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Only a few people were able to witness the fantastical sight of a wave of darkness swallowing everyone in the banquet hall of the Blue Lotus Palace before they seemingly blinked out of existence. But instead of being awed, they only felt sorrow.
After all, they would no longer be in the same world as their princess, and there was nothing they could do about it.
For those who had been allowed to enter the hall to watch Emilia leave, it went without saying that both Crystal and Emilia were absolutely certain of their loyalty. Most of these people couldn't follow her to the unknown only because of their other responsibilities.
Maybe if the prime minister of Phoenix had decided to show up, she would also have been included in this privileged crowd.
Regardless, being allowed to watch Emilia and the others leave was their unique privilege over all the other knights, it was impossible to deny that a part of them was incredibly honored.
Didn't this mean that in this world right now, they were the most trusted knights of their princess, the ones who were the closest to her heart?
Wiping away the tear from the corner of her eye, Dorothy was the first to step forward. "Everyone, now that P-Penny, n-no, t-the commander, and the princess, have both left, I wish to continue following her will, to make sure that if she ever returns, the place she sees is one that welcomes her with love and warmth. At least, it has to be so in my lifetime."
The usually introverted girl often teased by Penny as the 'shy ball of sarcastic fluff' took a deep breath before steeling her gaze and straightening her back, her voice now loud enough to reach even the corners of the grand banquet hall. "I dare not call myself a leader comparable to the commander, but those of you who are willing to trust me… please lend me your strength in the future."
She bowed deeply following her statement, and only straightened up after almost ten seconds. "Things that need to be taken care of, and places that need to be cleaned up… I intend to take care of it all, in her stead."
The silence in the hall was soon broken by a few wry chuckles, and one of the boys couldn't help but step forward to pat Dorothy's shoulder. "Why so serious?"
He smiled. "You're like a brother to us, Dory, always the voice of reason, keeping us in line. Although our princess did say we could do as we wish in the future, didn't the commander mention so many times that you were the one she trusted the most? I'm sure none of us have any issues following you."
The boy clearly felt that he'd done very well with his words, and his chest involuntarily puffed out in pride. 'Look, compared to the man who couldn't even talk to a girl properly when I first met the princess, haven't I completely changed into a dashing gentleman? I'm sure she must be proud.'
It was a pity that he had a little sister to take care of at home, and the girl was more of a boy band maniac than anything. Relying on her bond to travel with Emilia… he might as well throw her into the garbage bin.
If not for that, it wouldn't be long before someone who improved as fast as himself turned into Emilia's right hand man, he thought proudly.
The muscular boy's satisfied expression immediately stiffened, however, when instead of the voices of agreement he'd been expecting, what greeted him instead was the sound of laughter.
"Dorothy is a girl, you know? Are you looking for a beating?"
"And you still wonder why you can't get a girlfriend, Johnny?"
Their teasing soon made the puffed up chest of the boy deflate like a balloon, and he desperately tried to find a dark corner to hide in, to no avail.
Dorothy couldn't help but chuckle.
It was impossible to get over parting with their precious princess so easily, but Dorothy was relieved to see the depressed mood in the hall ease. It would be a disaster if the best of the knights started going into depression, after all.
The 'new commander' coughed. "Alright, enough teasing Johnny, let's take care of the important things first. I'll… uh, wait, on second thought, u-um, Harley, right? Talk to that girl and explain everything, will you?"
No one was confused by her statement.
There was only one girl at the center of the hall, after all. And based on what their princess told them, she must not be in a very good mental state.
The golden-eyed little beauty had appeared right after their princess and her companions disappeared, and had been kneeling there with a lost and terrified expression on her face. Clearly, she had no idea what was going on, or even how she got where she was.
Harley was someone who used to work full-time as a psychiatrist, and as such, would definitely be able to handle the situation much better than others.
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Danielle was surprisingly easy to convince, much to Dorothy's relief. None of her fellow knight's skills were actually needed, in the end, and after calmly listening to their explanation, the girl meekly followed them to the residence of her parents without a fuss.
The car they were moving in was rather low-key, and Dorothy had made sure that no one caught sight of Danielle as they got in.
Although no one from the mass media was allowed too close to the Blue Lotus Palace, it didn't hurt to be too careful. It might be impossible for anyone to figure out just where Emilia and the others were 'hiding', but the fewer clues they had, the less trouble they were likely to cause.
The crimson-haired girl might have taken care of most of the major threats before she left, but there were still many who coveted her for various reasons in this world, and the knights were well aware of this fact. Unfortunately, until they had enough strength to easily wipe off these stains, they could only remain low-key and protect what they felt was important for their princess.
Reaching the new residence of Mr. and Mrs. White, Dorothy greeted the old butler politely, not caring about the tears in his eyes as he looked at young girl behind her.
"Y-Young miss… i-it's good to have you back." The aged man stuttered despite his usual bearing, his voice clearly more stuffy and nasaly than what could be considered normal.
It clearly took a lot of courage to say those words, especially since Danielle had never been as close to him as Sam. But when the young girl only stared back at him blankly, seemingly not knowing how to reply, he couldn't help but sigh.
As the one who managed the White Deer Mansion in the past, there were many things he could accept, and many that he couldn't.
'It's no wonder that young miss Emilia left… and miss Samantha followed.' He thought sorrowfully.
He believed that Mr. and Mrs. White must still surely love all their daughters, but whatever it was that they were doing… it clearly wasn't working very well.
Regardless, it wasn't his place to question Mr. and Mrs. White on why and how they raised their two daughters separately, who took care of Emilia all those years that she never showed up in the mansion, or even what they planned to do next.
He just hoped that the last remaining daughter that the old couple had by their side now could be happy with them, and he could live out the rest of his days watching them smile.
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