Cinderella's Fate | 🤍 seongjoong 🤍

Chapter 3

Seonghwa's POV

The market was in full swing by the time I arrived, people were shouting at the top of their lungs to advertise their carts, others jostling in the huge crowd, and I was barely passing through. The smell of the food was clearly attracting the masses to this place, which wasn't surprising as it was the best palace to get good and money-friendly food.

I was given weird stares from the tourists of the village, who I knew came here to spend a peaceful holiday without having to pay a lot. But the market people, who frequented this place as much as the day could allow, knew me as the guy with a long cloak that you couldn't see his face. Long title, so they just called me long cloak, removing my anxiety of giving out my personal name. Which would have got me into more trouble that I can handle, so this nickname was fine by me. And since the name was given, they approached me more, and I became part of the unknown market family.

I avoided the curious and fearful tourist because past accidents had taught me that people can be more physical when they felt threatened, even when I knew the village people will have come to my rescue.

I don't want to deal with more hostile people, I have one at home.

At some point, I was able to get far away from the crowd, and I was able to begin my shopping spree, well more like a stroll. Tasting samples, buying things that I didn't need, chatting among the market sellers, recommending a few favourites to market shoppers and so on. So, by the time I bought all the ingredients, to last a long time, it was time to head home.

Knowing that I had to hurry up, I picked up my pace and listed the amount of chores I had to do : finish all the rest of the chores on the list, making some food for when my brothers were to come back, masking sure to air our madame's room etc cetera.

But I stopped abruptly when I heard a voice, similar to the madame voice, and due to panic and fear, surely you would have done the same thing, I went into hiding.

I looked up from my spot and it was her.

What was the madame doing here in the village?

Did her visit end abruptly ?

Why didn't she head straight home?

Watching her from afar, I noticed she was talking to someone different. I knew all of her 'friends', as she always wanted everyone in the house to know who she was befriending so that you would not embarrass her if they were to make surprise visits.

Remember Seonghwa, I'm allowing to live in this house only because your presence will not slander my name.

Suspicions arose when I saw that she had worn a mask over her face and was talking to a woman that was dressed in the same way that she was. It was broad daylight in a hot summer day, and what was she trying to hide? Since her health was perfectly fine when she left and, being vain as she was, she wouldn't be caught dead, looking anything else than perfect.

Also, she wasn't supposed to be here.

The two women were walking away from the market, and I decided that the best course of action was to follow them. However, my voice of reason, that sounded suspiciously like Yeosang, was telling me not to, and in this situation I ignored like I would have done if my brother was here in front of me,

However, I couldn't carry all these bags along with me.

Knowing that at some point I will have to hide or run fast enough, I needed to make sure that the bags were safely placed with someone, so I went to the most trusted person in the market: Chris; and then left my bags there and secondly, I need to make sure that the cloak wasn't covering my shoes, so it will not make me fall face flat on the floor; I gathered some of the cloth into my black boots, before I began to blending in with the crowd, making sure that I keep my eyes on them at all times.