The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 131

The moment Eliza’s lips almost touched mine.

Bang, bang, bang!

Someone knocked on the door with force.

“Ah!”

Eliza startled and jumped to her feet.

I also scrambled to get up in a fluster.

‘Geez… that scared me. My heart…’

Both of us were breathing heavily.

Eliza’s face was flushed as if excited.

…Is my face like that too?

Bang, bang, bang!

The knocking echoed again from below.

“Phew…”

Eliza sighed and brushed her hair back.

“I’ll…”

“No, you just recovered. Patients need to rest. I’ll go check.”

Thumping, I exited the room and headed downstairs. My steps were rough.

If I’m not careful, I might break this house.

A voice came from below.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me, May. I’m here for Master Judas’s regular checkup.”

“…Come in.”

The door opened with a loud noise, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps coming back up.

Eliza returned, her face puffed with annoyance—almost like a pufferfish.

‘Cute things are the best medicine. Hmm. …Wait a minute. May? The physician from Eliza’s mansion?’

Shortly after, May and Gale walked in.

They were the familiar physicians I’d often seen at Eliza’s estate.

Were they the ones who checked on me before?

“Oh? Master Judas? Do you remember us?”

Just like Eliza, they were gravely mistaken.

I gave them a short explanation of what I had told Eliza earlier to clear up the misunderstanding.

.

.

Gale smacked me on the back like in the old days.

“You should’ve explained it properly, you rascal!”

“Ow! I thought I did!”

This old man’s temper hasn’t changed a bit.

No wonder his hands were always rough during examinations.

“Ugh, whatever. Take off your shirt.”

Every time they come for a checkup, they examine my body.

I also wanted to see how my body looked right now.

‘I’ve been exercising since I regained sensation, so muscle loss should be minimal. But I’m curious about the soot marks left on my body.’

Before fighting Drake, my body was still covered with soot marks.

As my mana recovered, they had faded little by little.

After dying and reviving, my vision wasn’t great, so I couldn’t tell anymore.

“Alright.”

May checked only my eyes before leaving the room.

I removed my top for Gale’s examination.

But Eliza kept sneaking glances at my body.

‘…It’s a bit embarrassing when you stare like that.’

My body, covered in numerous small scars, was now under Gale’s scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Eliza’s gaze shifted.

Now, she was openly staring.

“You don’t seem to have any major issues. But, geez, even after lying down for days, your body’s still so built. Gross.”

“It’s the result of using my body diligently and responsibly…”

“Shut it. Don’t overwork your body.”

“Yes, sir.”

After giving his warning, Gale greeted Eliza and left.

I quickly grabbed my clothes to put them back on.

Eliza’s constant staring made me feel… strange.

At least I confirmed the soot marks were completely gone.

But then.

Eliza suddenly grabbed my hand.

Her grip was strong and firm, almost as if she didn’t want me to get dressed.

“Ah, Miss…?”

Eliza stared intently at my body.

Her gaze was piercing, as if she couldn’t hear anything around her.

I instinctively gulped, shrinking slightly under her gaze.

‘Uh, the roles seem to have reversed here.’

Considering the master-servant relationship, maybe this is how it’s supposed to be?

Eliza, contrary to my expectations—or rather, my worries—quickly let go of my wrist.

I wasn’t sure why, but I used the opportunity to finish dressing.

“The soot on your body is gone…?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I think it’s fine to touch now.”

“How…?”

The soot had been proof that my body was at its limit.

But now that my trait was completed with [Full Moon], there was no need to worry at all.

“That… just a guess? I heard the Gigantic Drake you killed was connected to the moon. Maybe its death had an effect?”

“Really…?”

Eliza nodded slowly, as if something came to mind. Then, she crawled onto the bed.

Naturally, she climbed onto me and hugged me.

I sat back against the headboard, quietly offering my embrace.

She nestled into my arms.

Her size was just right, warm, and it felt good to hold her. A gentle warmth seeped into my body.

‘…But why is she so thin?’

I had noticed she didn’t look well, but her body was practically all bones.

‘I worked so hard to get her healthy…’

Maybe I should start by feeding her properly.

Still wrapped in my embrace, Eliza spoke.

“So, does this mean I can touch you freely now…?”

Her voice sounded oddly excited.

“Uh, um… I think it should be fine now…”

Her small hands kneaded mine, as if checking to see if there were any lingering burns.

