Chapter 151: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (15)
Chapter 151: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (15)
The world of a girl in love undergoes a total transformation.
There were no exceptions to this truth, and Emma was no different.
A month ago, Emma had fallen for a certain man. From that moment on, her daily life had changed beyond recognition.
It happened around the time the final exams ended.
Emma, who usually spent her days buried in books, finally found a moment of leisure. Ordinarily, she might have devoted that time to studying alchemy formulas or potion recipes.
But lately, Emma found herself lost in thought more often than not while in her workshop.
There was usually only one person on her mind.
Ian Percus—once a friend, now Emma’s first love.
He was also the benefactor who had saved her life when she was on the brink of death. He was the man who had offered up the corpse of a demonic beast worth over 10,000 gold as a tribute to save her from her critical injuries.
Memories of the first time she faced him after waking from her coma would often resurface. Every time they did, Emma’s heart would thud as if it were broken.
She had cried out that she wasn't worth it, that she was nothing more than a lowly commoner girl. Yet, Ian hadn't shown the slightest hint of regret.
On the contrary, his voice—telling her to live, telling her to be happy—had seemed entirely devoid of ulterior motives.
The man had been sincere. Perhaps that was why Emma, too, had become sincere from that day forward.
She had sincerely fallen in love with Ian.
In a life where her only joy was being holed up in a workshop brewing new potions, a man had suddenly appeared.
From that day on, Emma’s way of thinking changed completely.
In the past, she used to consider economic efficiency whenever she made a potion.
Although she received a scholarship from the Academy, Emma was a commoner and always lived on a tight budget. To her, potions were her only means of livelihood. That was why she had no choice but to consider the cost of ingredients every time she brewed one.
But not anymore.
Emma wanted to be of help to Ian. She was so preoccupied with that thought, day and night, that she couldn't even bring herself to care about anything else.
Her social status was lowly, and as the daughter of a poor herbalist, she had no money. While she was reasonably pretty, there were plenty of women around Ian who were just as beautiful, if not more so.
Celine and Seria, for instance, were already known as the two flowers of the second-year Swordsmanship Department.
The only devotion a girl as unremarkable as Emma could show Ian was through one thing.
Alchemy—her only specialty.
Emma researched countless reagents, agonizing over which potions would be most helpful to Ian. As a result, her funds for ingredients leaked away like water, but she didn't care.
She could just skip meals. If she didn't have money, she would simply endure the discomfort.
But Ian was different. She couldn't give up on her devotion to him, no matter what.
In Emma’s mind, Ian deserved better treatment.
She wanted him to be in a better place, to be treated with more respect, to eat better food, and to sleep in a better bedroom. For that, Emma was willing to sacrifice her own daily life as much as necessary.
Emma’s heart was unwavering. She truly, sincerely wished for Ian’s well-being.
If she could offer up her insignificant life as a commoner girl for his sake, she would do so gladly. That was how much Emma loved Ian.
First love was just that blind.
Emma had always been a devoted person by nature.
When Ian was away on his internship dispatch, she spent every night letting out anxious sighs. She was tormented by the worry that he might get hurt and the regret that she should have packed even a few more potions for him.
Then, she heard the news that Ian had subjugated a Fiend single-handedly. That day, Emma was so happy she felt like she could fly.
However, when Ian was brought back to the Academy, he was unconscious and severely injured. Seeing him like that, Emma’s face had turned deathly pale.
There was never a dull moment. Emma swung between heaven and hell with every little piece of news regarding Ian.
So, it was only natural that Emma had been depressed lately.
To think he would actually lay a hand on the Princess.
Emma believed in Ian. He must have had a reason. She didn't believe for a second that he had provoked the Princess out of malice.
Nevertheless, it was hard for Emma to overcome her gloom. In fact, thinking that Ian was blameless only made her heart feel heavier.
Ian surely hadn't done anything wrong, yet the entire Academy was slandering him.
What did they even know about him to talk like that?
Until just a few days ago, they were praising him loudly for killing a Fiend on his own. To think they would flip their attitudes like a palm of a hand in just one day.
She was angry. Without realizing it, she put extra strength into her hand as she chopped ingredients.
Even though she tried to act as if nothing was wrong, Emma felt a surge of emotion every time she heard people around her disparaging Ian.
If she felt this way as a bystander, she couldn't even imagine how hard it must be for Ian right now.
