The prince invited Cinderella to return to the country with him, but Cinderella, afraid he’d discover she was disguised as a man, politely declined.
The prince, however, insisted repeatedly, leaving her no choice but to pretend to agree while planning to slip away quietly.
To her surprise, the next morning, a caravan awaited her outside. The prince himself stepped down from a carriage and escorted her up.
No choice, Cinderella had to ride back with the prince in the same carriage.
As they arrived at the palace, a group of nobles and officials lined up to welcome her. The king had prepared a banquet in her honor.
When the king asked what reward she desired, Cinderella replied that she wished for nothing but a home for orphans.
The king readily agreed, praising her kindness.
Cinderella was very happy and gradually felt more at ease, but soon became nervous again.
Someone offered her a drink, how could she possibly drink alcohol? Just one sip made her cough repeatedly.
A nobleman sneered, “Who would have thought our great hero can’t hold his drink, like a woman!”
A noblewoman chimed in, “I think he is a woman!”
Cinderella was taken aback, unsure of what had given her away.
The prince, already suspicious of her, asked, “Why would you say that?”
“He claims to be a man, but he has no beard!” said the noblewoman.
The prince took a look and thought, “That’s right!”
Quick-witted, Cinderella replied, “I’m young; my beard hasn’t grown in yet.”
The noblewoman pressed on, “You say you’re a man, but your voice is softer than a woman’s!”
The prince thought again, “That’s right!”
Cinderella quickly added, “I’m still young and haven’t gone through voice changes.”
The noblewoman was about to retort when a voice interrupted, “Enough. I vouch that he’s a man. He’s just young and handsome, and you’re all making wild claims that he’s a woman!”
Everyone turned to see it was the duke. The noblewoman was visibly unconvinced but didn’t dare argue further. She curtsied to the duke and walked away.
Cinderella let out a sigh of relief and was about to thank the duke for his intervention, only to hear him kindly ask, “Would you like to marry my daughter?”
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