The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 56.2

“Judas.”

Thinking of him only color calmed her mind.

Though it wasn’t as good as touching him directly.

She closed her eyes gently and then lifted her head.

She looked at the mansion, which was now reduced to ashes.

The whole area was engulfed in flames, burning.

It was the result of her efforts alone.

It wasn’t a scale that a Mage who had awakened less than half a year ago could achieve, but she had done it easily.

She turned around.

The knights who had followed her voluntarily lined up and waited.

Eliza spoke softly.

“This is the power I possess.”

It was a small voice, but everyone heard it clearly.

“I will give you all you desire. Whether it be power, wealth, honorable fame, or the infamous notoriety that everyone fears. I will kill all the members of the Bavel family, rebuild the family in my name, and become the new head myself.”

The grand mansion was ablaze.

The Duchess Narcissa rolled on the ground like a burning mouse, screaming.

Embers flared up, and the smell of burning filled the air.

In front of a scene like a glimpse of hell, a small girl spoke.

“I only wish for one thing. Kill for me, and die for me.”

No response came.

Everyone simply knelt on one knee simultaneously.

The clattering sound of armor striking the ground echoed loudly.

Dozens of knights bowed their heads in front of Eliza.

She glanced over them once and nodded.

“Let someone quick-witted inform the main house. The Duchess has suffered a great misfortune.”

Her sunken eyes looked down at Narcissa.

“And I will take the Duchess with me. Someone, support her and move her to the underground of the mansion. She is a noble so treat her accordingly.”

***

Outside the front gate, Lia was waiting.

She was in the same posture as when Eliza had gone inside.

Lia looked at Eliza with sad eyes.

Eliza’s aura had cooled down like ashes after a fire.

It was the same as usual, yet subtly different.

There were many things she wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut.

Eliza spoke calmly as if nothing had happened.

“I want to go home.”

“…Yes, young lady.”

The carriage they boarded quickly started moving.

Eliza reached out to hug the red blanket and black cat doll placed on the seat but stopped.

The stench of burnt flesh wafted from her body.

If she hugged them, they might become stained.

Because the power she wielded was fire, she burned all her enemies.

But she hates the smell of burning.

She can’t like it.

Because that’s how her mother died.

She must have turned to ashes in the fire.

There wasn’t even a body left, so she remembered burying her face in the empty coffin and crying her heart out.

The last time Eliza remembered crying.

There were a few other times with Judas, but Eliza tried hard to ignore those weak moments.

It’s a memory that’s embarrassing to admit.

Even if the burnt smell was unpleasant, everything had to be burned and killed.

She boldly displayed her power.

She, who considers her mother’s death to be her responsibility, endured it even if it was by force.

In the end, she did not grab the doll or the blanket.

She withdrew her hand.

“I’m tired…”

She leaned back in the chair.

Judas came to mind.

That cool sensation that calmed her heart when she held it was something she desperately longed for.

But she had to endure it now.

Her life had always been a series of endurance.

Today would be no different.

There would be much to do when she returned, so she had to take care of that first.

She couldn’t afford to get her priorities mixed up.

“I must not rely on anyone… I must not become weak…”

Narcissa is just the beginning.

Starting from today, she would suffer from more and more things in the future.

She knew and committed to it.

She recalled the simple truth that in order to survive, one must kill others.

Who would be next?

The eldest son, Cain, who received all the expectations of Narcissa and Barak?

The second son, Levi, who closely followed with his cunning schemes and manipulations?

The third daughter, Jezebel, who looked down on her with contempt and treated her like a slave?

The fourth son, Achan, who tormented and bullied her the most?

The fifth daughter, Sarah, who monopolized Narcissa’s love but was envious of her for not even receiving humanly affection?

Eliza would face them all.

Her siblings who had insulted her since childhood.

They gave her rotten food, soiled and tore her clothes, locked her in a dark basement, and even sprinkled dead rats or bugs on her while she slept.

They went out of their way to torment her, who lived in isolation within the family estate.

She would return everything.

Narcissa, who found her hiding place, killed her mother, and forcibly dragged her back to the family, was just the beginning.

Everyone else bearing the name of Bevel, she would return it all to them.

They started it first.

They killed her mother and abused her.

She would not just endure it anymore. Not now.

She had power now.

With that power, she also gained forces she could call allies.

The time had come.

The rhythmic swaying of the carriage was like a cradle.

“I need to study…”

The night Lamech attacked and Judas was injured, Eliza decided to learn two spells.

A notification spell that would stay active even while sleeping.

And a spell to heal wounds.

She had mastered the former but not yet the latter.

She needed to dedicate time to studying, even in the carriage, but her body was too exhausted.

The intense burnt smell clung to her body like ashes covering her.

In that unpleasant feeling, Eliza slowly fell asleep.

“Mom…”

Lia, who was sitting across from her, quietly moved next to Eliza.

Lia gently pulled Eliza’s head onto her shoulder.

And just like that, Eliza fell soundly asleep.

“I… will win… Mom… I’m sorry… for not being by your side… that time…”

“……”

***

Eliza checked the underground prison.

Narcissa, who was trapped behind the iron bars, was screaming.

Even though his throat was torn and bleeding, she didn’t stop.

Every time she struggled, the chains binding her body clanked.

Had she not been restrained, she might have harmed herself.

Eliza observed this indifferently.

She would remain like that for a while.

From head to toe.

From the surface of the skin to the organs, the burning pain would keep surging without rest.

But that pain was an illusion.

Narcissa’s body was physically intact.

The soot was merely a symbol that the eternal punishment was in effect, not actual burning flesh.

So, she would writhe in that phantom pain for a very long time.

She had to be left like that for the time being.

To tame her, it was necessary to let her realize her situation.

After confirming Narcissa, she washed her body.

To erase the sticky burnt smell.

But the burnt smell didn’t disappear.

Perhaps it had seeped into her soul and memories rather than her body.

“Lia. Wash the doll and blanket.”

The doll and blanket that rode in the same carriage with her seemed to have absorbed the burnt smell as well.

She couldn’t hold them in that condition.

“…Handle them carefully.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Eliza went up to the office.

Even though she was tired, she couldn’t rest.

No, there was even less time to rest now that she had restrained Narcissa.

This was just the beginning.

Fortunately, there was no news from the main family.

They were probably racking their brains trying to figure out how to respond to the sudden attack.

In the meantime, Eliza pondered how to deal with them.

Now she had forces she could use.

Those who placed their hopes on the power she had proven.

She could use them as much as she wanted.

“The ones most likely to bite first are… Sarah, or Jezebel. Next would be Achan…”

The biggest variable was Barak.

If asked to name the most powerful mage on the continent, he would always be mentioned.

If Barak decided to invade, the outcome couldn’t be guaranteed.

Realistically, the chances were low.

For one, Narcissa wasn’t dead.

She didn’t even appear injured on the surface.

Moreover, Narcissa had provided the justification first.

Therefore, in terms of justification, Eliza was currently in a much more advantageous position.

It wasn’t something she could rely on completely, but it was a plausible situation.

“Now that I’ve perfected the notification spell that remains active even during sleep, there’s little worry of a surprise attack.”

No matter how much power you have, it’s never enough.

If you can draw out more, you should.

“That mage locked up in the basement… Wasn’t his name Bols? He’s light, but his goals are very clear. Money. It’s the most straightforward basis for loyalty. Should I offer him employment…? As for Gaston, I think I’ve extracted all the information I can, so I should discard him. His basis for loyalty is also weak.”