'I'm going to die,' Vivian thought as he watched the two girls fighting over him. The fight terrified him, more than that, it wounded his pride. He couldn't even bring himself to meet their eyes as they argued.
'My dream of manipulating everyone has gone down the drain,' he thought with a bitter smile.
'Honestly, what can I even do? Nothing is going the way I expected. The girls are fighting over me, but I didn't want that to happen in front of everyone.'
'If anything, I wanted them to behave like those female leads in the novels — the ones who get embarrassed just by meeting the MC's gaze.'
Vivian's train of thought was shattered by Marinate's mocking laughter.
"Princess, do you really think he won't fall for me?"
"No," Charlotte shot back without hesitation, arms folded as her gaze locked on Marinate.
Marinate tilted her head, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Then… want to bet?"
Charlotte frowned, suspicion written across her face. "What bet?" She already knew where this was going, but asked anyway.
"Haha, what's wrong, Princess? Afraid you'll lose?" Marinate baited her again, voice dripping with provocation.
"Haa… fine, go ahead," Charlotte finally said, though the earlier remark had clearly wounded her pride.
Marinate's smile widened. "Good. Then the bet is this—" she lifted her hand and raised three fingers, "—I'll make him fall for me within three years."
'But why are they betting on me?!' Vivian's mind screamed as he clutched his head in frustration, though only in his imagination.
In reality, he just stared at the ground, too mortified to meet either girl's eyes. 'At least ask for my permission, you lunatics!'
"Fine, you can try." Charlotte gave her mocking smile in return, but when her gaze slid toward Vivian, she found him fidgeting with his hair, looking every bit the cornered animal.
"But, Princess… there's one condition to the bet." Marinate's sly smile deepened as her eyes flicked toward Vivian. "You can't tell him to keep his distance from me. Is that doable? Because if not…" she leaned in slightly, "it'll look like you're afraid he might actually fall for me."
"You—snake!" Charlotte snorted, her arms tightening across her chest. "Do you take me for a petty woman like you?" In truth, the thought of forcing distance had crossed her mind, but admitting it now would only hand Marinate the victory.
"No, no, Princess, you misunderstand me." Marinate's triumphant smile widened as if she had anticipated this response all along. "I know you're not petty. But…" she drew out the word, her tone dripping with mock concern, "you know how love is. Sometimes it breeds envy. And envy can make even the purest person act petty. That's why I added that little condition."
"You don't have to worry about that. I won't speak to him about you. But now that the bet is set, what will you do once you lose?" Charlotte asked, her chin tilted high.
"Then I won't come near him again. Ever." Marinate declared, her tone unusually firm.
"Make sure you remember those words." Charlotte gave a sharp snort, then turned on her heel. "Vivian, you have history class, don't you?"
"...Yes," Vivian replied timidly, still staring at the ground.
"Then let's go." She seized his wrist and strode forward, dragging him along. Vivian stumbled after her, too flustered to resist, while Marinate's eyes lingered on their retreating figures.
'Haa… Princess Charlotte, what a naive girl you are. To think you'd so easily take the bait,' Marinate thought, exhaling softly.
At first, her interest in Vivian had sparked only because she saw how deeply Charlotte cherished him and wanted to get revenge on her by taking him away.
But after meeting him in person, she couldn't deny it, 'if I must marry someone in the future, he'd make a fine husband.' And so, if she won this bet, she would kill two birds with one stone.
Marinate knew the bet was as good as won the moment Charlotte accepted.
It wasn't just luck—if it came down to appearances, she had no reason to fear. Compared to Charlotte, she wasn't lacking; in fact, she had a clear advantage.
Her eyes flicked downward, and a satisfied smile curved her lips. Her chest, better than average, gave her the edge she needed.
Charlotte's, by contrast, was practically flat. In that small but significant detail, Marinate saw her path to victory clearly.
Her confidence wasn't baseless. She had noticed that, when they first met in class, Vivian had briefly stared at her chest instead of her face.
That small detail confirmed what she already suspected—and she would make sure to take full advantage of it.
And whether he had seen it or not wasn't her concern. In the future, she would have him—by scheme, by charm, or by any means necessary.
Would it matter if her future husband saw her chest before marriage? Not at all. She could finally use this to her advantage, something she had never done before in her life.
A satisfied smile curved her lips as she turned and walked away, the hall gradually emptying behind her.
******
Meanwhile, Vivian walked alongside Charlotte. The silence stretched between them, and he tried several times to break it—but every time, her warning from earlier stopped the words from forming.
Charlotte, for her part, was just as quiet. She didn't know what to say.
She had treated him like he didn't exist during the earlier conversation and used him as part of a bet.
A pang of guilt hit her, and she cleared her throat.
"A-hem… Vivi, I'm sorry."
'Vivi?' Vivian's thoughts stumbled over the sudden, shortened nickname.
His face heated slightly at the girly term, but he managed to reply, forcing calm into his voice. "Why are you apologizing? It's… my fault. I couldn't say anything and just stayed silent. I'm a coward, so you shouldn't be sorry."
"Though you're a coward, I prefer you that way, so don't worry, honey," she reassured.
'Now… what's with "honey"?' Vivian's mind raced. Why was she suddenly using these terms? Determined to find out, he asked, "…Um, Charlotte, why are you using these terms all of a sudden?"
Her eyes narrowed, and her tone instantly grew sharp. "Why? Would you have preferred Marinate to use these terms?"
Vivian stammered, scrambling for words. "W-well… I… I couldn't say anything to her … she… she was like a bewitching witch… yes, a bewitching witch who doesn't let anyone speak against her."
"Bewitching witch?" Charlotte asked while feigning confusion. "So… what's the difference between her and me?"
He quickly realized: Charlotte wasn't being nice, that much was clear.
And he couldn't forget her warning either, she just couldn't say anything against Marinate because of the bet. That fact hit him all at once.
Charlotte continued, her tone dripping with mockery. "Ohh… now I understand. She's 'bewitching' because she has a bigger chest than mine, is that right… honey?"
To Vivian, it sounded like a death sentence. Her cold, piercing eyes sent literal shivers down his spine. 'Should I just kneel and beg for mercy?' he seriously contemplated. But then he discarded the thought—there were too many people around. 'If I have to beg, I'll do it when no one's watching.'