The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 21

Among the applicants for the escort knight trainee, there was an assassin hidding in.

Eliza remained indifferent even as she saw the assassin charging toward her.

It wasn’t the first time.

There were many other instances where they infiltrated using such methods.

Eliza didn’t need to react.

Her view was obstructed.

By the back of Lia, the maid.

Immediately, the unpleasant sound of flesh being torn and bones being sliced rang out sharply.

Blood flowed onto the floor.

Eliza saw the blood that Lia couldn’t completely block, but she remained indifferent.

The applicants groaned.

“Miss, are you all right?”

Lia asked while still showing the back.

“Yes.”

Eliza replied nonchalantly.

“Sir Gawain.”

“Yes, Miss.”

He answered while wiping the blood off his sword.

He was the one who had cut down the assassin in one stroke.

“Clean up and come up to the office.”

“Understood.”

Since applicants were accepted regardless of their status, such incidents were inevitable.

Eliza knew this, and so did the Bevel family.

No one bothered to point it out or improve it.

It’s a futile endeavor anyway.

As long as Gawain is around, no one can kill Eliza.

Unless someone had received special training for a long time, it wouldn’t matter.

Therefore, Eliza also neglected this environment.

By tracking down the assassins, she could more concretely identify her enemies.

Though today’s incident was common, there was an uncommon element.

This time, all the applicants had been selected by Narcissa.

In other words, Narcissa could be blamed for the assassination attempt.

‘There’s no way that woman actually planted an assassin.’

She was obvious, but she wasn’t stupid enough to use such a transparent tactic.

That an assassin came from among those Narcissa selected was glaringly sloppy.

Narcissa knew that assassinating Eliza in such a manner was impossible.

Yet, she still mixed in an assassin?

It only gave justification to her.

This meant that it was a meticulously cunning force that even Narcissa couldn’t weed out.

‘Assassin’s Guild..?’

A force as difficult to deal with as the Information Guild.

A shadowy sword of the continent that moved only on someone’s request.

‘But it’s unlikely that someone sent by them would be this sloppy.’

Not the Assassin’s Guild, but a spy sent by a force capable of deceiving Narcissa’s eyes.

‘Secret Task Forces?’

The Assassin’s Guild is used only for infallible and definitive operations.

They are skilled individuals, and using them comes at a great cost.

Therefore, most factions operate a separate internal organization to handle dirty work instead of an assassin’s guild.

Such organizations are called ‘Secret Task Forces.’

The Bevel family has one too.

The Secret Task Forces force named ‘Black Spot.’

‘But there’s no way she could have mobilized Black Spot.’

Like most Secret Task Forces , they only move on the orders of the head of the family.

Black Spot is practically under Valak’s control.

Even Narcissa can’t move Black Spot for personal reasons.

‘Who could it be? Who is trying to kill me?’

No one came to mind.

I don’t recall doing anything to personally incur such hatred.

But if it’s an enemy of the Bevel family?

If they wanted to take revenge by killing me, the most vulnerable bastard of the Bevel family?

What if their goal was to weaken the Bevel family’s power by eliminating a potentially dangerous wizard?

Even then, no particular person or faction comes to mind.

Not because there aren’t any.

There are too many to specify.

‘A faction that has a Secret Task force and yet doesn’t know much about Bevel family’s internal affairs. Even summarizing these characteristics leaves many possibilities…?

I have probed the backgrounds of the assassins who have come before, but none of them provided significant information.

I already have so much work, and now this nuisance.

Before reaching the office, Miguel hurriedly came running.

“Miguel. What are you doing, so unseemly?”

“I’m sorry, but…”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

Miguel sighed deeply in relief.

Eliza quietly looked up at him.

It reminded her of Judas from before.

Judas, who had looked down at her when she had collapsed.

That uncomfortable expression is still an unsolved mystery.

Miguel’s expression just now was similar to Judas’ then.

‘They look alike, but something is different….’

Judas worried about Eliza.

But Miguel worried about his position and responsibility if an accident occurred.

Eliza couldn’t pinpoint the difference.

“Miss? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

After a brief pause, they arrived at the office.

Gawain was already there.

Eliza gave a brief instruction to the two of them.

“Their current identities are certainly a disguise. Investigate their background, find out where they came from. Especially don’t miss any evidence that they were selected by the Duchess.”

It might be possible to get rid of Narcissa, who boasts only of her blonde hair and blue eyes.

