The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 59.2

It’s a break time before heading back after finishing the afternoon training.

I lean my chin on my hand and stare blankly at the sky.

The sky is clear, and the sun is warm.

It feels like spring might be on its way.

Even in the corners of the training ground, unknown grasses and flowers have started to bloom sparsely.

In this bright season, I was deep in thought, alone.

“Am I really that terrible at writing…?”

That thought was all that occupied my mind.

Sleeping with the doll that Eliza gave me isn’t even something to worry about.

It’s the first time I’ve ever done something like this in my life, but it’s not hard.

Yesterday, during my writing lessons, Eliza scolded me thoroughly.

No, rather than scolding, how should I put it…

Eliza is calm and cold by nature.

She rarely raises her voice or shows her emotions.

She’s the same when she teaches.

She never harshly criticizes or scolds.

She simply crushes me with her gaze.

I can see it in her eyes, thinking, How can someone be this hopeless?

It’s the look of a genius who can’t understand a mediocre person’s struggles.

That’s exactly it.

“I mean, is it really so bad to not be good at writing? Even though she did smile every time after class, saying I improved.”

Thinking of her smiling face, I accidentally laughed too.

It was a hollow laugh.

“What on earth am I doing?”

I’m trying to escape from Eliza, yet I’m receiving education from Eliza.

It’s ridiculous.

“If it weren’t for that tragedy…”

The way to avoid that tragedy.

The most certain way is to give Eliza a reason not to kill me.

“Becoming stronger than Eliza… is logically impossible.”

Mages are incredibly powerful.

Among them, Eliza is known as the greatest talent in history.

She’s incomparable to anyone.

In fact, it’s almost an asymmetric force.

“Eliza, liking me…”

…No, not in that way. I mean, even just establishing a somewhat close master-servant relationship should be enough to prevent that tragedy from happening… or something like that…

“Does that mean I’ve already achieved it?”

I don’t know.

How could I know someone else’s thoughts?

To begin with, Eliza sees me as her possession.

It means she doesn’t consider me a person.

In other words, if she feels like it, she could discard me anytime, right?

“Sigh…”

Eliza choking me.

Eliza smiling in front of me.

“Which side am I supposed to believe…?”

“Judas?”

Someone suddenly called my name.

“Why are you sighing like that?”

It was Lindel and Richard.

“I just have a few things on my mind.”

“What? Something on your mind? Is it like last time, something weird you’re hiding?”

Richard looked at me suspiciously.

“It’s really nothing this time.”

“Then is it another problem? Something going wrong with the lady?”

Word had already spread that I nearly died while protecting Eliza.

Since then, Richard teases me every chance he gets.

Although he’s calmer compared to Hermes…

I shook my head and fought back.

“So how’s it going with Bennynita, senior?”

“What, wh-what do you mean by that? I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Richard’s tone became disgustingly strange and awkward.

Seriously? I’ve seen him get married and be totally whipped…

While Richard was flustered by himself, I asked Lindel.

“What brings you here? You seem like you have something to say.”

“Oh, well. It’s nothing serious.”

Lindel plopped down beside me.

Richard was still flailing around by himself like he was chasing away bugs, rattling off excuses that sounded like alien language.

We implicitly agreed to ignore him.

“Remember when I sparred with Gulliat before?”

“That was a long time ago.”

“After that sparring match, I asked you if you could teach me.”

“…Oh, yes. I remember. Is that now?”

“Well, if you’re comfortable?”

Today’s training was practically over anyway.

There was still a bit of time left before we had to head back.

I stood up, brushing off my pants.

“Let’s give it a try.”

It brings back old memories, and I like that.

I’ve taught quite a few people since I stopped competing as an athlete.

I pride myself on being pretty good at teaching.

By the book, I should be starting with breakfalls, but I’m a bit different.

If you only keep making someone practice breakfalls right at the beginning, it gets boring, and they lose interest.

‘It’s better to start with simple holds and power struggles, so they can feel a sense of accomplishment and interest first.’

Then, right before I teach them techniques, I go over the breakfalls with them as well, and they follow along better.

I faced Lindel.

Richard stood beside us, watching with a shameless look as if nothing had happened.

He hinted that he wanted to join in if it came to that.

“Let’s start without swords for now. Go ahead and grab me here.”

I let Lindel grab my collar.

