TL/N: FOR YOUR REFERENCE: THE CHAPTER’S ACTUAL TITLE WAS “그저 예쁘게만” WHICH LITERALLY MEANS “TO JUST BE PRETTY” BUT I’VE CHANGED IT TO “JUST STANDING THERE LOOKING PRETTY” TO MATCH WITH THE CHAP’S CONTEXT.
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Looking back, when she asked him while they were dancing, he had said he wasn’t busy because of the engagement, but after that, he didn’t give a definite answer. He just kept asking if it bothered her and why she was bringing it up. Emilia let out a dry laugh and rubbed her forehead.
She arrived in front of the carriage but didn’t feel like getting in right away. Why had she assumed he wasn’t getting engaged? Had he been thinking about it all along?
Emilia bitterly lowered her hand and slowly grasped the carriage handle.
“I think I’m overreacting. Maybe it’s because I’m just tired.”
She could just talk to him, but she kept focusing on the engagement. No matter who he got engaged to, what did it have to do with her?
Emilia furrowed slightly and opened the carriage door.
“What’s got you thinking so hard?”
But to think that the person she had been thinking about thinking about all this time would appear before her eyes. She couldn’t understand why he was inside the carriage. For a moment, she wondered if she had gotten into the wrong carriage, but a quick glance around confirmed it was indeed the one she always took.
“It’s the carriage going to your house. Just get in already.”
Well, he did show up at her house without notice so why not the carriage? Emilia swallowed a sigh and climbed in.
“Do you have practice again tomorrow?”
As soon as Emilia sat across from him, Enrico asked and tapped the coachman’s seat, signaling him to go. Feeling the slow movement of the carriage, Emilia turned her gaze to the window and opened her mouth.
“Yes.”
For some reason, she felt uncomfortable looking straight at him, so she continued staring out the window, but all she saw was darkness and her own reflection.
“Aren’t you overdoing it? How’s your ankle?”
“…Yes?”
Despite her efforts to avoid looking at him, her gaze immediately snapped back to him.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Oh, I didn’t think you’d remember, so I was a little surprised.”
“Why would you assume I wouldn’t?”
Well, he certainly was very attached to his belongings. Emilia felt a bitter taste in her mouth.
“You complained about pain in Vacorta but I don’t think that you actually got a medical treatment, right?”
“Yes. But I was planning to get it checked after the performance.”
“And when is the performance over?”
“…In December.”
His face tilted slightly, and his violet eyes, which seemed to stretch to the sides, narrowed.
“December?”
His displeasure was evident as his brows furrowed, making her lick her dry lips. His gaze briefly dropped to her lips before returning to her eyes.
“To be honest, it doesn’t hurt anymore. That’s why I didn’t feel the need to get it checked right away.”
“If it doesn’t hurt, what was the problem that day?”
“That day, I think I just sprained my ankle a little when I suddenly got up… But it hasn’t happened since.”
He straightened his head, looking unconvinced. With his sharp eyebrows, slightly lowered eyes, and sharp nose bridge, he exuded a strange combination of laziness and sharpness, as though he could catch any lie. Faced with his intense presence, Emilia closed her mouth and said nothing more.
“…December is too far away. Get it checked after this performance.”
“Yes.”
It was a sigh-filled response. Her reluctance deepened his frown.
“What’s the issue? I’m not telling you to do something harmful.”
“…It’s not that. It’s just surprising.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting used to this by now? I’m amazed at how often you’re surprised and confused.”
“It’s just… I thought you were busy, so it was surprising that you came here.”
“I’ve been busy because of you, but is it really that surprising?”
“Busy because of me? Not the princess?”
“The princess? Oh, are you talking about the newspaper?”
He muttered indifferently. Seeing his obvious annoyance, she closed her mouth, thinking she had guessed right.
“But why does it matter? I’ve already told you before.”
She gave him a questioning look, as if to ask what he was talking about.
“I’m not getting engaged.”
“You never said that…”
The conversation ended abruptly after he vaguely dodged the topic, so she didn’t know what he was talking about. His shameless attitude made her voice turn curt.
“I said I didn’t want to.”
“That was before you even met her. After meeting the princess, your feelings could have changed.”
His expression turned icy cold in an instant. The blue moonlight filtering into the carriage made him look even colder. Seeing this, Emilia’s face paled.
“Why? Are you trying to confirm things because you’re worried that I might feel uncomfortable about you coming to my estate?”
