Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 39
His heart raced. When should he tell Rona that he was a man? He wanted to tell her right this very second, but he knew it would be too shocking for her.
Cinderella had long forgotten her initial resolve to take Rona to the ball and humiliate her in front of his father to make her pay for her sins.
Now, his mind was consumed with when and how to confess to Rona that he was actually a man.
His abbreviated thoughts carried the confident assumption that once he revealed his true gender, Rona would be utterly captivated by him.
***
The night after Cinderella’s complete awakening in the attic, Rona prepared for bed with a smile.
‘In the novel, the royal ball took place around early winter. If things go like this, a happy ending is assured, right? How wonderful.’
With a grin on her lips, Rona recalled the novel’s events. After summer, in the colorful autumn, an invitation to the royal ball arrived at Cinderella’s house.
Now, all Rona had to do was maintain her good relationship with Cinderella and help ‘her’ succeed at the ball. Then, Rona, who was originally destined to be a minion in the necromancer’s army as Cinderella’s revenge, would have a much better fate.
She had received a letter from Susan, who was recuperating at the family villa. The letter said her condition had improved significantly but that she was too scared to return to the mansion.
Although Rona intially thought it was absurd that Susan feared the curse but not being beheaded for fraud, she could now understand her fear when recalling Susan’s pale face.
‘Yes, Susan. Stay there. Staying put is helping me. If you come back now, it’ll only disrupt my plans.’
Once Cinderella found happiness with prince charming after the ball, both Susan and Rona’s lives would be safe. And given her current good relationship with Cinderella, Rona could look forward to a life of ease as a close confidante.
Resolved, Rona clenched her fists. She changed into a thin nightgown after undressing and then patted her chest to ensure she was wearing her bra. Ever since Cinderella had massaged her bare b*****s, she made it a habit to wear a bra to bed. The incident continued to bother her in many ways.
Although Cinderella hadn’t touched her intimately since then, Rona still felt the need to be cautious.
In her nightgown, Rona brushed her hair neatly and sat at a small table to read a book. She was waiting for Cinderella, who was supposed to visit her room tonight. Although they hadn’t set a specific schedule, Cinderella usually visited Rona’s room two or three times a week. Friday was one of those nights.
‘What’s going on? Is she not coming today? It’s already past the time.’
Rona crossed her arms and glared at the clock. It was time for Cinderella to arrive, but there was no sign of ‘her’. After waiting for a while, Rona gave up and lay down in bed. She had grown so accustomed to Cinderella’s presence that the empty bed felt lonely.
***
The next morning, Rona hurried to the dining room, only to find that Cinderella hadn’t arrived yet, leaving her disappointed.
‘I should act like I wasn’t waiting.’
After catching her breath, she told a servant to bring out her breakfast first. She tried to focus on eating slowly without looking towards the door, but soon she heard the sound of the door opening. Cinderella walked in.
“Sister, good morning.”
“Good morning.”
Cinderella greeted Rona calmly and sat across from her. A servant brought Cinderella’s meal and then left. Rona expected ‘her’ to explain why ‘she’ hadn’t come last night, but Cinderella started eating without mentioning it.
Today, Cinderella’s face seemed to glow. ‘She’ looked like something good had happened. Rona unconsciously puffed her cheeks and stared at Cinderella.
‘Should I ask why she didn’t come last night? No, we didn’t make a specific promise. But she never missed a Friday night…’
Rona’s thoughts were entirely focused on Cinderella. Every time ‘she’ swallowed ‘her’ food or moved her lips, Rona couldn’t help but watch. However, Cinderella’s lips parted without any explanation. Rona, feeling bitter, continued eating as if nothing was wrong.
Unaware of Rona’s disappointment, Cinderella was lost in his own thoughts. The previous night, he had tested his newfound magical strength by the lake behind the mansion. His magic was significantly stronger, and his mana flow was much freer. He didn’t cast any wide-range spells to avoid drawing attention, but the change in his mana was unmistakable.
‘Is this what they call an incomplete awakening? Then can it get any more perfect than this?’
Why did Rona’s face come to mind at that moment? Cinderella stopped using his magic abruptly, wondering if he even needed to attend the ball at this point.
As both were deep in thought, a maid entered the room. She handed Rona a letter with an excited expression. The envelope, adorned with gold patterns, exuded elegance and importance. The maid spoke with a thrilled tone.
“An invitation has arrived from the royal palace, Miss! The whole village is abuzz with this news. A ball is being held to celebrate His Highness the Prince’s birthday!”
