The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 140

“There’s not a single person here.”

Judas said, glancing around.

Beside him, Eliza was holding his hand as they walked side by side.

“Everyone who could die is dead, and everyone who could flee has escaped.”

The two of them were at the main estate of the Bevel family.

Barak and Narcissa.

The grand mansion once used by their five direct descendants.

To Judas, this place felt more like a castle than a mansion.

Its scale was exceptional.

So vast, in fact, that it took several minutes just to run from the front gate of the property to the central building.

“It feels like a ghost might appear.”

“Don’t worry. I’m here.”

Judas found her reassuring, yet his own position felt somewhat strange.

‘…Aren’t I supposed to be the escort knight?’

It felt like their roles were switching.

But since Eliza was undeniably stronger than him, there was little he could say.

Not just strong—overwhelmingly so.

Eliza’s reason for coming here was simple.

The black key taken from Barak’s possession.

She wanted to figure out its purpose.

Before his death, Barak had attempted to retrieve that key.

There might be a hidden ace up his sleeve that Eliza hadn’t anticipated.

As for why she brought Judas along, the reason was just as simple.

Wherever she went, he had to follow.

This wasn’t exactly a place she wanted to linger in.

It was filled with unpleasant memories.

Just returning here was enough to sour her mood, though having Judas with her prevented it from becoming unbearable.

Still, she hoped to confirm her objective quickly and leave.

The largest building in the center of the property was the main mansion.

Right next to it stood Barak’s magical research lab.

“That’s the building. Barak’s personal magic research lab. Somewhere in there, this key should have a use.”

It was a guess, but the most plausible one.

The two headed straight into the lab.

Inside, it was a mess.

Books and flasks were scattered everywhere, and several pieces of furniture were broken.

It seemed that those who fled had looted anything valuable.

Even Eliza had once sent soldiers to gather spoils.

“Let’s hope no one tampered with whatever this key is for.”

Eliza decided to start by checking the drawers.

Judas agreed with her.

The two began searching the spacious lab, inspecting every drawer for a keyhole.

But none of them matched.

Even forcing open locked drawers revealed nothing significant inside.

“It must be somewhere…”

If not a drawer, then perhaps something else.

But what else could the key fit into besides a drawer?

Eliza decided to change her approach.

“There might be a secret door. Judas, come here and hold me from behind.”

“Pardon? Oh, uh, yes.”

Though he didn’t understand why, Judas complied without question.

Smiling, Eliza cast a spell while enveloped in Judas’s warm embrace.

She summoned a gentle wind centered around herself, sending it flowing throughout the room.

Eliza meticulously observed the subtle movements of the magically conjured breeze.

“…Found it.”

Some strands of wind moved in an entirely unexpected direction.

The spot appeared to be blocked by a flat wall to the naked eye.

“…But why did you ask me to hold you?”

“Just wanted to feel good.”

In truth, she had worried that Judas standing apart might disrupt the wind’s flow.

But being held felt pleasant, so she said it that way instead.

“…I see?”

Though he didn’t fully understand, Judas decided to let it go since he enjoyed it too.

Eliza approached the wall where the wind escaped.

Knock, knock. She tapped it, and a hollow sound echoed. There was a space beyond it.

“This looks like a door.”

“Should I force it open?”

“No. If it’s this well-hidden, there could be a trap.”

“Got it.”

Unlike the straightforward Judas, Eliza chose to proceed cautiously.

She began pulling out books from the nearby bookshelf, one by one.

Behind it, a hidden keyhole appeared.

Eliza inserted the black key left behind by Barak.

It fit perfectly.

When she turned it—

Click-clack.

The wall rotated and opened.

“Oh….”

While Judas marveled in awe, Eliza observed the surroundings near the entrance.

Fortunately, there were no magical traps.

Beyond the door was a straight corridor.

It was pitch dark and narrow, barely wide enough for a single person to pass.

“I’ll take the lead.”

“Still…”

“Can you identify and disarm magical traps early?”

“My incompetence is regrettable.”

“It’s fine. Just staying by my side is help enough.”

With Eliza’s unwavering determination, Judas followed obediently.

They ventured into the pitch-black passage.

The deeper they went, the more curious Eliza became.

What was this place built for?

For a hidden space, there weren’t even traces of magical traps or anything similar.

At the end of the corridor, there was a door.

It wasn’t locked.

When they opened it, a small space appeared.

It looked like a tiny study.

Bookshelves lined the walls, packed with books.

The shelves alone weren’t enough; piles of books were stacked on the floor, thinly covered in dust.

‘It seems untouched by anyone….’

Most of the books were ones Eliza recognized.

They were about magical theory and practice, ranging from basic to advanced levels.

The ones stacked on the floor and scattered on the desk seemed to be the most recently read.

They mainly dealt with magical creation and fusion.

‘What was he trying to make?’

Among the items, Eliza noticed a notebook. She picked it up and opened it.

Inside, neat records of research on new magic were documented.

