The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 55.2

The priest, who had nodded, placed his hand over Judas’s arm.

A soft light emanated from the hand hovering a slight distance away.

The warm sensation was oddly similar to what he had felt from Eliza’s flame.

Judas looked at the light, then up at the priest.

More precisely, at the priest’s robe.

The black garment.

The sun emblem on the shoulder was yellow.

‘A priest of the Sun Church.’

The Sun, the main deity of this world.

The largest religion that worships him, the Sun Church.

The religion followed by the Bevel family, and the polar opposite of the Moon Church.

‘He seems like a very high-ranking priest….’

A devout priest can wield a unique power distinct from magic, known as divine power.

It’s a power that only works for healing and purification.

But not just anyone can benefit from divine power.

Even to heal a minor scratch from farm work with divine power requires a significant amount of money.

Not to mention filling in a hole in one’s arm.

It would be impossible for a commoner to meet this high-ranking priest, even if they sold their house.

In other words, all of this was a benefit derived from Eliza’s name and power.

And that assumption was entirely correct.

The great priest, who oversaw half of the Duchy of Bevel, shook his head as he continued the healing.

“It’s impossible to treat it any further.”

“There’s nothing more we can do… I’ll try my best to manage it so that a scar doesn’t remain,”

May added, sounding disappointed.

May immediately began writing down the ointment to prescribe to Judas and the necessary ingredients for it.

“If you ever need anything else, please call on me.”

The priest, as if preparing to leave, bowed his head to Eliza.

Eliza nodded calmly.

“I will remember today.”

There was no place for a priest to stay in Eliza’s mansion.

Even the nearest church was far away.

She had brought the priest from a much more distant parish for Judas.

The cost of this could not be known.

All that was left was the promise that she would remember today.

That promise, awakened by the power of a mage, held more value than money.

“May the blessing of the sun be with you.”

The priest left after leaving his farewell.

Judas, who was still dazedly looking at his wound, spoke to Eliza.

“Thank you for your concern.”

At that, Eliza gave a faint smile.

“I’m the one who should be thankful. If it weren’t for you, I might have really died.”

It was no exaggeration.

If Judas hadn’t noticed early on, Eliza would have died that day.

Although she could purify even Lamech’s special deadly poison, she couldn’t prevent the surprise attack.

If she died instantly, she wouldn’t have had the chance to purify the poison.

The alarm magic shuts off when she falls asleep.

Eliza decided she needed to modify the magic so it could be maintained even while she slept.

“So I’m troubled. How should I compensate you for this?”

Eliza gently placed her hand on Judas’s wound.

The area filled with pink flesh.

It was more appropriate to call it a scar than a wound.

Some might say it was something to be proud of.

After all, he threw himself to protect the noble Eliza and survived a near-death experience, earning this scar.

For someone who was to become a knight, it was a great honor.

But Eliza couldn’t see it that way.

How much pain must he have endured?

She was used to pain.

But that didn’t mean she was insensitive to it.

It hurts when you get hit and fall, and scraped areas sting.

But he had been stabbed by a knife, his flesh pierced.

She didn’t even want to imagine it.

It was strange to think this way.

She had never empathized with someone else’s pain in her life.

Whether someone died or got hurt.

It was something that happened outside of her.

It wasn’t something she needed to care about.

Since her mother died, every empathy other than her mother’s death was placed outside her consciousness.

In other words, Judas’s matter had entered her domain.

Eliza quietly looked at Judas.

Though she mentioned compensation, she seemed more worried than expectant.

Eliza found it difficult to name the emotions she felt while looking at Judas.

The emotions she usually felt were always consistent and simple.

Boredom. Tedium. Annoyance. Weariness. Irritation.

Those kinds of feelings.

A slight curiosity and interest were rare and brief.

The boy before her seemed to be a product of that rare and brief interest.

And now, her feelings toward him had slightly changed.

Something other than interest.

A feeling beyond mere fondness.

She couldn’t figure out what it was.

It seemed somewhat similar to the feelings she had buried somewhere deep inside after her mother died, those feelings buried for so long that she couldn’t be sure.

Feelings so forgotten she didn’t even remember where she’d hidden them.

As she continued her complex thoughts, her gaze never left Judas.

Unaware of Eliza’s inner turmoil, Judas found her persistent gaze uncomfortable.

