Cinderfella [KageHina]

Chapter 7

As Hinata walked down the stairs the next morning, he overheard his stepsisters gossiping about the mysterious stranger who had been dancing with the prince at the ball. Their expressions were filled with a mix of curiosity and envy, their voices tinged with disbelief and admiration.

"Who do you think he is?" one of the stepsisters asked. "I didn't get a good look at him. Could it be a foreign dignitary? A son of a wealthy noble?"

"Who cares! That mysterious person took the prince from me! Oh, I'm so envious!" Yamaguchi whined.

Hinata's heart skipped a beat as he listened to his stepsisters' conversation, his emotions swirling at the mention of the mysterious stranger. He knew it was him they were talking about, and a mix of guilt and satisfaction tugged at his heart.

"Perhaps he was just a peasant," Hinata's stepmother commented with a disdainful sniff. "The prince likely danced with him out of pity."

Hinata's grip tightened on his glass slipper, his knuckles turning white. He couldn't help but feel a sense of protectiveness over his secrets, not wanting to reveal the true identity of the mystery man.

"Whoever he was," Hinata's stepsister sneered, "he was just a passing fancy. Prince Kageyama has no interest in commoners."

Hinata carefully hid the glass slipper underneath the floorboard, ensuring it was well concealed and protected from prying eyes. He knew that this slipper was the only tangible evidence of his night with the prince and wanted to keep it safe, a precious memento of his brief but magical time with him.

As he covered up the floorboard, Hinata couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. The reality of his situation sank back in, and he knew that his fairy tale night was just a memory now.

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Prince Kageyama paces back and forth in his palace, restless and filled with thoughts of the mysterious stranger he danced with at the ball.

He can't shake off the feeling that the stranger left a part of themselves behind, leaving Kageyama with the need to find them again. He gazes out the window, his eyes landing on the cobblestones where they had danced, the memory of that night echoing in his mind.

Prince Kageyama sat on his throne, the glass slipper in his hand. He couldn't stop touching it, running his fingers over the smooth, cool surface of the shoe. His thoughts were consumed with the mystery of the stranger he had danced with and the burning desire to find them again, to learn their name.

"I have to find him," Kageyama whispered to himself, determination and longing seeping into his voice. "Somehow. I just have to."

His eyes narrowed, Kageyama began to formulate a plan. He couldn't just sit around and hope the stranger would show up again. He needed to take action. But what could he do? The kingdom was vast and the mystery person could be anywhere.

He racked his brain, thinking of every possible solution, every method he could use to find this elusive person who had captured his heart.

A thought suddenly struck Prince Kageyama like a lightning bolt, an idea both reckless and daring. He realized that he had a way to find the mystery man, the man he had danced with beneath the glittering chandeliers and starlight.
He knew it was a risk, but the thought of potentially finding the man he'd danced with, it was a risk he was more than willing to take.

With a determined glint in his eyes, Prince Kageyama made a bold decision. He would personally carry out a quest to find the mystery man he danced with. The plan? He would travel around the kingdom, visiting every home, and see if the glass slipper fit anyone there.

Gathering his trusted knights, Prince Kageyama set out on his quest, ready to turn the kingdom upside down to find the person he was desperately seeking.

News of Prince Kageyama's quest quickly spread throughout the land, causing excitement and anticipation to grow amongst the people. Everyone buzzed with speculation. The prince was searching for the owner of the mysterious slipper, someone who had stolen his heart with a single dance.

The journey was arduous, but the prince refused to give up. He visited every home, every village, and every castle, hoping to find his dance partner. Each time the slipper failed to fit, his hope dwindled, but Kageyama's resilience never wavered.

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Prince Kageyama's heart raced as he stood before the last house in the kingdom. This was it. The final stop on his quest. He clutched the glass slipper tightly, every inch of his being hoping, praying that it would fit the person behind this door.

He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and knocked on the door with a resolute hand. The moment of truth had come.