Emilia almost let out a sigh. The only person who would send such a note was Enrico Michele. Last time she had been on stage at the Duke’s mansion, he hadn’t said a word, and she had no idea what he was up to.
Whether he was holding a grudge or just liked to annoy people, Emilia was relieved that he hadn’t signed his name and took a seat on the opposite side of the bouquet.
“Maybe it’s just a gesture for a ballerina who worked hard?”
“Then it’s meant for all of us?”
“Oh, is that how it works? If it were for an individual, there would have been a name. And who would send such an extravagant bouquet to a member of the corps de ballet and not a lead?”
“Then maybe it’s a mistake? Is this the right dressing room?”
“Yes, I was asked to deliver it to the corps de ballet,”the attendant said before leaving.
The dancers giggled and gathered around the basket, inhaling the floral scent. Receiving such a bouquet was unheard of, so their reactions were purely of amazement.
“Could it be that one of us has a sponsor?”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“But why hide it? Unless it’s from someone we know well.”
Even though the conversation was light, Emilia felt a pang of anxiety. She pretended not to hear and approached the makeup artist, waiting for her turn while glancing at the flower basket with blurred eyes.
As the dancers finished their makeup one by one, they started to warm up, looking out at the darkening sky through the window. Some were even leaning against the window, giggling at the crowd buzzing on the first floor.
Emilia glanced at the audience gathering under the bright lights of the Avalliantee Opera Theater and then moved backstage.
Dancers with important roles were receiving last-minute guidance from the chief choreographer, tying their pointe shoe ribbons tightly. Emilia watched them for a moment before blending in with the corps de ballet.
She applied rosin to her pointe shoes to prevent slipping, rubbing it into the floor as the orchestra’s music filled the theater.
Finally, the curtain rose.
* * *
Since she wasn’t in the lead role, she didn’t receive much attention. Following the advice she received from Sylvia, the sub director, Emilia made sure to match her movements with the other ballerinas, careful not to stand out.
She jumped a bit lower than usual and spun a bit slower than she would in a solo performance. Emilia had to be more attentive than ever, blending harmoniously with those around her. The bright lights shone on the lead performers at the center of the stage.
Emilia, playing the perfect supporting role in the background, couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness despite having chosen this position herself.
After the somewhat unsatisfying performance ended, the hallways and dressing rooms were filled with dancers like Emilia, who were a mix of relieved and regretful. They were greeting and congratulating visitors who had come to support them.
Among the visitors were friends and high-ranking nobles. Suddenly, the buzzing atmosphere quieted down as someone appeared at the entrance.
Sensing something unusual, Emilia, who was chatting with Juliana, turned to look at the visitor.
‘…Why is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince here?’
It was Alessandro Treano who had come backstage. He could have been looking for someone else, but his eyes seemed to be searching for her.
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, their eyes met. Seeing his lips curve upward, Emilia turned away before considering if it was rude.
“Emilia? Where are you going all of a sudden?”
“Oh, I need to go upstairs for a moment.”
Juliana, looking confused, nodded. Emilia quickly moved toward the emergency staircase.
Emilia went up one floor, just in case, and looked around. The staff were busy cleaning up the stage, and the dancers were gathered backstage, so the emergency staircase was empty. Emilia sighed in relief and sat on the stairs.
‘Why did he come here?’
He was holding a bouquet. Was he planning to give it to her? Her, who wasn’t even a lead dancer, but a part of the corps de ballet?
It was exactly the kind of action that could spark rumors. Alessandro had appeared in a very conspicuous way, enough to make her re-evaluate Enrico, who had sent her a flower basket anonymously.
Emilia wiped her cold sweat and pulled her shawl tightly around her.
‘When should I leave? Should I just go to the dressing room and change?’
After a brief contemplation, she decided it would be best to leave quickly. She stood up and headed for the third floor. As she reached for the door, someone opened it from the inside first.
“Ah, there you are.”
It was Alessandro again. Emilia quickly looked behind him.
“There’s no one else here. You left because of the attention, didn’t you?”
“…Could you please step this way for a moment?”
“Sure.”
Entering the emergency staircase, Alessandro’s expression became apologetic.
“Did I make things difficult for you?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that when dancers are seen with someone of high status, it often leads to unwanted misunderstandings.”
