The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 141

Judas walked hand in hand with Eliza, strolling through the grounds of the Bevel estate.

Eliza explained various things to him.

That building—what it was used for.

Who lived on which floor of the main building.

Miscellaneous stories.

Judas listened attentively.

“Hm, I guess it’s gone now.”

“What do you mean?”

“There used to be an incinerator near the warehouse. A long time ago, Sara once stole my clothes. So, I gathered up all the jewels she cherished, burned them in the incinerator, and then scattered the ashes on her face.”

It wasn’t something to say with a smile, yet Eliza spoke with amusement.

As if reminiscing about an old memory.

Judas held back a sigh.

He felt sorry for her attempt to overwrite her past with new memories.

But if that was what benefited her, he was willing to help.

“That’s quite a satisfying story.”

“Isn’t it? And Levi once threw away my food too. It was nothing but hard rock bread, but still. So, in return, I subtly mixed real sand and pebbles into his food.”

Like that, she recounted each and every thing done to her by the direct lineage, including Narcissa.

Then suddenly, he wanted to embrace her.

It was hard to imagine how painful it must have been, unable to share these things with anyone.

Her usual firm and indifferent demeanor was merely a defense mechanism.

Deep inside, she must have needed someone to listen.

When he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder, Eliza flinched but soon leaned into his chest, rubbing her face against him.

And then, curiosity struck.

“Where were you before you came here?”

Eliza had come to the estate ten years ago.

She was eighteen now.

Which meant that before she was eight, she had lived somewhere else.

“That’s…”

Seeing her hesitate, Judas quickly reassured her.

“If it’s a difficult topic, you don’t have to tell me.”

Eliza smiled bitterly at his considerate words.

“…Mm. Sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize….”

“I’ll tell you later. Later, for sure.”

She had no problem showing him everything about herself.

She had intended to tell him eventually anyway.

The peace treaty with the Empire was not yet secured, but the primary goal had been achieved.

The extermination of the Bevel family’s direct bloodline.

Now, it was time to visit her mother’s grave.

And she would take Judas with her.

She would show him the time when she still had color and emotions.

Until then, she hoped Judas would wait just a little longer.

‘Before I came here… that village….’

A different kind of bad memory from the main estate.

The first thing she was forced to do after entering this estate was to carry out the order to kill everyone in that area.

It wasn’t something she had wanted.

Narcissa had beaten her with a whip until she obeyed.

Her calves had been struck so badly that she couldn’t even walk.

She had no choice but to yield, yet the memory remained as a lingering, unpleasant guilt.

Eliza quickly pulled herself out of the past.

Instead, she moved closer to Judas.

She linked her arm with his, pressing herself against him as they continued walking through the estate.

She kept washing away the remaining memories.

Time passed quickly, and with it, the memories, clinging like grime, peeled away in an instant.

Before she knew it, they had arrived at the mansion.

Judas wanted to ask Eliza if she had any clues about the assassin.

But he didn’t get the chance.

Because the moment they arrived, a message had come regarding a scheduled meeting with the Emperor.

A few days later.

Eliza went to meet the Emperor alone, without anyone accompanying her.

The location was decided unilaterally by the Emperor.

Somewhere remote, neither in the Empire nor in the Principality.

She was confident, so she stepped forward without hesitation.

If necessary, she could call Judas through the ring.

A shabby hut, far too worn down for a meeting between the Emperor of the Empire and the new head of the Bevel family.

Eliza arrived first, and a few minutes later, Emperor Johan arrived.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

“It’s been a while. You look healthier. Now, should I call you Lady Eliza?”

“Whatever Your Majesty finds comfortable.”

The two exchanged greetings with faint smiles.

It was a ridiculous roleplay conducted behind masks.

The emperor quickly got to the point.

“I hear you wish to form a peace treaty. They say the position shapes the person—wise choice.”

“You flatter me.”

“But there’s a condition. We’ve suffered significant losses as well.”

Eliza stared at him intently, as if to signal willingness to listen.

Johan’s demands were standard, all within the expected range.

The military damage the empire had suffered from this incident.

The implicit damage caused by the conspiracy theories Eliza had spread.

And then, at the end, one more addition.

“I will reclaim the Revered Sun Statue.”

“Reclaim, you say… As if it was originally Your Majesty’s possession.”

“I apologize if my wording was off. But it must be done. The Bevel family was never meant to own it.”

Eliza pondered inwardly.

Among all the reasonable and predictable demands, one request stood out.

The Revered Sun Statue.

‘The emperor’s true goal is that sacred relic.’

Then why does Johan want it?

‘If he uses a Star Fragment, he can awaken the power of the Sun Statue. And the Sun Statue… grants divine blessings that fulfill wishes.’

