The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 189

After the morning meeting and report session ended and lunch was finished.

I went to see Eliza and Yuel.

Yuel still stays in the large stable.

Once the imperial palace is completed, he’ll be moved to a much larger and more magnificent barn.

Thanks to that, the current stablekeeper, Bradley, is set for a promotion.

He’s been assigned as Yuel’s exclusive caretaker at the palace.

When Eliza casually shared the news of his promotion, Bradley knelt and wept loudly.

Saying he was truly grateful.

That at last, he could be a slightly prouder father to his wife and children.

It struck me then, once again, how odd it always is to see a grown man cry.

Perhaps that, too, is part of the burden of being a family’s provider.

‘…For someone like me, who practically lives attached to Eliza, maybe I’ll never really feel that weight?’

Anyway, since then, Bradley has become even more devoted to taking care of Yuel.

‘Not that he was ever careless before, though.’

“Oh, hey there. Yes, yes, good to see you too.”

Yuel always greets me with intense excitement.

Day by day, he gets more passionate.

Eliza and I are partly to blame for that.

About 30 days have passed since the wedding.

We were so consumed by lust that we didn’t leave the foot of that mountain.

Naturally, during that time, Yuel didn’t get to see us.

Bradley and Maria took care of him, but I heard that he would sometimes whimper restlessly, looking for us.

‘Maybe this is how it feels to have a child… You can’t just leave them behind and go.’

Feeling guilty about that, I now pet and scratch Yuel with extra enthusiasm.

“Yes, yes, I missed you too. There, there, good boy.”

Eliza feels bad about it too, but she doesn’t shower him with affection the way I do.

Instead, she holds Yuel tightly for a long time.

Unlike the way he clings to me with chaotic energy, Yuel is relatively calm around Eliza.

He doesn’t charge at her or get too forward.

He slowly walks over and gently brings his face close.

Close enough for Eliza to reach out and touch—but not actually touching her himself.

‘Is he just smart, or does he know how to treat different people differently? …Is that the same thing?’

I showed Yuel the reins and asked,

“Wanna go for a walk for the first time in a while?”

Yuel, who had been enjoying Eliza’s petting, slowly nodded.

In that time, I fastened the reins to Yuel’s face and secured the saddle on his back.

While I was doing that, Eliza just quietly watched and stroked Yuel’s face.

“Want me to lift you up?”

“Mhm.”

I supported her bottom with one hand and wrapped the other arm around her waist to lift her up.

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and leaned on me.

Naturally, our faces came very close.

“……”

A barely-there, dangerously close distance.

It reminded me of a certain day.

Back then, just like today, I lifted Eliza up to place her on Yuel.

Startled, she clung to me, and our faces came really close.

Back then, thanks to Yuel, I barely managed to defuse the situation.

But now, there was no need for that.

Smooch.

I kissed her first.

Then, Eliza wrapped her arms around my head.

She buried her face in my lips and craved a deep, passionate kiss.

It was deep and passionate, but not long.

Because it was time to go on a walk withYeul.

“Hey, do you remember back then?”

Eliza asked as I helped her up.

I mounted the saddle, holding her close, and said,

“When we came back after the final exam, right?”

“Yeah. That’s right. It felt kind of like today too, didn’t it?”

“The situation was similar, but the outcome was very different. I was so nervous and surprised back then….”

“Did you regret it?”

Back then, I only imagined kissing her — and that was it.

It didn’t actually happen.

And of course,

“I did.”

“…Me too.”

“Huh?”

As I recall, Eliza had seemed pretty calm back then.

She stared at me, I think, but didn’t seem as flustered as I was.

“For some reason, I wanted to press my lips against yours. And I regretted not doing it. At the time, I didn’t really understand why I felt that way….”

She trailed off and looked at me.

She sat sideways, just like back then, nestled in my arms.

It was the perfect position for her to reach up and kiss me.

Smooch.

She gave me a light kiss and continued,

“I guess it was because I already liked you back then.”

“Hmmm… Then maybe I should’ve just gone for it back then.”

At my teasing, Eliza smiled sweetly.

“I wonder how I would’ve reacted if you had.”

“Hmm…”

That was when Eliza still wasn’t sure how she felt about me.

If I’d just gone ahead and stolen a kiss…

‘…I doubt that would’ve ended well.’

We’ve come a long way from those days when even being close would set off a thousand thoughts. Now, kissing comes naturally.

“Kkiiing, kkiwooong…”

Yuel stomped in place.

He shook his head side to side, clearly displeased.

We said we’d go for a walk, and now we’re just chatting away — he seemed bored.

Eliza chuckled softly and patted Yeul’s head.

“Okay, okay, we won’t leave you out.”

Once reassured, he calmed down right away.

I gave a light tap on Yeul’s horn.

It meant: let’s walk.

As we left the stable, Maria was waiting for us.

“Mom?”

“Here, take this.”

She handed me a rather large bundle.

“I packed cookies, jelly, chocolates, and other sweets. There’s tea in there too.”

“Thanks. We’ll enjoy it.”

“I made sure to include extra of the ones Judas likes.”