“Oh, you mean people might think I’m a sponsor?”
“Yes.”
Alessandro looked at the bouquet he was holding, then let it drop to his side.
“I understand that you want to keep this discreet for now. I’ll take it back.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“But I’m curious about something.”
Emilia looked at Alessandro silently instead of answering.
“Why aren’t you the lead?”
“……What?”
“I don’t know much about ballet, but I can tell that you’re far more skilled than the others. I mean, you’re so good that everyone’s attention was on you instead of the lead.”
If that was true, then she had ruined the performance today. She had tried to control her movements and match the rhythm, but did she still stand out? Emilia blinked her eyes in confusion.
“Was there any unfairness in the process of choosing the lead?”
“No. I auditioned for the ensemble.”
“Why did you do that? Surely you didn’t want to be overlooked?”
“What?”
“If that’s the case, I’ll sponsor you. With your talent, everyone would be lining up to sponsor you, but wouldn’t it look better if I, a royal, did it? And if there’s any injustice, we might as well expose it now.”
Emilia was speechless as she watched him grow increasingly angry. She couldn’t tell him that she was already being sponsored by Enrico. As Alessandro took a step closer, Emilia took a step back with a vague sense of unease.
TL/N: CAN’T HE BACK TF OFF ALREADY:/
“I’m so sorry that I have to keep apologizing to you today. I just want to climb up on my own merits. I appreciate your offer, but I can’t accept it.”
“Ah……. That’s a shame.”
Alessandro really seemed to regret it. He bowed his head and smiled bitterly, then looked at her again.
“I think I overreacted. Of course, you’re strong enough to make it on your own, so I can’t really force you.”
He smiled faintly, as if embarrassed, and slowly took a step back, bowing politely.
“Then I’ll give you these flowers when you get the lead role next time.”
His greeting was so neat that the awkwardness she had felt due to his sudden arrival quickly faded. Emilia also bowed her knees slightly to return the gesture.
Putting aside the worry that he might come back tomorrow.
* * *
The performance continued smoothly.
The problem was that the worry that had been carelessly passed over on the first day of the performance had become a reality. Enrico and Alessandro visited the theater every day Emilia went on stage. They didn’t send flower baskets or show up with bouquets like on the first day, but their presence was inevitably burdensome.
Many people began to notice their repeated visits to the theater.
The newspapers briefly mentioned the successful ballet performance, but the one who was prominently featured was the prince who visited the dressing room.
The audience was abuzz with curiosity about who he was looking for and the bold ballerina who had turned him away, unable to take from him the bouquet he had brought.
“Who do you think His Royal Highness the Prince came to see?”
“Maybe he came in by mistake, considering how quickly he left?”
“With that bouquet? Oh, come on…”
For the dancers, the center of attention was undoubtedly Alessandro. The only saving grace was that Alessandro’s antics were diverting some of the attention away from Enrico.
Emilia was more exhausted by the rumors than by being on stage. She longed for the performance to end as soon as possible.
She was already worried about the next performance, which was a major role.
The performance schedule was very busy. There were four consecutive performances, followed by a week off, and then another four consecutive performances, for a total of eight. In the mornings, there were dress rehearsals, and on non-performance days, there were more rehearsals. Three weeks packed with ballet flew by quickly.
<A performance worthy of the name, watched over by the gods, and who is the lucky woman who has caught their attention?>
In the meantime, ridiculous articles continued to pour in. Sometimes, headlines would be written with royalty being referred to as gods, but that was usually when a scandal was brewing.
The ballet performance was gradually becoming more overshadowed by the royal scandal than by the focus on the stage, and some of the dancers’ expressions began to sour.
It would have been better if the lead dancer had been involved in the scandal, as it would have at least drawn some attention to the ballet, but since no one knew who the other person was, the focus was solely on their (Alessandro and Enrico) visits. The theater, on the other hand, was only happy to have the publicity.
And so, time passed, and the curtain rose on the last day. Today, as always, Enrico and Alessandro occupied their box seats. Emilia, relieved that she wouldn’t have to see them for a while, tried to blend in with the surrounding dancers for the final performance.
“Emilia, someone’s asking for you!”
“Me?”
* * * *
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