The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 193

“Woof!”

A dog wagged its tail and panted happily as it greeted Judas.

Judas, looking at the bright, cheerful dog, sank into a moment of self-reproach.

Eliza asked slyly,

“Are you… scared of dogs too?”

“…No.”

Judas answered curtly, making Eliza chuckle quietly.

She had asked, fully knowing the answer, just to tease him.

“Haah… seriously. Haha, unbelievable. How could I have mistaken this for a ghost?”

Judas let out a hollow laugh, kneeling on one knee and petting the dog.

The dog, as if used to it, immediately rolled over to expose its belly and basked in Judas’s touch.

“People tend to see what they expect to see. It’s a kind of bias. Since you thought it was a ghost first, that’s what you saw. Once a perception is fixed, it’s hard to break out of it.”

Looking back on the testimonies, it wasn’t wrong.

A creature crawling on all fours.

Naturally, a dog moves on all fours.

A strange color, rippling black with patches of white.

Exactly like this dog—black fur mixed with white.

‘Maybe a Border Collie… or some kind of herding dog.’

Still, some questions remained.

“But why was it stealing food from people?”

The dog had sometimes stayed in Judas’s front yard when he lived in Jericho.

It also roamed from house to house in the neighborhood.

It meant the dog liked people and sought their company.

There was no real reason for it to steal food.

“Well… I don’t know exactly, but not everyone likes dogs.”

“…Ah. True.”

Jericho had grown a lot lately, booming as a key city.

Many new people had flocked there from outside.

Among them, there could have been those who disliked dogs and treated this one coldly.

It was only Judas and Eliza’s speculation, though.

Judas carefully examined the dog’s body.

“No wounds… Joints seem fine too. Looks like it wasn’t beaten. And huh, she’s a female.”

When they lived together, he hadn’t paid attention to the dog’s gender.

And since the dog roamed from house to house, he hadn’t seen her very often.

Now that he looked closely, her teats were noticeably swollen.

“…Wait, I lived under the same roof with a female dog?”

“Eliza? What… exactly do you mean by that?”

“Ahem, ahem.“

Eliza cleared her throat a few times and pretended nothing had happened.

Her shameless act made Judas laugh in disbelief.

‘She doesn’t even care if it’s another species she’s jealous of…’

Her clingy jealousy was just too endearing—he knew he wasn’t free from blame either.

“But… human food isn’t good for her, you know.”

While Judas worried, Eliza sorted her thoughts.

From the start, she had suspected it wasn’t a ghost.

She even considered the possibility that an animal might be the source of the rumors.

But there was still something that didn’t add up.

‘The whimpering sounds… and why stay here, of all hard-to-reach places? …No way, could it be that?’

“Woof! Woof woof!”

The dog tugged at Judas’s sleeve with her mouth, trying to pull him somewhere.

“Huh? What’s up?”

She was leading him toward a pile of wooden planks stacked against the city wall.

The very spot where she had been hiding.

“Maybe there’s something important inside?”

“Maybe. I’ll stay a few steps back since I’m a stranger to her.”

The dog circled restlessly in front of the pile.

Carefully, Judas began to clear the planks, making sure not to collapse them.

Soon, something hidden beneath them was revealed.

Something tiny, squirming awkwardly.

“…Huh?”

Little wriggling creatures—four puppies, all huddled together, their eyes not yet open.

“Puppies…? Are they hers?”

“That’s why she couldn’t leave. Too many people around, too hard to move them by herself, but she couldn’t just abandon them…”

The mystery of the whimpering sounds was solved too.

It had been the puppies’ feeble little cries.

Right now, it’s quiet — they must be sleeping.

“Hmm… What should we do with them?”

Just then, the puppies stirred.

When a sudden light came in, they seemed to wake up.

The mother dog, who had been wandering around, hurried over as if to reassure them.

She lay down on her side in front of the puppies.

The puppies clung to their mother and began suckling.

They suckled eagerly.

The scene was almost like a battle.

Four puppies desperately fought to keep their spots to nurse.

Judas and Eliza watched them blankly.