Eliza doesn’t really have strong likes or dislikes when it comes to food.

If I feed her or if Maria cooks it, she’ll eat it all.

I’m a little different.

I’ve got some preferences.

Knowing that Maria remembered and took care to pack what I like… it made me feel oddly shy.

“Thank you for being considerate.”

“Be careful and come back safely.”

There is no reason for Eliza and I to be cautious about anything.

She is a mage at the pinnacle of humanity, and I am right behind her.

Yet, whenever Eliza and I go out, Maria always tells us to be careful.

Is that what a parent’s heart is like?

Though not as vast as the plains we saw during the last exam, there is a field outside the mansion grounds that’s perfect for Yuel to play in.

Excited from the rare walk, Yuel ran out of the mansion and headed straight for that field.

The wind blows fiercely.

Eliza, still scared of riding Yuel while running, clutched me tightly and squeezed her eyes shut.

She doesn’t ride Yuel as often as I do, so it’s understandable that it would be hard for her to adjust.

‘…But isn’t flying in the sky just as dangerous?’

We reached the field quickly.

Before the view, the smell of the surrounding air changed.

The scent of green grass grew stronger.

Then, after passing through the thick trees that formed a wall-like forest, the field finally appeared.

An open sky.

Below it, a green plain surrounded by lush trees.

Unfamiliar wildflowers bloomed everywhere.

Yuel slowed down a bit, and only then did Eliza open her eyes, which she had squeezed shut.

Her jewel-like red eyes took in the sight of the field.

Just like before.

The place was different, but in many ways, the situation felt similar to that time.

The one thing that had changed, though, was the relationship between Eliza and me.

While running on top of Yuel, as if walking briskly, I kissed Eliza on the cheek.

I just suddenly felt like doing that.

And, when I wanted to do it, we were at a point where we could do so.

Eliza looked up at me and smiled.

She slightly tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and puckered her lips.

It was Eliza’s habit.

She closes her eyes before her lips even touch.

I smiled back, followed her lead, and kissed her lips.

She probably wanted to be the one to do it first, but since we were on Yuel, she must have been too anxious to approach.

‘Even that’s cute.’

I don’t know if it’s okay to find everything she does cute.

Honestly, sometimes, even I think it’s a bit much.

‘But, well… she’s cute, so what can I do?’

This is exactly what I mean.

Even though I know it, I can’t stop, so it’s a bit serious.

There’s really no reason to stop, right?

Anyway, if it’s cute, everything is forgiven, so it should be okay, even if I’m a bit extreme.

***

After getting off Yuel, I sat down on the flat grass.

Eliza naturally took her place on my lap.

I let Yuel roam free to play.

Yuel was jumping around playfully across the field.

It’s hard for me to stay on top of her when she jumps like that.

‘It’s not just running, she’s jumping all over the place.’

Naturally, Eliza didn’t intend to stay on top, and Yuel, being unable to run freely with us on her back, it was a good situation for both of us.

“Ah~”

Eliza spoke, and I responded by saying “Ah,” opening my mouth just as she said.

It used to be embarrassing, but now I’ve gotten used to it.

…Though it’s still embarrassing in front of others.

“Is it delicious?”

“Mm. My mother-in-law knows my taste perfectly.”

The rich, nutty scent of butter fills the air, and cookies with chocolate chunks embedded in them.

They’re very sweet and greasy.

Just the way I like them.

“My mom is pretty delicate, you know. She cares about you a lot.”

Eliza said, mumbling with the cookie in her mouth.

Right now, I’m supporting Eliza who is sitting on my lap, so I don’t have hands to feed her.

“Did my mother-in-law talk about me?”

“Yeah. Not often, but sometimes.”

“Hmm… that sounds a little scary.”

“She only says good things. She said I found peace because of you. I think so, too.”

“Hm. In that case, I guess I can be confident.”

I said it with a serious tone, and Eliza chuckled.

“Well, of course.”

I feed her another cookie.

We sat there for a while, silently.

In the distance, I can see Yuel chasing a brown rabbit.

The rabbit, startled, runs off quickly.

Actually, if Yuel ran at full speed, he could catch it, but he didn’t.

It’s an endlessly peaceful scene.

Eliza, brushing her hair back, suddenly asked.

“Hey, back then…”

“Yeah?”

“You told me to open my eyes and look ahead. Why did you say that?”

It wasn’t an accusatory question; she was just asking out of pure curiosity.

Looking back, it’s a little strange.

At that time, Eliza and I were, though a little ambiguous, still just in a contractual relationship.

We didn’t know how we felt about each other.

So, if I’m being honest, there wasn’t a particular reason why I had to show Eliza that view.

I could’ve just let it go.

Or, if there was no reason to look back, I could’ve just suggested we teleport back to Eliza.

Still, I wanted Eliza to see that view.

I didn’t need a deep reason for it, but the reason I did it was, of course…

“Because I liked you. Even back then.”

“……”

“I wanted to show you, the one I like, the scenery that I like.”

When you like someone, you want to share things with them.

The things you eat, the things you see, the things you hear. Sensory experiences like that.

Or even the time spent together.

