The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 101

I was waiting for Eliza in the mansion hall.

Only cleaning servants and mansion guards were around.

There was no one else.

Perhaps the other nobles had their own schedules.

Bored from waiting, I decided to use the necklace.

I was curious about the function that summoned armor.

‘When signaling Eliza… how is this supposed to work differently?’

I wasn’t sure, but I gave it a try anyway.

When I needed Eliza, I thought of her.

Now that I needed armor, wouldn’t it work if I used it while thinking of the armor?

“Oh?”

With a clatter, the front plate of a chest piece fell right in front of me.

‘This actually works?’

Fascinated, I checked the chest plate.

It really was my armor.

Inside the armor, there was a drawing I hadn’t seen before.

It was obviously a complex magic circle.

‘This must be the enchantment added this time.’

I didn’t understand it, even after looking at it.

As I was about to send it back, I noticed readable letters at the edge of the magic circle.

It was a person’s name.

‘Eliza, Eliza?’

Eliza had also participated in the enchantment work.

Was it left as proof of her contribution?

‘It’s her creation, so there’s nothing wrong with leaving a mark.’

As soon as I returned the armor, the front door opened.

A group of noblewomen poured in.

It looked like they had returned from some tea time or social gathering.

Eliza, however, had no interest in those kinds of social events.

Is that really okay…?

‘I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.’

One of the nobles heading upstairs glanced at me.

“Oh my, you’re not a mansion guard, are you?”

“…?”

“Huh? Ah, you must be Lady Eliza’s escort knight, right?”

“That’s correct, but….”

“Lily, really! Where would you find a guard this handsome? No wonder you got confused.”

“Well, he was standing so still I just assumed. Your name is Judas, right?”

Lately, I’ve noticed something.

A surprising number of people know my name.

Is it because Eliza is famous, and I’ve become known as a result?

“What are you doing here all by yourself?”

“I’m waiting for my master.”

“Leaving someone as valuable as you alone—what if someone tries to steal you away?”

“…….”

“Judging by the lack of a handkerchief, you haven’t received one yet? Are you planning to get one later, or do you already have someone in mind?”

“Not particularly….”

“Then how about me?”

“Hey, Catherine, it’s rude to jump in like that without decorum.”

“But Lady Eliza is around….”

“Who says you can’t give it even if she’s here?”

…They’re draining me.

I feel dizzy.

I want to run away, but I can’t.

Behind me is a wall, and in front of me, they’ve encircled me in a semicircle.

Still, they’re noblewomen, so I can’t just push past them.

I don’t even know where they’re from.

‘Eliza… save me….’

They weren’t saying anything bad about me, so I couldn’t complain.

Actually, I didn’t even have a chance to speak.

They asked the questions, answered them themselves, and laughed amongst themselves.

Their chatter gradually shifted to topics only they understood.

‘This is driving me insane.’

I was stuck in place, unable to do anything.

“But, is that rumor true?”

“What rumor are you referring to?”

“About Lady Eliza….”

“Me?”

A voice cut through the air, freezing the room.

It didn’t belong to anyone who had been speaking until now.

It was slightly low and calm.

Sharp enough to pierce through and shatter the atmosphere.

Before anyone noticed her arrival, Eliza was already standing behind the noblewomen.

“Eliza, young lady, what’s next?”

She asked in a voice devoid of emotion.

It carried a chilling sharpness, as if a blade was pressed against the listener’s neck.

It was terrifying, and yet, truthfully, I was glad. Genuinely.

The moment Eliza appeared, all the women fell silent.

Click. Eliza took a step forward.

At that, the women—though it’s a slightly rude expression for nobles—scurried aside like insects.

Only the woman who had just mentioned Eliza’s name remained frozen, rooted in place.

“The third daughter of the Count of Curtry,”

Eliza said, identifying her as she approached.

“Eliza, young lady, why don’t you tell us what’s next?”

“Ah, ah, ahaha, w-well, you see…”

Eliza, now standing directly in front of her, gazed down at her as though crushing her underfoot.

Her eyes, ignited with a wild flame, bore into the woman.

She tilted her head slightly.

As if to ask why she wasn’t speaking.

Unhappy, she crossed her arms.

And on top of that… I cast my irreverent gaze elsewhere.

“E-Eliza, young lady, I-I was just saying you’re so beautiful! Truly! Isn’t that right?”

The woman desperately looked around for agreement from those nearby.

Wherever her gaze fell, the other women averted their eyes, pretending ignorance.

Eliza let out a sigh and shook her head.

She ignored the woman and walked past her, heading straight toward me.

With eyes full of dissatisfaction, she looked up at me.

“Well, uh, are you finished with your business?”

“…Yes.”

Eliza mumbled as she rubbed her temple.

“What am I going to do with you…”

“Pardon? What did you say?”

“Nothing. Let’s just go.”

She grabbed my hand without asking and began to lead me away.

I obediently followed her.

Noticing her irritation, I cautiously asked,

“Was your conversation with the emperor unsatisfactory?”

“……”

Eliza didn’t answer.

She suddenly stopped and looked up at me.

Her large eyes stared fixedly at me.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

Observing, analyzing.

Then, tilting her head slightly, she turned and resumed walking ahead.

“Not particularly. Neither satisfying nor dissatisfying. But I did learn something important.”

