In the end, Haruto still hadn't given a definitive answer.
Rias and Sona were disappointed but also somewhat relieved.
As long as Haruto hadn't become someone else's servant, they still had a chance.
Before leaving the student council, Haruto asked Sona to help him look into some information.
The leaked news and exaggerated rumors made him suspect someone was targeting him.
It was an intuition honed by his "Cuckold Protagonist" template.
Well, you could call it paranoia too.
Sona readily agreed—she had wanted to find the source of the leak anyway.
First, she was worried the student council might really be compromised.
On the other hand, it was also meant to teach a lesson to those who deliberately leaked the information.
If the information hadn't been leaked, Rias would never have known that Haruto had no choice but to agree to become her servant.
Neither she nor Rias had even considered the possibility of Haruto refusing.
The legitimate daughter of a pure-blooded devil family, a high-class devil of formidable power—countless people dreamed of becoming their servants.
Not just anyone could qualify as their servant either; the conditions were extremely strict, and Haruto happened to meet every single one.
Weak in strength, but with immense potential.
A bit of a pervert, but morally sound.
Young in age, with no prior exposure to the hidden world, making him ideal for fostering bonds.
And one more thing—Haruto was exceptionally handsome.
It was just that simple. No matter where you were, good looks were always a plus.
Unfortunately, a golden opportunity was ruined by a rat lurking in the shadows.
Sona was furious, and the consequences would be severe.
...
Monday.
The moment Haruto stepped through the school gates, he was once again surrounded by countless stares.
Thanks to the student council's deliberate inaction, the rumors had grown even wilder over the past few days.
The goal was to flush out whoever was fanning the flames behind the scenes.
"Haruto-kun, come with me."
Tsubaki wrapped her arm around Haruto's, putting on an intimate display that made the male students burn with envy.
Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki were all second-year high school students.
Yet, their popularity was even higher than when they were third-years at the peak of the school hierarchy in Haruto's memories of the original story.
However, since they were still second-years, no one had yet bestowed upon them the idle title of "Most Popular Big Sisters on Campus."
Tsubaki had been sticking close to Haruto these past few days, flaunting their "relationship"—partly to execute the plan to expose the rat.
Additionally, Sona was attempting to use a honey trap to sway Haruto into choosing to become her servant.
Rias retaliated swiftly, especially after hearing rumors that Haruto might possess the ability to enhance the power of those he had sex with. She almost immediately sent Akeno to actively seduce him.
Sometimes, she even made time to appear before Haruto herself.
But compared to Tsubaki and Akeno's bold advances, Rias seemed a bit more reserved.
Even so, having three of the school's most popular beauties entangled with Haruto was enough to cause an uproar.
Haruto keenly noticed the shift in Tsubaki's demeanor and asked, "Tsubaki-senpai, have we made progress?"
"Not certain yet, but it's definitely one of these three."
Tsubaki nestled against Haruto, whispering into his ear under the guise of affection.
The student council was the governing body of the hidden academy, and nearly every student was on record.
Through days of investigation—both overt and covert—and with Rias's cooperation, they had narrowed it down to three suspicious individuals.
The warmth of Tsubaki's breath tickled Haruto's neck, making him squirm slightly, which earned him a glare.
"Akeno can do it, but I can't, is that it?"
"Tsubaki-senpai, I'm just a bit ticklish..."
At first, Tsubaki had been shy, but after her friend Akeno joined the fray, she gradually grew bolder.
Whether it was due to some strange competitive drive between women or simply her master's orders, things were escalating.
At this rate, Haruto felt he wouldn't last much longer before surrendering completely.
Because of Tsubaki and Akeno, no other girls dared to flirt with Haruto these past few days.
Even the trio of Reina looked like they wanted to but didn't dare say anything.
The playful banter between the two continued all the way to the student council door.
At the entrance, Tsubaki stuck out her little tongue and lightly licked the corner of Haruto's lips, smiling as she asked, "Akeno hasn't kissed you yet, has she?"
"No…" Haruto's face fell.
Just thinking about it made him angry. These two were on a whole other level—occasionally, he might manage to grope their chests or touch their thighs, but going any further was completely out of the question.
After all this time, he still didn't even know whether Tsubaki or Akeno had any special talents. With the power gap so overwhelmingly against him, Haruto couldn't even force the issue if he wanted to.
Just now, he had tried to catch Tsubaki's little tongue, but the moment he opened his mouth, a slender finger pressed against the tip of his nose and pushed him away.
Faced with Haruto's pitiful act, Tsubaki remained unmoved.
"Haruto-kun, I could date you—but only if you become my ally."
Tsubaki didn't dislike Haruto.
But as for liking him… it was probably just the kind of fondness one might have for a favorite toy.
If it meant gaining Haruto as a combat asset, she wouldn't mind having a flirtatious little boyfriend.
"Tsubaki-senpai, can't we keep things simple between us?" Haruto whined pitifully.
Tsubaki opened the door and stepped into the student council room.
Turning back, she flashed him a mischievous smile. "Dame~ (No way.)"
"Tch…"
Seeing that Tsubaki wasn't falling for it at all, Haruto turned his head away and clicked his tongue quietly.
"Haruto-kun, what are you standing at the door for? Come in already."
From inside the room, Sona's impatient voice called out, "And close the door properly."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Haruto replied half-heartedly.
He shut the door and walked over to Sona's desk.
Sona handed Haruto a list of suspects. "Haruto, here's the information on those three. Do any of them seem familiar?"
-Taisei Oida, male, third-year, has youkai blood, skilled in stealth.
-Mika Anbiki, female, third-year, novice magician, skilled in mental magic.
-Tetsuya Hakuta, male, first-year, has youkai blood, skilled in network technology.
Two guys and one girl. Aside from Tetsuya Hakuta, who was in the same grade, Haruto had never even heard of the other two.
Tossing the file aside, Haruto said, "Nope. If we've already identified them, why not just grab them all?"
Sona glared at him and neatly rearranged the scattered documents.
"The student council isn't a violent organization. While rumor-spreading falls under our jurisdiction, arresting people without evidence will cause trouble for us later."
"These three aren't that strong, right? Can't we just beat a confession out of them?"
"Could you not rely on brute force for once?" Tsubaki couldn't help but chime in.
For someone who looked so refined and handsome, his mind was always fixated on fighting.
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