Chapter Sixty-Four

Yingyue stared in terror at the eight strong women slowly approaching her. They showed no concern for her attempts to hide, nor did they feel any sympathy for her fear. Outside the door, Maria heard Yingyue’s frightened cries and the violent shaking of the door behind her. A trace of a sinister smile appeared on her beautiful face, her green eyes glinting with a ghostly light.

This is only the beginning, Lan Yingyue.

Isn’t he always spoiling you, protecting you, shielding you from hardship and toil? Well, I’ll make sure you taste suffering, and endure what you’ve never known.

Inside, the maids methodically dragged the struggling Yingyue away from the door, leading her toward a staircase in the corner of the room.

“What are you doing? Where are you taking me?” Yingyue shouted. “Let me go, let me go!” But no one responded; her cries fell on deaf ears, a song sung to no audience.

The wooden steps groaned beneath her feet with every reluctant movement, each creak echoing like a silent scream from deep within her heart.

After circling the winding staircase several times, they stopped at the top. Two maids unlocked a rusty door, and the two dragging Yingyue flung her inside. Four maids remained at the door, while the others descended the stairs.

“This is where you’ll be living from now on. Your duties will be explained to you later.”

Where she’d be living? Yingyue lifted her head to look around. The space was scarcely a few square meters, coated in dust. At the center lay a wooden plank about a meter long and wide, with a smaller board beside it. There was nothing else.

“This is it? Is this really a place for a person to live?”

“What did you expect? Did you really think you were a princess, destined for a room filled with pink, a grand wooden bed, and lace everywhere?” One maid sneered, casting a disdainful look at Yingyue, her voice dripping with mockery. “Stop dreaming. Just do as you’re told, or else—”

Suddenly, everything went black as a cloth was thrown over Yingyue’s head. In the muffled darkness, she heard the maid’s voice.

“These are your clothes and bedding. Hurry up and get yourself together; there’s work to be done soon. Don’t waste my time—I won’t wait for you.”

With a bang, the wooden door slammed shut, and all was silent.

Yingyue pulled the cloth from her head. Examining it, she saw an old set of bedding and a worn maid’s uniform.

She stared blankly at the items in her hands. After a long moment, a bitter smile crept across her lips. Was this the real-life story of Cinderella? Even the room and clothes matched. Maria must truly love that tale.

Downstairs, in another room, Maria lounged comfortably in a chair, watching the screen as Yingyue gave her self-mocking smile. Maria’s own expression chilled as she laughed softly. “Oh, I do love the story of Cinderella. But,” her smile twisted into malice, “what I love even more is playing the role of your stepsister.”

Meanwhile, in the dilapidated attic, Yingyue tidied the bedding as best as she could, then changed into the maid’s uniform.

Outside the door, a maid called impatiently, “Hurry up! If you waste the young lady’s time, are you prepared to bear the consequences?”

Yingyue forced a bitter smile, opened the door, and said, “Let’s go. I’m ready.”

The maid looked her up and down, sneering coldly. “Born to serve, aren’t you?” Without another glance at Yingyue, she turned and walked downstairs. “Come on.”

Yingyue followed the maid step by step, not knowing what awaited her next.