Her heart ached just thinking about Ian, who was likely enduring all sorts of slander in silence. She felt so bad for him that she wanted to comfort him in any way she could.
That was why Emma was making a lunch box.
Since her living expenses were tight lately, she couldn't treat him to an expensive meal, but she hoped that a meal prepared with all her heart might offer him some small comfort.
Having grown up under a widower, Emma had been in charge of the household since she was a child. Her cooking skills were reliable, and she soon finished a delicious-looking chicken soup.
A sigh of relief escaped Emma’s lips. She brushed her hand over her chest. She had been worried since it had been a while since she last cooked, but the smell wasn't bad at all.
Now, all that was left was to go find the man she loved.
Emma’s heart was already fluttering at the thought of meeting Ian. As she carefully prepared the lunch box, she even saw a reflection of a wife preparing a meal for her husband in herself.
Of course, it was a vain delusion. A bitter smile soon played on Emma’s lips.
A commoner dreaming of marrying a noble—she certainly had some nerve. That was why she had vowed never to fall for a noble, even if she were to fall in love.
Life was truly unpredictable. Emma thought as she transferred the soup into a thermos.
The thermos filled with soup was placed inside a pre-prepared basket. On top of it, she neatly stacked potion bottles, all of which she had made specifically for Ian.
Once the basket was full, Emma finally felt satisfied and prepared to head out. She didn't know exactly where Ian was staying.
But if she really couldn't find him, she could just leave it at his dormitory. She set out with such a light heart.
She never expected to be picked on. A look of distress crossed Emma’s eyes.
In fact, there had been several attempts to harass Emma recently simply because she was close to Ian. Each time, Emma had managed to avoid them.
After all, Emma was just a commoner girl. It was awkward for them to go out of their way to harass her. Even if rumors said she was someone precious to Ian.
To a noble, a commoner girl was nothing more than a one-night fling. There was no real need to go looking for Emma just to bully her.
However, a few people had been waiting for the chance to "teach her a lesson" if they ever ran into her.
And it was just then that Emma caught the eye of a group of nobles.
A group of five or six people approached Emma. Their snickering was already an ill omen.
She could tell just by the high-quality fabric of their clothes. They were female students of a status incomparable to Emma’s.
Instinctively intimidated, Emma lowered her gaze.
The gap in social status between a commoner and a noble was stark everywhere. Even within the Academy, it was no different.
When Emma didn't dare to meet their eyes, the noble girls seemed to grow even more pleased. Cruel smiles played on their lips.
One of the girls stepped forward and asked Emma.
"Hey, are you that 'Emma'?"
After a moment of hesitation, Emma chose to quickly leave the area.
Responding would only lead to trouble for her. But someone blocked Emma’s path as she tried to hurry away.
It was one of the noble girls. She snickered and asked Emma.
"I heard that psycho Ian paid over 10,000 gold for your virginity... You're decent-looking, I guess, but I don't know if you're worth 10,000 gold."
It was a sudden insult. Emma’s face flushed with shame.
Her shoulders soon began to tremble slightly.
The insult itself was bad enough, but more than anything, she couldn't stand hearing Ian being maligned as that kind of person.
A clear spark of hostility appeared in Emma’s eyes.
However, as someone with no combat ability and a mere commoner status, she had no means to resist the noble girls. The mocking laughter continued.
"She's got some bite to her... But what are you going to do about it?"
"What can a commoner even do? All she can do is glare."
It was exactly as they said.
Emma felt miserable, but she had to bite her lip and compose herself. If she got angry, things would likely go exactly as they wanted. For now, the priority was to get away.
"......Ladies, please let me pass."
"Who says you can?"
Emma had whispered her request, but the noble girls showed no sign of backing down. Instead, they only wore even more twisted smiles. A faint sense of euphoria gathered in their eyes as they surrounded Emma.
The joy of bullying the weak as a group—how sweet it was.
The base instincts of human nature were egging the noble girls on. More, bully her more.
"She is a bit pitiful... Honestly, she's innocent, isn't she? How could she have known that bastard Ian would dare touch Her Highness the Princess?"
"Then, should we go easy on her?"
As if a fun idea had occurred to her, one of the girls curled her lips upward. Everyone’s gaze, including Emma’s, turned toward her.