It seemed like the kind of look that urged him to speak up if there was something he wanted.

“I didn’t do it expecting a reward.”

I just did what I had to do.

In other words, Judas was saying he was simply fulfilling his duty.

Perhaps that was true.

He wasn’t a knight yet, but as a candidate, he couldn’t say he had no such obligations.

But for some reason, that answer didn’t sit well with her.

It grated on her ears.

“…I see.”

It felt as if her heart had stumbled over a rock while running smoothly.

“But I can’t just let it go like this. It’s not good for my honor. Even if you had an obligation as a knight candidate.”

Faced with her logical argument, Judas fell silent.

After a moment’s thought, Eliza spoke.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t rewarded you for protecting me on my birthday either.”

Eliza had been so overwhelmed at the time that she hadn’t managed to take care of Judas.

“I’ll take care of that too, so tell me anything you want.”

Eliza smiled softly.

It was a smile that genuinely meant she would grant any wish.

Judas quietly stared at that smile for a moment.

It felt unfamiliar.

It wasn’t that Eliza’s smile was unfamiliar.

What was unfamiliar was not Eliza, but himself.

Judas wetted his lips as he pondered.

If he had heard these words shortly after arriving here, what would he have asked for?

Maybe he would have thought of a way to get out of here safely.

But Judas found that he didn’t want to leave this place.

It wasn’t something that came to him belatedly.

He just had no such desire.

No, to be precise…

His thoughts teetered on the brink of realizing something.

Judas retreated from that boundary.

Not yet. It’s not certain yet.

He answered with a heavy heart.

“…I need time to think.”

Eliza nodded with a smile.

“I’ll wait.”

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

A voice came from outside.

“Lady Eliza, it’s Miguel.”

Miguel had received an order from Eliza yesterday.

A very important order to gather information about the Duchess Narcissa’s residence.

It was an order that was sure to become a turning point for the Bevel family.

Eliza, convinced that he had brought back information on Narcissa, responded immediately.

“I’ll be out soon.”

Eliza stood up.

Lia quickly approached and helped her prepare to leave.

Normally, she would have bathed and changed clothes, but since Eliza insisted on sleeping here, there was no time for that.

All she could do was quickly tidy her hair and wipe her face with a damp towel.

Wrapping herself in the blanket Judas had given her and grabbing her doll was the final step.

As usual, Eliza hugged her cat doll, but then she paused.

An unconscious action suddenly became conscious.

Still, she didn’t want to leave it behind.

Finally, with the doll in hand, Eliza turned to Judas before leaving.

“Oh, right.”

She looked back and said,

“Thank you.”

Judas didn’t need to ask what she was grateful for; he understood.

In a fluster, Judas responded,

“Ah, yes… Thank you as well.”

What was he thankful for?

Even after saying it, she couldn’t tell.

While she pondered this, Eliza turned to May and gave instructions.

“Take all necessary measures. Don’t worry about the cost.”

“Understood, miss.”

Come to think of it, Judas did have reasons to be grateful to Eliza.

No, surprisingly, there were quite a few.

Before leaving the room, Eliza looked back at Judas one last time and smiled.

“I’ll be back soon.”

What should he say in response to her farewell?

Judas didn’t know, so he simply bowed his head.

Outside, Miguel was waiting for Eliza.

“I’ve compiled all the information you requested.”

“Okay. Let’s go upstairs and confirm it.”

Eliza nodded solemnly and led the way.

***

Once in the office, Eliza immediately pinpointed the location of Narcissa

Since Miguel had brought the documents from the main house, they were trustworthy.

Location. Surrounding terrain.

The forces that would be stationed.

Though she intended to kill them all with her own hands, she made sure to confirm everything.

‘I’ve let it slide for too long.’

She had ignored it because they had been quiet, but in the end, they had dared to provoke her.

And they had targeted what was most precious to her.

The price for that would be paid in full.

Half-hearted revenge is a weakness.

Choosing not to display her power was also a form of weakness.

And she was the type who couldn’t stand having any weaknesses.

As for a certain boy, she would turn a blind eye, just for now.

“Summon all the knights of the mansion, except for Hermes.”

After quickly reading the documents, Eliza gave her orders.

“It’s time to escort the Duchess.”

A cold smile formed on her lips.