The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 19

Judas’s personal information from somewhere else.

Eliza found something peculiar in the document.

[It is estimated that he received special training in the past.]

[Showed an unusual appearance unlike peers from the time of sale.]

[Skilled in using objects, tools, etc., other than weapons like glass shards, stones, pens, as weapons. Shows little reluctance toward murder, etc.]

[However, judging by the fact that he suffers from insomnia after committing murder, he is not completely immune.]

[Presumed to be a product trained for sale.]

Judeca, who kept this document.

It boasts a vast-scale arena.

A skilled warrior soon becomes famous in Judeca, and famous warriors attract as much popularity and money.

Warriors of Judeca appear in two ways.

Either rescuing and training people at Judeca, or purchasing trained individuals from outside.

“But this is… unnatural.”

Eliza asked after reading the document.

“Where was Judas sold in Judeca?”

“It was Gomorrah. However, it was said to be a slave brought from another market even in Gomorrah and that market is not left on record.”

“They traded a trained slave and didn’t keep a record?”

It’s unnatural and suspicious.

The more a slave is well trained, the higher their reputation becomes.

Not only Judeca, but other arenas would also seek to trade the group that trained the slave.

This leads to the group’s profit.

A record is a means to prove that.

However, they did not leave any records.

“The person who won the bet with Judas?”

“It’s Anggra.”

It’s a name I’ve heard before.

Eliza drummed her desk, rummaging through her memory.

Suddenly, she remembered their identity.

“… If it’s Anggra, he is one of the bishops of the Moonsin religion, right?”

“That’s correct.”

The Moonsin, a religion that worships the moon.

They are the opposite of the Bevel family, who serve the sun god.

They’re not on bad terms, but they’re not good either.

I heard they were bad in the very distant past.

Back in the days when they were divided from one another.

They allied to subdue evil spirits, and recently they made a pact for peace.

“Come to think of it…?”

Eliza thought of Judas.

The moment he used magic.

As a mage, she read Judas’s magic delicately and accurately.

A shimmering silver magic spread gently.

The sensation against the skin was cold.

Most of the magic was a light blue color, and there was no texture.

“It felt similar to the divine power I sense from the priests of the Moonsin religion.”

Eliza’s mouth curled up unconsciously.

It felt like discovering an interesting and fun problem.

“The Moonsin religion prohibits slavery in its doctrine. Could Anggra secretly use or have a slave market? Or did he take them to liberate them as slaves?”

“I haven’t confirmed that yet.”

“Interesting. Find out more. It might be related to the Information Guild…”

Eliza twisted her lips into a smirk and let out a sigh through her nose.

Information Guild.

They are a group that is difficult to penetrate even for the Bevel family.

Because they operate so systematically, it is meaningless to suppress them by force or intimidation.

If they get involved, things won’t be easily resolved.

“Since dealing with them will be a headache, let’s focus on the Moonsin religion for now.”

“Understood.”

“And about Gulliat.”

Eliza pulled out another document with Gulliat’s personal details.

“A direct descendant of a Philistine Baron.”

Eliza pulled out another document.

A contract regarding the installation permit for railway tracks.

Coincidentally, it was about constructing a line that passed through Philistine’s territory.

“We could use this as an excuse to negotiate a lower price. Separate from the disposal of Gulliat.”

“How do you plan to dispose of him?”

“Get rid of him. Follow Gulliat’s funeral customs.”

“I will do as you say.”

“Sir Gawain.”

At that, Gawain, who had been standing still as if dead, stepped forward.

His head was still bowed.

He didn’t even dare to lift his eyes.

“I’ll think a little more about how to handle this.”

Gawain is a knight directly under the main family.

No matter who Eliza is, she cannot easily interfere with him.

“There is no mercy. Miss.”

“If only things could be resolved by mere reflection, how much easier would the world be?”

The careless words were not just provoking Gawain, but poking at the truth of the world.

Eliza stroked her cheek.

The cheek Narcissa has slapped still felt cold.

A few days before her birthday celebration.

She was confident that the swelling would not subside until then.

Then her gaze fell on the anemone placed on the desk.

She couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was almost time for her to go meet him.

At that moment, the steward in charge of reception hurriedly came to find her.

“Lady Narcissa is here to see you.”

***

“You are crazy.”

Lady Narcissa entered the room terrifyingly, grabbed Eliza by the hair, and slapped her.

“Just because of one person, huh? What? You’re going to invite those lowly creatures to your birthday party at the mansion?!”

Narcissa shouted angrily.

