Everyone already knows the story of Cinderella.
Living with her stepmother and stepsisters, suffering, forced to work, and so on.
Then, she meets a prince at the palace. In short, that's how it goes.
Cinderella will always meet her prince.
Because that's just how it is. It's her fate.
There's nothing to be afraid of if you're born to be her.
But the problem is, I'm not Cinderella.
I'm not a stepsister, not a stepmother, and not part of the royal family either.
I'm just one of many village girls.
So what happens to a side character like me?
🪐 "Huft, I shouldn't have taken you to that bookstore."
🪐 "In fact, I shouldn't have taught you how to read at all."
☄️ "Why would you say that!?"
🪐 "You're going to start fantasizing about that book again, aren't you? Ugh!"
☄️ "So what if I do!"
The story of Cinderella in that book… it's too beautiful.
Too fake, I'd say.
Or maybe they intentionally hid the dark side, so it could be told to children?
🪐 "Hey."
☄️ "..."
🪐 "Sarena!"
☄️ "Ah! Y-Yeah…"
🪐 sighs "Forget that book. Didn't you say you'd be selling things at the market?"
☄️ "O-Oh right! Thanks for reminding me, see you later!!"
But the part about the royal invitation—that almost every girl in the village is allowed to attend a royal ball—that part happens every year.
When I was little, I thought it was wonderful. I dreamed about it.
Until someone I knew… was invited to the palace.
☄️ "You got invited to the palace, sis?"
🐿 "Yeah."
☄️ "Waaah!! What are you going to wear? I bet everyone will be dressed in beautiful gowns!"
🐿 "I don't know, Sarena. My family still has debts. I don't know what I'll wear."
That's what she said.
But the next day, she told me their debts had been paid, and she already had a gown.
She was so calm that day… even looked happy.
After the ball, I saw her packing her things and leaving at dawn.
I thought, "Ahh, she must've found her prince and is going to live happily ever after."
Foolish me.
Until she came back to the village one last time, to clear out her house, and I approached her.
☄️ "Sis!"
🐿 "O-Oh… Sarena."
She looked… different.
Tired.
Disgusted.
When I asked what happened, she took a deep breath—
—and exhaled as if trying to hold back tears.
🐿 "The palace… isn't what you think, you know?"
☄️ "What do you mean?"
🐿 "Well…"
She looked at me—deeply.
Her gaze was serious, but full of pity too.
🐿 "Since you're 17 now, I'll tell you..."
🐿 "That palace ball..."
🐿 "It's not beautiful at all."
🐿 "Especially for village girls like us."
🐿 "The gown they gave me... it was their way of buying me."
🐿 "The royal people always come down to the village, watching us—observing."
🐿 "If they think you're attractive enough, they invite you."
🐿 "Then, at the ball... the nobles get to choose whichever woman they want."
☄️ "The prince…?"
🐿 "No, sweetheart.
Once the dance music ends… everything falls apart."
I didn't understand.
Her eyes grew darker—emptier.
She said,
"There's no love at all. And you'll cry in pain. And it will go on and on."
Such strange wording.
I hugged her.
She hugged me back, her tears no longer held in.
But Cinderella is real! Because... there is a girl named Cinderella in this village!!
We're the same age, which means—
⚔️ "HEAR YE, HEAR YE!!"
We've been invited.