Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 19
“N-No, that won’t work! What if we end up facing a worse curse?”
Rona couldn’t agree to a midnight escape. She had already tried that and failed. However, she couldn’t admit that to Susan, as it would break the fragile trust between them. It seemed ridiculous to talk about trust as a con artist, but it was necessary.
And taking the gold and silver from the storeroom? If they tried to flee with that, Cinderella would undoubtedly seek revenge more fiercely. Rona recalled how Cinderella had followed her like a ghost every time she attempted to escape.
How did Cinderella know she was trying to flee? She had followed her for days on end. She was certainly no ordinary person.
‘Escape isn’t a solution. I understand that now. With Cinderella’s persistence, she would hunt us down to the ends of the continent for revenge.’
The best option was to change the course of events by befriending her. The core theme of the novel, ‘revenge’, wouldn’t disappear just by running away.
“Ha…”
Susan’s face turned pale at Rona’s mention of a possible horrible curse. In this world, magic existed, as did curses and dark magic. They weren’t common, but everyone knew they existed, much like how we think of animals in a zoo versus in the wild. You may not have seen one, but you know they could be out there.
“That’s… ridiculous…”
“I know it sounds crazy, but crazy things are already happening. You’ve been hearing ghostly cries, right? Some noble families are known to pass down magic or curses. We might be unlucky enough to be dealing with such a family. The mansion itself could be cursed. We can’t be certain about anything!”
“Huu…”
Susan wiped her mouth with a napkin, losing her appetite. Was the trick working? Rona gauged Susan’s reaction, thinking about what more to say.
‘I originally just wanted to change her mind, but it might be better if she left the mansion entirely. Unlike me, who knows the future, Susan is unaware of the dangers.’
Just as Rona’s previous escape attempts had failed, Cinderella might also try to stop Susan from leaving. But if Susan left with a purpose, even temporarily, maybe it could work. Rona didn’t know how Cinderella would react, but it was worth a try.
She took a sip of water to soothe her throat and then spoke carefully.
“I have a good idea. How about you leave the mansion for a while to recuperate? I’ll stay here and try to get closer to Cinderella.”
“Leave you here alone? What if something happens to you, my lady?”
“I told you, I haven’t heard any ghostly cries. And, honestly, I think it might be good for me to stay and win Cinderella’s favor. Living here isn’t a bad option.”
“Is that so?”
Susan looked shocked at Rona’s words. It was understandable. The original plan was to drive Cinderella out by tormenting her, not to win her favor and stay forever.
But Rona knew the future. Trying to con her would only lead to the death flag, and escape had already failed. The best option now was to become her ally. Eventually, Cinderella would become the next king’s consort, and being close to her would be advantageous.
‘Even if I told her about the future, she wouldn’t believe me. She’d just think I’ve gone mad. She looks incredulous. I need a better excuse.’
Rona looked into Susan’s anxious eyes and licked her lips nervously. Her mind raced until she found a suitable explanation.
“According to imperial law, the eldest daughter becomes the head of the family. Since I’m older than Cinderella, I could become the head if I stay. The original plan was to get rid of Cinderella and take the property if her father didn’t return from the war. But if he doesn’t ever come back, why bother? Cinderella isn’t exactly rebellious.”
“Rebellious? Is she? She does her work well, but I don’t recall asking her directly to do anything. Come to think of it, doesn’t she sometimes seem to mock me?”
Susan finally noticed something strange about Cinderella. Rona had worried that she lacked the survival instincts expected of a con artist, but thankfully, she had some awareness. Perhaps Cinderella was no longer acting in front of her.
‘Yes, if this continues, Cinderella won’t leave us alone. She finally gets it.’
Rona swallowed her words. It wasn’t something Susan would believe anyway. How could Rona explain without revealing too much? She decided to persuade Susan gently.
“Defiance? What could a noble girl do on her own? She might dislike us, but ghostly cries and curses? We can’t throw away our comfortable lives just because of some bad omens. I’m going to try and get along with Cinderella.”
“Do you really think it will work? Oh my…”
Susan held her throbbing head. She knew she couldn’t just throw away the comfort they had gained. But the nightly ghostly cries had worn her down. In the end, she agreed to leave the mansion temporarily to recuperate.
Rona couldn’t be more relieved. Convincing Susan to leave would make things easier for her to get closer to Cinderella.
Without Susan constantly scheming, maybe, just maybe, Rona could change their fate.