She spoke without any weight to her words.

“The emperor researched dark magic through the Imperial Mage Corps. He’s working with Barak and the Moon Church, and he tried to kill me. Aside from that, I confirmed most of my hypotheses.”

Eliza’s enemy was now clear.

Despite the formidable nature of this opponent, there wasn’t a hint of tension on Eliza’s face.

Was it confidence? Or perhaps she was simply accustomed to having powerful enemies.

Maybe it was both.

When I remained silent, she asked, “Are you scared now?”

“Not at all.”

“Well, that’s good. Though even if you were, it’s too late to back out now. You’re already mine.”

“……”

Good grief.

She sure knows how to say confusing things with a straight face.

‘Anyone else would have misunderstood a hundred times over!’

Of course, oblivious to my inner thoughts, Eliza acted as if nothing had happened.

Our next destination was the building assigned to the Imperial Guards.

They had been lounging about but scrambled into order the moment Eliza arrived.

Eliza gave a curt order.

“Rest until further notice.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“If you don’t mind me asking, may we explore the festival?”

Richard cautiously inquired.

Eliza nodded readily.

“As you wish. As long as you don’t cause trouble.”

“Thank you!”

Under Dylan’s lead, they split into groups of three to wander around.

With eleven members, two were left over, so Richard and Dylan paired up.

Naturally, I followed Eliza.

Eliza busily went to meet various nobles.

Occasionally, nobles sought her out instead.

On the surface, the conversations were ordinary.

Simple greetings.

Business discussions, political matters, and so on.

I merely identified the common ground among them.

‘Anti-Empire factions.’

People who weren’t particularly friendly toward the Empire.

And individuals who were choosing to invest in the value of Eliza rather than the Bevel family.

The Emperor or Barak might have taken notice of them.

Even so, Eliza showed no hesitation.

From that demeanor, I could easily infer one thing:

Something big was about to happen.

***

After an uneventful day, I was on my way back to the mansion.

Though it was dark, the streets were lively and bright, thanks to the festival.

People were bustling about, filled with energy.

Eliza casually asked,

“Do you want to enjoy this too?”

“The festival?”

“Yeah.”

“Hm…”

To be honest, I was curious.

But Eliza came first.

“I’m fine.”

“‘I’m fine’ means you’d like to, but you’re holding back.”

“……”

I couldn’t find a response.

She saw right through me every single time.

“Hm.”

Eliza seemed to ponder something for a moment but said nothing more.

As if nothing had happened, we returned to the mansion.

And then, suddenly, she asked,

“Did you enjoy it?”

“…Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Earlier. When you were surrounded by those women.”

Out of the blue?

She’s bringing this up hours later?

Realizing it was a strange time to mention it, Eliza added,

“Just curious. No particular reason. You know how it is—receiving positive attention from multiple members of the opposite sex is generally pleasant. Especially for men, who sometimes even have multiple wives.”

Is she suddenly curious about polygamy as a marital system?

Anyway, it seemed to be a purely academic, anthropological question.

I decided to answer honestly.

Not that I had anything insightful to offer.

“It was bothersome.”

“…Really?”

“Well, it might generally be enjoyable for others, but for me, not so much. Isn’t it annoying to receive unwanted attention at the wrong time?”

“Unwanted attention… I see…”

For some reason, Eliza’s voice sounded subdued.

Was she deeply contemplating this?

“Yes. Anyway, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience. I was so relieved when you came back then…”

She abruptly stopped in her tracks.

Then, suddenly, she stepped toward me.

“Really? Is that so?”

“Huh? What is?”

“You’re saying you prefer me over all of them?”

The word ‘prefer’ carried a broad range of meanings.

It could indicate a special emotion toward a person.

Or simply liking a particular food.

It could also imply what’s better or worse in a given situation.

So, the fact that I kept overanalysing Eliza’s words was my own fault.

‘Anyway, there are a lot of omitted nuances in what she said… but technically, it’s not an incorrect statement.’

Feeling flustered and awkward, I avoided her gaze and answered,

“Well… you could say that…”

“Hm.”

Eliza smiled with a contented hum, clearly satisfied.

‘What was that about? Was she confirming my loyalty or something? Well, she’s cute, so it’s fine.’

Her steps as we returned seemed lighter than before.

***

When we arrived, an unexpected guest was waiting for us.

More precisely, a guest who had come to see Eliza.

A man sitting on the terrace of the mansion assigned to Eliza approached us.

He had curly blonde hair and crimson eyes that curved into a friendly smile.

However, neither I nor Eliza could greet him warmly because we both recognized who he was.

Though tall, his slightly slender frame made him look frail.

And he indeed was someone with a weak constitution.

Perhaps that’s why the bodyguard by his side was built like a giant.

The second son of the Bevel family.

Levi di Bevel approached us.

“You seem busy.”

“State your business.”

Unlike Levi, who attempted a brief pleasantry, Eliza coldly cut him off.

Levi shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

“So harsh. Fine, it’s not like I care much for courtesy anyway…”

“Keep it short.”

Despite Eliza’s rude demeanor, Levi appeared utterly unbothered.

“This Founding Festival, I want to pit my guards against yours. In Judeca.”

Appearing out of nowhere, he proposed a clash between their respective guards.