The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 187

It has been one month since Judas and Eliza held their wedding ceremony.

Eliza fully immersed herself in that time, savoring every moment.

Truthfully, her absence for an entire month had caused difficulties for many.

She had declared the new empire’s next objective to be the conquest of the demon realm and had already issued various orders to the allied factions beneath the empire, instructing them to prepare accordingly.

Naturally, among these matters were some that required Eliza’s approval or coordination with her.

Yet, Eliza had been absent for thirty full days.

The only reason this was possible was purely because she was humanity’s savior.

Had it not been for Eliza, civilization would have been devastated by the Void Evil God, and humanity would have perished.

So, of course, once those thirty days passed, Eliza was inevitably buried under an avalanche of work.

“Your Imperial Majesty. Thank you for granting this audience…”

“Get to the point. Quickly.”

“Y-yes…! We are unable to fully supply the timber required to construct the ships as you previously ordered within our own territory. Therefore, we request the establishment of a trade route with the Phinnia territory…”

“I’ll discuss it with the Lord of Phinnia. I’ll summon you again if necessary.”

“Thank you!”

“You may leave now. Next.”

Eliza had repurposed the mansion’s large conference hall into a temporary audience chamber, as the imperial palace had yet to be completed.

No sooner had one person left than the next rushed in like an arrow.

They must have been in quite a hurry.

Through the slightly ajar door, she could see a crowd of people waiting behind them.

Eliza exhaled a sigh and listened to the next plea.

“No time for greetings. Just the main issue.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am Mavro from Santorini. Recently, the number of bandits targeting our city’s orchards has sharply increased. The city guards alone are struggling to handle them.”

“Hmm. Santorini… If I recall, there was heavy rainfall in that region recently, correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Then there must be smaller cities nearby whose usual crops were ruined by the floods. We can’t ignore the possibility that they’ve turned to banditry to survive the next season. Do they lack the resources to hire mercenaries or request aid from other cities?”

“Unfortunately…”

“I’ll dispatch a few knights from the Imperial Order to temporarily oversee security. Use that time to reorganize. I’ll look into measures for the neighboring cities and inform you.”

“Thank you! Truly a wise and insightful decision!”

“Next.”

As he left, Eliza glanced at Galehad.

It was a silent order to select and dispatch suitable personnel.

Galehad understood the meaning with just that look and immediately began flipping through the roster of knights.

People came in relentlessly, without pause.

And from the very beginning, there was someone sitting right beside her, clinging close—

Judas.

He was also the source of strength that kept Eliza going even in her exhaustion.

No matter who came or who saw, she always kept one hand tightly holding his.

Though he had no particular duties, Judas remained by her side—both as the emperor’s consort and as Eliza’s personal energy recharge.

He wasn’t bored.

Throughout the audience, he was too busy marveling at Eliza.

…Wow. Even if I were made emperor, I couldn’t do this.

No matter what issue was brought before her, Eliza responded without hesitation.

She seemed to grasp even the affairs of cities far removed from this place.

It was as though the map and current state of this world were being updated in her mind in real-time.

‘So she really is a genius…’

Only half a day after stepping out of the cage, she was already seated in this audience chamber.

That meant Eliza had very little time to catch up on the latest developments.

Yet, she answered every question and request without hesitation.

‘If I had been sitting there… I would’ve ruined a few countries and been deposed by now.’

Before the possession, she had indeed ascended to the throne—but she had been far from competent.

She was little more than a rogue who seized power, did as she pleased, and then wandered off.

In fact, she had been deposed a few times due to rebellions.

‘Sticking close to this genius emperor is the most comfortable and fitting position for me. Mmm.’

Judas was deeply satisfied with her current circumstances.

Though there were still many guests waiting, they couldn’t possibly work without breaks.

Meal times had to be observed.

Miguel approached and informed Eliza that dinner was ready, to which Eliza nodded.

“If any of those waiting outside have matters that can be resolved with paperwork, tell them to fill it out briefly and return. Otherwise, they’ll have to stay and wait. But do we even have any spare guest rooms?”

“Yes. We can accommodate them, though just barely.”

“Then handle it that way.”

The audience chamber quickly emptied.

Only Judas and Eliza remained in the vast room.

Eliza climbed onto Judas’ lap and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Ughhh… I’m tired…”

The composed empress had vanished in an instant.

Now sitting on his lap was just a spoiled, cat-like woman, full of coquettishness and complaints.

Judas gently patted her bottom.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Then give me a kiss.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle.

The fact that she had no awareness of her own cuteness made her even more endearing.

Mwah.

After a light peck on the lips, Eliza buried her face against his shoulder and whined.

“Why is there so much work…? Maybe I should quit being emperor…”

“…Is that something you can just quit if you don’t like it?”

“Hmm. I guess not.”

“Watching from the side, I don’t think anyone but Eli could handle it.”

“True. Who else would take responsibility?”

She giggled sleepily and nuzzled against every part of Judas she could reach.

He savored the warmth of her small, restless body nestled in his arms.

“Weren’t you bored, Judas?”

“Not at all. Though it’s technically work, I don’t have to make decisions or take responsibility for anything. Listening to news from other regions and watching Elly is enough to make time fly.”

“Hmm… Well, I’m glad. Because from now on, no matter where I go, I’m keeping you right by my side.”

Her determination not to be separated from him even for a second was nothing short of adorable to Judas.

From all her nuzzling, Eliza’s hair had become tousled.

