In a room within a palace, a young girl was crying.

“Ugh… sniff… What should I do…?”

As I peeked through the gap in the door, memories of my previous life began to resurface in my mind.

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The girl crying in front of me was Elisha Claire Ashmedia, an enemy character from the minor RPG **Elroad of the Burial Nation.** 

She was the second princess of the Ashmedia Empire, but being the daughter of a concubine, she had no power despite being of royal blood. 

Mocked as a “doll” by many nobles and seen only as a political tool by her royal family, Elisha was a noble girl who still strove to do what she believed was her duty as a princess and tried to change the empire.

However, due to her nobility, she was destined to meet a tragic end. In the original story, she initially fought alongside the protagonist, but eventually, their paths diverged as the protagonist pursued domination, and they ended up killing each other for their unwavering beliefs. 

Elisha, without any backing, failed to realize the ideals she held dear, and the empire was plunged into a bloody civil war by the protagonist, leading to its inevitable downfall.

It’s been a while since I played **Elroad of the Burial Nation** back in my teens, but Elisha was my favorite character. Back then, I was bullied at school for being an otaku and lived a daily life of pain and humiliation. I couldn’t help but admire Elisha’s noble aspirations.

Because of that, I cried my heart out at Elisha’s tragic end. And I realized then: in any world, without power, you can’t uphold what is right.

Unfortunately, I had no power, so after suffering through a hellish high school life, I ended up working at a black company where I was exploited until I became depressed. Just when I managed to eke out a living as a part-timer, I was stabbed by a convenience store robber and died… but that’s beside the point.

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I opened the door and stepped into the room. The girl who had been sobbing—Elisha—turned to me with a surprised expression.

Even upon a second glance, Elisha was an incredibly beautiful girl. She was probably around ten years old at this point. Her wavy blonde hair reached down to her back, and her big, adorable blue eyes had an intelligence behind them that couldn’t quite hide her youthful innocence. 

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but aside from that, her white skin was flawless. Her crimson dress, a formal attire, looked like rose petals, further enhancing Elisha’s beauty.

When she saw me, she quickly wiped her eyes and smiled like a blooming flower.

“You are… Kyle Serenife, the son of Duke Serenife, right?”

“Yes. I am deeply honored to have been granted an audience earlier.”

Reflexively, I knelt and bowed my head, reciting the difficult formal phrases I had learned.

“Raise your head. More importantly… Why are you wandering around here? Did you get lost in this vast palace?”

“No… I was actually looking for you, Elisha-sama.”

Upon hearing my words, Elisha’s eyes narrowed as if she had lost her warmth.

“Are you also seeking an engagement with me? Certainly, we are the same age, and your family background isn’t unsuitable, but…”

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

I quickly denied it and extended a hand to her while still kneeling.

“My only desire is to be your sword and shield, not the Emperor’s, but yours personally.”

“Does that mean… my father is not worthy of loyalty?”

“No. His Majesty has my father, the Levine family, and numerous lords dedicating their lives to him. However, Elisha-sama… with all due respect, there aren’t many who would fight for you personally.”

“…You speak as if you understand everything.”

“But I wish to offer my sword to you. If you desire it, I will use my sword to eliminate anyone who dares to become your enemy.”

Standing before my favorite character, my emotions got the best of me, and I ended up speaking in an overly grandiose manner. However, my feelings were genuine.

Elisha, looking suspicious, furrowed her brows and questioned me.

“I appreciate the offer, but what benefit does this bring you? As you know, I am not someone the royal family has any expectations of. Serving me won’t help you rise or prosper.”

“That’s not something I desire.”

“Then what do you want?”

++To save you from your fate of death—++I wanted to say that, but it would probably be meaningless to Elisha. I closed my eyes for a moment, then put my thoughts into words.

“…Not to leave you crying alone like you were earlier.”

“What!?”

Elisha’s eyes widened in shock, and her face turned pale.

“W-were you… watching me cry?”

“Well… by chance.”

“NOO NOOO NOO!”

Elisha screamed as if she were broken and crouched down, holding her head in her hands.

“How could I, of all people, let this happen? To be seen bawling my eyes out just because my father was cold to me… If this gets out, my dignity as a princess, the pride of the royal family… With such a disgrace, it’s no wonder my father doesn’t love me…”

“N-no, that’s not…”

“No! Showing weakness to others is unbecoming of a princess! If this shame were known, I would have no right to live as a princess! I have no choice but to end my life to preserve my last shred of honor…”

“W-wait a minute!”

I instinctively grabbed her shoulders and made her sit up. Elisha, still pale-faced, gazed blankly into space.

“C-calm down, Elisha-sama! Committing suicide over something like this would make you the laughingstock of the entire country!”

“Something like this, you say!? As a princess, I have to be perfect at all times! I’ve been told that I have no value otherwise, all my life! You dare call my desperate efforts ‘something like this’!?”

“S-sorry…”

++Wait a minute, is this person really the same Elisha!? She’s incredibly mentally unstable! Her personality is completely different from the game!++

While I was confused, Elisha, who seemed even more confused than I was, pressed me further.

“T-this is all your fault… Because you were watching me there… H-huh… At this rate, if I’m going down, I’m taking you with me…”

“Please calm down! I swear I won’t tell anyone!”

“How can I trust you…?”

I impulsively grabbed Elisha’s hand and kissed the back of it. In this world, a kiss on the back of the hand signifies absolute obedience. No properly educated noble would take such action without the appropriate resolve. Perhaps taken aback by the unexpected gesture, Elisha’s eyes widened, and her cheeks blushed.

“Do you… understand what that means…?”

“Of course I do. As I said earlier, I pledge my sword to you.”

“Then… Kyle, you will never betray me? You will love me unconditionally?”

“Uh… yes.”

“Even when you return to the Serenife territory, will you write to me every day? Will you come to see me in the imperial capital once a month? And for my birthday, will you throw me a grand party…”

++…This is heavy. This girl is extremely intense. Well, I suppose I do find her cuteness appealing… But if I seriously entertain these demands, I won’t be able to live a normal life.++

“U-um… I’m sorry to say, but once I return to the territory, I won’t have much freedom…”

“S-so… Just when I thought I finally made a frien-… an ally… Ah! Kyle, you’re actually put off because I’m too clingy and creepy, aren’t you?”

“That’s not true!”

I quickly interrupted Elisha’s negative thinking and continued.

“Five years from now, we’ll both be entering the military academy. By then, I’ll have become a knight worthy of you. So please, just give me five years…”

“So, I have to wait five years…?”

She looked like she was about to cry again, and I almost wavered, but I desperately held my ground.

“Elisha-sama, I’ll train hard for five years and become a sword that can protect you from any enemy. So please, if you could just give me five years…”

“…Elisha.”

“Huh?”

When I asked, Elisha, her face slightly tinged with red, clutched at my clothes.

“When it’s just the two of us, call me Elisha. No honorifics. If you can do that, I’ll wait for you, five years…”

“Thank you, Elisha.”

As I kissed the back of her hand once more, I began to ponder.

++Since I’ve been reincarnated, I’ll use this life to protect my favorite character, Elisha. That much is certain. But…++

++Was there ever a character named Kyle Serenife in **Elroad of the Burial Nation**…?++

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