“Do you also spread rumors that the Bevel family has fallen?!”

The news of the duel tournament had been heard long before.

She had only thought of it as a timid rebel

She never thought she would actually invite them to her mansion.

It was natural to not do that if she knew her dignity and reputation.

However, Eliza was sincere.

Narcissa’s enraged response was all according to Eliza’s intentions and expectations.

So.

“Heh…-“

Eliza couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Haha, hoo, hoo hoo, hoo haha-!”

It was a pathetic and childish response.

So trivial and uninteresting.

But for some reason, she kept laughing.

Looking at Eliza laughing heartily, Narcissa frowned as if she had seen a bug.

“You crazy b-….”

Her voice trembled.

She was completely stunned by her disgusting and bizarre reaction.

“This won’t solve anything by you acting like this! Immediately withdraw that decision! It’s an order as the Duchess and representative of the Duke!”

“If I don’t want to.”

Eliza suddenly spoke in a cold, low voice.

“What will you do?”

She remained expressionless, as if asking when she had laughed.

“You…!”

“You can’t really do that. So, are you going to cancel my birthday party, which is only a few days away? Surely. I’ve already sent out all the invitations, and that’s not possible either.”

Narcissa couldn’t refute.

She just trembled her clenched fist.

“All the Duchess can do is, at best, to physically assault a delicate lady. Unfortunately. And even more unfortunately, with such a barbaric act, you can neither reverse my decision nor change reality.”

“…….”

“Duchess. If you act so recklessly, you can’t achieve anything.”

Finally, Eliza smiled brightly.

It was a beautiful smile like a painting.

It was eerie.

Because it was like a painting, it didn’t look human.

“I’ll remember this clearly! Remember!”

Watching Narcissa leave as if fleeing, Eliza scoffed.

She became more curious today.

What would happen if Narcissa and Judas met?

Could Judas be arrogant even to Narcissa?

She stood up familiarly.

She even erased her bright smile.

Lia quickly came over and straightened her clothes, applying a blush to her cheeks.

She had to make an effort to maintain a poker face.

She turned pale at Eliza’s taunting, then bowed her head, unable to bear seeing any more. Fortunately, Eliza was not interested in Lia’s expression.

She just glanced at the wall clock.

“Tell Judas I’m going.”

“…Yes, miss.”

***

“Hello.”

Judas had already arrived at the stable.

At first, the stable was uncomfortable, but now Eliza was familiar with it.

“I greet you, Miss Eliza.”

Judas, with gauze stuck to his face, greeted her.

“Don’t you need to rest?”

Judas doubted his ears.

As far as he knew, she was not the kind of person to worry about others.

“Thank you for your concern. I’m fine with this.”

Today, too, Eliza’s cheeks were red.

Judas thought nothing of it.

He just thought it was not excessive makeup for a child, and left it at that.

“If you say so.”

The stable keeper, Bradley, brought a wooden stand.

Eliza stood on it.

It had been repeated for several days, so it felt natural.

As usual, Judas petted the moon deer while feeding them yellow umbrella mushrooms one by one.

The moon deer was still docile, and Eliza was still stiff today.

Although it had been repeated for several days, Eliza still found it difficult and uncomfortable to pet the moon deer.

Judas glanced at that strange sight.

That Eliza was struggling and awkward. Even after several days.

Was she still a child?

The adult Eliza he knew was not someone who got along with animals.

It’s lucky if she doesn’t burn his for being annoying.

“Um, excuse me.”

Bradley approached cautiously.

“Would it be possible for you to brush her yourself?”

“Brush her?”

“Yes. Even livestock get brushed.”

“Do you want me to do that?”

It was a valid point.

Brushing livestock is the work of a caretaker or laborer who manages the livestock.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I just wanted to help you get closer to the moon deer…. Livestock like to be brushed by their familiar owners. I thought you had become more familiar with the moon deer these past few days, so I wanted to help a little more…. I didn’t mean anything else.”

“Hmm.”

Eliza casually glanced down at Bradley, who was bending his back like a bow. His pursed lips were evidence that he was pondering what had just been said.

“Bring it here,” she said.

Bradley hurriedly brought the animal comb.

Taking it, Eliza narrowed her eyes.

“This is a comb…? Shaped like a knife?”

Eliza held the comb away as if it were a dangerous object, glaring at it. It looked like it could tear through skin if used on a person.

“Animals have thick fur and tough skin, so it’s fine,”

Bradley reassured her.

Eliza still looked skeptical, furrowing her brow. But she was curious.

