Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 23
When she saw the part in Cinderella’s diary about wanting to split her enemies’ heads in half, Rona felt there was still a long way to go. Their last meal together had been incredibly awkward. But now, here they were, arm in arm. Life could be surprising. Walking with their arms linked, anyone who saw them would think they were good friends.
‘Walking arm in arm to buy clothes… this means we’re getting closer, right? If she’s willing to come out with me to the market, she doesn’t dislike being with me.’
Rona’s lips curved into a smile. Initially, she just wanted to gain Cinderella’s favor to avoid the path of destruction, but now, she genuinely wanted to be friends with her. She felt good seeing Cinderella’s cold demeanor soften little by little. It was like taming a hissing stray cat.
Rona bought a bag of sweet jelly from a street vendor, took one out, and put it in her mouth. The sweet flavor filled her mouth. She opened the bag and offered it to Cinderella.
“These are delicious. Want to try one, Cinderella?”
“Ah.”
Cinderella didn’t respond immediately, so Rona lightly shook the arm she was linked with. Startled, Cinderella looked at her with a questioning expression. Her gaze finally landed on the small bag of jelly in Rona’s hand.
There was no emotion in her expression. Was she upset? With Cinderella’s lack of reaction, Rona’s confidence waned.
‘Was I being too friendly? No, I’ve come this far, I should push a bit more.’
Rona awkwardly smiled and took out a jelly, offering it to Cinderella.
“Try this. It’s really good.”
“…It’s good.”
Cinderella stared at Rona as she spoke, her lips brushing against Rona’s thin fingers. She chewed the jelly a few times and, without changing her expression, said it was good. Despite her expressionless face, Rona had to take her word for it. Awkwardly smiling, Rona ate another jelly herself. The fingers that had touched Cinderella’s lips felt oddly warm.
“It’s pretty sweet. I’ll save the rest for later.”
Rona spoke to herself deliberately as she put the jelly bag into her bag. Silence fell between them again, though they still walked arm in arm.
Rona kept her eyes on the ground, watching the patterns on the pavement as they walked. She couldn’t stop thinking about Cinderella’s face, with her mouth slightly open, looking at her in that peculiar way. Rona took out a handkerchief and rubbed her fingers clean of the white powder.
Her linked arm was sweaty and damp. She felt the urge to release it but held back. Cinderella linking arms with her surely meant she wanted to get closer. If Rona broke the link first, it might ruin the warm atmosphere they had managed to create.
But walking awkwardly, with Cinderella on her mind, made it hard to find a suitable clothing store. Her thoughts were consumed by the sensation in her arm. Though she looked around, every store seemed the same.
Maybe Cinderella was also feeling awkward. Her steps were clumsy, and she seemed just as uncomfortable.
‘So this is what it feels like to get closer to someone. I never imagined it would be this tense.’
Rona, trying to break the silence, brought up Susan.
“Cinderella, Mother won’t be back for a while. She’s very sick, so it’s best for her to stay at the villa and rest. Just letting you know in case you were wondering where she is.”
“I know. The servants told me.”
Cinderella’s androgynous voice tickled Rona’s ear. Being so close, she could feel the warm breath on her ear. A strange shiver ran down her spine.
It was odd. Why did she always feel tense around Cinderella? Was it just a survival instinct?
Rona didn’t know. If they kept walking around the square like this, they’d just go in circles. She decided to enter the first clothing store she saw. The bell rang as they entered, and she quickly released her sweaty arm, rubbing the inside of her elbow. She walked straight to the back and started looking through the clothes, her voice raised with excitement.
“Oh, this is so pretty. What do you think of this?”
“…Well, I’m not sure.”
Cinderella raised an eyebrow, not liking the clothes Rona had picked. Rona finally looked down at the dress in her hand. It was far too flashy for Cinderella’s taste.
‘What was I thinking? I should be picking clothes that suit Cinderella, not just anything.’
With her heart gradually calming down, Rona began to carefully select clothes. As she sifted through the racks, Cinderella stood beside her, looking on.
‘Maybe she feels bad about me paying for it and doesn’t want to choose herself.’