What matters is always the justification.

“Yes, understood.”

“And Sir Gawain. Report.”

“Yes. The weapon in hand was a small razor blade. Upon inspection, it was confirmed that there was no poison on the blade.”

It was one of the common weapons used by assassins who came to kill Eliza.

Razor blades, crudely carved stone knives, glass shards.

Easy to obtain and easy to carry.

“It seems they dropped it on the ground to hide it in the sand and took it out at the right moment during the search. There are no other special details.”

“Alright, I understand. Replace all those who were in charge of the search today.”

“I will do so.”

There was no need to mention Gawain’s pay cut.

He would know without being told.

“Miss, I have something to tell you.”

Miguel bowed his head politely.

“Speak.”

“The Bevel family members have arrived. The Grand Duke wishes to have breakfast together…”

“No.”

“I understand.”

With half-closed eyes, Eliza looked out the window.

Her family, whom she hadn’t seen for months except for Narciss, had come.

To celebrate her birthday.

Unlike other guests, the family had come early, but she didn’t want to see them.

‘It’s bothersome…’

After all, they wouldn’t have come to sincerely congratulate her.

“Keep today’s matters from leaking outside.”

Gawain, Miguel, Lia.

Her three closest aides.

They were not allies.

They were selected by the main family for surveillance.

So she couldn’t prevent the family from knowing.

All she could do was delay the spread of information beyond the family, to the outside.

Miguel and Gawain left.

Eliza had breakfast in a private dining room.

It was filled with rare dishes.

Servants continued bringing more food, filling the table.

Eliza glanced at them indifferently.

Food that some people would never taste in their lifetime.

Spices that could sustain someone for months if sold, even a handful.

She was an aristocrat.

She was of the upper class, a ruler, and wealthy.

Today was no different.

To prepare for her birthday, an amount of money that a household could never use in a lifetime was spent.

The gifts that arrived were so many that they needed separate storage.

Among the gifts were rare items of a value that a person might never touch in their lifetime.

So she found it puzzling.

According to her recent studies, the wealthier one is, the happier they tend to be.

The poorer one is, the less happy they tend to be.

But then why, wasn’t she happy?

What is happiness, to begin with?

She had never thought of herself as happy.

She didn’t know what it meant to be happy.

Must one be happy?

Is it unacceptable not to be happy?

There was a time when she felt something akin to happiness, but now she couldn’t remember that feeling.

Although she lived confined, there was a time filled with vibrant colors.

When she tried to recall it, it was all diluted in gray mist.

Mainstream academics, society, and culture emphasize happiness.

They highlight happiness as an absolute value to be revered.

Eliza couldn’t understand.

Not the expensive, delicious food.

Not the rare jewels.

Even precious gifts.

None of them could make her happy.

It had been that way for a while.

Colors had disappeared from her world.

A world distinguished only by shades of monochrome.

A landscape faded, thick with dark clouds and mist.

“I don’t want to eat anymore.”

She put down her spoon.

She had only taken a few sips of soup.

Just enough to barely wet her throat.

She had no appetite.

It wasn’t because today was her birthday.

It wasn’t because she had been attacked by an assassin on her birthday.

She was always like this.

***

What should I give to Eliza as a gift?

The deliberation didn’t last long.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t know what gift would satisfy Eliza.

But that didn’t mean I chose carelessly.

“I’ll take this one.”

Richard said, as if explaining to the gift.

“…Judas. That. Um. The young lady is certainly, well, young. Yes. But, still, that’s a bit….”

The gift I chose was a doll.

A black cat doll stretched out and sleeping.

I chose it because it oddly resembled Eliza.

The only difference was that the doll had its eyes closed peacefully.

It’s hard to see such a peaceful look on Eliza.

So, I chose this gift with the hope that she would live a bit more peacefully.

It’s not like I’m completely free from the stereotype that dolls make good gifts for kids.

‘It looks perfect for hugging or using as a pillow. It’s also quite soft.’

Eliza, hugging a doll while sleeping…

I can’t imagine it.

Well, I probably won’t be able to give it to her anyway.

“I’ve already made my decision.”

Eliza, who is mentally mature, might not like it.

It would be the same even if I chose a different gift.

I wandered around here and there, but this was my best choice.

To my eyes, this looked the best.

“…Well. It’s your money, so what can I do?”

In the end, Richard couldn’t break my stubbornness.

Anna seemed to want to stop me, but she didn’t say anything.

