Chapter 24: The Rose Prince’s Banquet

Life went on. Although he had a mission, the Prince of the Deep Blue Kingdom had long since vanished; where else could a prince be found to host a ball? Mu Rongxun couldn't possibly drag this girl thousands of miles away to attend a banquet in another kingdom. He might not care, but the girl had to be willing! She would likely mistake him for a human trafficker.

He continued his search for transcendents in the city.

"Hey, have you heard? The prince from the neighboring kingdom is coming to awaken the sleeping princess!" the people around him gossiped.

"That's not all!" another person immediately chimed in. "It’s not just the Rose Prince who is coming; the Rose King and Queen are coming with him as well—what a massive procession!"

"Say, if the Rose Prince really does awaken the princess, does that mean we’ll become subjects of the Rose Kingdom?"

Some were unwilling. They could accept a foreigner as their king, but the idea of their own country being annexed by another was a different matter entirely.

Mu Rongxun, standing nearby, felt a stir in his heart; he knew that this prince was likely the one hosting the banquet. However, for a prince of a neighboring kingdom to arrive with his King and Queen in such a grand, ostentatious manner, the motives were clearly not so simple. Of course, this had nothing to do with him, so he simply listened. At worst, he would just secure an invitation and sneak Cinderella in. Besides, Cinderella was meant to attend anyway; he only needed to ensure the original trajectory of events remained intact.

His primary concern remained how to leave this Fantasy Wonderland. It would be fine if the others completed their missions, but he feared they were as trapped as he was, unable to leave. If the main quest remained unfinished, they would never return to the Magic Tower. Surely they couldn't just stay here forever and die of old age?

"Aladdin, you're acting up again!" a passerby teased. "You? Wanting to awaken the princess?"

"Don't look down on me! Once I find the magic lamp my father left behind, I will definitely be able to awaken the sleeping princess!" a childish, defiant voice replied.

"Your father was indeed impressive in his youth, but he was killed by the Forty Thieves long ago, and his immense wealth was plundered. Now, you’re just a poor brat!" the crowd mocked him.

When Ali Baba was alive, they lived in luxury and excess, and the others could only envy them. But now that Ali Baba was dead and his son, Aladdin, was nothing but a pauper, they felt entitled to mock him to their heart's content.

"Aladdin?" Hearing the familiar name, Mu Rongxun turned to look. He saw a frail boy in simple, patched clothing, yet there was a vibrant spark of intelligence in his eyes.

The name Aladdin was legendary in his childhood. How many people had dreamed of the Magic Lamp? As a child, his greatest wish was to possess a lamp that could grant his heart's desires. But wait—Aladdin’s father was Ali Baba? Why did that feel wrong? Mu Rongxun felt a sense of unease, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. And what was this about the Forty Thieves?

While he was lost in thought, he didn't notice Aladdin walking away. By the time he regained his focus and wanted to greet him, Aladdin was already gone.

That night, after returning home, Cinderella came to chat with Mu Rongxun and mentioned the matter. She expressed a sense of longing for the prince; after all, every girl dreams of marrying one. Mu Rongxun listened quietly, only speaking occasionally. Most of the time, it was the girl talking about mundane, everyday trifles. She was optimistic and positive, always facing life with a smile. Being around her made one feel cheerful.

That day, the grand procession finally entered the city. The people of the Rose Kingdom had arrived. Everyone in the city scrambled to catch a glimpse of what the legendary Rose Prince looked like. Among them were Cinderella’s stepmother and two stepsisters, who had all rushed out. After seeing the Rose Prince, they were left spellbound.

Legend had it that on the day the Rose Prince was born, the entire country bloomed with roses, which was why the King renamed the land the Rose Kingdom. He was born with striking beauty and was admired by countless young maidens. Many princesses from other lands had sought to marry him, but he had refused them all. This time, having heard the story of the sleeping princess, he had taken the initiative to come and see for himself.

In the evening, at the dining table, the stepmother and her two daughters were excitedly discussing everything they had seen that day. They were eating bread, roasted meat, and drinking wine, while Cinderella, dressed in plain rags like a servant, stood to the side, listening, watching them eat, and serving them. She thought of the young prince she had seen earlier. Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, he was so beautiful, as dazzling as the stars in the sky, while she was just a poor girl who had lost her mother. She wanted to be close to him, yet she was afraid.