It’s not that different.

I liked Eliza, so I wanted to share my view with her.

“The vast nature where I lived, it wasn’t something you could easily experience. So, for me, that view was very new and impressive, and I liked it. …Well, I don’t really know how Eliza felt about it.”

But now, thinking about it…

For Eliza, who grew up in this world, that kind of scenery might not have been… all that new or emotional.

‘Somehow, this feels a little awkward.’

Eliza, who had been looking at me, finally spoke.

“It was actually the first time I saw that kind of view, too. But if I had been alone, I probably would’ve ignored it and passed by.”

“……”

“But since I was with you then, I was able to give meaning to that view, which would have been meaningless if I were alone.”

That’s a strange thing.

Whether I saw it alone or with her.

The view Eliza was seeing remains the same.

My presence wouldn’t change the objective observation of it.

Still, Eliza says that because I was there, she was able to appreciate the view and give it meaning.

It suddenly comes to mind.

A memory of Eliza from the afterlife.

Among the warm pictures, drawn as if with crayons, there was a vast plain that I had seen with her.

That memory was something equally precious and warm to her.

It was the same for me.

When I look at the scenery alone, it’s just a simple mood change.

A walk with no particular meaning.

But the day I walked through the fields with Eliza remains a special memory to me as well.

While I was silent for a moment, Eliza slowly approached me.

She came closer, gently caressing my cheek.

I slowly closed my eyes.

A soft kiss without sound.

After pulling away just enough for a finger to fit between us, Eliza spoke.

“I love you.”

After answering with our foreheads touching, this time, I kissed her lips.

“I love you too.”

I pulled her in, wanting to savor her deeply.

Eliza collapsed on top of me, and I lay down on the soft grass.

The moist, fresh scent of the soil and grass filled the air.

As we kissed deeply, something touched my neck.

It was Eliza’s red scarf.

The one I had given her before, which she still wore.

There was something I had been wondering about.

“Aren’t you hot?”

Eliza never takes off that scarf, even in the summer.

She leaves it off when she sleeps, saying it gets in the way between us, but in every other situation, she wears it as long as she can.

Eliza’s answer was simple.

“Mm.”

“Well, then… I guess that’s a relief. At least you don’t have to wear it if it’s too hot.”

“That’s not it. It’s something very precious to me.”

I just smiled and patted Eliza’s head.

As we lay there, intertwined and fiddling with each other, Yuel approached.

“Are you done playing?”

“What did you bring?”

Eliza took the thing that Yuel had bitten and handed it to me.

It was a flower.

A peculiar flower with pale yellow petals and a bright yellow nectar sac sticking out from the center.

“Did you bring this because you remembered that I asked you to pick a flower last time?”

While I muttered, Eliza stared intently at the flower.

Yuel, apparently done playing, crouched down beside us.

I scratched the back of its neck, like I was petting it.

It was hot, having been running around and playing, its body temperature high.

“Wow, it’s warm.”

Suddenly, Eliza asked.

“Do you remember when I asked you to bring me a flower?”

“Ah.”

Wasn’t it when I was taking that lesson on escorting a guarded person?

Eliza had suddenly barged in, claiming to be the one guarding, and out of nowhere, asked me to bring her any wildflower.

“I remember… Come to think of it, why did you suddenly disappear back then?”

It was a self-made act, making it look like she had been kidnapped.

I still don’t know the reason.

“That… well…”

Rarely, Eliza stammered.

“I wanted to make Judas worry…”

“……”

So, you staged that whole act just to get my attention?

I didn’t know, but it’s quite a cute reason.

I gently pinched Eliza’s cheek as she shyly looked away.

Eliza quickly changed the subject.

“…Anyway! The flower you brought me back then was called ‘Seollyeonhwa’.”

“Oh… you really know a lot about flower names, huh?”

“When you take noble etiquette classes, you end up memorizing them. Do you want to try the class, Judas?”

“…I’d rather pass on that.”

“Such a shame. I could have taught you kindly.”

“….”

“There are two meanings for the Seollyeonhwa flower. Sad memories, or eternal happiness.”

Eliza smiled gently as she looked down at me.

“But, it’s fixed on eternal happiness.”

It might have almost been about sad memories, but we had moved past that meaning.

“The flower I asked Yeul to pick for me last time… was it marigold?”

“Yeah. Its meaning is the sorrow of parting.”

“Hmm…”

Thinking about everything that happened afterward… It almost felt like it could have been a prophecy.

“So what’s the one Yeul brought now?”

“Haerancho.”

“Do you know its meaning?”

“Yeah.”

“What is it?”

Eliza stared at me for a moment, then put the flower in her ear and approached me, almost falling into my arms.

She kissed me and smiled brightly as she said:

“Eternal love.”

I smiled contentedly, kissed her back, and gently stroked the spot where the flower was placed.

“Yuel picked a nice flower.”

“Yeah, right.”

Uel, who was crouching beside us, pushed his head toward me, wanting me to pet him too.

“Alright, alright. Good job, good job.”

Meanwhile, Eliza fidgeted on top of me.

It was a peaceful summer afternoon.

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