The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 180

“I want to marry you.”

“……”

“No. Marry me.”

Upon hearing Eliza’s declaration, I was left stunned for a moment.

“…Huh?”

“Let’s get married. The two of us.”

I wasn’t hearing things.

Eliza once again proposed, almost as if driving the point home.

How should I put it?

It felt like the scope of the conversation had suddenly jumped.

“…What? You don’t want to marry me, do you?”

“No, no, no! That’s not it. Definitely not…”

How could I not want it?

Of course, I would be happy to.

I also want to promise to be with Eliza for a long time.

But, you see, I had just asked to be in a relationship, and suddenly, a proposal was dropped. Wouldn’t anyone be caught off guard by that?

I had just taken the first step, and Eliza had teleported me somewhere far away.

“Really?”

Eliza, asking casually, was smiling faintly.

As if she knew exactly how I felt.

Without realizing it, I smiled back.

“Of course. Of course, I’d be happy. Miss… No, if I get to live with Eliza, it’s definitely going to be great…”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was so surprised by how sudden it was…”

“What’s so sudden? We’re going to be together anyway, so let’s just get married.”

Hmm.

When I think about it, that’s actually a logically sound statement.

“You said we’ve done a lot of things in the past week.”

“Yes, we have.”

“I’ve already made preparations for the wedding.”

“…Huh?”

I felt strange.

It was like my soul was being dipped into and pulled out of my body repeatedly.

What did I just hear?

“There are still a few important things left. I won’t decide alone, so I want to decide with you. How about we go look at the wedding venue first?”

Eliza asked, smiling brightly.

She looked so pure, like a child eagerly waiting for a picnic.

Seeing her like that, I just felt that anything would be fine.

If it’s what you want, then anything works.

Whether I’m the one following or you’re the one following, being together is all that matters.

“Yes. Please show me.”

“When are you going to stop using formal language?”

“Well… I think it will take some time.”

Eliza smiled sweetly.

“Then, I’ll wait. As long as it takes.”

A response so transparently sincere that she could wait forever.

Because she was so endearing, I couldn’t help but pull her into a hug.

“Ugh!”

She seemed startled at the sudden action, but then…

“Hehe.”

She smiled as though content, comfortably leaning into my arms, wrapping her arms around my waist.

The warmth enveloping me.

Small, precious, and warm.

I breathed in her scent, feeling at peace.

My heart calmed down.

A comforting warmth spread throughout my body.

“Shall we go see the wedding venue?”

“Mm. Let’s go.”

Where could this wedding venue that Eliza had set up be?

I couldn’t picture a specific place.

I’ve never been married before, nor had I ever thought about it.

…I might have thought about marrying Eliza in the future, but I never imagined a specific venue or how the ceremony would go.

And the place Eliza teleported me to was far more grandiose than I could have imagined.

“…The Temple of the Sun?”

It was once owned by Helios, but now it belonged to Bevel.

More precisely, it was Eliza’s.

It was currently the largest sanctuary and temple humanity possessed, a place used for important events.

Eliza’s coming-of-age ceremony and my ordination ceremony also took place here.

This temple, where everything around us gleamed in gold.

“This is our wedding venue.”

This is where Eliza and I will hold our wedding.

“How do you like it?”

Eliza chose the most spacious area within the temple.

The path stretched out ahead, and majestic temple columns rose on either side.

Since it was outdoors, the sky above was wide open.

The early summer sky was slightly high, and the weather was comfortably warm.

“You seem to like it? You’re staring around blankly.”

Before I could decide if I liked it or not, the place was so grand that I couldn’t help but be mesmerized.

“Yes. I really like it.”

Of course, I liked it.

‘A wedding…’

It’s about officially declaring to others that we are a couple and legally married.

Given the scale of this temple and Eliza’s status, we’ll be announcing it in front of many people.

It’s about publicly declaring that Eliza is my woman.

It can only be a good thing.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve really made it…’

Starting as a slave, and now I’m having a wedding at the Sun Temple, with my spouse being the new emperor, pope, saint, and great mage.

I’ve made it too far.

“Right? I like it too. I think I made a good choice.”

Eliza stuck close to my side and grabbed my hand.

Naturally, we intertwined our fingers.

“It’s large enough to accommodate everyone from across the continent.”

“Everyone from across the continent…?”

“Yeah. We need to let the whole world know. That we’re getting married.”

“I think that’s a wonderful choice.”

“Right?”

Holding hands, we walked between the columns.

This will likely be the path we walk on the wedding day.

Eliza’s eyes sparkled as if imagining that moment, like a dream.

And I imagined that future while looking at her.

‘Eliza in a wedding dress…’

That sounds nice. Hmm.

I met her sparkling eyes.

She smiled transparently, seemingly happy.

“The date is in a few weeks. I decided it on my own. There aren’t many dates that would fit the guests’ schedules. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

It doesn’t really matter to me when.

“I’ve pretty much narrowed down the people I’d invite. What about you, Judas? Any guests you’d like to invite?”

“Hm… Does it matter who?”

“Yeah. If it’s your request, anything is fine.”

There aren’t many, but there are a few.

They are people who helped me, so I want to invite them to be congratulated.

“First, the Royal Guard… No, now they’ve become the Royal Guard, those 11 people.”

“Mm. And?”

“Gawain… No, Lord Galehad, I’d like to invite him too.”

“Mm.”

“Also… Eurydice and Lord Orpheus, and Sir Shylock and Hermes…”

“Hermes?”

