<The Woman Who Captured the Heart of a Beautiful Tycoon?>
A scandal erupted that turned society upside down. Newspapers covered the details of Enrico Michele and Vivian Carrent’s date extensively. Their midday meeting was public, their smiles never left their faces, and every detail—from their outfits to the food they ordered—was written about.
Even today, ten days later, the incident continued to make headlines. Emilia tossed the newspaper aside with a bored expression.
It had been a while since she last visited his mansion because of the performance. He hadn’t come to her house either, so it had been a long time since they’d seen each other. When she first saw the article, her mind felt like it stopped for a moment.
‘Again today.’
She didn’t know why she felt this way. Was it because it was absurd that he had claimed not to know the princess and yet was now openly dating her? He had even lied about not planning to get engaged.
‘Yeah, it must be because his lie was so ridiculous that I’m feeling this way.’
If he actually got engaged, it was unclear whether their current contractual relationship could be maintained. She was worried that he might break the contract, so she was definitely frustrated.
Emilia took a deep breath and looked at the opera theater that was getting closer. She didn’t have the luxury to worry about such things anymore. The [La Sylphide] ballet performance was starting today. It was her first time taking on such an important role, so she needed to focus solely on the performance. It didn’t matter whether he got engaged or not.
‘All I have to do is dance, after all.’
Even if he did get engaged, she would still receive the information according to the contract. The image of Enrico turning away, holding another woman’s hand, flashed through her mind. With a slightly hardened expression, Emilia stubbornly stared at the theater. The cool morning air seeped through the crack in the window.
The first day of the performance was always the most hectic. As Emilia sat getting her makeup done, she kept running through the performance in her mind. Thanks to her promotion to an important role, she now shared a dressing room with only one other person, unlike the group dressing room she had used for group dances, which allowed her to quietly focus on mentally rehearsing.
She had been repeatedly going over the moves in her head when a knock on the door gradually brought her out of her thoughts.
“Emilia, you’ve received a flower delivery.”
“Oh… Thank you.”
Emilia quietly looked down at the bouquet placed before her. Luckily, her dressing room companion was indifferent to such things and didn’t pay attention to the flowers. The makeup artist, nearly finished with her work, told her to quickly check who sent them, but soon got busy with her next client, leaving the bouquet unnoticed.
She fiddled with the ribbon tied around the bouquet before picking up the card attached to it. As she opened it, a red rose petal that had been tucked inside fluttered to the floor.
_May your value rise ever higher._
Emilia let out a small laugh as she read the card. That word, “value,” seemed like it would follow her until her dying day. Was this a reminder not to forget her place? She thought she had become numb to it, but hearing it again after so long made her chest feel tight.
With cold eyes, Emilia stared at the card before crumpling it in her hand. The now unrecognizable card quickly fell into the trash.
‘Let’s just focus on the ballet today.’
If she got distracted, it could lead to an injury. Trying to clear her mind as much as possible, Emilia closed her eyes again. In the distance, the bell signaling entrance could be heard. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
How much time had passed? A voice from the hallway called for her to stand by. Slowly, her emerald-colored eyes opened, calmly gazing ahead before she turned her head.
* * *
The sound of the orchestra captivating the audience filled the entire hall. Then, as the curtain rose, the performance began with a scene where the fairy Sylph suddenly appeared and danced beside the sleeping male protagonist.
Emilia waited in the wings, quietly watching Christina dance gracefully like a fairy in her pure white ballerina costume. While waiting for her turn, Emilia busied herself by rubbing rosin powder on her pointe shoes and stretching her ankles. When the preceding act exited, she prepared to go on stage.
A happy smile spread across Emilia’s previously expressionless face as the powerful stage lights poured over her. Although there were several group dances, Emilia had the opportunity to fully showcase her talent during her solo performances. She didn’t hold back in her jumps, nor did she hesitate to lift her legs high. The audience’s attention naturally gravitated toward her as she spun precisely without losing her position.