It was a mesmerizing sight.

It was just puppies feeding from their mother, and yet it had a kind of magic that made it impossible to look away.

It felt like witnessing the mystery of life and growth.

Like marveling at the wonder of nature.

But even more than that —

‘They’re adorable…’

They were incredibly cute.

The squirming puppies.

And the mother dog, lying quietly in front of them.

“Whimper…”

One of the puppies was about to slip, so Judas gently supported its little backside.

They were so tiny, he could probably hold two in one hand.

And they were as soft and squishy as rice cakes.

‘What are these little rice cakes…?’

The color even resembled rice cakes sprinkled with black beans — white with little black spots.

Meanwhile, Eliza felt like she was about to cry.

It was a strange emotion.

There was no reason to cry just because something was cute.

And yet, somehow, tears welled up.

Something warm and unexplainable filled her chest.

The two of them, entranced, continued to watch until, at the same time, they spoke.

“Should we take them?”

“Should we raise them?”

They met each other’s eyes.

A brief silence.

Then they both smiled.

It didn’t feel like kidnapping.

It seemed more like the dog had been waiting all this time, hoping to find someone she could trust and ask for help.

That must have been why she had led Judas by the hand.

“But… we’ve never raised a dog before. Do you think we can do it?”

Judas finally voiced his worry.

He had no experience raising pets — he hadn’t even considered it before.

Yuel was a bit of an exception.

Yuel had basically grown up on his own.

Most of the care had been handled by Bradley, the stable master at the time.

And Yuel wasn’t an ordinary beast; he was a spirit creature that didn’t need human caretaking.

But these puppies were pure animals.

If they were to bring them home and raise them, they would need a lot of hands-on care.

Eliza also stepped back a little from her impulsive excitement.

They couldn’t treat the responsibility of caring for lives lightly.

If they were going to raise them themselves —

“I think I heard that May once raised a dog. She’s also a veterinarian, right?”

May had always been the one to check on Yuel’s health, too.

“Even if we don’t raise them ourselves, it’d be better to take them somewhere and feed them than leave them here.”

Her compromise made sense.

And so, they decided to take the puppies for now.

Judas carefully gathered the puppies into his arms.

It felt like holding several warm little rice cakes.

“Ohh…”

“So jealous…”

Eliza refrained from touching them, worried the mother dog might be wary.

She was curious — and a bit envious — wondering what it felt like to hold those tiny creatures.

“But… maybe we should make sure the mother trusts you before we leave?”

“Hmm… True. But trust isn’t something you can build just like that.”

Eliza crouched down gently.

She met eyes with the mother dog, who was lingering near Judas’s feet.

She remembered hearing that making direct eye contact with an animal could be seen as aggressive.

So Eliza slowly moved to the dog’s side.

Fortunately, the dog didn’t shy away.

‘Maybe because she trusts Judas, she’s willing to trust me a little, too.’

Eliza slowly reached out her hand.

The dog sniffed her hand, curious.

Eliza patiently waited until the dog was satisfied, then gently stroked her head.

Softly, so as not to overwhelm her.

The dog panted lightly, her tongue lolling out, and closed her eyes slightly.

It was a reaction that seemed almost like a smile at Eliza’s touch.

Feeling pleased, the dog lifted its head and pressed more eagerly against Eliza’s hand.

Eliza smiled in satisfaction.

“Good Girl.”

A certain level of trust had been secured.

Eliza nodded at Judas and immediately used teleportation.

***

The palace’s main grounds.

They arrived at the garden in front of the Sky Palace.

The puppies couldn’t open their eyes properly, still unaware of what was happening, and the mother dog, bewildered by the sudden change, was quickly looking around.

Beside them, Eliza gently patted their heads as if to reassure them.

“Your Majesty?!”

The maids who were cleaning the garden gasped in surprise.

Even though they were aware that their master could appear out of nowhere, it was still startling to experience it firsthand.

“Don’t mind me. Just keep doing what you were doing. More importantly, could someone bring May here?”

“I’ll go right away!”

“Thanks.”

