Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 2
‘That’s right. I need to understand the novel properly by talking with my mother. Since my memory isn’t complete, I…’
After licking her lips, Rona cautiously opened her mouth. In her current state, only her past life memories were clear while everything else was blurry. She needed to understand exactly what kind of scam her mother was planning.
“C-Come in.”
The door opened, and her mother entered. Rona had red hair and green eyes, while her mother had brown hair and black eyes.
‘Hmm, I don’t remember well. I don’t think my mother and I look alike at all… Maybe I take after my father.’
Rona greeted her mother with an awkward smile. Her mother locked the door tightly behind her and quickly approached Rona. Soon, unexpected words came out of her mouth.
“Fufu, Lady Rona, there’s only one year left. The day when we can take all the property of this house and run isn’t far away.”
“…Mother?”
Rona’s mouth hung open in astonishment. Why was her mother speaking so formally to her?
Her mother tilted her head and whispered discreetly.
“Mother? It’s just the two of us here. Please call me Susan, Lady Rona.”
“S-Susan, right, Susan.”
At that moment, fragments of memory struck her mind. That part of the novel hadn’t been properly explained.
Susan and Rona weren’t mother and daughter. Rona was the youngest daughter of a fallen viscount, and Susan was her nanny. After losing everything and ending up on the streets, they had gone through numerous hardships before becoming black-hearted con artists.
‘They weren’t mother and daughter but rather con artists who had turned to the dark side.’
When Rona awkwardly responded, a look of suspicion appeared in Susan’s eyes.
“You’re acting strange today.”
“I-I fell really hard, so I might still have some aftereffects. Right, you mentioned one year… If Cinderella keeps going like this, she’ll die. She looks so fragile. Maybe we should be nice to her to avoid future troubles…”
“What are you saying, Lady Rona? In just one more year, you can become the head of the Count’s family under the empire’s law. Even an adopted child from a remarriage gains the same rights as a biological child after two years. The Count is missing, so the position of head goes either to the nearest male relative or the eldest daughter. In a year, you can become the head.”
There was a contradiction in Susan’s words. Rona tilted her head in confusion and spoke up.
“Really? But if I’m going to become the head anyway, why bother tormenting Cinderella?”
“Lady Rona, you’re really acting strange today. We don’t know when the missing Count might return. Our plan is to torment Cinderella until she runs away. Have you forgotten already?”
“Oh…”
“Once she runs away, we take all the property and leave. You must have hit your head pretty hard. You need to rest more.”
So that’s why they were tormenting her. The plan to make her give up and flee was flimsy, probably because it was based on a fairy tale. If Cinderella doesn’t flee but instead they get caught and face unimaginable torture, what expression would Susan make then?
As Rona made a hesitant face, Susan added with conviction.
“Let’s stay focused and keep at it. Even if Cinderella doesn’t flee, we need to torment her to the point of madness. A year may seem long, but it’ll pass quickly.”
Susan’s black eyes burned with greed. Rona, feeling burdened, averted her gaze. If she followed Susan’s words, it would be like boarding a direct train to the ruinous route.
Clutching her chest in frustration, Rona sighed and spoke.
“But what if something unexpected happens? What if Cinderella, grinding her teeth, seeks revenge on us…?”
“Oh, stop it. I’ve thoroughly checked. Do you think this is my first scam? Cinderella has no power to seek revenge. All her potential allies are on the battlefield with no news. Even if she holds a grudge, what can a powerless girl do? It’s two of us against one of her.”
“Haah, alright. I understand…”
Rona slumped her shoulders. Judging by Susan’s stubborn attitude, she wouldn’t believe that Cinderella would one day awaken as a mage and wreak a bloody vengeance. Moreover, driven by greed, Susan might do even worse if Rona didn’t follow her plan.
“Stay determined. We need to torment Cinderella to the point she wants to flee. If we kill her with our own hands, it could raise suspicion. Our goal is to drive her to insanity.”
“Y-Yes.”
Susan tightly gripped Rona’s hand. Rona, sensing the situation, responded reluctantly.
Tormenting her seemed more likely to raise external suspicion, but it appeared that the world of fairy tales disregarded logic. Having failed to persuade Susan, Rona let out a deep sigh.
‘I don’t know. I’ll leave greedy Susan to her own devices for now. I need to survive. I must try to get along with Cinderella from now on. It won’t be easy, but…’