Combing. It was something she always had done by a maid.

Eliza slowly began to comb. Her movements were so light that it didn’t really comb properly.

“You can do it more forcefully,”

Bradley said, and Eliza smirked.

“It seems like it would hurt…?”

She cautiously applied more pressure.

Swoosh, swoosh.

The cool sound spread like using a broom on the floor. Finally, it was combed properly.

“…Shedding.”

Eliza muttered as she continued to comb, not stopping.

Judas watched her in fascination, unaware that he was staring straight at her.

‘What am I looking at?’

It had been a few days, but he still found it awkward to see Eliza caring for a wild deer.

It was hard to imagine.

But, strangely, it suited her.

Just a clumsy girl.

Seeing her, who was like a vivid doll, made him feel like he was watching a painting.

‘It’s like she came to the farm to experience combing.’

On her wrist, barely visible, there were more wounds.

Judas glanced at them briefly before turning away.

It was because he was conscious of Lia’s gaze.

‘She doesn’t stare at me persistently like last time.’

What could have happened for her to get more wounds?

Does Lia know about this?

Understood. The nobility here receive bath service.

Duel tournament.

This is also suspicious.

Eliza is not the type to invite just a knight candidate to her birthday banquet.

Honestly, I didn’t feel like it.

Although the prize money and meal were tempting.

Adult Eliza was particularly excited and restless on her birthday.

The scale of the massacre is different.

That worried me.

What if the same thing happens again this time?

But……

Judas looked up at young Eliza.

In her concentrated brushing, he couldn’t even see the madness and bloodthirstiness he knew.

So, it might be okay.

She might not be as strong as a mage as she was when she was an adult.

Eliza was completely immersed in brushing.

It became her favorite time without her knowing.

Taking care of the moon deer in the stable with Judas.

It’s the only time of the day when you don’t have to think about anything.

All she had to do was move according to the footstool moved by Lia.

The only thing to do was to brush the moon deer’s body carefully.

At some point, she found herself welcoming this situation.

It would be meaningless.

It would be more beneficial to read one more page of a book or handle one more document.

But Eliza didn’t want to give up this time.

I don’t know why.

This is the first time for this kind of thing.

In fact, Judas is the same.

She could have just let it go.

Feeding the mushrooms, for example, could be done by someone else.

But……

Eliza looked at Judas as she brushed lightly.

A strange creature.

It stands out especially in this mansion.

Eliza’s mansion.

Everyone except him exists only for her.

Maids, servants, butlers, cooks.

Soldiers and knights.

Chamberlains, stable keepers, seamstresses, doctors, etc.

Chosen talents for the direct descendants of the Bevel family, only for Eliza.

And those who were not chosen by themselves.

Among them, only Judas was brought by her caprice.

He is not a target selected by someone else for her.

He must be loyal to her like everyone else, but well…

In Eliza’s opinion, Judas’s loyalty was peculiar.

It’s hard to express in concrete terms.

Eliza thought deeply but moved diligently.

It was a seemingly satisfying sight.

A doll-like girl trying hard to brush a deer much larger than herself.

But there was no such person, neither Bradley nor Lia could dare to see her as a cute girl.

Except for one person, Judas.

He repeated scolding himself for feeling pleased and then scolding himself for being crazy.

There was constant struggle within him.

Eliza’s inner self became preoccupied with slightly different reasons.

After finishing brushing, there is a mountain of things to deal with when she returns.

Things to do today.

Things to do in the future.

And things to do for the further future.

The future determined in hours was tangled in her mind.

‘While I was studying last time, I should finish studying the ideal theory first…. Then, one conceptual novel and one play…. Tomorrow, I must finalize the construction rights and passage rights of the Philistine Estate. I also need to grasp the mining rights of the Eltrite mine… Ah, my birthday. I have to check the guest list once. I don’t want to see my sisters and brothers. They are people who hate me anyway…. It’s all annoying. I’m tired…’

“…Miss!”

Someone urgently called her.

The voice was blurry and distant.

Eliza slowly opened her eyes.

Her eyes were thinly trembling.

For some reason, she saw the ceiling of a stable.

And also Judas looking down at her.

Her body, which touched his, hurt. It was a bruised spot.

Is he carrying her right now?

Due to the pain, she grimaced.

“How dare you touch the lady’s body!”

Lia shouted like lightning.

Judas recoiled, jerking his shoulders.

It was only then that Eliza realized she had fainted on the wooden support.

And that Judas had held her and hugged her.

“I’m sorry.”

