Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 42
In the fairy tale, Cinderella received help from her fairy godmother to shine at the ball and catch prince charming’s eye.
But with such a nonchalant attitude, would this girl even prepare properly?
Rona glanced at Cinderella with disapproval.
‘What if she prepares haphazardly and fails to stand out at the ball, causing the plot to change? Just like how my relationship with Cinderella changed, other developments could change too. This is worrying.’
Cinderella’s apparent lack of interest in the ball made Rona anxious. It would be great if ‘she’ were secretly excited, but ‘her’ indifferent demeanor suggested otherwise.
Unlike the fairy tale, <Cinderella With Neither Blood Nor Tears> did not depict the process of Cinderella preparing for the ball, as it focused primarily on her bloody revenge. The brutal world of this novel didn’t seem like it would have fairy godmothers. Zombies might exist, but sparkling fairies seemed unlikely.
If fairies were absent, Cinderella would have to prepare for the ball herself.
‘Maybe I should help her prepare for the ball, to earn some points and ensure she stands out.’
Rona instructed a maid to invite a dressmaker to the mansion to prepare dresses for Cinderella and herself. A few days later, the servant returned from the town market, informing her that the dressmaker would arrive soon. Rona also asked the maid to prepare accessories and shoes.
However, the real problem wasn’t the dresses. It was that Cinderella had stopped visiting her room, not just on Fridays but altogether. Even without Cinderella’s visits, the hallucinations had ceased, but Rona felt low without ‘her’ occasional company.
‘What’s going on? The servants handle most of the housework, so Cinderella should have free time. Is there something I don’t know about? Or did I do something to make her uncomfortable?’
Rona pondered recent events but couldn’t think of anything that would have caused discomfort. Aside from this, everything seemed the same. They still shared breakfast.
Maybe the plot hadn’t changed after all, and things were progressing as expected. Rona anxiously bit her lip. She feared that if she let her guard down, she might end up back on the revenge path.
She walked quickly down the corridor but stopped suddenly. Aside from breakfast, she hadn’t had a proper conversation with Cinderella recently.
Rona decided to look for Cinderella throughout the mansion. She searched every likely spot but couldn’t find the golden-haired girl anywhere.
Thinking only of a successful ball, Rona’s heart pounded with the anxiety typical of someone targeted for revenge.
‘This won’t do.’
Unable to shake her anxiety, Rona headed for the attic, hoping Cinderella might be there. She also wanted to check Cinderella’s diary. Last time, it didn’t reveal much, but there might be hints about ‘her’ magical awakening this time. Moreover, she wanted to know what Cinderella thought of her.
‘Last time, I snuck in, but now we’re closer, so I’m just visiting to see her. If she’s there, great. If not, I can use the excuse of decorating her room.’
In case she ran into Cinderella, Rona needed an excuse. She asked the gardener for a few flowers to decorate the room. After arranging the flowers in a vase, Rona climbed the stairs.
Standing in front of the attic’s wooden door, she took a deep breath. Hugging the vase to prevent it from breaking, she carefully turned the handle. The door creaked open, and Rona waited silently. There was no sound from Cinderella.
“Cinderella? Not here. Well, I’m here to decorate the room.”
Peeking through the door, Rona confirmed the room was empty and smiled slyly. The attic was dim. A thin line of light seeped through the curtains, drawing a long shadow on the floor. She tiptoed over and pulled the curtains open, letting sunlight flood the room.
After placing the vase on the nightstand, she pretended to tidy up. Glancing around, she approached the door and carefully closed it, leaving it unlocked in case Cinderella returned unexpectedly. Kneeling in front of the bed, she felt around and pulled out a box. Luckily, her previous intrusion hadn’t been discovered, as the box was still in its place.
Rona sat awkwardly on a chair in front of the bed, rubbing her hands before opening the box. Her expectant gaze turned into a frown.
“…What’s this doing here?”
Inside the box was a piece of red lace panties that she thought a maid had stolen. The unique design made it unmistakable.
Doubting her eyes, Rona picked it up. She wondered if it actually belonged to Cinderella or if she had made a mistake.