“Like this?”

“No, like this. Hook your middle, ring, and little fingers like a claw.”

“Is this right?”

“No, try again… like this.”

As I corrected Lindel’s fingers, a sudden feeling of déjà vu struck me.

‘…This is just like when Eliza was teaching me, isn’t it?’

The gaze of a genius who can’t understand the struggles of a mediocre person.

Honestly, I kind of felt the same way when teaching regular people.

Why can’t they get it? I would wonder.

Of course, I never let that show.

I was someone who made this my profession, while they were learning it as a hobby.

It was just a bit amusing to realize that I finally understood Eliza a little.

“When you pull, you have to think of pulling with your body, not just your arms.”

“…What does that even mean? Pull with your body?”

After that, there were several adjustments.

Eventually, Richard joined in, and one by one, the people from Room 13 started gathering until the whole group was there.

Before I knew it, I was teaching judo to all 11 of them, one by one.

The training continued right up until it was time for me to leave.

“Let’s call it a day here.”

They seemed to have had fun, as they stayed behind to continue training on their own.

I left the training ground, leaving them behind.

On my way back, I ran into Hermes.

“Ah, Sir Judas. Have you finished?”

“Yes. Let’s head back.”

“May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember when I asked you to look into your background?”

“Oh, yes, I remember.”

“I should have asked if you remembered anything first, but it only just occurred to me.”

Hermes scratched her head awkwardly as she spoke.

“At the time, Miss Eliza was waiting, so I made a mistake.”

She spoke apologetically.

…I’m sorry too, but I don’t really know myself.

Whether she’d asked me back then or now, it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

I smiled awkwardly along with him.

“The thing is… I don’t really know. I don’t remember.”

“Excuse me? You don’t remember at all?”

“As for my parents, no. That’s correct.”

Trying to make up unnecessary excuses would only get in the way of their investigation.

I had to keep insisting that I didn’t know anything.

No matter how absurd the excuse, it couldn’t be helped.

“Haah… You’ve been through something like that…”

For some reason, Hermes seemed to pity me.

“You must have had a hard time.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. According to Eurydice, many children searching for their parents don’t remember their childhoods. You may have been separated before you knew them…”

Hermes rambled on, perhaps trying to comfort me.

I felt guilty, but since I couldn’t deny it, I listened in silence.

After the conversation ended, Hermes added,

“Oh, the young lady has informed me that she won’t be able to join us for dinner tonight.”

“Why?”

“Oh… You seem quite eager to know? Are you disappointed that she won’t be dining with us? Or perhaps, you’re missing her, yearning to see her?”

“…Let’s just go.”

She smirked and explained.

“She didn’t give any specific reasons. She just said she had something important and busy to attend to, so she couldn’t make it.”

“Hmm… The young lady is always busy. That’s understandable.”

I’m not particularly disappointed, really.

But I am a bit concerned.

Lately, I’ve been feeding her both breakfast and dinner regularly.

She barely eats lunch when I’m not around, and she doesn’t eat much on her own at all.

‘I need to make sure she eats more… How busy could she be to skip dinner when she’s already so tiny?’

On top of that, she even skipped breakfast today.

She said she had no appetite.

Her expression wasn’t as good as usual then either.

Is something going on…?

“Hey, you.”

As Hermes and I were about to leave, someone suddenly blocked our path.

“You’re Judas, right?”

A sharp, high-pitched voice.

A woman.

She’s short.

About my age?

But I can’t make out what she looks like.

Her face is hidden under a deep hood, and her robe covers her down to her ankles, making it impossible to tell who she is.

Hermes stepped in front of me as if to shield me, wary.

“Who are you?”

“Hmph. I’m not interested in some lowly knight who only follows orders.”

Her tone is extremely arrogant and insolent.

“I’m here for the one standing next to you. You there, commoner. You’re Judas, aren’t you? Why aren’t you answering?”

She seems like the epitome of a rude noblewoman.

But she’s definitely not Eliza.

Our Eliza would never be like that… Wait, who am I calling ‘our’ Eliza?

Because of this strange thought, I hesitated in answering again.

“Hmph. As expected from a filthy bastard, you look just as dull and pitiful as the prized possession you’re favored by. Or rather, should I say it suits you?”

“…Who are you? What hole did you crawl out of?”

I couldn’t help but respond sharply.

