
A commoner girl’s death would surely be forgotten by him long before.
Emma acted with no hesitation once she made her resolute decision.
She stood with her arms wide open in front of the two leaping cat monsters.
Even so, she couldn’t help but tightly shut her eyes.
Even just before death, Ian’s image floated before her.
Just a little more, she wanted to see him…
What if she had known love just a bit earlier? If only she could have spent her days absent-mindedly thinking of one person with a racing heart.
If only she could have realized sooner the fact that one could find happiness in that alone.
It was a futile thought.
At least until the moment when a thick, stinky liquid began to drip down.
Emma’s eyes opened in a daze.
She couldn’t understand why, but the necks of the two approaching cat monsters had disappeared.
Emma thought to herself.
If she were the protagonist of a romance novel, that man would have come to her right now.
Her trembling gaze turned toward the back of the monsters.