As the story progressed, there were mime movements and expressions to perform, but Emilia executed them flawlessly. The audience’s satisfaction grew, and more eyes began to follow Emilia rather than the lead dancer, Christina.
After her act ended, Christina, who had been watching Emilia dance from the wings, anxiously bit her lower lip. She had given her best performance and was more satisfied than ever. Yet, the moment she saw Emilia dance, a deep sense of defeat crept up her spine. It was as if she had stepped into a muddy swamp, and her mood sank rapidly. She tried to focus on the performance and not get caught up in other thoughts, but the more she watched Emilia steal the spotlight, the more furious she became.
‘I’m the lead, so why do I feel like a mere extra?’
Christina took a deep breath, trying to steady her shallow, trembling breaths.
‘…No. I shouldn’t think like this.’
It was only the first day of the performance. If she kept giving her all, the spotlight would eventually shift back to her, and she would firmly establish herself as the lead. If she let these negative thoughts consume her, even her well-practiced movements could falter, so it was best to focus solely on the stage.
Christina gritted her teeth and waited for her turn. Soon, as Emilia returned to the wings, the stage was handed over to Christina.
As the performance neared its end, the contrast between the scenes of the male protagonist despairing over the dying Sylph and the female protagonist, Effie, marrying another village young man, brought the show to a successful close.
Clap clap clap!
A wave of applause soon erupted from the audience. The dancers went out one by one for the curtain call, and Emilia followed, taking a deep breath as she slowly looked around at the audience.
She noticed Alessandro standing in the central box, applauding, but quickly averted her gaze to avoid meeting his eyes. Her attention then caught on the box seat where Enrico always sat.
“…!”
Next to Enrico sat a woman with neatly styled black hair. Even from a distance, the woman’s elegant appearance was clear, her golden eyes shining like lights between her smiling eyes.
‘Could that be… the princess?’
For a moment, Emilia thought she might have seen wrong. But it was indeed Enrico’s box seat, and though the figure was partially hidden by the curtain, what caught her attention more was the woman whose face was lit up with laughter, so much so that her expression was clearly visible even from a distance.
She felt her body, which had been warm just moments ago, grow cold. Strangely, her heart began to race anxiously.
* * *
For the past few days, Emilia felt as though her patience was being tested. Enrico, who suddenly hinted that he might get engaged, and Christina, who kept glaring at her and disrupting her movements, constantly distracted her and broke her concentration.
The one silver lining, if it could be called that, was that Enrico hadn’t brought the princess with him again after the first day, not even to the final performance of the week. Since Enrico only attended the performances on the days she was on stage, Emilia was worried that if the two had kept showing up together she would somehow feel unsettled and eventually lose her concentration.
‘…Should I ask him seriously once the performance is over? Whether our contract will remain unchanged even if he gets engaged?’
As soon as she had the thought, she felt a sudden tightness in her chest, but it passed quickly. Emilia rubbed her stomach and tilted her head.
‘Did I eat something bad?’
She decided that when she got home, she would drink a warm cup of tea and go straight to bed. Her body felt worse than usual, likely due to the tension she had been carrying throughout the week.
A gentle breeze brushed through her slightly damp hair. Although she had just washed up, the night air wasn’t cold; it was actually quite pleasant. As Emilia walked toward the waiting carriage, she gazed up at the distant sky.
The moon, large and round, was shining so brightly tonight that it seemed to reflect her innermost thoughts.
‘I suppose I should prepare myself mentally, shouldn’t I?’
For the possibility that Enrico might get engaged soon.
He had said at the opera ball that he wasn’t considering engagement…
‘…Did he actually say that?’
Her eyes, darkened by the shadows of the night, widened in confusion. As she stared into the air, trying to recall the memory, her expression gradually hardened.
He never really gave a clear answer.’
* * * *
If you want to support the Translator, Translator’s Ko-Fi:
