The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 137

Gawain slowly opened his eyes.

He couldn’t see.

Everything was hazy.

His hearing was the same.

Every sound seemed muffled.

‘Am I… dead?’

It was hard to be certain.

But soon, he determined that wasn’t the case.

Someone was present in this space, tending to him.

‘So, I’m not dead…’

The moment of his death came to mind.

He had gladly accepted defeat at Judas’s hands and embraced death.

He had wanted to die as an honorable knight.

But he did not die.

He survived.

In that moment, the thought that crossed his mind was contradictory and selfish, even to himself.

‘Thank… goodness…’

Gawain felt relieved.

He was grateful for the chance to see his family again.

And he found himself laughably pathetic for feeling that way.

‘But then, how am I alive…? Was it Judas’s doing?’

A few days later, Gawain regained his sight and hearing.

It was clear that he hadn’t died.

A strange ceiling, a room he had never seen before.

It was far too human a landscape to be the afterlife.

The heaven and hell described by the Moon Church didn’t look like this.

Bright sunlight poured down on a green meadow where sheep and dogs frolicked cheerfully.

That was heaven.

A frozen wasteland, where the ground was encased in ice, and a piercing cold wind raged like blades.

That was hell.

And this place was neither.

‘I need to figure out what’s going on…’

As he was deep in thought, the door creaked open cautiously.

Judging by the attire, it was a maid.

“…Ah!”

The maid gasped loudly when her eyes met his.

“You’re awake! It seems like your senses have returned too!”

Soon after, hurried footsteps approached, the sound of someone running in a panic.

When the man appeared beyond the door, Gawain frowned.

“…Judas.”

Judas spotted him and strode forward.

Then, without hesitation—

“I’m so sorry!”

He bowed, his head touching the ground, apologizing earnestly.

***

I defeated Gawain.

And I pierced his heart.

With a dagger that I had obtained during my time away from Eliza, capable of inducing a state of suspended animation.

It could be used only once on a single person, and fortunately, that was enough.

Afterward, I carried Gawain, who had fallen into a suspended state, and asked Eliza for help.

I asked if it could be made to look like he had died.

Eliza willingly granted my request.

As a result, Gawain did not die.

To be precise, his identity died.

The knight Gawain Galahad Frudein no longer existed.

The man before me now would have to live under a different identity from now on.

Of course, I would allow him to meet his family from the Frudein household.

“…That’s how it all happened.”

I explained everything to Gawain.

I didn’t go into detail about the dagger’s function, simply saying I had managed to avoid a fatal blow by a hair.

Gawain listened calmly.

He didn’t ask anything.

Even after I finished speaking, he remained silent.

Was he angry?

He had every right to be.

He had chosen an honorable death, but I had selfishly kept him alive.

I bowed my head once more, apologizing sincerely.

“…I’m sorry, Sir Gawain.”

He slowly raised his head and looked at me.

I carefully began to explain further.

“I know it was not an honorable act. Yes. I may have… tarnished Sir Gawain’s honor. No, not just ‘may have’—I certainly did. But I didn’t want to accept such an ending. That’s all.”

Even as I said it, I knew it was a childish and ridiculous excuse.

Because I didn’t want him to die, I broke my promise and saved him.

It was a rather impulsive decision.

After all, I believe a person’s life is more important than things like chivalry or honor.

When someone dies, everything ends.

Besides, he’s not just someone unrelated to me.

Gawain is, in some ways, a special person to me.

Like family among the royal guard.

As I awkwardly avoided his gaze, Gawain patted my shoulder.

What he said next was unexpected.

“Well done.”

“Huh, um… You’re not blaming me?”

At that, Gawain let out a hearty laugh.

“The moment I realized I had woken up and wasn’t dead, that’s what I thought… I was relieved.”

He spoke with a faintly bitter smile.

“The human heart is truly fickle, isn’t it? Being able to see my family, being able to breathe like this—I felt relieved. It’s as if that moment when I wanted to die with honor belongs to someone else’s memory. In the end, I’m nothing but a weak human.”

He looked out the window with melancholy in his eyes, then turned his gaze to me.

Soon, a satisfied smile graced his lips.

“I only thought you had two choices: to kill me honorably or to save me in disgrace. But you exceeded my expectations and carved out a third option. You preserved Sir Gawain’s honor and saved my life.”

“……”

“To see a disciple who has completely surpassed their master while still alive—how could I possibly blame you?”

He patted my shoulder again before lightly embracing me.

“Thank you, Judas.”

“…Yes. Thank you for saying so.”

I gently patted his back in return.

He drank a sip of water and stroked his chin.

The loss of one arm seemed to be quite inconvenient for him.

At least it was fortunate that it was his left arm that had been severed.

Gawain is right-handed, after all.

…Not that I’m in any position to think such things, as the one who cut it off. At the time, I had no other choice.

“More importantly, what should I do from now on…?”

“If you wish, the young lady said she would help create a false identity for you. She also suggested it would be better to inform the Frudein family after the situation calms down.”

“Goodness… I’m indebted to the young lady in a great way. How could I repay her with just one remaining arm…?”

“She’s also working on designing a prosthetic arm that responds to magic.”

“…Ha. She truly is remarkable.”

He nodded earnestly with a serious expression.

“In that case, I’ll have to receive everything she offers and seriously think about how to repay her. …Wait a moment. What happened to the war? How long was I unconscious?”

“You recovered fully in about a week. And the war… ended in the young lady’s victory. A week ago.”

“…I see.”

Gawain’s voice sank deeply.

A knight who swore loyalty.

Yet he failed to protect his master and did not die honorably.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have saved him after all.