One of the maids hurried off with quick little steps.

The other maids continued cleaning, stealing glances at Judas and Eliza.

Or rather, at the small creatures they had brought with them.

The mother dog, curious about her surroundings, wandered around sniffing everything.

The puppies were all being held by Judas, but Eliza picked one up herself to get a feel for it.

“So light… And so warm. Like bread dough…”

The tiny puppy, still toothless, let out a small grumble in her arms.

Its little sounds and movements were enough to melt the hearts of the maids.

However, none of them dared approach the dogs being held by the emperor and the state secretary.

They only secretly hoped in their hearts.

If there ever came a day when those puppies ran freely around the palace, it would surely be a delightful sight.

Soon, May came running over with the maid.

As soon as she saw the mother dog and the puppies being held, she broke into a bright smile.

“Oh my, where did these puppies come from?”

“We found them by chance while checking on the supply shipment.”

“Looks like they’ve only just opened their eyes. How adorable. Could you put them down for a moment?”

Judas and Eliza carefully set the puppies down on the grass.

“For dogs, their sense of smell is very important. When they come to a new place, it’s best to let them sniff around freely so they can adapt to the environment.”

“Hmm. Something to keep in mind.”

It was something Judas and Eliza hadn’t known.

The tiny puppies began exploring their surroundings, crawling so close to the ground it was as if they were sliding across it.

As the puppies tried to scatter here and there, the mother dog came over and gently gathered them into one spot.

Everyone watched the scene warmly.

May smiled too but then gently brought them back to the main point.

“Let’s give them time to adjust for now. Meanwhile, I’ll need to confirm a few things with you two. You’re planning to raise them, right?”

“Yes. If possible.”

“Any prior experience raising animals?”

Both shook their heads.

“Will they be raised indoors or outdoors?”

“Hmm… We hadn’t thought about that. I’d prefer wherever the puppies would feel most comfortable. We can’t stay with them all day after all.”

“Then outdoors would be best. Especially since they’re a herding breed — they’ll need plenty of space to run around. And the imperial palace is certainly spacious.”

May took notes, asking about the place and conditions where the puppies had been found.

Judas was once again reminded of how professional May was.

He usually saw more of Gale than May, mostly because Eliza was wary of him spending time with other women.

“How about letting them stay in Yuel’s barn?”

“Would Yuel mind?”

“As long as they don’t provoke the moon deer, it should be fine. They’re usually gentle creatures.”

“If they don’t like it, we’ll find somewhere else.”

Eliza spoke firmly.

She made it clear that she intended to fully respect Yuel’s wishes.

“Yes, that’s best. Shall we go have a look now? It’s better to show them where they’ll be staying as soon as possible so they can start getting used to it.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Judas clapped his hands lightly to get the mother dog’s attention.

The dog perked up its ears and wagged its tail, immediately following him.

Behind her, the four little puppies crawled along after her.

Judas, leading the way, now found himself with a small procession of dogs trailing behind him.

Eliza deliberately fell back a few steps, watching the heartwarming scene unfold.

Judas walking ahead, the mother dog and the puppies following closely behind.

Just seeing it warmed a hidden corner of her heart.

New guests had arrived at the palace.

Puppies who would now live with them as family.

She recalled what she had once read in a book: violence often begets violence.

And people who have never been loved often find it hard to love others.

So sometimes, Eliza would seriously wonder if she could ever build a family of her own.

When she was younger, she hadn’t even realized that she was a victim of domestic violence, but now she could see it clearly.

And that made her even more worried.

But whenever she looked at that man who loved her so freely, she found her conviction again.

With Judas, she felt sure they could build a warm and happy family, no matter what.

Feeling the warmth overflowing in her chest, Eliza drew closer to the man she loved.

Linking arms with him, she said,

“I love you.”

At that sudden confession, Judas grinned and casually replied,

“I love you too.”

They shared a brief kiss as they walked side by side.

The sound of puppies following them from behind was music to Eliza’s ears.

Holding onto Judas’s strong arm even tighter, Eliza moved forward.