QT: Against My Will

Chapter 5: 1.05 – Arranged Fiance – Crimson Academy

+—-Author’s note—–+

Edited by Psycho S

Proofreaded by P.D Webb.

+——————-+

Viktor watched with satisfaction as Olivia finished one cake after another. The rumours about her being a sweet tooth weren’t far from the truth. But how come he had the feeling that with every cake she ate her face turned into a strange colour?

Chewing on the cheesecake very slowly, Bing Shi looked down at her tummy. Where did this body store all the food? She was very curious...

Victor quickly realized that she had no interest in starting a conversation since her mouth was full like a chipmunk. This created a very awkward atmosphere. In an attempt to fill the silence, he asked her, “Do you like them?”

.....

‘Not really.’

Bing Shi nodded her head enthusiastically in reply to Victor’s question. After swallowing the cake, she felt like her mouth was a little dry. She called for a stewardess and asked for a cup of water.

Bing Shi chugged the water down in one shot and patiently waited for nature to call. As soon as she felt a queasy sensation in her stomach, she excused herself from Victor and walked quickly towards the bathroom. She stayed there the whole flight. It was a little boring, but it was fun chasing away the passengers that actually had to ‘go’ by shouting at them. Her shouts would always be fiercer when someone tried to give her medicine; this included Victor. “Please, just go away!”

When her parents asked what happened, the stewardess showed them the emptied box. In understanding, nobody asked more questions, but they would occasionally give Victor some accusing eyes, especially Mark.

Victor’s fiance ended with diarrhea because of his desserts; it was surely not the most graceful thing to hear about one’s existence.

Sitting on the toilet seat while clutching her stomach, Bing Shi felt as if she was being watched by... something constantly. She felt this feeling when she first appeared in this world, making her paranoid. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, as though a pair of eyes were always on her. How was she going to take a shower? Or when she actually had to go to the toilet?

[“Are you sure nobody is watching me? Not even HQ? Or another host? Tell them to stop. I don’t like this.”]

[Host, besides me, nobody should be able to see you right now.]

[“I don’t feel assured at all. How do you evaluate a successful mission without seeing the progress? I’m repeating myself. Only record me when I’m in work mode.”]

The system sensed its hosts’ stress levels gradually rising and it never seemed to stop rising. The system disappeared on the spot and then it reappeared soon after.

[Alright.]

When the plane landed, the group were transferred to a private beach resort that belonged to the Dalton’s family.

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

As soon as Mark reached his apartment, he called Xavier through his gritted teeth, he had pure anger filling throughout him, “You should put your fiance on a leash! She’s crazy!”

Mark started pacing around his apartment as he ranted to his silent friend, “I told her she should give up on you and she totally overreacted! It’s so obvious she’s still obsessed with you.”

Mark, in an attempt to calm down, sat down on a couch as he kept on talking Xavier’s ears off, “I tried calling you earlier. Did you notice? She wanted to end the engagement herself. She was acting all innocent! She said that she gave up on you and that you don’t like her. Keep on talking about how it’s for your own good and so on.”

“Annoying,” an apathetic voice responded.

“Right? She wasn’t serious about ending her engagement. She did it to get your attention!”

“She thinks too highly of herself.”

“Be careful of yourself. Her father should contact you soon,” sighed Mark, “I thought you’d have a bigger reaction.”

“Why would I? She is nothing to me. Is that all?”

Mark couldn’t even finish the next sentence, before Xavier hung up on him, “...” He just wanted to say that he wouldn’t be able to accompany Xavier during the flight as he already arrived at the destination with the Bacchus sisters.

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

Bing Shi dropped down on her bed, face first. That guy, Victor, was so persistent. The more she tried to avoid him, the more interested in her he became. Grace wasn’t interested in him either, so why was he so focused on her?

He had a lot of guts; he dared to persuade her parents into having them sleep together... in the same bed! The audacity of that fellow was astounding!

Should she decrease her desirability? She didn’t think it was necessary. Even if he would come to like her more or less, that wasn’t her problem. She didn’t care as long as he didn’t take it too far.

‘Finally alone!’

Hearing the clicking sound of a lock, she sat up abruptly. The door didn’t budge as she ordered her system to hijack the card reader. She just wanted to run away and hide. Don’t tell her that her parents gave him the keys to her room?! She thought that by the way, they spoiled Grace blindly until bankruptcy, they would be more lenient for the less problematic daughter.

[“Should I just tell him to stop being so weird? That doesn’t seem so complicated like dropping out of school... But I don’t want to talk to him!” ?]

[Host. What’s wrong with you?]

[“I don’t know!”]

[“I panic every time a man shows interest in me. Usually, I can just refuse them politely or just ignore them.”]

[“I never came upon a situation like this. As Olivia’s fiance, he can basically do anything and nobody would find it weird!”]

[“System, give me his phone number. I’m in the modern world; I should use you at any opportunity to make life easier. If I don’t want to meet him, then I’ll just message him...”]

[Yes, Host.]

+—————–+

Olivia Bacchus here.

You could have noticed that I’m avoiding you. Please, give me 2 years of freedom so that I may do as I please. After that, you can try to court me. I’ll give you a chance to know about me better if you’d still be interested in continuing this engagement. Thank You.

+—————–+

When Bing Shi was finished texting Victor, she blocked his number with a satisfied grin.

[“What do you think, system? Is it good? When Olivia’s soul comes back, they can have a fresh start!”]

[2 years? Are you leaving after finishing the task?]

[“Of course. What’s the point in staying in a place without my boyfriend?”]

Victor, standing outside of her locked door, was reading her message. As he read the message, he felt like he’d suffered a headshot. Then, when he tried to reply... another headshot! She blocked him!

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

Bing Shi couldn’t stay in her room the entire day. She could only drag herself out of her room and spend her free time accompanying wealthy strangers.

She planned to do everything required of a young heiress (besides engagement) and that included gaining connections with her future business partners. Unfortunately, despite her plan of gaining connections with the wealthy folk, her parents and her sister kept throwing her at Victor.

Luckily, she was at least able to avoid being alone with Olivia’s fiance, by putting a new pair of shields between them. Mark and Grace!

Mark would always follow them around, while her sister tried to chase Mark away to give her and Victor some alone time.

Mark used to be a bystander. He never fought the male lead for a woman. Even though he showed signs of being interested in Olivia, he always kept his distance because of her fiance. Now that Olivia asked for his assistance, he interrupted them whenever he got a chance.

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

After a few days, a group of four was on their way to the tennis court, and since fate liked to screw over Bing Shi, Xavier was standing at the reception when they arrived.

He should have appeared in front of the family a day later, but something caused him to change his daily schedule. The change occurred because of Xavier’s parents, who urgently messaged him. The Bacchus family held the engagement between Grace and Xavier like lions holding onto food that was close to being ripped away from them. What happened that made them let go of the engagement?

Under the dim lights, Xavier’s silver hair and brows were stylish and paired with his face and overall outfit, he seemed like a painting come to life. Unfortunately, this painting was ruined by the frown that set on his handsome facial features. If he were to smile, he would have been the cause of a fallen city; his face was just that deadly of a weapon. But since Xavier didn’t smile frequently, he would exude a dangerous aura that frightened many, and the chill in the atmosphere would make even close friends shiver.

The coldness of the atmosphere around Xavier climbed up Bing Shi’s cheeks. The frosty wind of his aura blew onto her face, making her mind freeze for a second. Why did it feel as though Xavier was far older than he really was?