“It really seems okay now… Was it unnecessary for me to go to such extremes with you back then?”

She murmured in a regretful tone.

“If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just stayed by your side…”

That was probably not true.

It was only after leaving Eliza that I was able to complete my trait, [Full Moon].

An ironic turn of events.

Perhaps overwhelmed by regret and guilt, Eliza began to tear up, sniffing as she tried to hold back her emotions.

Her eyes and nose turned red from crying so much.

It didn’t feel right to find it adorable, but somehow, it was.

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay now.”

“…Idiot. But are you really sure? Are you hiding something bad from me?”

“Mm… I don’t think so.”

If something were happening without my awareness, there wasn’t much I could do, but I was confident it wasn’t the case.

[Magic Power: 74.0]

My magic power, which had risen to 68, had quickly increased to 74.

Far from losing anything, a warm energy continued to flow into my body.

Honestly, I was starting to worry about myself.

“Miss. Do you feel any magic power draining from your body?”

“Hmm? Right now?”

“Yes. It’s just, I feel like I might be absorbing your magic power somehow…”

“Huh?”

Eliza blinked her large eyes. Her gaze wandered, as if trying to sense something.

Then she shook her head.

“Not at all. If that were happening, I would definitely notice.”

If it was about magic and mana, there was no way Eliza would miss it.

She had no reason to lie about this either.

“Actually… I was more worried about the overwhelming amount of magic flowing into me from you. Are you really okay?”

“I swear, I’m perfectly fine. If anything changes, I’ll tell you right away.”

“Mm. You must.”

She nodded and buried herself deeper into my embrace.

In a drowsy voice, she muttered,

“It feels so good… I’ve needed this so much…”

The way she rubbed her face against me was reminiscent of a cat seeking affection.

I instinctively tightened my arms around her, savoring the warmth.

Then, carefully, I spoke.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“You mentioned earlier… that you lied about what you said back then. So, what’s the truth…?”

Before I could finish my sentence, Eliza suddenly lifted her head.

Her arms wrapped around my neck as she rose slightly.

Our eyes were now level. She looked directly at me.

Those jewel-like red eyes.

“Do you want to know my true feelings?”

With a stern expression but a trembling voice that betrayed her nervousness, she spoke.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety myself.

After swallowing hard, she answered with great effort.

“…Yes.”

Her large, round eyes blinked as they gazed at me.

She said nothing, just staring intently.

Her face drew closer.

Slowly, so slowly, that I didn’t even notice.

Her slightly ragged breath brushed against my skin.

Her long eyelashes seemed like they might graze me.

Unintentionally, I found myself looking at her lips.

Small, plump, and red.

They looked as though they might taste sweet, like ripe fruit, if bitten.

Following my gaze, her eyes moved, looking at my lips before returning to meet my eyes.

Thump- thump-

My heart pounded.

With her body so close to mine, it felt as though our hearts were beating against each other.

Her heart against mine, my heart against hers.

It was impossible to tell whose heart was whose.

It felt like they had become one.

A response, as though she were speaking another language entirely.

Her eyes slowly closed, and her head tilted at an angle.

Our noses barely touched.

-Thud! Thud! Thud!

Someone banged on the door below.

‘…Again?’

Eliza’s eyes turned fierce in an instant.

-Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Young Lady! Urgent news!”

The voice wasn’t calling for me but for Eliza.

It was filled with urgency and gravity.

“Hah…”

Eliza rested her chin on my shoulder and sighed deeply.

“This is so annoying…”

I patted her waist gently, trying to comfort her.

“It sounds like something important.”

“To me, you’re the most important thing.”

Her grumbling was endearing.

I was disappointed, too, but there was no helping it.

She was a busy woman.

The war wasn’t over yet.

Realizing this, Eliza ran a hand through her hair and got up.

“I’ll go down.”

I started to rise as well.

Even though I was still considered a patient, my body had fully recovered.

I wasn’t in a state to lie around anymore.

As I prepared to leave, grabbing a stuffed cat doll, my eyes caught a sword leaning against the wall next to the bedroom door.

‘This is…’

It was the Moon’s Pupil, the sword I had discarded when I left.

Eliza must have been using it, as it bore clear signs of frequent handling.

I picked it up and headed downstairs.

The one who had come to see Eliza was Dylan.

‘It seems he’s had a rough time too. He doesn’t look well.’

