Cinderella is... the Male Lead? - Chapter 7
Having given up on nighttime escapes, Rona began to follow Cinderella discreetly. Rather than approaching her directly, she decided to linger nearby, hoping to make a good impression.
It wasn’t about gaining favor—it was about reducing the intense dislike.
‘No one can spit at a smiling face.’
When Cinderella cleaned the hallway, Rona would lean against a window and hum a tune. Whenever Cinderella glanced at her, Rona would smile and nod. In return, she received either indifference or a subtle sneer.
Although Cinderella had pretended to smile during their night walks, she seemed annoyed by Rona’s constant presence. But Rona didn’t give up.
Repeating this a few times, Cinderella would sigh and then grab the mop and bucket before storming off. Initially, being openly ignored and avoided hurt her feelings. After all, no one likes to be treated with contempt.
But backing down now would lead to a bloody revenge. Being ignored was nothing compared to the horrible end awaiting her. With a determined resolve, Rona followed Cinderella closely.
‘Huu, how long will this go on?’
Hiding behind a pillar, Rona watched Cinderella’s back and slumped her shoulders. She sighed at the unchangingly cold attitude. It was time to move on to the next plan.
Walking diligently down the hallway, Rona arrived in front of Susan’s room.
Besides silently following Cinderella, Rona had another task she diligently pursued whenever she had time. It was laying the groundwork to change Susan’s mind about hiring workers.
It was Susan’s naptime. Rona opened the hallway window, scattered the pre-prepared leaves on the floor, and carefully tipped over the animal statue standing nearby without making a sound. Then she spread bits of cheese on the floor, making it look like an animal had nibbled on it.
‘I’m creating the illusion of a mysterious animal roaming around to unsettle Susan. During the day, it’s animals, at night, it’s ghosts, and ultimately, it will seem like intruders have broken in. Susan won’t be able to hold out.’
Following her plan, Rona created the appearance of an animal roaming during the day and made eerie noises outside Susan’s room at night.
With only three people living in the mansion, it was feasible. She never got caught in her actions. Unlike when she tried to escape and Cinderella appeared like a ghost, Cinderella didn’t show up during these operations.
After a few days, Susan’s face visibly became more haggard.
During breakfast, the table was once again set with poorly cooked food. Rona restrained herself from cooking, despite her experience as a solo-living student. If the food tasted good, Susan might refuse to hire workers.
Susan, who was eating undercooked meat, sighed. Rona seized the opportunity to speak.
“Susan, you look unwell. Is something wrong?”
Feigning ignorance, Rona asked, and Susan’s dry, chapped lips twitched. Rubbing her temples, she answered weakly.
“Lady Rona, haven’t you heard those strange cries at night?”
“I haven’t. What kind of sound was it?”
“It sounded like a woman crying… Huu, never mind.”
Susan shook her head and resumed eating, looking more haggard with dark circles under her eyes.
‘Good, it’s working.’
Rona, lowering her eyebrows sympathetically, spoke again.
“Strange cries at night? I haven’t heard them, but I have felt a bit eerie at night recently.”
“Right? That’s why I haven’t been sleeping well these days.”
Rona, crossing her arms and rubbing her shoulders, exaggeratedly shivered. Her words made Susan’s face darken further.
Rona took a bite of stew and continued in a casual tone. Given the previous refusals, she tried to bring it up as if it were inevitable and unrelated to Cinderella.
“Hmm, maybe we should hire a few servants? Doing all the chores ourselves is tiring, and the mansion feels too empty sometimes, which is a bit eerie.”
“Do you think so? I’ll have to think about it a bit more.”
Susan’s stubborn consistency was remarkable. Rona clenched her teeth subtly and continued persuading her. She couldn’t back down now.
“Yeah. We should have at least a couple of servants to fend off intruders, right?”
“That’s true, but… Let’s finish eating first.”
Persistent. Rona inwardly grumbled but nodded politely and continued eating. Her expression turned irritable as she cut into the undercooked meat.
“Yeah. Ugh, I have to be careful eating this. It might just run back into the forest if I don’t.”
After the meal, Rona carefully placed the dishes on the trolley. She muttered loudly enough for Susan to hear, rubbing her hands.
“My hands have become so rough. They used to be like silk…”
“Hmm, they still seem soft to me.”
“No, they’ve gotten rougher.”
Susan inspected Rona’s hands, looking puzzled. Rona, with a pitiful expression, insisted. After a moment of hesitation, Susan’s eyes narrowed.
“Your hands have become rough, Lady Rona… Where’s that girl? Cinderella should be doing the dishes.”