The woman, as if she had been waiting for that response, laughed slyly.

Sarah de Bevel.

The fifth child of Barak and Narcissa.

Aside from Eliza, she’s the youngest daughter of the direct line.

She had originally been set to visit Eliza’s estate along with the rest of her family.

The entire direct family planned to confront Eliza about her kidnapping of Narcissa.

But Sara didn’t join them.

She skipped out, claiming a stomach ache, and headed straight to the trainee knight academy where Eliza’s escort candidates were being trained.

‘Judas, right? That boy Eliza cherishes.’

She couldn’t forgive Eliza for the cruel deeds she had inflicted on their mother.

But she couldn’t torment Eliza directly.

Since a few years before her departure from the family estate, Eliza’s demeanor had become vicious.

She wasn’t fazed by most things anymore.

Moreover, she had become a fearsome mage, they said.

So, instead of Eliza, Sarah decided to torment the person she cherished.

‘I’ll humiliate him right in front of her.’

Her opponent would get angry, and once she revealed her hidden identity, everything would be over.

Sarah had always asserted her status and power in this way.

Every time she did, most of the commoners and peasants would be frightened and bow their heads hastily.

Sarah expected Judas to do the same.

After fully savoring her sense of superiority, she would order the knight she brought along to give him a thorough beating.

There’s no way a commoner would dare report such an incident to Eliza, the legitimate youngest daughter of Duke Barak.

Thus, there was no way for Eliza to find out about this, and even if she did, by then it would already be too late.

Sarah’s plan was flawless.

“…Who are you? What hole did you crawl out of?”

Her target had taken the bait.

Sarah couldn’t contain her joy as she laughed gleefully.

“Ha! Did you just call me ‘you’? And on top of that, a ‘worm’?”

Sarah threw off her hood and robe in one swift motion.

Her concealed appearance was revealed.

Her brilliantly shining blonde hair was tied into two braids.

Her sharp red eyes, at least in color, resembled Eliza’s.

The dress she wore was nothing short of elegant.

Just as Judas had anticipated, she was a young girl.

“How dare you speak so rudely to me, Sarah de Bevel, the fifth child of Duke Barak!”

Sarah shouted with vigor.

This moment, when she revealed her true identity after concealing it, waiting for the right time to crush her opponent, never grew tiresome.

She could clearly see the future where the cocky boy in front of her would grovel with his face buried in the ground.

“Kneel immediately and apologize….”

But Sarah’s expectations were off the mark.

“Why should I?”

“…W-What?”

“Sarah, Bevel, whatever. You came up to me out of nowhere and insulted my master, and now you expect an apology?”

Sarah blinked rapidly.

She questioned her own hearing.

Judas, without waiting for her, continued to speak.

He had no intention of hiding his hostility.

“And where did you learn this ridiculous behavior, waiting to reveal your identity like that? You small, insolent brat. Do you think being a noble with too much time on your hands means you’re above everyone else?”

“You, do you even know who I….”

“Enough. Come here. I’ll rip those braids right off your head. No, just stay there. I’ll come to you….”

Rip my braids off?

Sarah felt like she was about to pass out.

There should be no one in the world who would dare speak to her like that.

She was always to be cherished and loved by everyone as the youngest daughter….

“J-Judas! You must restrain yourself!”

Hermes hurriedly grabbed Judas and tried to calm him down.

“Let me go! Why are you so strong?”

“Judas, please!”

“Hey, you brat! I can’t come over there, so you come here!”

Sarah’s hands and feet trembled.

Her legs gave out, and for some reason, she felt so upset that she started to hiccup.

“Hic…”

Sarah had no idea who her opponent was.

All she knew was his name was Judas, and that he was favored by Eliza.

Nothing more.

She had always targeted the weak, those she knew would submit to her easily, whether they were commoners or peasants.

She had never imagined something like this happening.

And at that moment, someone appeared between them.

***

Eliza returned home in the evening after finishing her errands, only to find that Judas still hadn’t come back.

She quickly considered a few possibilities.

Her family was supposed to visit.

And considering each family member’s personality, the reason Judas hadn’t returned yet was likely…

“…Sarah?”

Her eyes quickly filled with a fiery rage.

For a moment, irritation surged from within.

“Why today of all days….”

She immediately used teleportation.

Heading straight for the training grounds, where Judas would be.