The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 182

Your Eliza

***

“Phew….”

Judas adjusted the collar of his clothes as he looked into the mirror.

His reflection in the mirror was a bit too extravagant, almost excessive.

The hair styled by the attendants, the embroidered golden ceremonial robe, and so on.

At first, it felt awkward, but somehow, he had adapted.

However, once his nerves kicked in, they simply wouldn’t calm down.

“Are you nervous?”

Eliza, who had done Judas’s hair, approached and asked.

Judas barely managed to calm his mind as he looked at her.

Her braided hair and makeup, more delicate than usual, were so beautiful it made him smile.

The fact that she was his bride brought him a sense of deep emotion.

“I don’t know why, but I’m nervous. There’s really no reason to be…”

“Don’t worry. I’m here.”

“Aren’t you nervous, miss?”

“Me? Well, it’s not that I’m not at all, but…”

Eliza naturally pulled Judas’s waist into an embrace.

With one hand, she adjusted his collar, and with the other, she fiddled with the necklace.

It was an artifact with golden gems attached.

Only she could take it off.

She liked it a lot.

“I’m more excited and looking forward to it.”

“I feel the same, but…”

“It’s fine. You can be nervous. Just don’t get too worked up. The ceremony won’t take too long anyway.”

“Okay. Understood.”

After answering, they naturally exchanged a kiss.

Eliza’s soft lips felt fresh every time they touched.

And today, she had a stronger scent of cosmetics than usual.

It wasn’t overpowering, just the right amount.

That fragrance made Judas feel even more inexplicably nervous in a different way.

Just then, someone approached them, pulling aside the fabric partition.

With a hint of red still in her black hair, it was Maria, dressed in a sophisticated and elegant red dress.

Today, she had taken on the role of helping as Eliza’s biological mother.

“How awkward…”

Maria looked out of place in such a luxurious outfit.

It was uncomfortable to walk in as well.

But Eliza smiled at her mother and said warmly.

“It suits you well.”

“R-Really?”

Maria, who had been embarrassed, finally took a closer look at Eliza.

Her daughter was beautifully dressed in a white gown.

It felt real now that she had grown into an adult.

Today, her daughter was getting married.

She was about to cry with sentimentality, despite herself.

“Eliza looks better. She looks wonderful, so beautiful.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Maria glanced at the man standing next to her daughter, smiling brightly.

He had been a little boy when she first saw him, but now he was a dependable man who was more than capable of taking care of Eliza.

“Judas suits her well too. Yes.”

“Ah, thank you…”

In truth, Judas still found Maria a bit awkward.

They had never really talked much before, and now, overnight, he was to address her as his mother-in-law.

He still smiled and replied.

He would get used to it, little by little.

With Eliza.

“It’s time to go in.”

The gatekeeper announced cautiously.

In the order of the ceremony, Judas would go out first, followed by Eliza, holding Maria’s hand.

“I’ll go ahead.”

Judas said.

Eliza kissed his lips briefly and smiled.

“I’ll follow soon.”

Judas stood before the door.

The massive entrance leading to the Sun Temple’s corridor.

From beyond, the Temple Knights shouted loudly.

“His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress are entering-!”

The heavy doors slowly opened.

The light from the vast space and the sound of applause rushed in, as if to welcome them.

Judas walked slowly beyond the doors.

He walked along the long corridor, stepping on the white carpet.

He smiled lightly at the guests congratulating him and waved his hand in greeting.

Since it was the Emperor’s wedding, the applause was loud yet strangely restrained.

Judas, who had stepped halfway onto the carpet, turned around.

At that moment, the cheers grew louder, and the bride was welcomed.

The woman entered elegantly, holding Maria’s hand.

Now, his bride and wife, it was Eliza.

Without walking too many steps, Eliza and Maria stopped.

It was time to let go of Eliza.

Maria felt a tinge of sadness as Eliza’s hand slipped from hers.

It was strange.

It wasn’t a permanent goodbye.

Eliza gently embraced Maria.

“Mom. Thank you.”

“…No, I should be the one thanking you. For growing up like this.”

“I’ll be going now.”

“…Okay, Elly.”

Eliza turned toward Judas.

She looked strikingly noticeable in her carefully chosen attire.

She walked gracefully toward him, her reliable companion.

His golden eyes smiled contentedly as he waited.

As she drew near, she naturally crossed her arms as they walked.

No words were necessary.

As long as they smiled at each other, their feelings were already understood.

The newlyweds walked down the carpet with their arms linked.

