The Princess Knight is Too Strong

“Please don’t be too disheartened.”

The head butler quietly said to Delphina, who was silently watching the airship that Evangeline had hurriedly entered.

“…I have some idea. Why the Princess reacted that way.”

Delphina spoke in a subdued voice.

“My mother… Nasisa Cornwall, died in the 3rd Rubile Defense Battle.”

“…So you knew.”

“And that the Princess was there too.”

Delphina continued in a calm voice.

“You know, the day I first saw the Princess and the day I last saw my mother’s face are the same.”

“…Do you resent her?”

“Of course not.”

To the head butler’s careful question, Delphina smiled and answered immediately.

“Since childhood, there was something my mother used to say habitually. That as a knight of the kingdom, she had dedicated her life under the flag of Failon. So she could die at any time and it wouldn’t be strange, and I should always keep my heart strong.”

“…That’s a harsh thing to say to a young daughter.”

“Well, yes. Honestly, I do resent her sometimes. I’m only 17 now, why did she leave so early?”

Delphina bowed her head and smiled bitterly.

“…But, I think this way. One mother of Delphina Cornwall was sacrificed, so that countless unnamed people of the kingdom—mothers, fathers, children, relatives, friends…”

Delphina roughly rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. Then, looking up at the sky, she spoke as if exhaling a held breath.

“With one person’s sacrifice, many people including the Princess survived, so isn’t that a good thing… I think.”

“…If the Princess heard those words, she would collapse and cry.”

The head butler said with a bitter smile.

“Is that so?”

Delphina laughed, scratching the back of her neck.

The head butler, who had been silently watching her, said quietly:

“…Lady Delphina, I entrust the Princess to you.”

“Of course.”

Nodding her head, Delphina headed for the airship.

Two servants carrying her bags followed behind, and the head butler kept watching her until she boarded the airship.

‘May the two of you get along well.’

When was the last time he had wished for something from God? Decades ago?

The head butler prayed earnestly in his heart.

Inside the airship.

Having gathered all the servants, Delphina made one request to them.

“For now, please make sure the Princess and I don’t encounter each other.”

At her words, the surprised servants murmured among themselves.

‘He said everyone on the airship are trustworthy people.’

Recalling the head butler’s words, Delphina continued:

“Please don’t misunderstand. While it’s my role to attend to the Princess, it’s also one of my roles to be careful not to aggravate the Princess’s mental illness.”

Looking around slowly at the servants, Delphina continued.

“I don’t know why, but the Princess is uncomfortable with me. Until the Princess calms down and wants to meet me of her own will. Until then, I would appreciate if you could be as careful as possible.”

Only then did the servants begin to nod one by one.

I’m afraid.

Afraid of facing Delphina Cornwall’s face.

Afraid that words of resentment and condemnation will leak from her smiling face, from her smiling lips.

“…What are you looking at.”

From the full-length mirror firmly fixed to one wall of the room, Nasisa Cornwall was staring at me intently, unchanged from before.

Having seen her so many times, I even felt resentful toward her now. I wanted to cry out and ask why she keeps appearing before me.

But since it was obvious she wouldn’t answer, there was nothing else I could do.

Sitting on the bed, I reached out my hand randomly and grabbed a soft pillow.

As a meaningless way to vent, I threw the pillow at the mirror.

I thought I had thrown it with considerable force, but the soft pillow flew strangely weakly, barely touching the edge of the mirror before falling to the floor.

Above the mirror was a clock.

It had already been 4 hours since boarding the airship. After rushing into the room to escape from Delphina, I hadn’t gone out once.

By now, it was mealtime.

The total flight time from the capital of the Failon Kingdom to Polaris Academy was 32 hours.

That meant spending a day and 8 more hours flying, essentially spending one night and two days on the airship.

Therefore, the airship was equipped with a separate kitchen and storage room for ingredients.

However, since operating the kitchen alone consumes a considerable amount of magic stones, cooking is impossible except during set meal times.

In the dining room, there were several round tables, with only one or two chairs per table.

Delphina was sitting at a table located in a corner, slightly to the left of the center.