Judas ran his fingers through her soft locks, smoothing them.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Mmm. I’m starving. Let’s go eat dinner now. Mom’s probably waiting.”

***

The dining hall was already filled with an array of dishes.

Amid the bustling servants, Maria welcomed them.

Despite rising to the status of Empress Dowager, she still personally prepared Eliza’s meals—a habit from her days as Eliza’s maid, one she was well accustomed to.

“Elly, Judas. Come here. You’ve worked hard.”

Eliza greeted her with a light hug.

“You’ve prepared quite a feast. It must have been exhausting.”

“Exhausting? Elly’s the one who’s been working harder.”

As Judas and Eliza took their seats on the two-person bench, the last of the meal was finally served.

“Will you be able to rest after dinner?” Maria asked, sitting across from them.

Unless there was something unusual going on, she usually joined Judas and Eliza for meals.

Though this was their first shared meal since the wedding, they had eaten together many times before.

So Judas had grown accustomed to feeding Eliza in front of Maria.

Naturally, he dipped a piece of bread into the soup and brought it to Eliza’s lips.

After chewing and swallowing, Eliza answered.

“There are too many people. I’ll probably have to tend to official duties until bedtime.”

“Oh dear… You must be exhausted.”

“It’s my responsibility for being away for a month… A few weeks of hard work, and things will settle down. Besides, Judas’s by my side, so it’s fine.”

“I trust you’ll manage, Elly, but don’t push yourself too hard. Understood?”

“Mhm.”

“And Judas, you must be tired too.”

“Huh?”

Chewing on the bread Eliza had just fed him, he hadn’t expected the question to turn to him.

He hurried to swallow, but Maria stopped him.

“No, no, take your time.”

“Y-yes…”

Only after gulping it down did he manage to reply.

“Thanks to Elly, I’m holding up alright. Honestly… Elly does all the work, and I just sit beside her. I’m not really doing anything.”

“What do you mean? Just being there is fulfilling your duty.”

“Mom’s right. Having you by my side is a huge help.”

“Uhm…”

The praise and acknowledgment poured in, leaving Judas at a loss for how to react.

His face grew warm, and it wasn’t just because the food was hot.

He wasn’t doing anything particularly remarkable, yet being praised like this made him feel embarrassed—but not unpleasantly so.

Sometimes, he found it surprising how Eliza, who had become so positive, showered him with such kind words.

Though he had witnessed this change in her for a long time, first impressions were hard to erase.

Of course, Eliza was still often stern and cold.

This softer side of her was something only he got to see.

For example, when he twirled pasta on a fork and held it out to her, she would obediently open her mouth and say,

“Ah—”

She’s so cute it’s dangerous.

With that thought, he watched her chew happily.

Just looking at her made him lose track of time—he didn’t need any other entertainment.

Her very existence was the joy and comfort of his life.

Then, out of nowhere, Maria asked:

“How many children are you two thinking of having?”

“……”

Judas nearly spat out what was in his mouth.

But through sheer force of will, he held it in.

Eliza, on the other hand, remained unfazed.

“Hmm. We’re not thinking about that yet.”

This had been their mutual agreement since the wedding—about thirty days ago.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want children.

But if she got pregnant, it would take away some of their private pleasures—so for now, they had agreed to focus solely on each other.

“That’s fine. It’s your decision, so do what’s comfortable for you both. I was just curious.”

Judas was slightly flustered by how naturally the two women discussed the topic.

Perhaps because they were mother and daughter, both women, they had no reservations about the subject.

But stuck between them, he felt like he was about to die.

After an unexpected but light complication, peace followed.

Once the meal was over, Eliza and Judas moved straight to the audience chamber.

There was still a mountain of work left to do.

By the time they had finished pushing through the never-ending agenda and returned to their bedroom, it was late at night.

They couldn’t afford to lose even their sleeping hours.

Since it was already deep into the night, Maria had gone to sleep first, so Eliza quietly headed to the bedroom with Judas without a word.

As soon as the door closed, Eliza rushed into Judas’s arms.

“Hold me.”

Her adorably proud tone left Judas no choice but to surrender willingly.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

Then, Eliza circled her arms around his neck and leaned into his chest.

“Uuuugh… it’s finally over…”

“You did great.”

Smack.

She gave him a quick kiss and then rubbed her face against his chest.

She didn’t know why, but doing that always brought her a strange sense of comfort.

“Should we wash up and head to bed early?”

“Before that.”

Eliza’s voice dropped a tone, losing the playful whine.

The look in her eyes as she gazed up at him had turned hazy, far different from moments ago.

There was a clear expectation glimmering there.

The sudden shift in atmosphere, now sultry and intoxicating, made Judas tense without even realizing it.

Before that.

The next words were spoken with her lips.

Their lips met gently.

Very different from earlier—this kiss was heavy and deep.

Their breaths grew warm, slowly and steadily.

Before long, their lips parted slightly, tasting one another’s breath and saliva.

With her eyes softly closed, Eliza took a step forward.

Judas, as if pushed back by that step, retreated.

Each step pushing him backward until his legs caught on the edge of the bed, and he fell.

Without breaking the kiss, Eliza climbed on top of him.

They kissed for a while longer before she finally pulled back, just a little.

“To melt away all this exhaustion… I need something hot…”

“Well then… I guess we’ll just have to work hard.”

Eliza let out a soft laugh, brushed her hair behind her ear, and kissed him again.

Judas gently held her waist.

And like that, the night deepened for the couple.