Judas, who stepped back, bowed deeply.

“Eliza, miss…!”

“It’s noisy.”

Eliza touched her forehead and waved her hand.

Lia’s body, which was supporting her, stiffened.

“Be quiet. My head hurts.”

Blood dripped from Eliza’s nose.

“I’m sorry, miss….”

Lia, as if she had calmed down, as if she had not raised her voice, wiped Eliza’s nosebleed.

Receiving that touch, Eliza spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Judas.”

“Yes, miss.”

“Raise your head.”

Judas lifted his head.

Thick, black hair.

Golden eyes.

An expression like a fierce wild animal.

A remarkable and strange boy who didn’t bother to hide his hostility even in front of her.

He was making a face she had never seen before.

Slightly wrinkled eyebrows.

Uncomfortably tight lips.

His eyes, looking straight ahead, were neither arrogant nor aggressive.

It was a facial expression she had never encountered before in her life.

Eliza momentarily forgot her words trying to interpret it.

No, it seemed familiar.

There was once, undoubtedly, a mother who looked at her with a similar face.

In the end, she couldn’t read the emotion that appeared on his face.

Even Judas himself didn’t realize it was ‘worry’.

“Thank you.”

Eliza smiled brightly.

It was only now that Judas realized he had been worried about Eliza.

“…I just did what needed to be done.”

What needed to be done.

An inevitable instinct.

It was also an excuse for him.

He couldn’t just stand by as the child collapsed in front of him.

It wasn’t just a fall.

She nearly fell unconscious and crashed onto the support.

If she had hit her head hard on the floor, she might have died.

That’s why he intervened.

“Lia.”

“Yes, miss.”

“Apologize.”

Without hesitation, Lia bent her waist to show her forehead to Judas.

“I apologize for shouting at the person who helped you. I’m sorry. I couldn’t discern my rational judgment due to momentary excitement. I was rash. I’m truly sorry.”

Her overly upright apology made Judas confused.

It wasn’t just a verbal apology.

Judas felt that Lia’s voice was subtly trembling.

She truly felt sorry.

Above all, this was how the thinking was here.

It was a serious crime for a commoner like him to touch a noble like Eliza.

Judas was gradually accepting such differences.

“No, it’s… it’s okay.”

Even so, Lia didn’t raise her head immediately.

As Judas awkwardly stared at her forehead, he noticed something strange.

Lia’s hair was red.

But, the roots of her hair he was seeing now were black.

‘Dyed?’

Just then, someone came looking for the stable.

It was the doctor.

She widened her eyes when she saw Eliza.

“Miss?! What happened?!”

Eliza reached out to her urgently as she approached.

“I felt dizzy for a moment. But more importantly, what’s going on?”

“But shouldn’t we attend to you first….”

“First business.”

The women nodded reluctantly.

“There’s no risk of poisoning from simply touching the Yellow Umbrella Mushroom. You can rest assured that it’s harmless to your health even if you touch it.”

“Hmm. Okay…”

Eliza lowered her gaze.

There was a pouch containing the Yellow Umbrella Mushroom below.

Judas cheered inwardly.

‘I might be able to leave here earlier than planned.’

He didn’t express this thought aloud, however.

Judas simply waited for Eliza to tell him to leave.

For Eliza, this place was burdensome and uncomfortable.

He figured Eliza wouldn’t find it pleasant either.

As Eliza looked at the pouch, she opened her mouth to speak to Judas.

Judas thought he would naturally be told to leave, so he promptly replied that he understood.

“Don’t go.”

“Understood.”

He shouldn’t have…

“…Yes, yes?”

He belatedly asked, but it was already too late.

Eliza looked at Judas in silence, then asked,

“You liked it here that much?”

“Oh, no. It’s just that…”

“You didn’t like it?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s just… a place that’s… too good for me…”

Judas was so flustered that he couldn’t speak properly.

Even he couldn’t understand why he had answered ‘understood’ without thinking.

It was beyond comprehension.

From Miguel and Lia to Bradley and even the doctor nearby, they all looked at Judas as if he were a strange creature.

It was a gaze that saw him, a commoner without shame, wanting to live off the nobility’s mansion.

Since he couldn’t think of a proper response, Judas could only ask stupidly and simply,

“Why…?”

It was a presumptuous question.

It was a world where the nobles’ orders were obeyed.

Eliza and Judas were in a half-master, half-servant relationship.

Eliza casually explained the reason as if she didn’t care.

After hearing her words, Judas had to doubt his ears several times today.