"Pour the wine!" Seeing Cinderella lost in thought, the stepmother frowned in displeasure and slammed her crystal glass onto the table.

"Ah!" Startled, Cinderella snapped back to reality and hurriedly poured the wine from the bottle.

"Clumsy fool!" the elder stepsister mocked as usual, gracefully cutting a piece of meat with her knife while looking smugly at her nominal sister. "Oh, you are so useless! They say the Prince is holding a grand ball and has invited all the young ladies in the city, but it's a pity there's no place for you."

The second sister chimed in, her words equally cruel. Watching Cinderella’s timid demeanor, the stepmother’s temper flared. She slammed her glass down on the table. "You useless thing, you waste, you trash! You can't even do the simplest task. Go back and reflect on yourself; no dinner for you tonight!"

The vicious verbal abuse continued, and even after Cinderella left the dining room, she could still hear the voices trailing behind her. She could no longer hold back her grievances, and tears streamed down her face. In that moment, even though she was in her own home, she felt profoundly helpless, filled with an unspoken sense of loneliness. Thinking of the traveler who was always willing to listen to her and never mocked her, she found herself walking toward him as if driven by some mysterious force. Remembering her mother’s words, she wiped away her tears; she couldn't let anyone see her in such a pathetic state—she had to show her happy side.

When Mu Rongxun looked up at the sky from his small courtyard, Cinderella arrived. Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, he knew she had been mistreated. In truth, she only ever came to him when she was unhappy. Yet, even when she was sad, she tried hard to comfort others and hide her own distress. She was truly a beautiful girl who made one's heart ache.

"You haven't eaten, have you?" He knew she was often punished by her stepmother with hunger.

Cinderella wanted to say she had, but her stomach growled uncontrollably.

"Wait a moment." Mu Rongxun turned back into his house and cooked a few dishes for her. "Eat."

If he couldn't change her circumstances, he would at least be kind to her. This was an unusual world, and the dark forces were far too dense; Mu Rongxun feared that if he weren't careful, she might succumb to corruption. Though he hadn't found any transcendents these past few days, he had gradually begun to understand the nature of this Fantasy Wonderland. It wasn't entirely clear, but he had a hunch. Now, all that was left was to verify his guess.

"Th-thank you!" The starving girl thanked him and began to eat. Watching the girl wolf down the food, it was clear how hungry she truly was. It was understandable, given that she went from feast to famine while doing heavy labor every day.

"This is your home. Why don't you tell your father?" Mu Rongxun asked in confusion. "They are merely outsiders; you are the mistress of this house."

"No, I can't!" Cinderella shook her head quickly. "She... she is the sister of the Chief Tax Officer. It would be bad if Father argued with her."

"Oh." Mu Rongxun nodded. So that was how it was. He didn't know what a Chief Tax Officer was, but he could guess from the title.

"I'm so full!" Seeing the girl pat her stomach with a look of pure happiness after finishing the meal, Mu Rongxun felt a complicated emotion. His own relatives were gone, and he only had his aunt's family, but their bond was distant. He couldn't quite understand Cinderella’s mindset. If it were him facing such treatment, he would have drawn his blade long ago—he would never have given anyone the chance to bully him.

"I heard the Prince is going to host a banquet. If only I could go!" the girl sighed, looking up at the sky.

"You want to attend the banquet?" Mu Rongxun looked at her with a strange expression.

"I don't really know, but I just want to go out and see, to go somewhere where they aren't," Cinderella said with a dazed look in her eyes. She was still young and had no concept of romance; she was just simple-minded and curious because she had heard others talking about it. Having only seen the prince once, it wasn't love at first sight.

"You will definitely be able to go," Mu Rongxun smiled. "Leave the banquet to me. I will make sure you get your wish."

He had to be careful; this was an elimination mission. One slip-up and he might just cease to exist. Regardless of the motive, Mu Rongxun knew he had to handle this affair perfectly.