His lips curled slowly, but his gaze, devoid of any humor, held clear mockery.
“That’s…Well, Yes. Isn’t it obvious? I’m just your contractor, so if Your Grace gets a fiancée, I’ll have to be mindful of that.”
“Stop whining.”
Her delicate, leaf-like eyes flickered momentarily. His voice, languid yet sharp as a blade, pierced her heart. It was strange how her chest ached, as if she had been stung by his words.
“You’re so worried about a non-existent fiancée, yet you don’t seem to care about my feelings.”
At his sharp tone, she blinked rapidly a couple of times, feeling a slight sting in her eyes.
“If you’re going to fill that small brain of yours with useless thoughts, then just don’t think at all. You’re better off just standing there looking pretty.”
“…I’m not an object. I’m a person with a sense of self, so it’s only natural for me to have various thoughts and that’s why I’m just trying to prepare for any variables.
Emilia took a deep breath, steadying herself. The carriage, which had been cutting through the dark night, was now nearing her house, but their conversation showed no signs of ending.
“And why think about it? If a variable arises—what, you plan to leave?”
“I should.”
Her voice was as if all her will had been shattered. His eyes, watching her mumble indifferently, were as cold as if they were summoning a winter long gone.
“Without the contract, there’d be no reason for us to be together like this… would there?”
The last trace of a smile on Enrico’s lips slowly faded. A suffocating silence between them filled the carriage. And just when it seemed unbearable, thankfully, the carriage came to a stop.
Emilia quickly fled from the carriage, disappearing into her house. Yet, the carriage remained parked in front of her house until the light leaking from her room finally went out.
* * *
During the week without performances, Emilia only practiced silently. She occasionally felt Christina’s envious gaze, but she didn’t really have the time to worry about that. The stares had become more blatant than before that even those around them began whispering, but Christina seemed too busy keeping an eye on her to pay attention to the gossip.
“Emilia, did you see the newspaper?”
“You showed me yesterday. You don’t need to show me again if it’s about my article.”
In truth, she could understand why Christina felt the way she did. Christina was the lead, yet the articles in the paper were about Emilia. It was almost embarrassing to see how much attention “Effie” was getting, to the point where even she found it overwhelming. Though the early recognition had caught her off guard, she had come to accept that it was an inevitable part of being a ballerina and tried to take it in stride. Though she wasn’t sure how her contract with Enrico would turn out.
Waving dismissively at Juliana, Emilia resumed her stance.
“Come on, it’s not about you. It’s about a couple that used to be a hot topic.”
“A couple that used to be a hot topic? You don’t mean Duke Michele, do you?”
“Yeah, take a look.”
“….Never mind. I don’t need to see it.”
“Why don’t you want to look? Just read it. It turns out they weren’t the real deal.”
“Weren’t the real deal?”
Her curiosity piqued, Emilia turned her head toward the newspaper. She quickly scanned the front page Juliana was holding.
“It says that the Second Prince and Princess Vivian have been spotted together often, while Duke Michele was only mentioned in the earlier articles.”
“…I see.”
“Doesn’t it seem like something’s going on between them? That’s the tone of the article.”
Emilia stared into space, lost in thought. He definitely said it wasn’t true, so why did she react the way she did? Thinking back now, her emotions seemed odd. No matter how much the contract was an issue, there was no need for her to respond so emotionally.
She recalled how she had avoided looking at him and hurried out of the carriage.
‘Was I too rude?’
It could be said that Enrico’s sudden visit was rude, but given that the boundaries regarding the contract had been blurring recently, it felt right to heed his words as he was accommodating her and continuing to investigate her parents’ case. This made her feel a pang of guilt.
“Emilia?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you zoning out all of a sudden?”
“Oh… I just have something on my mind.”
“You should rest. The performances start again tomorrow.”
“Then, just for a bit.”
Following Juliana, Emilia sat in a corner and began stretching, out of habit.
“What do you mean ‘just for a bit’? By the way, you’re going to keep auditioning for lead roles from now on, right? Even now, you’re getting so much attention already. If you perform [Cinderella], you’ll be really in the spotlight for sure.”
“Yeah, I’m planning to keep auditioning for the lead roles. I guess I’m just lucky.”
Juliana chuckled, swinging her outstretched legs from side to side.
“Do you really think that’s just luck? It’s all skill.”
“Right, it’s all skill.”
* * * *
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