Cinderella is… the Male Lead? - Chapter 10

“Achoo!”

The next day, Rona ended up catching a cold. Wearing pink nightgown, she sat on her bed, coughing repeatedly. It wasn’t a severe illness, but it was a sore throat accompanied by a slight fever and mild headache.

“Achoo! I should have listened to Cinderella and gone inside to change my clothes right away instead of doing something unnecessary…”

The medicine prescribed by the doctor that Susan hastily called for helped a bit, but she still wasn’t in a condition to go outside. She leaned back against the headboard and then slowly lay down, resting her head on the pillow and trying to sleep.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Assuming it was Susan, she squeezed out a weak voice.

“Come in…”

After a moment, the door opened cautiously, revealing golden blonde curls. It was Cinderella, the only blonde in the mansion. Rona’s eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected visit.

“Oh? Cinderella.”

Holding a tray with steam rising from it, Cinderella looked around the room before approaching Rona carefully. Rona stretched her neck, sniffing to identify the pleasant aroma. As Cinderella got closer, she realized it was a delicious-looking stew.

‘Aigoo, how thoughtful. She even brought me stew.’

Still in a bit of disbelief, Cinderella pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down, avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of her neck. Her ears, peeking through her blonde hair, were slightly red.

“Sister Rona. I told you to go inside quickly.”

“Huh? Uh-huh… I should have listened to you…”

“You’ve caught a serious cold. Here, have some stew.”

As Rona leaned back against the headboard, Cinderella placed the tray with the stew on the bedspread. Nodding, Rona took a spoon, blew on the hot stew, and took a bite. The sweet and warm flavor spread through her mouth. She kept eating spoonful after spoonful, her lips curling into a soft smile.

Cinderella, who had been so cold, had brought food for her. It felt like her efforts had paid off. Maybe they were no longer mortal enemies.

Rona looked at Cinderella, who was staring out the window, bathed in bright sunlight.

“Cinderella, did you come because you were worried about me?”

“…No. Stepmother told me to bring you the stew.”

“Seriously…”

Rona’s smile faltered slightly. So, it was because Susan had ordered it. Of course, the days of torment couldn’t be forgotten just because she had acted friendly for a few days.

As Rona stirred the stew with her spoon, Cinderella spoke again.

“What can I do? I can’t disobey Stepmother’s orders.”

The emphasis on “Stepmother” made Rona’s heart sink. Cinderella was clearly very upset, emphasizing the word like that.

Rona put the spoon down on the tray and quietly stared at the stew. What had been warm and sweet now seemed suspicious. Her mouth felt slightly bitter.

‘Could it be poisoned?’

Rona glanced suspiciously at Cinderella. The smiling expression on Cinderella’s face seemed excessively fake. Cinderella tapped the tray with her long fingers, urging her.

“Eat.”

“Oh? Uh… I’m not very hungry. I’ll eat it later.”

Rona pushed the tray away slightly. Though she’d already taken a few bites and nothing happened, Cinderella’s sharp expression made her lose her appetite.

Seeing Rona’s actions, one of Cinderella’s perfectly shaped eyebrows arched.

“Eat it now. I can’t come back to your room just to collect the dishes.”

“Is that so? Well, that makes sense.”

Rona pouted, biting her lip. She understood the logic, but did she have to say it so rudely?

Sneaking a glance, Rona saw Cinderella’s piercing gaze and buried her face in the stew bowl. She kept eating until she eventually choked, coughing uncontrollably and spilling the tray.

“Cough, cough! Oh no.”

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

Sticky stew splashed onto her nightgown and the blanket. Cinderella’s sharp rebuke followed immediately.

On top of spilling the tray, Rona now had to endure a scolding. Swallowing her tears, she looked down at herself. The stew, slightly cooled, wasn’t hot, but her pink nightgown and the blanket were a mess. Everything would have to be washed.

“What do we do now? The stew spilled everywhere.”