chapter 28
Tu Nan took a deep breath and summoned the Fairy Tale Compendium.
At first glance, the Fairy Tale Compendium appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary book, but only upon opening its pages could one glimpse its true mysteries.
That foul-smelling, gaping mouth opened wide, as if begging for food.
When she first drew the Fairy Tale Compendium, its Skill description claimed it could spit out Skill Cards based on whatever the Player needed most at the moment. Now, she could only try her luck and hope for the best.
Tu Nan tossed Bella’s two severed toes into the gaping maw.
The Fairy Tale Compendium immediately snapped its mouth shut and began to chew noisily. Its eating habits were atrocious; as it chewed, foul-smelling drool splattered everywhere.
Tu Nan waited patiently for a while, but then saw the Fairy Tale Compendium suddenly freeze mid-chew, open its mouth wide, and retch toward the floor.
It vomited out a large pile of putrid, revolting sludge, nearly making Tu Nan faint from the stench, yet there was still no sign of a Skill Card.
“Where’s the card?” Tu Nan couldn’t help but ask.
The Fairy Tale Compendium shot up into the air, then crashed down heavily toward her. Tu Nan was startled and instinctively dodged. Seeing its attack miss, the Fairy Tale Compendium chased after her, and the two of them began a game of Cat and Mouse in the cramped bedroom.
She fled; it pursued. She had nowhere to escape.
Seeing she couldn’t avoid it any longer, Tu Nan stopped by the wall, raised her hand, and called a halt.
“You can hit me, but spit out the Skill Card first.”
Upon hearing this, the Fairy Tale Compendium retched again and spat out a Skill Card onto the floor, then finally gave Tu Nan a heavy thump with its body.
Fortunately, it knew its limits; the blow only left her a bit sore.
Tu Nan was left breathless from the impact, but had nothing to say.
-After all, she had just fed it toes.
A little attitude was understandable.
As long as it spat out the card, that was enough.
She put the Fairy Tale Compendium away and picked up the Skill Card from the floor.
[Congratulations, Player has obtained Item Card: Foot Massage Once
Description: Use this Item Card to enjoy a foot massage.
Duration: Half an hour.]
……
Tu Nan was at a loss for words. What kind of bizarre Skill was this?
Before she could think of another solution, commotion erupted downstairs again.
-The Soldiers had returned with Bella.
“Layla,” Serenity called to her from downstairs, “Come try on the Glass Slipper.”
She had no choice but to open the door and head downstairs.
Bella had been brought back, her feet wrapped in thick gauze, sobbing in Serenity’s arms.
The dazzling Glass Slipper sat on the coffee table, waiting for her to try it on.
“Good girl, come and try it,” Serenity urged.
Tu Nan walked over in silence, now pinning her hopes on this somewhat nonsensical Skill Card.
She focused her mind, chose to use the Skill Card, then picked up the Glass Slipper from the table and, under Serenity’s urging gaze, tried to slip it onto her foot.
She easily slid her toes in, but when it came to her heel, it was clearly too large. Instinctively, Tu Nan pinched her heel and was surprised to find that the flesh could be squeezed in-her feet now felt like soft clay, able to be molded at will.
So this was what “Foot Massage” meant.
She pinched away the excess flesh at her heel and slipped on the Glass Slipper with ease.
“How is this possible!” Bella screamed in disbelief, her eyes blazing with fury. “I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it!”
Serenity looked a little surprised, but immediately regained her smile. “My dear daughter, it seems you are the Prince’s destined bride. Go on, return to the Royal Palace with them.”
Tu Nan walked to the door, opened it, and showed the Soldiers the Glass Slipper on her foot.
Sure enough, the Soldiers brought her onto the Carriage and headed toward the Royal Palace.
Tu Nan sat in the Carriage. Half an hour later, the Skill Card finally expired, and the Glass Slipper was forcibly squeezed off her foot.
Suddenly, she heard the crisp chirping of Birds outside the Carriage.
“You’ve been deceived by her! She’s not the true owner of the Glass Slipper!”
The Soldiers stopped the Carriage, lifted the curtain, and saw the Glass Slipper rolling to the side.
So Tu Nan was sent back as well.
“She’s not the true owner of the Glass Slipper,” the Soldier said methodically. “Do you have any other daughters?”
Serenity’s eyes darted around. She hesitated and said, “I only have these two daughters.”
At this moment, the father who had gone out finally returned.
“What happened?” he asked gruffly.
The Soldiers explained the situation.
“Why not let Cinderella try it on?” the father said, calling out loudly for Cinderella.
Cinderella, dressed in a dusty gray dress, walked in slowly from the Backyard. Under Bella’s jealous gaze, she took the Glass Slipper and easily slipped it on.
Bella’s jealous eyes blazed with fury, but with her father right beside her, she couldn’t express her anger. She could only glare at Cinderella, wishing she could kill her with her gaze.
“Please come with us to the Palace. You will become the Prince’s bride,” the Soldiers said in unison.
Cinderella looked at her father, a hesitant expression on her face.
“Go on, Cinderella,” her father laughed heartily. “I’m about to have a daughter who will become the Princess Consort!”
Cinderella left with the Soldiers.
[Congratulations, Player, for successfully completing the story performance!
Reward obtained: Ability to understand the language of animals (only valid in the Cinderella Instance)]
Tu Nan was slightly stunned, not expecting such a pleasant surprise.
There were many Birds in Cinderella’s Backyard. She had also heard Birds chirping while in the Carriage-none of this could be a coincidence.
She went alone to Cinderella’s Backyard.
Many Birds were perched on the Tree in the center of the yard, chattering away.
“What is this bad Woman doing here?”
“She must be jealous that Cinderella is going to become the Princess Consort and came here to vent her anger.”
“This wretched Woman even dreams of becoming the Princess Consort. I won’t let her succeed!”
“Of course she can’t become the Princess Consort. The Prince’s bride is destined to be Cinderella,” one Bird said. “Once she becomes the Princess Consort, she’ll never be bullied again.”
“But it seems Cinderella doesn’t like the Prince and doesn’t want to become his bride.”
“That’s only because Cinderella doesn’t realize how outstanding the Prince is!”
Cinderella doesn’t want to be the Prince’s bride?
Tu Nan was stunned.
Cinderella had suffered so much in this family; becoming the Princess Consort was her best chance to escape. Besides, the Prince was handsome, elegant, and noble-there wasn’t a single girl in the kingdom who didn’t want to marry him.
Unless… she wasn’t Cinderella at all, but a…
Player.
“Layla!” the father’s voice suddenly called from afar, roaring in anger, “Why is your room such a mess?!”