The wrapped gift box looked quite decent.

And so, I felt uneasy.

‘If it looks decent to me, would it look like garbage to Eliza, who is a high noble?’

That uneasiness grew as I met my colleagues.

“Oh, it looks pretty decent on the outside, doesn’t it?”

“This might unexpectedly be something the young lady likes.”

Colleagues who arrived at Eliza’s mansion first made comments one by one.

When they heard it was a doll, their expressions turned awkward.

“A gift is, well, sincerity is important. Well.”

Dylan tried to package my taste somehow.

Following Anna’s guidance, we entered the mansion.

The usually quiet place was crowded with people, making it noisy.

“The sight of the splendid and luxurious carriages lined up was magnificent.

The guests arriving at the mansion were equally dazzling.

Dressed in splendid suits and dresses, they were truly noble gentlemen and ladies.

As they chatted and laughed heartily, they glanced at me and my companions with furrowed brows.

That look of ‘why are these people here’ was unmistakable.

Thanks to Anna being our guide, we seemed to be acknowledged as guests.

Without her, we might have been chased away.

A few of my colleagues felt disheartened, but Richard and Dylan reassured them.

“What have we done wrong? Stand tall, my friends.”

“We are guests invited here rightfully. There’s no need to falter.”

I felt confident because I frequented this place.

“Sir. Judas. The gifts for the lady are gathered in one place. Please follow me there first.”

Anna said.

Considering the abundance of gifts, it would be difficult to receive them one by one.

About the gifts and their packaging. What my colleagues said.

Whether Eliza accepts them or not didn’t matter, but it wasn’t something to worry about.

“The gift I’m giving to the lady?”

The steward inspecting the gifts that day looked down at me and twisted his mouth.

“Isn’t it the kid living in the manison?”

“Yes.”

“You thought just because you got some money for a while, you can do something.”

He had no intention of hiding his true feelings.

He openly insulted me.

“You should keep within your limits. Do you even know what kind of place this is? You there.”

“Yes, I’m Anna, the maid.”

“Take the stinking brat away. Make sure they never swagger around here again. Will you take responsibility if something goes missing?”

Anna was a maid.

She belonged to a very low position even in this mansion.

So, I understood why she didn’t refute.

“I apologize. I’ll step back.”

“Tsk. Anyway, the lord of the mansion and … well, even the trash …”

He muttered as if spitting.

It wasn’t loud enough to hear as they moved away.

“I’m sorry. Judas. I didn’t know you would be treated like this.”

“No, it’s okay. Is this even Anna’s fault?”

Even though I felt dirty, I tolerated it as an inevitable event.

Colleagues in the same room became more depressed.

Some of them looked back fiercely.

The steward who chased us away smiled politely at the other nobles.

“Stop it. You might get caught.”

While Dylan reasoned sensibly, we moved with Anna.

We’re going to the main hall of the mansion.

Where Eliza, the birthday girl, will appear.

But ……

“Hmm.”

Someone blocked our way.

The richly curled blonde and the wide dress were typical nobility.

The cool blue eyes came down coldly.

“Oh, um …”

While Anna was embarrassed, the mysterious noblewoman said.

“I wondered where the foul smell was coming from. Turns out it’s rats running around. How do they manage this mansion …”

She muttered as she fluttered her fan.

Then she looked at me and smirked.

It was an obvious mockery.

“Well, if it’s a place where people like you wander, it wouldn’t be strange to have a few rats, right? Is this really a noble’s birthday party, or a sewer…?”

“………….”

I’ve been holding it in.

Nobles whispering behind my back, and the steward ignoring my gifts.

It was something I partly expected, so I just endured it.

And dealing with cowards who couldn’t speak openly in front of me was just annoying.

Not just for that reason.

We are Eliza’s guests.

Originally, it would have been impossible for special guests to come here.

So, if we cause trouble, it’s disrespectful to Eliza.

I just endured it to keep the minimum respect for the person who invited me.

Enduring is different from being indifferent.

It means I kept my temper.

But if anyone pick a fight like this, I can’t help but be involved.

I don’t know who this noblewoman blocking the way is or which family she’s from.

“Excuse me, ma’am. What did you just say?”

The lady’s blue eyes widened.

“W-w-what… did you just call me… ma’am…?!”

Her lips trembled.

I couldn’t believe it.

People around me opened their mouths and stared at me.

And I had no intention of stopping.