The applause and cheers from the guests grew louder.

Among the excitement, someone whistled loudly.

It was Richard’s doing.

“Behave yourselves!”

Dylan scolded from the side.

It was a hint to maintain decorum.

“Why, I’m congratulating them!”

“Please, just listen!”

Seeing the playful bickering between the two, Judas couldn’t help but laugh.

He felt far more at ease now, almost foolishly so, compared to the tension he had just felt.

Nearby, several of the royal guard colleagues clapped and congratulated them with enthusiasm.

He mentally named them one by one.

Richard, Dylan, Lindel, Argon, Felin, Dyke, Esmo, Jerry, Hadar, Gauss, Nils.

Since the day he first entered training camp, they had been together ever since.

Perhaps they had been with him as long as Eliza had.

Even without speaking, sometimes their intentions aligned, and they were comrades who could trust and rely on each other.

At a corner of the same table sat Shylock.

When their eyes met, he smiled leisurely and nodded.

Judas unconsciously smirked.

‘So now he shows respect as if it’s a formal greeting.’

Judas returned the nod with a subtle greeting.

Similarly, at the same table, Gawain was sitting.

Gawain’s eyes were slightly red, and his eyes were moist. When their eyes met, Gawain raised his hand as if to greet him, but then pretended nonchalance as he lowered it, only to raise his hand again in a casual wave.

The subtle smile on his face was full of admiration.

Seeing that, Judas couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Beside him, Shylock looked on, as if unable to stop Gawain.

Right next to them, a seat was prepared for the Empress Dowager.

A safe spot near the royal guard.

By now, Maria had sat down and was wiping away tears with a handkerchief.

When her eyes met Judas’s, she smiled awkwardly before nodding.

Judas nodded in return and then looked at another table.

His invited guests were mostly seated in a line nearby, making them easy to spot.

It was the table where Eurydice, Orpheus, and Hermes were seated.

When their eyes met, Judas gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

They all silently returned the greeting with waves or nods of their own.

“Where are you looking?”

At that moment, Eliza asked softly.

Judas jumped a little in surprise and turned to her.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just greeting my guests…”

“Hmm.”

While Judas was scanning his guests one by one, Eliza only had eyes for him.

She merely checked if Maria had found her seat and then kept watching him.

There was no particular person among the guests she was excited to see or wanted to meet.

There was no need for her to put on formalities or act polite.

In this empire, no—among all of humanity—she had reached the highest position.

She had transcended simple human authority and carried something beyond it.

Thus, she acted as she pleased, and that included watching Judas.

She was content just to look at him and, naturally, curious about what he was observing.

She followed his gaze but couldn’t linger on it for long.

There was not enough time to hold Judas in her gaze.

Despite that, she didn’t mind that he was giving his attention to someone else.

But she wasn’t worried.

After all, she was certain that he would always stay by her side.

However, looking at another woman was an exception.

If it was absolutely necessary, she would allow just one second of it.

Anything more than that was not allowed.

“Well, I understand. Just a greeting, I suppose. But from now on, you’ll have to look at me more,” she pouted slightly.

Judas simply smiled at her teasing.

It was true that when someone was cute, anything could be forgiven.

“I will keep that in mind.”

They walked through a corridor lined with guests and soon reached an area at the end of the path.

The road continued, but the space filled with guests seemed to mark the end of it.

They could have gone further, but for now, they stopped.

Even though Eliza had no interest in the guests, she wasn’t one to ignore the bare minimum of etiquette.

Stopping in place, she leaned against Judas’s arm, still smiling as she spoke.

“I’d like to first thank everyone who took the time to attend and celebrate this occasion with us. There are so many of you, so I won’t be able to greet each of you individually. I hope you understand. I’ve realized today just how lucky I am with such great fortune.”

Her witty apology made a few guests laugh lightly.

Eliza smiled warmly.

This was a feeling she had never experienced before.

Whenever she stood before others as a noble, she had never felt comfortable.

It wasn’t that it was extremely uncomfortable.

It was just tiring, and a bit bothersome.

An obligation she didn’t desire.

She would recite the usual phrases, check the reactions, and guide the conversation.

It was always a gathering with a clear purpose. Always.

But now, it was different.

There was no clear purpose, and she didn’t need to worry about the reactions of others.

She didn’t need to guard against enemies, nor did she need to protect allies.

She could simply relax her heart and greet the guests.

It wasn’t just because she had risen to a position of prominence.

It was because the person beside her, the man who had his arm around her, made her feel as light as a feather and peaceful like the clouds.