A Star Fragment, which governs order, grants the power to momentarily defy that order.

Only with a Star Fragment can the Sun Statue’s power be awakened.

The last fragment, sealed in the catacombs alongside the forbidden alcohol, is not something just anyone can touch.

But the emperor could.

The catacombs are jointly managed by the Mage Tower and the imperial family.

If it’s him, he would have a way to extract the Star Fragment.

‘Whatever his wish is, I can’t allow it.’

Eliza smiled.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. The Sun Statue is entirely mine. I cannot give it to you.”

“Hm…”

Johan stroked his chin.

“There’s truly no way?”

Eliza merely smiled.

“…I see. Then the negotiations are over.”

Johan dusted off his seat and stood up.

“Be wary of those close to you.”

Eliza’s brow twitched for a moment.

Anyone could tell he was referring to Judas.

“…Is that a threat?”

“Who knows? I just thought you might need some advice.”

Eliza refused to be provoked by such petty taunts.

He quickly adjusted his mask.

“How insightful. They say enemies always lurk nearby.”

The moment he finished speaking, Eliza’s eyes blazed like wildfire.

A massive inferno engulfed the spot where the emperor had been.

But Johan was no longer there.

Eliza let out a dry chuckle.

‘Did he bring a mage?’

The only surviving mage from the current Imperial Court’s magic division.

Was his name Geist?

She recalled facing him several times during the war.

‘I didn’t expect him to come alone, but to break off negotiations like this…’

Eliza immediately saw through Johan’s intentions.

The emperor had never come for a proper negotiation in the first place.

He had only come to make one last attempt.

For whatever reason, he desperately needed the Sun Statue.

‘Interesting.’

Eliza willingly accepted the prospect of war.

She was not afraid.

As long as she had her power and Judas, he could achieve anything.

***

I was watching the knights train.

“Sir Judas!”

Just then, Hermes came running breathlessly.

“Sir Hermes? What is it? You look serious.”

“Well, that is… Could you spare a moment?”

It seemed like something urgent.

Eliza had gone for a private meeting with the emperor, so I had time to spare.

“Alright, if it’s just for a moment.”

I followed Hermes.

Even when I asked what was going on, she hesitated and kept silent.

She said it wasn’t something she could explain with words.

“You must see the records yourself, Sir Judas. I will explain after.”

“Just what is this….”

The place she took me to was both familiar and one I hadn’t visited in a long time.

A café in a bustling district of the Principality of Bevel.

It was the place I had once stopped by while searching for the information guild.

Hermes led me straight through the back door into the guild’s office.

“…Ah. Judas. You’re here.”

Eurydice and Orpheus were there as well.

Their expressions were even graver than Hermes’s.

“What’s going on…?”

“Judas. Listen to me carefully.”

Eurydice spoke seriously.

“Do you remember that request you made in passing? The one where you asked us to look into your parents or family?”

“Ah, yes. I did.”

“So we did some digging. Here and there… We haven’t figured out your origins yet. Not entirely, but….”

Hesitating, she handed me a bundle of documents.

“What is this?”

“We recently got an opportunity to infiltrate the Moon Church. During that time, we planted someone inside and conducted a thorough investigation.”

I skimmed through the papers as I listened.

They seemed to be transcriptions of internal documents from the Church of the Moon.

The first name that caught my eye was Anggra.

The priest who had taken me from Judeca.

I continued reading.

Eurydice’s voice overlapped with the words on the page.

“That’s where your name came up.”

Judas Defecit.

At the time of discovery, age: 8.

Verified as a candidate for the Child of Revelation.

Supervisor: Anggra.

“Some information was either destroyed or scattered for safekeeping, so there are gaps… But there is one thing we can say for certain. Judas, you…”

.

.

Raised as a blade in preparation for destruction.

Successfully inducted into the assassin guild as a recommended recruit to carry out a meticulous plan.

The target to be eliminated using Judas.

The illegitimate of Barak.

The mad fire mage.

“You were raised and trained to kill Lady Eliza.”

Eliza de Bevel.

“……”

I was… designated to kill Eliza.

The stack of documents in my hands confirmed it.

It was difficult to accept this sudden reality, and I froze on the spot.

As my mind went blank like a sheet of paper, a few clues surfaced.

The items that had been in my pocket right after my possession.

The things I discarded in shock.

The bundle of papers I never read.

And the sharp glass shard.

The former owner of this body, once affiliated with the assassin guild.

The ability to wield glass shards as weapons—a trait called ‘Object Weaponization.’

And those silent footsteps.

A characteristic of a thief or assassin.

Lastly, Eliza.

The face of the Eliza I knew… had a large scar.

A scar that, for some reason, was now missing.

‘The reason for that… is because I never… Ah.’

All the clues fit together.