Cinderella arched a brow and clapped her hands together.
"Viviana always claims I'm the one who hurt you, that you’re a bit afraid of me, but that's not the case at all! What does that indecisive girl know?!"
He truly wasn't afraid—at least, Faust would never admit to being scared.
So, Faust nodded calmly. "I'm indeed not afraid."
"Right!"
Cinderella beamed. She took the Prince of Qingxi's hand in both of hers, pressing it to her chest, and tilted her exquisite face up toward him.
"So, when I heard you say I was cute, I was so happy. Faust, light of my life, fire of my loins... don't you think she's being a bit too much?"
The blonde girl chuckled with disdain. "Her heart is driven mad with desire for you, filled with countless delusions, yet she pretends to be pure and proper. What a total hypocrite."
Was she really insulting herself like that?
Faust was stunned. The girl before him was Viviana, yet not Viviana; what Cinderella was saying were actually the words Viviana buried at the bottom of her heart.
Cinderella leaned her cheek closer. "Right? Your Highness agrees, doesn't he?"
Fine, she was waiting for him here. Issuing a lethal question at the slightest provocation—Viviana, you really have some tricks up your sleeve.
But who was Faust? Facing such a question, he remained calm and composed.
He knitted his brows, feigning deep thought, and said, "I don't think you can put it that way. Viviana has a different style than yours. You both have your own unique charms."
"Viviana looks cold and piercing from afar, but noble and elegant up close. She possesses undeniable first-class looks and character, yet she doesn't use her advantages to show off."
"She maintains a distance, using subtle conversation to define the relationship, drawing people in until they are hopelessly addicted. But she isn't actually cold; she's just not good at expressing herself."
"Cool, calm, and melancholic, without any unnecessary performance. Stripped of decoration, she retains her purity."
"The more you interact with her, the more you discover the girl's shy and moving qualities. It’s only then you realize you aren't facing a heartless iceberg, but a charming, verdant mountain."
"In short, she's hardcore and unpandering! A masterpiece to be admired from a distance, never defiled!"
As Faust poured out his flawless praise, the smile on Cinderella’s face grew richer. She raised her hand like a student in class.
"What about me? What about me!"
Faust hesitated. "Well... I've spent too little time with you to give a proper description yet. So, would you please allow me to fall for you first?"
"Is that so? I see... Well, I suppose there's no helping it then."
Flowing smiles rippled across the blonde girl’s face like a spring breeze over a lake. It was an expression Viviana would never normally make, yet it seemed natural and relaxed now.
She lunged forward and hugged Faust, pressing herself against his chest, intoxicated as she inhaled the mellow, charming scent of her lover.
Sigh, as expected.
Faust sighed inwardly at the sight.
When he had called Cinderella out, he had already prepared himself mentally. At worst, they would just have another round!
If that was the only way to satisfy Cinderella's romantic heart, then he would simply have to see it through to the end!
Moreover, the current Prince of Qingxi was not the same man he used to be. He might not necessarily have to fear Cinderella anymore!
Today would be the day he cleared his previous shame!
The prince's gaze turned resolute as he skillfully reached out his hand.
Noticing Faust's movement, Cinderella looked up in confusion.
"Your Highness, are you planning to get intimate? Isn't that a bit too rushed?"
Faust was surprised. "You don't want to?"
Cinderella deliberately puffed out one cheek and crossed her arms. "Of course not! I don't want to be thought of as some lustful, frivolous woman!"
"..."
Doesn't want to be thought of as lustful...?
Faust recalled their three months together.
On the sofa, on the bed, in the dining room, in the bathroom... Stop making me laugh!
"Pfft—"
Faust quickly covered his mouth with his hand, using every ounce of strength to keep a straight face, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Don't laugh... I can't freaking laugh right now!
If I laugh here, my life is over, isn't it?
Fortunately, Cinderella didn't mind Faust holding back his laughter. She was completely immersed in her own fantasy, interlacing her fingers as she paced around the room.
"Let's go on a date! During those months, we stayed in that basement the whole time. We know every inch of each other's bodies, but we've never gone on a proper date."
"That's a good suggestion."
Faust readily agreed. Regardless, this was much easier than a fierce battle. Who knew if Cinderella might lose control again? The prince was taking a risk by agreeing.
So, Cinderella excitedly grabbed Faust's arm, and the two walked out of the sleeping quarters.
Cinderella planned to stroll through the streets of the royal capital, saying she wanted to experience a normal person's date: shopping, watching a movie, drinking coffee, having dinner together, and finally watching a romantic fireworks show.
Faust guessed she had read all of this in romance novels. She would secretly...
Well, it wasn't even a secret. Sometimes she would blatantly put a serious book cover on a romance novel. Faust saw it but never called her out.
As they passed through the courtyard, their hurried steps slowed down involuntarily.
There was no other reason than the fact that in the garden, the old king was sitting in a wheelchair chatting, while the man pushing the wheelchair was a burly man with blonde hair and a golden beard, possessing the aura of a lion.
Count Roselin, Viviana's father and the old king's closest friend.
"Father!"
"Father."
Faust and Cinderella stepped forward to greet them.
The old king glanced at them and said hesitantly, "Are you two... planning to go out?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Count Roselin gave a hearty laugh and said to the king, "Your Majesty, I told you that young people's minor squabbles always end with them staying together. Relationships have to be tempered like this. Our children are just like we were when we were young."
The lion-like burly man looked at the Prince of Qingxi and said, "And Faust has done well for himself. I heard you've even invited that elf martial saint to be a guest consultant and even learned a move or two from her? Good lad, how about a spar with me? Let me see what's so special about this elven martial art."
Faust didn't quite know how to handle this incredibly open-minded uncle, but before he could speak, Cinderella spoke up.
"Father, Mystoria is right here in the palace. If you want to spar, you can go find her directly. I doubt a famous martial saint would refuse a warrior's request."
"Well... let's skip that."
Count Roselin wiped the sweat from his forehead. "That elf... you can tell just by looking at her that she's terrifyingly strong. The way she hits an Apprentice is different from how she'd hit an old bag of bones like me. She’d really fight to the death."
"Look at you!"
The old king slapped the armrest of his wheelchair, huffing and puffing. "You only know how to bully the weak. If I were younger, I would have dared to challenge that elf. I could have lasted at least a hundred rounds!"
Count Roselin immediately retorted, "A hundred rounds? There's a gap even between 【hero】 ranks. Fifty rounds would be impressive."
"Then seventy rounds..."
"Even in your prime, sixty rounds at most..."
"..."
Cinderella interjected, "Actually, you wouldn't last a single move."
Seeing the two old men arguing like children, even if they were her elders, the girl became impatient. She lightly lifted the hem of her skirt and said, "I've given you the correct answer, so could you please move out of the way?"
Rate on N.U.