The food hadn’t arrived yet, so she was staring out the window absently with only some simple bread on the table.

‘…Calm down.’

Pressing down on my racing heart, I repeated to myself over and over.

She’s not someone I can avoid facing forever. They say you get used to even whippings once you’ve been hit. It’s just about getting used to it. All I have to do is go over, talk to her, and face her. It’s okay, it’s not a difficult thing at all.

How long did I stand there muttering to myself? I felt a little, but just a little, less tense. I approached Delphina, carefully raising my hand and opening my mouth.

“…De, Delphina?”

“Princess?”

Hearing my voice, Delphina turned her head sharply toward me.

Looking at me with surprised blinking eyes, Delphina cleared her throat with a fake cough.

“Ahem. Did you come out for a meal?”

“Oh, yes. You too, Delphina?”

“Of, of course. Would you like to join me, if that’s alright?”

“Th-thank you.”

I let out a sigh of relief, inwardly smoothing down my chest.

Delphina looked equally awkward, but at least she seemed much more adept than I was.

I pulled out a chair and sat down, moistening my parched lips with the water on the table.

It must have just been brought, as the water was still cold.

I opened my mouth toward Delphina, then closed it, fumbling silently.

Delphina tilted her head.

I need to speak.

To face her, I need to say something, anything.

But I simply couldn’t get the words out.

“…It’s okay.”

Delphina, who had been silently watching me, said quietly.

“…Huh?”

“I, I actually know. So you don’t have to worry about it, Princess.”

At those words “I know,” something sank in my heart.

It felt like something had snapped and fallen, or as if something had fallen and blocked my stomach.

What was certain was that this “something” was definitely not a good sign.

“…Are you alright?”

Delphina wore a worried expression.

“You don’t look well.”

I slowly looked up at Delphina.

Stop it. I muttered to myself inwardly.

Just shut up and smile politely. You’re here to apologize. Know your place.

But contrary to my thoughts, my mouth moved on its own.

“…Then, do you know that too?”

“What do you mean?”

“About your mother.”

Delphina’s eyes widened.

I continued as if possessed by something.

“About the last battle that Nasisa Cornwall participated in.”

I wanted to know.

What she thought about her mother, and about me.

At a glance, it resembled a self-destructive impulse. The selfish desire to hear an honest answer had been growing uncontrollably since the moment I saw her.

Instead of answering, Delphina silently looked at me.

Delphina’s cold voice lashed out at me.

“Of course.”

Her voice reverberated and echoed in my head. I unconsciously bit my lower lip, unable to bear it with a sound mind.

“You pushed thousands of people to their deaths, and still got praised as some ‘princess knight.’ Don’t you feel any guilt?”

A coldly mocking voice echoed in my ears. Not wanting to hear more, I shook my head and bowed it.

My teeth chattered unsightly. Like a small child separated from their mother on a dark night.

“If it weren’t for you, my mother wouldn’t have died.”

“…cess.”

“What kind of princess knight are you? What crime did all those soldiers commit to die in your place?”

“…Princess!”

“You murderer.”

“Princess!!”

“……Huh?”

Only then did I open my eyes.

The first thing I saw was Delphina’s face, looking flustered and sweating.

The disheveled tablecloth, and the dishes and pile of napkins scattered on the floor.

And her hands gripping both my shoulders from across the table were trembling.

“Listen carefully, Evangeline Failondia.”

Delphina’s hands gripping my shoulders slowly gained strength.

Looking straight at me, she began to speak in a clear tone, syllable by syllable, like a mother teaching a child.

“I don’t know what you heard, Princess, but I have never said anything hostile toward you.”

Delphina cut in with a resolute voice. My mind was still confused, but her voice came through clearly to my ears.

“It has never happened until now, and it will absolutely never happen in the future. I promise you. I neither hate nor resent you. You did nothing wrong, and you have nothing to fear.”

As she spoke while holding my hands, she seemed as if she could see into my heart.

“Don’t give up, Princess.”

Delphina smiled. With a smile that somehow looked sad.

“From now on, I will be by your side.”