The Wicked Charm: A Heartless Beauty's Journey to Mary Sue Status

Mary Sue sprawled across the ornate wrought-iron bench, the delicate purple wisteria petals falling gently onto her slim, figure-hugging maid’s dress. Her exquisite, captivating face wore an expression of utter resignation as she watched a black-and-white husky in the garden nearby, tearing the place apart in a ridiculous, over-the-top dance routine. Somehow, she had ended up in a world from a novel—after just a nap, no less. And not just any world—she’d been thrown into an old-school, melodramatic, trashy romance novel. The good news? She wasn’t the doormat for the male lead or second male lead. The bad news? She was the doormat for every random background character—aka, the "cannon fodder" of the novel. The plot was driven by the pure, innocent female lead and her three incredibly powerful male leads, along with a group of rich, hopelessly devoted, second-generation rich boys who were all ready to fall head over heels for her. Their complicated love-hate relationships played out everywhere—on the bed, the floor, the sofa, the table… even in the car. Everyone else was just background noise, cannon fodder NPCs. And Mary Sue? She was the earliest of those NPCs—gold-digging, malicious, and willing to do anything for money. She’d try to seduce the powerful men, hoping to climb the social ladder, all the while making the female lead shine even brighter with her pure, kind-hearted, lily-white persona. Of course, her fate was as tragic as it could get. After a car crash that left her disfigured, she was locked away in a psychiatric hospital, turned into a plaything for the doctors and patients alike. In the end, the hospital burned down, and while she was escaping, the female lead got her involved in a k********g scheme. The female lead walked away without a scratch, while Mary Sue was left tongue-less, pushed off a cliff, barely alive, and carried off by a wild animal. ..... Although Mary Sue had transformed from an ordinary, introverted girl into a stunning beauty, she wasn’t happy about it at all. “Argh--” A muddy dog paw flew past her face, knocking over a three-tiered flowerpot stand in perfect precision. “Screech--” The dog’s head slammed into the railing next to the fountain, sending the koi fish in the pond into a frenzy, splashing water three feet high. “Aw-wooo!” The neurotic husky finally calmed down… sort of. Its paw got stuck between the railings, and it was now frantically howling, trying to free itself. At the moment, Mary Sue worked as a waitress at one of the top clubs in the capital city. She took the job with one goal in mind: to snag a rich guy. But the truth was, aside from her pretty face and hourglass figure, she had nothing going for her. No emotional intelligence, no brains, and a terrible combination of stupidity and malice. Any time she spotted a wealthy or powerful man, she couldn’t resist trying to latch onto him. To outshine her coworkers and snatch up the best clients, she often played dirty, sabotaging them behind their backs. Needless to say, she had made plenty of enemies. Today, she’d been tricked into walking the dog and cleaning up after it for one of her clients. Not far away, that clueless husky was the dog of none other than the first male lead, Rowan Voss. His friend had brought the dog along. Mary Sue sighed in resignation and walked over to pull the dog’s leg free from the intricate wrought-iron railing. The husky tilted its head and stuck out half of its tongue, happily kicking its newly freed leg. It raised its dirty paw and enthusiastically lunged toward Mary Sue. Mary Sue jumped back in fear. “Black Bean, stop, stop, stop—” [Ding-dong] [System Notice: Dear Mary Sue NPC, your plot is about to begin! Quickly head to the top floor to seduce Rowan Voss, then get thrown out. Completing the plot will earn you a small reward!] A new plotline appeared in her mind. [Mary Sue had just put something in Rowan Voss’s drink, hoping to seduce him. Of course, she failed. When Rowan Voss found out, he gave her a harsh lesson. Not only did she lose her job at the top-tier club, but she also had to pay a large sum of money. With no money left, she had no choice but to work at a lower-tier club, where she had to accompany clients for drinks.] Mary Sue’s lips twitched as she felt a wave of panic. This was the beginning of her unfortunate fate as the cannon fodder. “Can I skip the seduction part?” she asked. [System: Sure.] Mary Sue breathed a sigh of relief, surprised by how easily the system agreed. “If I don’t follow the plot, will there be any punishment?” [System: No, being a cannon fodder NPC doesn’t impact the plot much. If you don’t follow it, there are plenty of others who will.] “Oh, familiar words…” Mary Sue mumbled. [System: However, Mary Sue has already drugged Rowan Voss’s drink. Even if you don’t seduce him, you’ll still be fired from the club. You’ll be left with a huge debt to pay, and in the end, you’ll have to pay it off in other ways.] Mary Sue: “...