"Do we really have to stoop so low as to bully a commoner girl? Just say this: 'Ian Percus is a pathetic loser who doesn't know his place, and his family is just a bunch of classless hicks.' Then we'll let you pass."
Naturally, Emma didn't want to do that. She had never even insulted Ian in her imagination.
Emma tried to move forward once more. But the noble girls seemed to have no intention of letting her go.
Thud. Emma’s shoulder was grabbed.
"Hey, commoner... Why don't you just do as you're told? Your father is a herbalist, right? No one would even know if a knight from our family 'accidentally' killed him while passing by."
"Why even bother with a knight? A private soldier could finish the job."
It was getting worse.
Now they were openly threatening her using their status. It was a clear violation of school rules, a matter that could lead to expulsion if it were serious enough.
But none of the snickering noble girls feared punishment. According to the Academy’s long-standing customs, cases of a commoner reporting a noble were few and far between.
Even if she did report them, they could just retaliate later.
As they said, it was a world where no one cared if a single herbalist was killed. Emma, who knew this fact better than anyone, trembled violently.
It was infuriating. The reality that she had to be threatened with the life of her only family member simply because she was a commoner.
Furthermore, they were even insulting the man she loved. She was so frustrated and angry that tears began to well up in her eyes.
Regardless of Emma’s state, the girls' mockery continued.
"......What's wrong? Is that lower noble your Prince Charming or something?"
"I told you to repeat after me. 'Ian Percus is a pathetic loser who doesn't know his place, and his family is just a bunch of classless hicks.'"
Emma’s light green eyes turned cold.
She had tried to endure it as much as possible, but she simply couldn't anymore. It was fine if she was insulted.
She was a commoner, after all. But not Ian.
He was more of a noble than anyone else. He wasn't someone who deserved to be insulted by those who were nobles in name only, using their status to commit despicable acts.
Her clenched fists shook. A chilling resolve appeared in Emma’s eyes.
"......I absolutely refuse!"
It was the first time Emma had voiced a refusal.
But upon hearing those words, the girls only snickered and laughed as if they had expected it.
One of the girls blocking Emma’s path took a step forward. And as she reached Emma’s side, her hand cut through the air.
Slap! The sound echoed sharply.
White sparks flew before Emma’s eyes. By the time she regained her senses, she was already sprawled on the ground. Her gaze fell on the basket that had fallen some distance away.
Potion bottles were spilling out in a heap. The thermos containing the chicken soup was the same.
They were all things she had made for Ian.
Works Emma had created by skipping meals and saving every penny despite her tight finances.
But even those were nothing more than worthless junk to the noble girls. One of the girls, who was bursting into laughter, pointed at the basket.
"Wow, I wondered where that smell of medicine was coming from... What, were you going to give that to that lower noble?"
With a hollow look in her eyes, Emma reached her hand toward the basket. But the noble girl was faster.
It was the same girl who had slapped Emma. She reached out toward the basket without a second thought.
But in the next moment.
"Let's just take a look at what's in—...?"
Squelch! Blood sprayed out like a fountain.
The girl’s eyes went blank. She had clearly reached out her arm, but it was gone. From the spot where her arm should have been, only a fountain of blood was erupting.
Huh? This shouldn't be happening.
The girl, unable to grasp the situation momentarily, scanned the ground.
Her arm was rolling across it.
And next to it was a hand axe, which had already buried itself deep into the ground.
"Ugh, ah, ugh......"
A voice drenched in terror escaped the mouth of the girl who had suddenly lost her arm.
They hadn't even realized it. Until the hand axe flew in and severed the arm, not a single one of the noble girls had noticed.
It meant the difference in skill was that absolute.
"Kya, kyaaaaaaaak! My, my arm... My aaaaarm!"
The girl finally let out a scream as the intense pain set in. Collapsing on the spot, she fumbled with her remaining arm at the stump where her shoulder used to be.
It was a gruesome sight.
Not only the noble girls, but even Emma’s eyes widened in shock.
She still seemed unable to grasp the situation.
As they stared blankly at the wailing girl, a low voice drifted from behind them.
"......Hey."
It was a man with striking black hair. His golden eyes shimmered in the air.
A burning killing intent pierced their hearts like an awl.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The god-like axe-throwing skill, the violence inflicted without hesitation, the eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
Every element pointed to one man, causing the noble girls' breathing to stop instantly.
It was Ian Percus.