The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 190

The Bevel Empire, the new empire of the Levant continent.

Its capital is the city of Jerusalem, which spans from the site of the soon-to-be-built new palace to the mansion where Eliza had previously resided.

Originally, Jerusalem was an outlying, remote area of the Bevel Principality—hardly suitable as a capital.

Even so, Eliza pushed forward.

She believed a symbol worthy of a new era was necessary.

And in many ways, no one dared to oppose her will.

While the royal palace was under construction, the conquest of the Demon Realm proceeded steadily.

Eliza would head to the front lines from time to time with Judas, crushing enemies with her overwhelming magic.

Once Eliza cleared the way, the allied human forces would advance.

And so, bit by bit, humanity expanded its territory.

However, the land was vast, and even someone like Eliza was still just one person—completely subjugating the Demon Realm in a short time was impossible.

Finally, the royal palace in Jerusalem was completed.

The residence of the Sun Emperor and the Moon Consort came to be known as the Sky Palace.

A golden structure upheld by ivory columns.

Built through the collaboration of countless architects, mages, and artists, it was a lavish creation fitting for the rulers of a new age.

“Whoa…”

Judas stood in awe, mouth agape, in front of the main palace where he and Eliza would actually live.

Sure, there would be staff, but it still felt excessively large for just two people.

As he stood overwhelmed by its sheer scale, Eliza simply smiled brightly beside him.

“This is the home we’ll be living in together.”

At her words, Judas felt a new wave of emotion.

Regardless of its size, that place would be their home—a newlywed home, in fact.

With that thought, the overwhelming size no longer seemed to matter at all.

But not everyone felt the same.

“Oh my goodness…”

Maria.

Assigned to the palace adjoining the main one on the west side, she was feeling dizzy with disbelief.

To think she would be living in a palace—it didn’t feel real.

“I’ll assist with the tour.”

Miguel, the former head butler and now the chief royal chamberlain who oversaw the entire construction, spoke politely.

Judas found his consistently calm, professional kindness both impressive and curious.

Even after five years, Miguel’s appearance and demeanor hadn’t changed a bit.

How could someone remain so unshakably constant?

“This is the main palace where Her Majesty the Emperor and the Consort will reside.”

Through the grand gates, the inside felt as spacious as the open air.

The high, vaulted ceilings and endlessly stretching walls created a sense of immense scale.

The only thing filling that vastness was the warm, bright lighting.

A spacious hall on the first floor.

Directly ahead, a staircase split into two, leading up on both sides.

“The eastern wing of the first floor is primarily for staff use—rooms for cleaning supplies, a medical bay, kitchen and pantry, laundry room, and so on.”

Though there was no real need for Eliza to personally inspect these spaces, she insisted on seeing them with her own eyes.

She believed that a ruler should show sincerity—only then would those below serve with the same dedication.

***

After checking, they returned to the central hall.

“And to the west, we’ve prepared facilities for Your Majesties to enjoy at your leisure. There’s a music room equipped with various instruments and an exhibition room where artworks can be displayed.”

These were spaces usually used only when needed.

Except for the music room, all the rooms were completely empty.

“If you wish, musicians can be summoned to perform in the music room as much as you’d like.”

In this luxurious space where all cultural activities were concentrated in one place, Judas honestly felt his heart shrink a little.

The scale of this honeymoon home was far beyond anything he had imagined.

“Also, to the west, it connects to the Empress Dowager’s palace.”

“Hmmm…”

Maria felt similarly to Judas.

She nodded awkwardly.

“First, let me show you the second floor where Their Majesties will reside.”

“Okay. Lead the way.”

Unlike the other two, Eliza remained composed.

It was just right for her taste.

She thought this was the minimum size appropriate for herself, Judas, and her mother.

“The western side of the second floor is the bedroom.”

Half of the second floor of the main palace was taken up by the bedroom.

The room, complete with a wardrobe and bathroom, was as large as a decent mansion.

South-facing windows offered a clear view of the garden right in front of the main palace.

At the center of the garden was a large fountain.

Around it, lush green grass and colorful summer flowers bloomed beautifully.

The flowerbeds lining the paths in the garden were also filled with flowers and trees.

Just then, a gardener was seen trimming branches.

On one side of the royal garden, there was a clean pond.

Occasionally, small birds would fly in to drink from it.

“Wow… The landscaping is amazing. I’ve really made it,” Judas thought to himself, nodding in satisfaction at the extravagant scenery.

“The room opposite the bedroom is His Majesty’s office and study. They are separate rooms, but there is a connecting door inside so His Majesty can move freely between them.”

“Mm. Very good.”

“We’ve prepared as many essential books as possible, but if there’s anything more you need, just let the maids know.”

Slightly apart from the main palace, there was a royal library solely dedicated to books.

Eliza didn’t bother mentioning that teleporting back and forth herself would be faster.

“There are four rooms on the eastern side of the second floor, all of which are currently empty, just as Your Majesty requested.”

“Mm. Good job.”

One would be used as a simple magic lab.

The other three… she’d think about it later.

In any case, it was more convenient to leave them available for free use.

After inspecting the main palace, they were guided to the western palace—Maria’s residence.

It was smaller than originally designed.

Relatively smaller, that is—it was still dizzyingly large for Maria.

The request for it to be smaller had come from Maria herself.

