Cinderella and the Prince: Who is the winner of the game?

chapter 3

The next moment, the smile froze on the prince's face.

My face was covered in ash, my eyes were crossed, and I asked him with a toothy grin: "Who ya lookin' for, mister?"

Prince: "..."

The prince took a big step back in disgust.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the maid, Cinderella. Ain't you a handsome fella, hee hee hee"

I reached out to touch the prince's face. He frowned and swatted my hand away.

"Someone, bring her up."

Two guards jumped down into the attic and hauled me up. Thanks to my stepmother's mistreatment, I was wearing old clothes patched all over, my hair was full of straw, and my face had several red handprints, which indeed matched the image of a maid.

Lord Roderick looked disappointed.

"Your Highness, this girl doesn't seem to be the one."

I had just breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the prince coldly order: "Put the shoe on her."

Damn it, he still suspects me. Where's the basic trust and respect between people?

I was pressed into a chair by several guards. Lord Roderick knelt on one knee, holding up the glass slipper. As soon as he lifted my long skirt, Roderick turned his head away in disgust.

My feet were pitch black, covered in ash, with my five toes spread wide like sea anemones.

The prince laughed coldly.

"What happened to your feet?"

I smiled ingratiatingly: "My toes are deformed, they've been like this since I was little."

"Is that so?"

The prince paused for a moment, then suddenly reached out and pinched my calf hard.

"Ah"

I screamed in pain, and my toes instinctively curled up.

The prince sneered.

"Look, all better now."

"Thank you, you're so kind."

I wanted to cry but had no tears left as I watched Roderick stuff my foot into the glass slipper.

Of course, it fit perfectlynot too big, not too small, not too long, not too short. The glass slipper on my pitch-black foot looked as if it had been custom-made for me.

Roderick looked awkwardly at the prince.

"Your Highness, are you sure this girl is the one you're looking for?"

The two sisters, who had been rolling on the ground clutching their legs, hurriedly crawled over and said in unison: "There must be a mistake, she didn't go out last night!"

Madame Franklin nodded along.

"Yes, this is my maid. I locked her in the attic last night; she couldn't possibly have attended the ball. Your Highness, she absolutely cannot be the girl you're looking for."

The prince stared at Madame Franklin for a while, then curled his lips into a smile.

"Liars must swallow a thousand needles.

"Roderick, bring out that box of needles."

What kind of psychopath carries around boxes of needles? Watching Roderick stuff silver needles as long as a pinky finger into Madame Franklin's mouth, I was so scared my legs went weak.

Amidst the wailing of the mother and daughters, I was escorted onto a carriage by the guards.

As the wheels rolled, two guards watched me vigilantly from the side. I couldn't find any chance to escape. Soon, the majestic palace appeared before my eyes.

"My dear Henry, have you found your beloved girl?" Queen Eleanor came out to greet us enthusiastically. Seeing my ash-covered face, the queen paused, a flash of horror crossing her eyes.

"This is"

"Someone, take her away to clean up."

The prince acted as if he hadn't seen the queen and ordered the people beside him. The queen circled around the prince, asking if his journey had been tiring and chattering endlessly. The prince coldly waved her away, turned to Roderick, and instructed:

"Clean her up and bring her to see me."