(Princess dream of the Knight)

“… Don't joke with me!”

Furry was unleashed inside the office.

“E-Eriksan?”

“What do you mean by ‘all of this is my fault'?! What do you mean by ‘please give me one more chance'?!”

Words were…

“Just who do you think you're talking to? What? If there's a failure, I also think this is all of my faults!”

There were words that one should not be said.

“If this is not ‘Terra' Sorbania won't take such an att.i.tude!”

… He was flying in the sky alone.

“That's right! If this is Larcia! If this is Laura! or if this is t.i.tan, then Sorbania won't be able to do that! For Sorbania, since this is Terra, they must've thought it would be okay to fool this territory!”

If this territory was under the direct control of the Flame Kingdom, if Terra had more power…

“The certificate, I would gladly say, do whatever you like! In the first place, why you thought we could not fight Sorbania?! It was because this is Terra!”

“… That is…”

“SPEAK!!”

She glared at me.

“… Terra is weak…”

“That's right! It is because Terra is weak! Because Terra is not scary! Because Terra is no threat! So Sorbania could do something like that!”

Absolutely would win.

They thought they could win, that was why they did it…

“And that is… That is not your fault!”

“…”

“You're not wrong! Terra, this poor territory, not from the country, not from the King, not even from–”

… The lord that govern it, she said…

“– All of them! We had managed to develop this territory that everyone had abandoned until this much! It was all thanks to you! Everything, it was Kota Matsus.h.i.+ro's achievement!”

“That is—”

“That's right, this is all thanks to you! It is because of you! Thanks to you the territory had developed this much!”

… That's right. Kota was not the one at wrong.

“… The one who is at fault is ‘me'! I let you help me develop Terra without even giving you any ‘weapon,' then let you head toward Sorbania, negotiated like treading thin ice, your pride, your dream, I trample down on all you've done and smear it with mud!”

“No, that's not it! It's not Eriksan's fault–”

“It is my fault!”

… After all.

“I am the Duke of Rondo de Terra! I am Erika Orlenfeld von Flame! And this territory is my territory!”

Kota's face looked blurred…

“… That is why!”

… It took her a while to realize that she was crying…

“It is my fault that Terra is being underestimated! That's why, please, Kota!”

Please…

“… Please don't rob me of my responsibility—…”

If not… I don't know what the reason for me being here…

“Please, don't think that you're a bother to me! Please don't think I'm useless! I might not a reliable one! But please, just rely on me for a bit!”

— I…

“I'm not just a mere princess that needs to be protected behind you! I want to stand next to you, beside you, I want to fight with you!”

My view remained blurred while I gaze down.

“… I'm sorry…”

… To you who led Terra…

“I'm sorry… for saying… such a miserable thing…”

Her voice grew smaller and smaller until the end…