“Don’t make that face. That’s just how war is.”

“……”

“As I said before, your choice was brilliant. I’m not saying this as an empty platitude.”

Gawain gently patted the back of my hand.

“Thank you, Judas.”

“…Thank you.”

His gratitude genuinely comforted me.

***

About a week had passed since Barak’s death.

During that time, Eliza summoned the leaders of the anti-empire alliance and presented her opinions, gathering their input.

She suggested they stop the meaningless sacrifices and war of attrition.

They agreed to negotiate appropriate rewards and measures for the future, and the discussions concluded positively.

Following this, Eliza sent a peace treaty proposal to the Empire as the alliance’s representative.

Moreover, she withdrew all alliance forces from localized battles.

She effectively halted all combat operations even before the peace treaty was finalized.

Since then, it has been quiet.

There have been no battles, and several days have passed without any response from the Empire.

Instead, significant changes occurred within the Bevel family.

The surviving branch families scrambled to bow to Eliza.

They all volunteered to serve under her.

Even the Senate fell entirely into Eliza’s hands.

As a result, Eliza is now the de facto head of the Bevel family.

Of course, the person in question isn’t particularly interested in the position of the head of the family.

At least, that’s how it seems to me.

“Ah~”

Eliza opened her mouth and let out an adorable sound.

I couldn’t help but surrender to her cuteness.

Carefully, I placed food into her mouth.

“Eat slowly.”

“Mm.”

“You need to chew thoroughly before swallowing.”

“Mm.”

“Don’t overeat, and if you’re full, be sure to say so.”

“Mm.”

She ate happily, biting away with small, munching sounds.

Apparently, when I’m not around, she doesn’t eat at all.

Since my return, I’ve been feeding her like this every day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—without missing a single meal.

Since eating too quickly after starving can cause stomach issues, I give her small portions.

Any leftovers naturally become my share as I sit beside her.

I even made a two-person chair just for this—our special dining chair.

Eliza clung to my arm while eating her meal.

A few steps away, Lia quietly observed the scene.

‘Hmm… She doesn’t seem as intimidating as before.’

Her sunken eyes looked strangely hollow.

Almost like someone who has come to terms with everything.

She’s had this aura ever since the war ended.

A feeling of heaviness, like she’s weighed down.

Though at times, she looks oddly relieved.

It made me wonder.

How long has Lia served Eliza?

…And what does she think when she looks at her like this?

‘I’m often surprised myself by how different she is now.’

I still don’t know.

I don’t really understand what kind of person Lia is.

Well, anyway, Eliza is adorable, so that’s all that matters for now.

“Oh, right. Sir Gawain expressed interest in serving as the captain of the mansion’s guard.”

“Really? Then let him.”

“Understood. I’ll pass along the message.”

Officially, Gawain is considered dead and hasn’t received his new identity yet.

Since he can’t show himself in public, he’s been learning to clean around the mansion these days.

Once his new identity is issued, he’ll likely start working as the guard captain.

‘I was worried he might dislike the idea, but thankfully, he accepted it positively.’

“Ah~”

I placed another piece of meat into Eliza’s mouth.

When oil smeared the corners of her lips, I wiped it off with a napkin.

Each time, she would pause her chewing and obediently let me handle it.

‘Seriously, why does she keep getting cuter every day…?’

I swallowed the thought, feeling too embarrassed to say it out loud.

‘I really want to poke her chubby, round cheeks just once… but I probably shouldn’t.’

After feeding Eliza, I was about to eat my portion when I noticed her staring at me.

Her mouth kept moving as she chewed, but her eyes stayed fixed on me.

“Is something wrong?”

As if she wanted to respond, she started chewing faster.

“Ah, no, take your time chewing. I can wait.”

“Mm.”

While waiting for her to speak, I reached for my food, but Eliza stopped me.

“…Miss?”

After finally swallowing, she dropped a bombshell.

“Feed me too.”

“Feed you? Uh… me? What? Wait, me?!”

“Mm.”

“Wait, no, suddenly… what…?”

“You always feed me. It’s unfair otherwise.”

‘Unfair? Is this really something that can be considered unfair…?’

While I felt like the world was spinning, Eliza stayed calm as ever.

She nonchalantly tried to take the fork from my hand.

I quickly moved it out of her reach.

Eliza glared at me with dissatisfaction.

“Miss, hold on. Wait, um, this is… the master feeding a servant? That’s not proper!”

“Hmm…”

Eliza crossed her arms, tilting her head as if pondering.

‘…What is she about to say this time?!’

Today was one of the most shocking days, though similar situations had occurred before.

When I refuse her, Eliza seriously considers the matter and then logically counters my arguments.

And in the end, I always end up agreeing with her.

Actually, that’s how it turned out.

I am Eliza’s servant, and she is my master.

Whether it’s logical or not, I must follow.

‘St-still! Feeding me, that’s, that’s just not right…!’

I desperately hoped Eliza would give up, but that didn’t happen.

“Judas.”

“Yes…”

“A pet’s food is provided by its owner, right?”

“Y-yes, that’s true?”

“It’s the same logic. It’s the owner’s responsibility to take care of the wellbeing and meals of what they own.”

Hmm.

Once again, I’ve been defeated by her logic today.

“And this isn’t even the first time.”

That’s true.

When I was recovering from a near-death state, Eliza took care of me.

‘But I didn’t even know it was Eliza back then… No, even then, it felt extremely uncomfortable…!’

Before I realized it, Eliza had snatched my fork away.

She stabbed a piece of meat and held it up to my mouth.

“Here, open wide. Ah~”

I suddenly wanted to escape in a completely different sense.