“I swear, with my hand on my heart, it’s not because I have any strange feelings.”

“Hm. Well, okay. No, actually, it’s good. This way, it’ll definitely engrain it into everyone’s minds that you’re mine.”

…In reality, Hermes probably has no such feelings, but it’s funny to see me getting jealous of someone totally off the mark.

It’s so cute that I can’t help but think I might be in trouble.

Then, suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Who did Eliza invite?’

There was no need to think long.

It must all be public figures.

People politically connected with her as either the emperor or pope.

Eliza has no one personally close to her.

Except for me and Maria, there’s really no one.

Even her relationship with Maria has a thin wall between them.

It’s not that their relationship is awkward.

I can see with my own eyes that they care for each other and love each other.

But, being parent and child, there’s a gap that naturally arises.

Therefore, I’m the only one she can truly be open with.

If you think about it, her social life is isolated.

That thought somehow felt pitiful.

“It’s okay.”

Eliza suddenly said.

Her smile, as she looked up at me, was almost compassionate.

She embraced my waist, pulling her body closer, and spoke.

“It’s as if you can see straight through my heart.”

“I only need you. I’m not saying this lightly. Just having you is enough to fill me up and overflow, I don’t need anyone else. I don’t want anyone to interfere. Sometimes, I’m actually thankful that only you are by my side.”

Is it okay for a person’s life to be completely dependent on and controlled by one other person?

I don’t really know.

Those kinds of tough questions.

The only thing I know for sure is one thing, and that’s clear.

I have to take responsibility for Eliza and make her happy.

I didn’t really dislike that responsibility.

“So, you don’t have to worry. I’m really fine.”

Her face was so clear and bright that there wasn’t a speck of dust.

I hugged her tightly once again.

The next words were my true feelings, which came out without me even realizing it.

“…Do you think I’m any different?”

If you think about it, I’m not much different from Eliza.

Without Eliza, there’s nothing left of me.

That’s not me.

The time I spent wandering, unable to remember Eliza, proves that.

The life I lived before coming here.

The countless events and connections I encountered after coming here are all parts of what makes me who I am.

But in the end, it’s Eliza who holds the central axis.

When I lost the memories I shared with Eliza, I even denied this world itself.

Although the royal guard and Gawain are close enough to be considered family, Eliza is the only one with whom I can completely reveal myself.

“…”

Since the words came out without thinking, I felt embarrassed.

Because of that, I tried to hold Eliza even tighter, but she didn’t leave me alone.

She wrapped her arms around the back of my neck and pressed her lips to mine.

She was so intense, as if she couldn’t resist her impulses.

We rubbed against each other heatedly before pulling away cautiously.

“I’m happy.”

Eliza smiled at me with a slightly reddened face.

“I’m so happy right now because you feel the same way as I do.”

I felt the same.

My heart was happily racing, but it wasn’t just from excitement or the novelty of the experience.

A steady sense of happiness filled my chest deeply.

“I feel the same.”

We kissed again.

It was truly a mysterious experience.

I just closed my eyes and lowered my head.

Then Eliza naturally followed, closing her eyes and lifting her head toward me.

We slightly tilted our heads and kissed.

It was such a natural thing, like a preordained signal, so it felt both magical and thrilling.

***

We continued to explore the temple.

Eliza seemed to have finished preparing for the wedding day and explained everything in detail.

Who would sit where, and what kind of food would be served at the reception, the number of tables, and so on.

She said that the guests I invited would be seated in the best spots.

“Although I’d love for us to move into the palace right after the ceremony, unfortunately, the palace won’t be finished in time. The schedule is too tight.”

“Well, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter where we are.”

What matters more is who you’re with.

Eliza smiled broadly and continued.

“Until then, we can stay in the mansion, or somewhere else.”

“The mansion? Where is that?”

Eliza looked at me for a moment before giving a sly grin.

It was a smile that sent a chill down my spine.

For some reason, a certain place came to mind.

It was from before.

Specifically, the time I was walking with Princess Hagal at the Tower and was caught by Eliza and dragged down the mountain…

“It’s a secret. I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

“…Alright, I understand.”

“I’ve made most of the decisions on my own, but there are a few things left, and I need your help.”

“My help?”

“Yeah. It’s not hard, just give your opinion on the choices.”

“Understood. What is it?”

Eliza’s face lit up with a smile that made her cheeks round.

“The wedding dress.”

***

A lush, green garden.

Flowers of all kinds bloomed brightly everywhere.

With well-maintained grass, flowers, and trees, this place was more like a botanical garden.

“But surprisingly, this is not a flower shop.

There are many plants and flowers, so if it were a flower shop, it would be, but they don’t sell flowers.

I was sitting on a bench.

For some reason, I waited with a restless heart.

In fact, there was no reason to be anxious, but I just felt that way.

On the other hand, I was also filled with anticipation.

In front of me was a large, clean white tent, the kind you might see at a festival.

I was waiting for someone to come out from inside.

Someone slid the fabric aside and walked out.

I stood up from my seat without realizing it.

It wasn’t the person I was waiting for.

It was the manager of this place and the staff member who had entered with me to assist the person I was waiting for.

“Her Majesty says the first outfit is ready. Would you like to see it?”

This place is a boutique specializing in dresses, and I was waiting for Eliza to try on a wedding dress.

I nodded my head with a nervous feeling for no reason.

“…Yes.”

And then, from inside the tent, the person I had been waiting for walked out.”