Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 21
When Rona and her group first arrived, Cinderella was uncertain if they were genuine or frauds, so he had handed them the storeroom key hoping they would take what they wanted and leave if they were con artists. In fact, most of the jewels in the storeroom were protected by an illusion spell, with only a few being real.
However, the opulence was overwhelming enough that even if the marriage documents were legitimate, the sheer scale of the storeroom’s treasures was enough to make anyone consider raiding it and escaping in the dead of night.
‘For con artists, they seem oddly timid.’
Surprisingly, they only used small amounts for their daily expenses and continued to stay at the mansion.
‘They must not be professional con artists. Tsk, it’s a wonder they’ve survived this long.’
Cinderella shook his head.
It was amusing, really. He imitated Rona’s tactics and spun a little illusion magic to spook Susan into going for recuperation, and now, he was seeing Rona leave the storeroom without taking anything despite being a con artist.
There was a fact that neither Cinderella nor Rona, who had read the novel, had realized.
The characters in the novel acted to preserve the plot, which often made them do foolish things. This was because their actions were constrained by the author’s imposed fate.
However, Rona, knowing the future, had altered the course of the story. Everything was slowly changing, as if new paint was being applied to an already completed painting. This included Susan’s behavior and Cinderella’s feelings.
***
Exploring the mansion yielded little new information. Rona discovered that an intriguing room, presumably belonging to the count, was locked, and that the storeroom contained more treasures than she had imagined.
Rona decided to pause her investigation into Cinderella’s secrets and focus on winning her over. She asked a maid to invite Cinderella to dine with her. She was worried Cinderella might refuse, but she showed up at the dining room without hesitation.
“Cinderella, you came.”
“Yes.”
Cinderella responded curtly and took a seat, his expression hardening. He was aware that Rona had snooped in his attic room and explored the mansion, making it difficult to keep a neutral expression. Although he should have been upset, he felt a mix of embarrassment and awkwardness instead.
Sure, Rona was the one who snooped, but it felt like Cinderella was the one who had been caught in an embarrassing act. While Cinderella had observed Susan secretly, it felt different with Rona. Cinderella had yet to realize he was particularly sensitive to Rona.
‘It’s not like she saw me naked. Get a grip.’
Rona, unaware of Cinderella’s inner turmoil, felt disappointed. She had been happy when Cinderella agreed to come, but ‘her’ stiff expression quickly soured Rona’s mood.
Couldn’t she at least smile a bit…?
But what could she do? As the lower-ranked person here, she had to endure it. Rona forced a smile and bowed her head. The uncomfortable silence was broken only by the occasional clinking of cutlery.
The uneasy silence was almost making her lose her appetite. Taking a gulp of water, Rona glanced at Cinderella, and their eyes met. The piercing blue of Cinderella’s eyes made Rona momentarily breathless.
‘She looks more upset than usual. Maybe she does want to kill me.’
Trying to stay positive, Rona nervously shifted her eyes before speaking. She had something to discuss with Cinderella.
“Cinderella. How about moving rooms?”
“Rooms?”
“Yes. You live in the attic, right? It must be uncomfortable…”
Cinderella’s expression hardened even more, causing Rona’s voice to trail off. On second thought, Cinderella had no reason to be happy about her suggestion. Moving back to ‘her’ original room after being banished to the attic might seem like an insult.
Cinderella might find it amusing that Rona, who had tormented ‘her’, was now trying to be nice.
‘Still, it’s better than letting her stay in the attic.’
As Rona looked at ‘her’ expectantly, Cinderella wiped ‘her’ lips with a napkin and replied.
“I’m used to it now. The attic is comfortable for me.”
“But… it must be tiring to go up and down all the time.”
“It’s fine.”
Cinderella shook ‘her’ head, indicating ‘she’ didn’t want to discuss it further, and resumed eating. Rona was taken aback by the unexpected response. She had assumed Cinderella would be pleased, but ‘she’ preferred to stay in the attic?
For Cinderella, it was simply about the convenience of not moving, but Rona couldn’t understand ‘her’ reasoning.
‘You want to keep living in such a shabby room?’
The words were on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed them. If she said that, Cinderella would ask how she knew about the room, which would reveal that she had snooped in the attic. This could turn her from a tolerable presence back into someone Cinderella wanted to get rid of.
Rona sighed and picked up her utensils. If Cinderella didn’t want to move, she couldn’t force ‘her’. The meal ended in uncomfortable silence, and Cinderella bowed slightly before leaving.
‘Does she find it uncomfortable to eat with me? She didn’t say a word… Maybe it wasn’t that uncomfortable.’
Rona, feeling downcast, glanced at the spotless dishes. The plates were clean as if washed, suggesting that while dining with her might be uncomfortable, the food itself was enjoyed.
‘She eats well, surprisingly. Given her aloof demeanor, I thought she’d be pickier. I thought she’d like moving rooms, but she refused outright. I’ll have to find another way to win her over.’
T/N: the pronouns are a bit tricky now with POVs mixed like this… but just keep in mind that Rona still thinks that Cinderella is a girl, so she uses she/her for him, while Cinderella of course uses he/him for himself
