Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 16
The door creaked open, and Rona, expecting a room full of cobwebs and dust, sighed in relief at the surprisingly tidy interior.
The attic was far too small and shabby for a noble lady to live in, but it wasn’t uninhabitable. The furniture was sparse but clean, and though it was an attic, it got plenty of sunlight. The room felt bare without any interior decorations, but it was livable, if not comfortable.
Rona continued to inspect the room, growing more bitter with each observation.
‘Hmm, this is no place for a noble lady. Unlike my room, there’s not a single decoration or painting, and the room is way too small… The things in my room rightfully belonged to Cinderella. But we came in and took them all… Every time she returns to this room, her suppressed resentment must resurface.’
Rona stopped in front of the wardrobe, curious about what clothes might be inside. It was obvious, given that Cinderella always wore rags, but she was curious nonetheless. As she opened the wardrobe, a look of pity crossed her face. Unlike her own wardrobe, which was filled to the brim, Cinderella’s was sparse. A few tattered dresses were hung at the front, and behind them were some other clothes.
As she rummaged through the wardrobe, she found a few fancy men’s clothes hidden in the back corner. The only man in this household was the missing Count, so they must have belonged to Cinderella’s father.
‘Did she keep them here because she misses her father? Why not leave them in the Count’s room? Have I seen that room before…?’
Her memory before the concussion was too hazy, and she couldn’t recall. She decided to check out the Count’s room when she had time.
Sighing, Rona closed the wardrobe and turned around. Her green eyes landed on the corner where the bed was. Unlike her soft, high bed, Cinderella’s was a cheap, flimsy wooden one. The mismatched chair and the old, worn-out dresser looked like they were picked up off the street.
‘Nothing here is decent. I take back what I said about this being livable. I need to fix up this room… but first, I need to find that diary.’
She almost forgot her original purpose, getting distracted by her surroundings. Regaining focus, Rona bent down to search for the diary. She opened drawers and looked around until she spotted a box peeking out from under the bed.
Could it be? She carefully pulled out the box and opened it. As expected, a red notebook that looked like a diary appeared.
Of all colors, why red? It seemed ominous.
When sneaking a peek at someone else’s diary, it’s crucial to be aware of your surroundings. Rona quickly got up, checked the empty hallway, and then huddled in a chair with the diary. Her small hands slowly turned the pages, and her eyes widened as she paused on a particular page. The date indicated it was written before she regained her past life’s memories.
The diary’s content was predictably grim. Cinderella wrote about killing her enemies when she awakened her magic, promising not to let them die peacefully. She detailed gruesome plans like splitting their heads open and rooting them out completely. There was also resentment about why she had to live in hiding.
Rona’s hands trembled. The enemies undoubtedly referred to her and Susan. After all, they were the only villains in the story.
‘Ugh, she really does hate us. Of course, she does. She’s aware that she’ll awaken her magic too.’
As Rona turned the pages, her eyes widened again.
[That annoying Rona. If she wants to torment me, she should do it consistently. Why is she suddenly hanging around me every day? It’s so irritating. If she wanted to help, she should have done it sooner. What’s her ulterior motive? Well, it’s better than nothing.]
Oh! It seemed her efforts weren’t in vain. ‘Better than nothing’ was much better than ‘I’ll kill her’. Though Cinderella still grumbled, it was a hopeful sign compared to threats of splitting heads.
Encouraged, Rona quickly flipped through the pages. The more recent entries were increasingly mundane, filled with mentions of garden care and food.
Although Rona skimmed the diary quickly, she learned that Cinderella knew about her impending magical awakening, but there was nothing new beyond what she had read in the novel.
Sighing, Rona stood up and put the diary back in the box, carefully sliding it under the bed.
‘Significant progress. I’m still “better than nothing,” but I’ll need to keep trying.’
It was a bit disappointing that Cinderella now only referred to her as “Rona” rather than “Sister Rona”. She still had a long way to go, but coming to the attic had been worth it. Through the diary, she discovered Cinderella’s true thoughts and that she was aware of her magical awakening.
‘The only frustrating part is that the diary didn’t reveal more about the magic.’
Rona was curious about what kind of magic Cinderella could use and whether it was a family trait, but the diary offered no clues. There was no mention of the exact timing of the awakening either.
