Although the prince stood them up once, the girls in town still came to the second banquet in high spirits.

Who knows, maybe one of them will be the lucky one chosen by the prince.

Girls dressed in their finest attire entered the palace one after another.

They were secretly comparing and competing with each other, while their beloved prince was riding in a carriage on his way to the palace.

Back in the palace, Xia Linyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the guards hadn't come looking for her, she probably would have missed the banquet again tonight.

The image of the head guard seeing her imprisoned in a room, dressed in a magnificent gown, is truly indescribable.

The table was once again covered with vibrant roses and exquisite cakes and desserts. Although the pastries were tempting, not many girls actually ate them. They didn't want their carefully chosen corsets to burst open.

Just as the girls were eagerly anticipating the event, the main character of the banquet finally made his appearance, and His Highness the Prince, dressed in a blue tailcoat, entered the hall.

Handsome, elegant, and noble!

Xia Linyin's appearance was like a drop of water falling into a hot oil pan. All the girls' minds were stirred. They looked at the prince entering with admiration, but they also tried their best to suppress their beating hearts, lest they do something unladylike.

Xia Linyin walked to the dining table, poured herself a glass of wine, and looked towards the door. Cinderella would come after seeing her note, wouldn't she?

Seeing that His Highness the Prince had been quietly enjoying his wine alone since entering, many girls began to boldly approach Xia Linyin.

They approached with anticipation and excitement to talk, but then retreated to the side in disappointment.

Although the conversation with the prince was pleasant, it was clear that he had no intention of inviting them to dance.

His Highness gave off a polite yet distant feeling; he was such a gentleman that they couldn't possibly have any other thoughts.

Gradually, more and more girls were rejected, and everyone wondered what kind of girl would catch the prince's interest and be invited to dance with him.

Just then, Cinderella, dressed in a blue dress, walked into the hall.

She was so beautiful, her light golden curls cascading naturally down her back without any adornment, her small, unadorned face even more beautiful than any carefully applied makeup.

Her dress was a deep blue, like the ocean, with layers of skirts adorned with fluttering butterflies. As she walked, the sheer skirt flowed like water.

Her appearance instantly overshadowed the other girls; even the most beautiful rose in the vase couldn't compare to her.

The girls looked at Cinderella with envy and resentment, who had stolen all the limelight the moment she appeared. How could they not know that there was such a beautiful girl in Alice Town? Where did this noble lady come from? Why had they never seen her before?

Her dress is so beautiful; it must be that dress that makes her look so pretty. Oh no, I wonder if His Highness will fall for her because of it.

After the initial amazement, a deep sense of crisis followed, and they all wondered how the prince would react upon seeing this girl.

The girls quickly looked at the prince, and sure enough, a genuine smile appeared on his handsome face, not just a polite one.

Charlene took a rose from the vase and went to greet her. "Cinderella, you're here. I don't know how sad I was when you didn't come last time."

"You look so beautiful tonight." Charlene looked intently at Cinderella, sniffed the rose in her hand, and then handed it to Cinderella.

Cinderella didn't glance at the vibrant roses, or even at Charlene, her gaze searching the hall.

She had only gone out for a short while, and when she returned, she found that Miss Agatha was gone, leaving only a note telling her to come to the party and to look forward to seeing her in her new dress.

But why didn't we see Miss Agatha in the main hall?

"What are you looking for, Cinderella?"

The prince's deliberately lowered, deep voice reached her ears again, and Cinderella suddenly had a flash of inspiration, looking at Charlene. The languid and noble Miss Agatha, whom she admired, and the prince, whom she disliked yet couldn't help but save...

Cinderella stared intently at Xia Linyin. Suddenly, as if she had seen something, she narrowed her eyes, then smiled and took the roses from Xia Linyin's hand.

As she inhaled the fragrance of the roses, she stared at Xia Linyin directly and blatantly, her undisguised gaze filled with aggression. "Your Highness must be very cute when you're dressed as a woman."

Xia Linyin was taken aback. Had Cinderella figured something out?

However, Cinderella was already prepared for this; she knew it was only a matter of time. Charlene smiled and asked, "Am I not cute when I'm dressed as a man?"

Cinderella didn't answer the question. She stepped forward and whispered in Charlene's ear, "Your Highness, your lip is cut."

"I kissed a woman last night, and her lips tasted as sweet as honey. I accidentally bit her lip."

Cinderella's gaze fell on Charlene's lips, and she said innocently, "Why is Your Highness's lip injured? It's in the same spot I bit."

Xia Linyin blushed and subconsciously licked her lips.

Cinderella's eyes darkened, and her lips almost touched Charlene's ear. "Is it fun, Your Highness?"

"You lied to me," she announced, enunciating each word clearly, her calm voice revealing neither joy nor anger.

Charlene could sense that Cinderella was angry, and immediately, with a strong survival instinct, said, "No! Cinderella, I disguised myself as Miss Agatha just to get close to you. Believe me, neither the prince nor Agatha ever intended to deceive you or toy with you."

"Cinderella, I truly love you."

Charlene spoke sincerely, and seeing a slight wavering in Cinderella's expression, she put one hand behind her back, bent slightly, and extended her other hand, "Cinderella, may I invite you to dance?"

After hesitating for a moment, Cinderella placed her hand in Charlene's palm.

To the strains of the melodious music, the two embraced and twirled, Cinderella's skirt billowing in graceful arcs.

The prince's gaze was so affectionate, almost overwhelming, but Cinderella still felt a sense of unreality.

When their eyes meet, she always feels like the prince is looking at someone through her pupils.

After the dance ended, Xia Linyin suddenly knelt down on one knee, took out a ring from her pocket, and proposed, "Marry me, Cinderella."