Eliza carefully inspected the space her mother would be staying in.

She had said Maria could live in the main palace with them, but Maria had declined.

She had asked for a separate space nearby.

Though it was close, it was still separate, so they needed to ensure everything was in perfect order.

Here, too, the first floor was designated for the staff.

The second floor was Maria’s.

Unlike the main palace, since it was just for Maria, they decided to have a number of trustworthy female knights stationed on the first floor.

Of course, Eliza would always be keeping an eye out for danger through her multi-alert magic.

“How do you like it, Mom?”

“Mmm, of course I love it. I absolutely do. Thanks to you, Elly, I get to live in a place like this in such luxury. I’m really happy.”

It felt a bit awkward being in such luxury, but it was true—she was happy.

How could she not be, when her grown daughter was taking such good care of her?

Maria sometimes wondered if she really deserved to be treated so well by Eliza.

She knew she hadn’t been the best mother to her.

And yet, Eliza had completely forgiven and forgotten everything, and loved her just the same as before.

That only stirred Maria’s guilt even more.

But she didn’t show that guilt outwardly.

It wouldn’t be proper to feel sorry for someone you ought to be thankful to.

Eliza wouldn’t want that, and it might even make her feel uncomfortable.

So Maria simply smiled.

It wasn’t a fake smile.

She was truly happy—happy that Eliza had grown up so well and still poured so much love into her.

“Thank you, Elly. Let’s live here happily for a long, long time.”

Seeing Maria smile with eyes brimming with tears, Eliza beamed brightly.

“Yeah, Mom.”

Eliza didn’t resent Maria for hiding the truth from her all this time.

She didn’t want to.

She couldn’t say for sure that she would’ve made a different choice if she had been in Maria’s place.

You can’t judge another person’s situation so easily.

Eliza accepted that, at the time, that decision must have been the best Maria could make. Because of that, she held no bitterness toward her.

To her, Maria was still the same mother who had cared for her when she was young.

Afterward, Eliza toured the entire palace.

“To the north of the main palace is a private stable for the lunar deer, a sacred beast. You can get there quickly via the door behind the main staircase. And also…”

As the Empress, it was her duty and responsibility to check every detail.

She’d minimized today’s schedule to make sure she could go through everything and memorize it all in a single day.

By the time she finished inspecting every corner of the palace, it was already late in the evening.

When Judas and Eliza finished their dinner, the sun had long since set, and it was night.

They headed straight to the bedchamber.

Two pots of anemones on the windowsill welcomed them.

There were two things they had brought over exactly as they were from the mansion: those flower pots and the bed.

The bed was the one from Judas’s room, brought over without any changes.

That had been Eliza’s request.

Because that bed still strongly carried Judas’s scent.

She was more used to his bed than her own.

“Do you like it?” Eliza asked, looking at Judas.

“Mmm. I don’t just like it—it’s more than I deserve. I love it. But how about you, Elly? Does it meet your standards?”

“Yeah. I’m satisfied. It’s exactly what I imagined.”

“Then I’m glad.”

Eliza took his hand and led him to the window.

The anemones glowed softly under the moonlight.

Beyond the window stretched the vast palace garden.

Night had fallen, and it was dark.

There were probably other buildings nearby, but they were far enough away that the view was wide open.

The starry night sky could be seen clearly.

A south-facing window.

Off to the right, the faint lights of Maria’s residence glimmered.

Judas naturally wrapped his arms around Eliza from behind.

A small warmth nestled perfectly in his embrace.

It brought a sense of peace.

And so, the two of them stood quietly, bodies close, gazing out at the night sky together.

Judas quietly reached out and fiddled with her belly.

Eliza let out a small chuckle.

“You must really like my tummy.”

That hand, which always came over unannounced, most frequently found its way to her belly without fail.

“Mhm. I can’t help it.”

Her waist was slim, but her belly was soft—just the right kind of squishy to grab and play with.

“I mean, I like other parts too, but the belly’s easy to touch without making a big deal out of it.”

“Oh yeah? And what kind of ‘big deal’ do you run into with other parts?”

“Hmm… wouldn’t you like to know?”

Eliza turned to face him with a sly smile.

She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and gently pulled him closer.

Their lips hovered just a breath apart as she teasingly swayed her hips, her expression playful.

“I’m curious… think you can show me?”

“Sounds like it’s time for a lesson, then.”

“Eep!”

Judas suddenly lifted Eliza up and tossed her onto the bed.

Startled, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist—and even after landing on the mattress, she didn’t let go.

Then, without a word, the sound of lips meeting and mingling filled the room.

Gradually, those wet sounds were joined by heavy breathing.

Then, all of a sudden, with flushed cheeks, Eliza whispered,

“Did you… close the window?”

Judas glanced over to check.

“Locked and secured.”

“Mmm… good.”

“Well, yeah. My Elly does get a little loud at night.”

“Ugh… you dummy.”

She lightly pounded his shoulder with her tiny fists.

They didn’t hurt in the slightest—more like fluffy thumps.

“Turn off the lights…”

Seeing her flustered expression, Judas smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

“Okay.”

As he returned to the bed, Eliza reached out, pleading.

“Hurry… kiss me again…”

Her voice trembled with excitement, and Judas happily climbed over her once more.

Soon, the bedroom of their newlywed home was filled with the sounds of love.