The next day was the opening day of the orphanage.
Still thinking about the little girl, Cinderella woke up before dawn, finished her chores, disguised herself as Cedric , and rushed to the orphanage.
To her surprise, the prince had arrived even earlier.
Cinderella couldn’t wait and asked, “Where’s the little girl? How is she doing?”
The prince looked puzzled. “How do you know about the little girl?”
Realizing she had slipped up, Cinderella quickly said, “I met a young lady on my way here, and she told me about her.”
The prince pressed, “Where is that young lady now?”
“She left after telling me,” Cinderella replied hastily.
Just then, the little girl came running out, holding a toy in her hands, a smile lighting up her face. She looked much happier compared to the night before, clearly well cared for by the prince.
The little girl stared at Cinderella, who was disguised as a man, and after a long pause, she timidly said, “You look like the fairy sister from last night.”
Cinderella wanted to admit it, but she couldn’t.
“I’m not that sister,” she said softly. “But I will be just as kind to you. From now on, this will be your home. You won’t go hungry or cold anymore. Look, this is your little bed…”
Cinderella held the girl’s hand and gave her a tour of the orphanage.
…
When the Cedric Orphanage officially opened its doors, Cinderella had prepared bread and blankets to distribute at the entrance to those in need. She also planned to welcome any homeless children she encountered.
A steady stream of people arrived—some came for the bread and blankets, while others kindly brought homeless children to the orphanage.
Before long, Cinderella realized that the bread and blankets she had prepared weren’t enough. While she was worrying, the prince reassured her, “I’ve already prepared more.”
He directed his servants to bring out additional supplies of bread and blankets.
Cinderella said happily, “Your Highness is indeed thoughtful. This place is quite remote, and today is the first day the orphanage is open. I thought there wouldn’t be many people, so I didn’t prepare much. I never expected so many to come. What’s even more surprising is that kind-hearted people brought homeless children here. I was planning to search the whole city myself. How did they know? It’s a bit strange.”
The prince simply smiled without answering.
His servant said, “The prince had announcements posted all over the city early this morning. The notices told everyone that they could come here for free bread and blankets, and that anyone who brought a homeless child would receive a reward.”
Cinderella gratefully said, “So it was the prince who helped so much!”
Seeing Cinderella so happy and the children finding a home, the prince felt that he had done something truly meaningful.
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