♡ Gamblers to lovers♡ (Mary Saotome x reader)

Chapter 9

You were gambling after school, but you couldn't focus at all. The game wasn't that interesting, but she also couldn't stop worrying about Mary. You had offered to pay off Mary's debt, so that she wouldn't have to live as a housepet. Especially after Mary had humiliated so many others, Mary was bullied and tormented by her classmates.
Mary had declined the offer though. She said that she would get herself out of her own mess. You admired her strong resolve, but couldn't help but worry.

Then, she heard that Mary had decided to challenge a student council member, Yuriko Nishinotouin. You wanted to go follow their match, but she heard that was not possible. Now all she could do was pray.
She started walking towards the classroom the game was held in, as she wanted to wait for Mary. Then, she saw someone she didn't want to see again so soon.
Yumeko stood there, talking with Ryota. When Yumeko saw her, she smiled sweetly and clasped her hands.

—Hello (Y/N)!~

You gulped a little.

...

Mary was feeling nervous, which wasn't normal for her. She knew she was going against a powerful enemy, but she couldn't be afraid to gamble. That was the only way she could avoid becoming a housepet.

Basically, in the game called Life or death, ten sword pieces are placed in a cup which is placed on a circular board numbered from one to thirty. Then the players would place their bets using chips, placing them on different numbers or all chips on one number. Then the cup is raised, revealing the swords' positions.
If a sword is blade-up on a number, the player receives "life" which means that the number of bets placed on that number will be multiplied by 30.
If a sword is blade-down on a number, the player receives "death " which instead means that the player loses the number of bets placed on that number, multiplied by 30.

It truly was life or death.

The amount of chips used for the round will be chosen among the players.
If neither of the players place their bets on correct numbers, the players gain 0 chips and the game is over.
Yuriko was wearing an off-putting smile throughout the whole game, which wasn't that long.

—Oh? Your stack seems to be surprisingly small.
— Yuriko said, her tone sounding like she was mocking Mary.

—This is all I have left.— Mary said coldly, swallowing her pride. She couldn't act proud, she wouldn't allow herself to do that.
They placed their bets and the swords were put inside the cup. Mary nervously held her breath, hoping, praying, that she had placed at least one number correctly. She looked at the board, and her eyes lit up as she saw one of her numbers had a sword in it.
Yuriko let out a giggle, as Mary turned her face to her, feeling confused.

—Oh dear. That one is "death". That means that you will lose that amount of chips multiplied by thirty, and considering my bets...

Mary couldn't hear the rest. It's like she had gone deaf as she couldn't hear the noises around her anymore.
She had not only lost, she was now doomed to live as a housepet for the rest of her life.