I Married the Beautiful Female Protagonist In Order To Survive

17. I Really Don’t Want to be a Scumbag! (Seeking tickets at the start of the month~)

Since that day, after silently slinking away from the Student Council room, Zelora hadn’t gone near it for the next few days to “pester” Filora, the academy’s swan. Not only that, but he didn’t even bother to “routinely” offer Filora his usual “care” and “greetings.”

Zelora’s uncharacteristic behavior—Zelora being known as the “most shameless,” “most audacious,” and the one who had “pursued Filora the longest”—caused a wave of schadenfreude to ripple through the academy. It seemed the toad, after being repeatedly rejected, had finally given up on sticking like glue to the swan, returning to the same level as everyone else.

That’s more like it. Never mind your problematic behavior as a mere student. Just an ordinary person, how could you possibly win over the Empire’s most exalted goddess?! Such an unattainable existence would naturally have a “Prince Charming” of equal standing, someone betrothed to her from a young age.

Stop dreaming, Zelora. You’d be better off setting your sights on President Meryl.

As for Zelora… he simply couldn’t be bothered with these fools’ teasing or mockery. Today, like the days before, he bolted from the classroom as soon as class was dismissed.

Attend class? Of course, he had to attend. Otherwise, some people would surely notice his unusual behavior. Because… Zelora had something far more important to do.

However, could it be that his recent “dashing acts” had reached the ears of the Student Council? Today’s situation was a little… unusual. Just as Zelora was about to sprint out of the academy, seizing every available moment to “investigate” some things, he was… stopped by a familiar figure, one who felt a little different today.

“Ze~lo~ra~ Where are you rushing off to?”

It was Meryl.

She used her two “big and white” assets to block Zelora’s path, blinked her eyes, and said with a smile, “How about joining me for lunch at the Student Council?”

“…Sorry, I have something to do today.” Zelora paused, adding, “And tomorrow too, so I won’t have time.”

No matter how big and white they are, lately… they can’t distract me.

However, in the next moment, Zelora finally realized what was “different” about Meryl today.

“What a coincidence~ I also have things to do lately, so… come with me to the Student Council, just a private chat~”

This… feels like trouble.

“No refusing, Zelora~”

Although he really didn’t want to be taken to the Student Council by this elf, he couldn’t refuse, as long as he was still a student. Helpless, Zelora could only follow Meryl’s footsteps, racking his brain for an excuse to escape later.

Later, inside the Academy’s Student Council.

The thing Zelora feared most didn’t happen: Filora wasn’t in the Student Council. But… though he was no longer worried, Zelora felt a different kind of “disappointment” in his heart. Filora really hadn’t appeared at the academy since that day, just as she said. This…

What did it represent? These days, Zelora had been trying his best to not think about it.

Not thinking about it didn’t mean it wasn’t happening.

Like now, after bringing him to the Student Council, Meryl asked the question.

There were no lunch boxes on the table, nor were there other Student Council members forming some kind of interrogation squad. It was clear this elf had “tricked” him into coming—she had no “official business” to discuss with him.

By the time Zelora understood all of this, it was already too late.

“Spill it, Zerola. What is it you’ve been… looking for lately?”

“!”

The elf’s words sent a jolt through Zerola, her heart skipping a frantic beat!

“Always sneaking around these last few days, bolting from class the moment it ends, and then showing up to the next one all breathless… Dare I say, are you turning to thievery?”

“……”

Perhaps, Mel was right. She *was* acting like a thief, spending her days “casing the joint.”

The “treasure” she wanted to “steal” was a certain something belonging to the great Albion Empire.

“Hahaha~ Mel, what *are* you saying? I don’t understand a thing~ I’m just heading back now, ah~ I’m starving!”

With that, she turned to leave, but from behind came Mel’s words, striking straight at her “defenses.”

This elf wasn’t just blessed with… endowments. Her mind… seemed far sharper than Zerola had given her credit for.

“What, afraid to ask for my help? Don’t want to trouble me?”

“……”

Zerola froze in her tracks, twisting around, forcing out a last, desperate defense, the playful smile vanishing from her face.

“It’s none of your business.”

Mel clearly knew what she was “looking for,” but Zerola had no intention of actually saying it aloud, letting it naturally devolve into a situation where she was “relying on Mel’s status and power to provide assistance.”

Simple logic: why *should* she ask for her help? If it were just a meal, that’d be in the realm of convenience, but after that… she had no right to order Mel around.

Because… what she wanted to “find,” what she wanted to “steal,” was Philora.

Hmph! What’s this about the “toad finally giving up”? Would she give up? In her dreams!

Not until the end of time, no! Even then, her resolve wouldn’t waver!

This was Zerola’s only thought, the very thing she had been “searching” for all these days. Desperately trying to find out why Philora had been absent from the academy, who she had been seeing? Of course… she had no time to run after her like a lovesick puppy anymore!

And precisely because of this, Zerola felt that Mel shouldn’t get involved. It was pointless, impossible, otherwise… she’d look no better than a low-down cad.

Though, Mel didn’t seem to see it that way.

“What’s the matter, afraid of ruining your image? Not like you have much of one left at the academy anyway.”

“……Hey, no need to rub it in.”

Looking back, Zerola saw… Mel’s unconcerned expression. Tinged with a touch of helplessness, loneliness even, but lacking any hesitation, as if she had come to Zerola only after understanding everything, accepting everything, figuring everything out.

Then, she spoke the following words.

“Don’t worry about it so much, Zerola. To be honest, *I’m* also curious about what Philora’s been up to lately, why she’s been acting so strange. Otherwise, all the Student Council work will fall on my shoulders, sigh~”

Such a clumsy lie, wasn’t it?

So…

“So…”

Student Council chamber. Silence descended for a time.

Eyes met, and finally… the elf was the one to break the quiet.

A hint of playfulness, so unlike her usual demeanor, colored her words.

“Shall we ‘go for something big,’ Zerola?”

“Otherwise, you’ll have no way to vent your present…mood, will you?”

—

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