Unlike the past, when she lived with thorns as her defense mechanism, she now felt at ease.

Maria, watching her grown child, smiled contentedly but also shed tears, wiping them away with her handkerchief.

“I hope you all enjoy yourselves to the fullest. The food, the music, and everything else for the three weeks of the event will be available.”

The Emperor’s wedding was not just an event but a celebration in itself.

Therefore, it didn’t end in a short time.

“If you need to leave or take a break, feel free to do so at any time. Just like you freely joined us here. Oh, and if there’s anyone who feels constrained or uncomfortable due to me, I apologize.”

Her words, full of gentle humor, made the guests chuckle.

Eliza’s change didn’t go unnoticed by Judas.

Her speaking style had never been this warm and soft before.

When it seemed soft, there had always been a thorn hidden within her words.

Or she was just pretending to be soft.

She always led the conversation while stepping back to view the entire situation from a distance, weighing the events as a whole.

She had never eased the atmosphere like this.

Except when speaking to him.

But now, she seemed to be showing genuine care for others.

A moderate, just-right level of kindness.

Judas never imagined that he was the one who had gifted her with such ease in her heart.

He only felt that Eliza had grown.

Eliza’s greeting came to an end.

Next was the moment where the bride and groom would exchange rings.

Judas and Eliza exchanged the boxes containing the rings.

When opened, the rings were identical, except for their size.

Ivory and golden colors.

The two colors intertwined and mixed, creating the rings.

The ivory-colored ring that Eliza had originally worn as an artifact had been disassembled and remade for this wedding.

Judas placed the ring on Eliza’s left ring finger first.

The ring, still an artifact, continued to serve its purpose.

It exchanged coordinates with his necklace, allowing Eliza to summon him whenever she wished.

That was the proof of their union.

Next, Eliza slowly slid the ring onto Judas’s left ring finger.

Holding his hand, she slowly moved, enjoying the moment as she slid the ring on his finger. It felt strangely good, so she moved a little slower.

Finally, the ring was placed on his finger.

Eliza gently caressed his thick finger and smiled contentedly.

Finally, it was perfect.

“Judas.”

Instead of answering, Judas called her back.

“Miss.”

There has been a word I’ve been holding back for a long time.

I was afraid that if I spoke it carelessly, my feelings would seem too light.

I was afraid that if I expressed it too quickly, it wouldn’t reach fully.

I was afraid it would feel like a burden if I said it recklessly.

That word, which I unintentionally kept to myself because I was too scared and worried.

Perhaps Eliza feels the same way, but I want to say it first.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Although we had spoken it during the second tragedy, the situation is so different now, and it felt like I was saying it for the first time.

Even though I feel embarrassed and it feels unfamiliar, I gathered the courage to say it.

“I love you.”

At that moment, Eliza felt as if the world was flowing slowly.

She knew.

She knew what he was about to say.

Because she was about to say the same thing.

However, the feeling when she actually heard it was completely unexpected.

It felt like he was vividly experiencing the moment the world was born anew.

The voice coming from his lips spread out into the world.

An explosion that starts from a small point.

An uncontrollable expansion.

Countless possibilities of life glittered within the expanding space-time.

Through his mouth and voice, a new universe had just been born.

The owner of that universe was both Eliza and Judas.

A third party is forever an unreachable external entity.

It is impossible for mere symbols of language to fully capture the essence of a thought.

Yet, Eliza had just felt a complete emotion through Judas’s words.

Slowly, but deeply, it soaked into her heart.

The moment stretched like eternity.

Every sense was vivid.

The sound of applause from the crowd.

The warm breeze of early summer brushing past her face in the temple.

The warmth of their intertwined hands.

The moon-like light flowing in.

Judas’s face, shyly smiling as he looked at her.

The pounding vibration of her heart.

The colors that encompassed the world were sharply defined.

In this moment, Eliza felt a sense of satisfaction, as if she had become one with the world.

With just his existence, Eliza understood the universe, and in return, she felt the comfort of being understood by the universe.

Naturally, the corners of her mouth lifted.

She smiled, and tears of joy flowed from her eyes.

Having crossed the eternity they had passed together, she barely managed to respond.

“…I love you too.”

Pulling his hand, she raised her heels.

As if that was a signal, Judas naturally lowered her head.

Their faces grew closer.

Even with her eyes closed, she could tell.

Their lips lightly brushed, gently overlapped, and then pressed together passionately.

Amid the cheers of many, Eliza and Judas kissed for a long time.