There were notes on the practical changes caused by variations in magical diagrams.

Creation starting from transformation, and so on.

‘…What kind of magic is this?’

It was a type Eliza had never seen before.

The entire notebook was filled with such experiments and research.

‘It seems like he was experimenting to create some sort of magic….’

Other notebooks were no different.

‘What kind of magic was he trying to create? It looks like a magic targeting a specific individual. But it’s too complex for a wizard to use directly. Well, not for me. Anyway, it seems Barak was trying to implement this as an artifact.’

The artifact, the result of the research, was easy to find.

It was right on the desk.

A necklace.

It was the only object in the room emitting magical waves.

It had caught her attention ever since they entered the space.

When Judas reached out to touch it, Eliza stopped him, grabbing his hand.

“I’ll touch it first. It could be dangerous.”

“Alright….”

For some reason, Judas felt like a naive child.

Eliza pulled him behind and carefully reached for the necklace.

‘It’s not a trap. The magic from earlier is engraved in it. As expected, it’s a spell targeting an external entity under certain conditions. At least, it doesn’t pose any danger to me, Judas, or my allies.’

Eliza pocketed the necklace and continued her investigation.

Even after thoroughly searching the study, there were no significant clues.

In the end, she couldn’t figure out why Barak had tried to retrieve the key to this place before his death.

‘Was I mistaken about him trying to retrieve the key? That doesn’t seem right.’

If it wasn’t important, there was no reason for Barak to keep the key so securely.

In any case, there was nothing more to uncover here.

“Unfortunately, there are no clues… Let’s head back.”

The two held hands and left.

They could have teleported back, but Eliza didn’t.

She wanted to walk with Judas.

For a brief moment, being with him made him forget this place was the main estate of the Bevel family.

Exiting the laboratory brought them back to the mansion grounds.

Once luxurious, it was now in ruins.

Eliza found the disarrayed state oddly appealing.

As they walked side by side, Judas spoke first.

“Did you find anything?”

“I found it, but I still don’t know what Barak was trying to do back then. There are no clues even after digging further, so I’m thinking of heading back. Maybe I’ll find out while researching this necklace.”

“I see. What will you do moving forward?”

Eliza’s ultimate goal was the complete destruction of the Bevel family.

She once thought of taking down the Empire that dared to provoke her in one fell swoop, but recently, her thoughts had changed.

Spending time with Judas seemed more worthwhile.

“First, I’ll see what stance the Empire takes. If the negotiations fail… it’ll be troublesome, but I’ll have to fight.”

Still, if the enemy didn’t avoid conflict, she intended to respond.

She had no intention of leaving an enemy with hostility alone.

“And also, if possible, I want to turn the Assassins’ Guild upside down.”

“…The Assassins’ Guild?”

“Yeah. Even if it was just a contract, they were the ones who killed my mother.”

Judas involuntarily tensed up.

Not now, but he had been a member of the Assassins’ Guild in the past.

He didn’t even remember it himself, but would Eliza ever forgive that?

She likely regarded the guild as a group of mortal enemies who killed her mother.

He wasn’t sure.

Even if he hadn’t carried out the act and was only a member.

But if he stepped up, he might be able to help Eliza achieve her goal.

“At the very least, I want to find the one who killed my mother. Holding the entire organization accountable would be unreasonable and difficult.”

If it was only that much, he might be able to help her a little.

Even at the risk of danger.

Eliza glanced at Judas, who had suddenly grown serious.

Her feelings were quite complicated.

Her world’s landscape, once filled with only unpleasant and grueling memories, now blended with something entirely unfamiliar.

It was like two incompatible elements meeting and mixing.

But she didn’t hate it.

Just walking here with him felt like pieces of her unpleasant memories were falling away bit by bit.

Her one and only color.

The light spreading from Judas seemed to push back the black ink that had stained her past.

“Shall I tell you a story from the past?”

Eliza suddenly asked.

It was something she wanted to do, but embarrassed, she feigned asking for Judas’s opinion.

He might not want to hear it.

“A story from the past? About the time you spent here?”

“Yes, yes.”

“I’d love to hear it.”

When he agreed, Eliza smiled brightly.

It wasn’t much, but his affirmation was simply pleasant to hear.

“Do you see that over there?”

Eliza pointed to a corner of the estate.

“What… That building?”

“Yeah. That’s the building I stayed in when I lived here.”

“…It doesn’t look like a building meant for someone to live in.”

To Judas, the small, low building seemed more suited as a warehouse.

The interior looked cramped at best, and it was clear that winter drafts would easily seep in.

Though the current atmosphere was desolate, it wasn’t hard to imagine the former glory of this opulent estate.

But the flat building surely must have looked shabby and unimpressive even back then.

It was like a mismatched element, sitting alone and out of place.

Eliza simply smiled.

“You’re right. It wasn’t really a building meant for people to use. It used to be a warehouse, but when the underground prison filled up, it was used as a temporary jail or even a torture room.”