…” “I guess I’ll try to salvage this then.” Mary Sue quickly clipped the leash onto the clueless husky. She thoughtfully rubbed its fluffy head. “Black Bean, today, it’s all on you.” Whoosh— Knowing that Mary Sue was about to take him to his owner, Black Bean excitedly darted off, running straight for the elevator. ...... The crystal chandelier above her swayed gently, and the sound of a door slamming shattered the soft music playing in the private room. Mary Sue was dragged forward into a blur by the overly excited husky, her black dress swirling and brushing against the gilded door frame. “Black Bean, slow down—” Before her words even finished, she stumbled and was propelled straight toward Rowan Voss, who was sitting in the center of the couch. The whiskey glass in the man’s hand traced an amber arc through the air, and the ice cube clinked loudly against his Adam's apple as it rolled down his neck, spilling whiskey onto the intricate pattern of his tailored suit. Even worse, the husky suddenly leaped, and its furry paw landed squarely on Rowan Voss's right hand, the one holding the cigar. The lit Cohiba spun three and a half times in the air, the ember falling like a shooting star, landing perfectly between the folds of his trousers. The fine wool fabric instantly shriveled and blackened upon contact with the flame, and a small burst of fire shot up, almost half the height of his hand. “Ah… it’s… it’s on fire!” Mary Sue hadn’t expected her carefully planned sabotage of Rowan Voss’s drink to lead to such a disastrous outcome. Panic flooded her mind. This is it, it’s over! This is way worse than drugging him. If he was burned, she would definitely have no place to hide. Without thinking, she grabbed the kettle from the coffee table and poured the water straight onto Rowan Voss’s body. Then, in a flurry, she grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and began slapping it against his legs. The dull thud of the leather sofa and the crackling sound of the flames intertwined, and she could even smell the mix of burning cigar and cologne in the air. After a frantic struggle, the fire was finally extinguished. Mary Sue’s hands trembled, her voice shaky as she asked, “Mr. Gu… are you okay?” Rowan Voss, pale as a ghost, grabbed her wrist with a vice-like grip. The whiskey-soaked fabric of his shirt clung to his body, highlighting the outline of his muscles. His gaze was hotter than the fire itself. He locked eyes with Mary Sue, his jaw clenched so tightly it seemed to creak. He nearly spat out the words through his gritted teeth: “What… is… your… name?” Mary Sue’s face was a little blackened from the smoke. She blinked a few times, then suddenly grinned, showing off a row of white teeth. “My name is Avengers.” Rowan Voss's throat bobbed as he tried to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he passed out, slumping against the leather sofa. His body hit the couch with a thud, shaking the whiskey glass on the coffee table. Even in unconsciousness, his hand remained like a vice, still tightly gripping Mary Sue’s wrist. “Hey, let go.” Mary Sue struggled, shaking her arm a few times, but he wouldn’t release her. Frustrated, she raised her foot and kicked him. Rowan Voss didn’t react, though his brow furrowed slightly, as if he could still feel pain even while unconscious. Mary Sue kicked him again, harder this time, leaving dusty shoe prints on his body. Only then did his hand loosen. Seizing the opportunity, she yanked her arm free, glancing down at her wrist. A vivid red mark circled it, faintly bruised. “Ugh…” She rubbed her wrist, giving the unconscious man a resentful glare. The sound of hurried footsteps approached from outside the door. It seemed the club’s security had noticed something was wrong and was coming this way. Her heart raced, and without a second thought, she turned to run— But as she took a step, she felt a sudden weight on her ankle. Looking down, she realized that Rowan Voss’s hand had somehow grabbed onto the hem of her pants, his grip tight enough to almost rip the fabric. His pale lips moved slightly, as if he were murmuring something in his unconscious state. Mary Sue felt a jolt of panic. Without hesitation, she lifted her foot and kicked.