How did I, Euphemia Grimwood, find myself condemned to burning at the stake?

Driving thick stakes into the ground, forming a cross, securing me there with iron chains, sprinkling plenty of kindling at my feet, and setting it ablaze.

The process was one thing, but in reality, it was excruciating.

At first, it was a bit smoky and a little hot.

But soon enough, it escalated to a level beyond a joke, and I realized my own flesh was burning from below. My clothes caught fire, and before long, I was literally a human torch.

Yet somehow, I regained memories of my past life and reminisced like this, while listening to the sound of my flesh burning.

Well, anyway.

Have I mentioned how the magical girl Mizetta, brimming with talent, and my fiance, Eckhart Muller, met?

I'm not sure about the details, but apparently, Mizetta, a farmer's daughter who was serving as the village healer with her innate talent, was noticed by someone from the Muller family.

Being a healer probably meant she was assisting the village doctor or something and then forcibly manifested healing magic with her natural talent.

Truly an "abnormal talent."

Healing magic is overwhelmingly difficult among magic types. To pull it off with only talent and no one's guidance is no small feat.

So, Mizetta, invited to the Muller household, met Eckhart there, and Eckhart fell for her.

Eckhart chose Mizetta over me, Euphemia 'Cute and Hopeless' Grimwood... That fact didn't shock me all that much.

If there was any shock, it would be that the Muller family chose Mizetta over the Grimwood family. In other words, the Muller family decided to somehow end the engagement between me and Eckhart. Mizetta must have been so charming as to betray the neighboring domain we were supposed to have good relations with, or maybe there was something else...

The Muller family's argument goes like this:

"Euphemia, the second daughter of the Grimwood family, is not actually of Grimwood blood. This is not only a betrayal of the Muller family but also a serious crime as a noble of the Louisse Kingdom. Therefore, the Count Muller family officially accuses the Grimwood family."

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Our Grimwood family's response is like this:

"As a family, this accusation came out of the blue. If Euphemia doesn't have Grimwood blood, then she's not part of our family. The engagement with Lord Eckhart is annulled, and we will hand her over."

In other words, our Grimwood family was cornered.

Instead of confronting the Muller family head-on, they decided to hand me over, make it seem like this incident never happened, and consider it a debt to the Muller family for later. That's the political decision they made... something like that.

I was surprised by this turn of events.

Even though I lacked talent, I had always lived earnestly, staying true to my path. While I didn't harbor love for Eckhart, there was still a sense of affection within me towards him.

However... as simple as solving an arithmetic problem, it was decreed that I would meet my end at the stake.

I couldn't muster the strength to resist.

Once the decision was made to hand me over, I was easily subdued, spending three agonizing days confined in the underground prison. Then, I was bound to the wooden cross, and as soon as the kingdom's judge arrived to deliver the verdict, they ignited the flames.

And then, my memories of a past life flooded back.

Memories of being a middle-aged man in his thirties.

My thoughts on the matter were as follows:

Firstly, my father's decision, while lacking in sentiment, may have been rational.

Secondly, upon reflection of my past life, I found little value in it.

Thirdly, despite everything, I refused to succumb easily.

Yes — I was presently being consumed by the scorching heat.

The fire raged fiercely, reducing my clothing to ashes.

While before, the stench of burning flesh assaulted my senses, now, engulfed by the inferno, I experienced only suffocation, with the scent of burning wood pervading the air, devoid of the sickening odor of charred proteins.

Before my eyes lay the spectators who had gathered to witness my demise.

There must have been around two hundred people? Not all were fixated on the fate of the "fake noblewoman"; some conversed as if oblivious to the unfolding tragedy. It was astonishing how people could engage in idle chatter while a fellow human burned.

The moral compass of these individuals...

Towards the front, some appeared perplexed by my situation — after all, I remained untouched by the flames — yet none bothered to alert the authorities.

Among the crowd, I spotted members of the Muller family. There were no Grimwood relatives present. Claiming no relation to me, they likely saw no reason to attend such a spectacle.

Just moments before the blaze enveloped me — just before regaining "my" memories — sheer terror had gripped me.

I was consumed by fear.

Death was terrifying, being engulfed in flames was a nightmare, and those who stood by, allowing such injustice to unfold, were despicable. The decision to condemn Euphemia Grimwood, innocent and guiltless, solely for personal gain founded by sheer stupidity, was utterly abhorrent.

My thoughts raced:

— I should have felt anger.