“……”

“And then about ten years ago, when I came here, it became my home.”

Judas couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

He wanted to say something, anything.

Words of empathy or comfort.

But he couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain and alienation she must have endured, so he kept his mouth shut.

Shallow sympathy would only be selfish.

Instead, he held her hand tighter.

That alone was enough to give Eliza solace.

“And over there, that distant spot was my study. When I received lessons from my tutor, I had to walk all the way there. For etiquette lessons, I went to the main building in the center.”

The distance was considerable for a child to walk.

Eliza superimposed the landscape of that time over the present.

A time of unbearably tormenting days.

Back then, she hadn’t even known her mother had died.

She believed that one day her mother would return to take her away.

She prayed every night.

Not knowing it was a prayer that would never be answered.

“Once, you know, I lost a doll. Back then, I always carried a teddy bear around.”

Judas glanced at the cat plushie Eliza was currently holding in her opposite arm.

‘…She’s always been adorable.’

Imagining Eliza with a teddy bear in her arms, he continued listening.

“Mom’s last gift to me suddenly disappeared, and I was frantic. I wandered all over the grounds until dawn, only to find out later that Archan had stolen and hidden it.”

“……”

“I walked until my feet ached, searching this vast place, but no one helped me. No one even tried.”

At the time, Barak was aware of Eliza wandering around.

Eliza had also noticed him and secretly hoped he would help, but he didn’t intervene.

If Barak got involved, the intended imbalance would collapse.

At that moment, Eliza resented Barak.

Now, she even feels grateful for it.

Because of his coldness, she was able to kill him without hesitation or regret.

“That’s when I realized. Ah, in this vast world, I have no one on my side. In the end, people must stand alone.”

Though there had been someone, they were gone now.

But she chose not to say that last part.

That wasn’t the story she wanted to convey right now.

“But it turns out, I’m not entirely alone.”

Eliza smiled faintly at Judas.

Her one and only color.

The man who was her entire world.

She was always ready to show him her unadorned, bare self.

“Do you remember what I said before? That the words people used to curse me were like fallen leaves piling up.”

“I remember.”

“Leaves piling up in the yard can just be cleared away. But the leaves that pile up in the heart remain, even if you try to remove them. And yet, you were the one who cleared away those leaves for me.”

A welcome guest who came to the cage.

Anemone.

And fireflies.

The one who threw the unremoved leaves outside the cage.

Their origin stood right before her.

Her heart filled with him.

Eliza leaned into him.

Just as the moon had once fallen into her, this time, she reached for him.

A sense of satisfaction swelled in her heart, as if she were embracing the entire universe.

Someone who would always willingly open their arms for her.

She spoke with a smile.

Words that resonated, filling and shaking the empty space within.

“Thank you for coming to me.”

If he hadn’t come.

If they hadn’t collided.

There would have been no anemone blooming in the cage, no thrilling emotions she now experienced.

Judas looked at her clear smile and came to a realization.

She was covering her bad memories with him.

The scars that remained in her heart couldn’t be erased, so she was redrawing them anew with him.

Judas wanted to be her colors and brush.

He held her tightly in his arms.

After all, he, too, had received much from her.

Not just material things like food, clothing, or shelter.

Before he knew it, he had been colored by her, and his world revolved around her as its central axis.

Her small, warm, and precious warmth fit perfectly in his embrace.

As if she were made just for him.

Judas gently held her, letting the memories from this place melt away in the warmth of his body.

Quietly.

Eventually, Eliza slowly lifted her head.

She naturally wrapped her arms around Judas’s neck and rose slightly on her toes.

In the ruin, with no one to interrupt, she moved toward the moment she had been waiting for.

Judas let himself be softly drawn to her.

Tilting his head slightly, he lowered it.

The moment felt as slow as petals falling.

Softly, their lips met.

The touch of their shared warmth and skin was vivid because of the slowness.

Warm, soft, and moist. The closer they were, the more pronounced the scent of the other became.

They exchanged breaths for a brief moment.

The parting of their lips was just as slow as their meeting.

When Judas opened his eyes, he saw Eliza crying.

Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.

But her lips were curved in the brightest smile, an expression of pure happiness.

Without a word, Judas embraced her tightly.

It wasn’t a moment for words.

Language was merely a tool to convey thoughts and feelings.

When hearts connect, words become unnecessary.

The synchronized heartbeat.

The exchanged breaths.

The shared warmth.

The lingering heat on each other’s lips.

It was enough for their hearts to connect.

Cradled in the arms of the universe, Eliza smiled through her tears.

Her life had been like dust thrown into the void, yet he willingly embraced her.

Even though he was a moon that shone because of her, the faint light he radiated was enough to illuminate the entire universe.

In the vast, desolate grounds where only the two of them existed.

In the midst of the barren estate of the Bevel family, they felt as though the world was complete with just each other.

Before they knew it, the unpleasant memories Eliza had experienced in this place vanished as if burned away.