He gave me a quick glance before resuming his conversation with Eliza.

This wasn’t the time to exchange pleasantries.

I gave Dylan a silent nod and sat down in the living room.

The atmosphere suggested that they would have to leave in a hurry.

I decided to leave a short letter before we departed.

The letter was addressed to Eurydice and Orpheus, who had helped us settle here.

I also included a note for Leon, Cooper, Brown, and Connor, whom I had briefly met but had been happy to know.

‘That should do. By the way, I haven’t seen Eurydice or Orpheus recently. I know I’ve been bedridden, but still… Did they go somewhere?’

As I set the pen down, Eliza approached me.

Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to.

So, I spoke first.

“Let’s go together. Are we leaving right away?”

“…You’re coming with me?”

Eliza had once driven me away harshly.

Now, asking me to go with her must have felt shameless.

I answered as if it were nothing.

“I’m your knight. Of course, I should stay by your side.”

“……”

Tears welled up in Eliza’s eyes as she looked up at me.

‘Goodness, she’s turned into such a crybaby.’

She threw herself into my arms, burying her face in my chest and silently trembling.

He patted her shoulder, and Dylan smiled warmly, watching from the side.

I gave a slight nod in greeting, and he lightly nodded back.

“But,”

Eliza suddenly asked.

For some reason, her voice turned cold and firm.

“Who were you writing a letter to?”

“To someone who helped me settle down here…”

“A woman?”

“Well… she is a woman, but she’s married. Very happily married, in fact. And you know what? I even know her husband. He knows me well, too.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Eliza raised an eyebrow and nodded.

I let out a silent sigh of relief.

‘I haven’t done anything wrong, but this still feels nerve-wracking…’

She naturally took my hand.

Outside, two more of Eliza’s guards were waiting.

Jerry and Hador.

Noticing me, they waved enthusiastically with big smiles.

‘…It’s somehow embarrassing, and I feel a bit guilty.’

I planned to disappear entirely by faking my death.

From their perspective, they might’ve felt hurt, but there wasn’t a hint of resentment.

All they showed was relief that I was alive and joy at seeing me again.

“We need to head back to the mansion and sort out the situation. To summarize, Cain and Levi are mobilizing their troops and advancing. I’ll get more details once we’re back.”

Eliza looked up at me with a smile.

“Shall we go?”

I returned the smile.

“Yes, let’s head back.”

Moments later, Eliza, her guards, and I disappeared from that spot.

***

“Huh… what…?”

Eurydice’s hands trembled slightly.

“Yuri? What’s wrong?”

Orpheus asked, worried.

Unfortunately, they’d been tracked down by imperial knights, forcing them to flee.

But Eurydice stood frozen, unable to answer.

She was staring at a document before her.

It was intelligence that had arrived just before their escape.

She had been tracing Judas’s past for the past five years.

He had initially asked her to look into his parents.

It wasn’t uncommon for orphans to be curious about their origins.

Despite her dedicated efforts, it hadn’t been an easy task.

Then, she focused on one clue.

Judas had said he wandered near the frontlines before meeting Orpheus.

So, she investigated his movements in the border regions and war zones near the demon realm.

While following the trail, something unexpected happened.

Chaos broke out within the assassin guild.

Taking advantage of the disorder, Eurydice planted a capable spy.

Through that, she discovered an entirely unforeseen lead about Judas.

He had been a guild member at a very young age.

And the first person he ever killed was…

‘…….’

Seeing her distress, Orpheus also read the document.

He came to the same conclusion.

Both of them understood Judas and Eliza’s connection.

And what they meant to each other.

“Why… why… Why would this happen to those two…? Why would Judas…?”

“…….”

Eurydice muttered incoherently, overwhelmed by confusion.

Orpheus gripped her shoulders firmly.

“For now, we need to evacuate. We can dig deeper and figure it all out later. We won’t be too late to uncover what happened between them.”

“…Yes, you’re right… That’s what we’ll do.”

Eurydice pulled herself together and organized the documents.

Due to the ongoing war, the Moon Church was in complete disarray.

And Judas had been raised by Anggra, the bishop of the Moon Church, after being taken from Judeca.

‘If we infiltrate the Moon Church during this chaos, we might find more clues.’

She prayed silently, hoping the evidence would help explain this assassination directive.

Eurydice and Orpheus moved forward with determination.