Chapter 5

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.