When Pride Fell at my Toes

Emilia watched Giorgio, who was pretending to be serious and raising his voice, with a pitiful look in her eyes, and then lowered her gaze as if to hide it.

 

“Then should we accept the Duke’s offer for now?”

 

“Of course. But you know…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Are you going to be satisfied with just being sponsored? You’re at the age where your value is at its highest right now, but if you waste your years on being sponsored, you’ll be in a difficult position. So, why don’t you try to seduce the Duke?”

 

“…What?”

 

“Don’t act innocent. The Duke is a man too, so do you think his only purpose is to watch you dance? He wants you to give him your body and soul.”

 

She had known from the beginning that he was a sinister man, but even so, Giorgio’s state of mind was beyond her imagination, openly making such remarks to his own niece.

 

The humiliation she felt every time she prepared herself for it, but never got used to, left scars on her emerald eyes.

 

“If the Duke falls for you, you might become the Duchess, but even if you don’t, you can still live as the Duke’s concubine, right? The Michele family is the second wealthiest after the royal family, so that’s enough money, hehe.”

 

Emilia wanted to wash her ears right now and plug Giorgio’s dirty mouth with plaster. She wanted to pour plaster into every hole so that he couldn’t speak, no, not even breathe.

 

“Aren’t you going to answer? If you don’t want to be remarried to an old man several times, do it right. Huh?!”

 

But she bowed her head deeply and closed her eyes tightly as if to ignore this debilitating reality. Just until she finds out the truth. Just until then, Emilia made a vow and another vow in her heart to endure.

 

* * *

 

In the upscale residential area of Versiconner Street, south of the capital, Desiro, stood a townhouse owned by the affluent Duke Enrico Michele. Among the numerous townhouses, each exuding opulence, the Duke’s townhouse was by far the most striking, resembling a grand mansion found in the countryside.

 

As magnificent as it was, the Duke’s townhouse, shaped like a grand castle, was as impenetrable as a fortress, rarely opening its doors to anyone.

 

Only those permitted by the Duke were allowed to enter, and since such permissions were seldom granted, people’s curiosity only grew, fueling countless unsubstantiated rumors.

 

Enrico, seated in front of the pristine, rectangular terrace windows, slowly rose from his chair. His gaze swept across the lush garden and the massive fountain adorned with multiple human sculptures, finally settling on the carriage approaching the main entrance.

 

It was the first time in a long while that a living being had crossed the threshold, chosen from among the countless petitioners.

 

A flicker of interest ignited in his languid eyes. Shortly after, Emilia Este, clad in a deep navy blue burnoose, emerged from the carriage parked in front of the mansion. Her skin, bathed in sunlight, appeared unusually translucent.

 

‘This should be worth it.’

 

It had been a while since he had laid eyes on anything new, and despite the contract in place, he felt it would be rather dull if he simply treated her with the same wariness he had during their first encounter.

 

They could simply exchange what they desired, without the unnecessary emotional drain that would only dampen his interest. While her wide-eyed, deer-like expression had been amusing to watch, that was all it was.

 

After all, what had initially piqued his interest was Emilia Este, the ballet dancer.

 

Enrico turned his back and casually scanned the papers laid out on the table.

 

‘I should first inform her about the deliberateness of the carriage accident.’

 

An incident he had dismissed as insignificant now seemed like a valuable asset for his dealings with her. He had already initiated an investigation into the exact details, and despite the time that had passed, he was confident in his ability to uncover the truth.

 

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Enrico set down the papers and headed towards the door instead of responding verbally. He was eager to welcome Emilia Este, who had willingly walked into his trap to become his dancing puppet.

 

* * *

 

As instructed, Emilia sat in the sunlit conservatory. Unlike the ornate interior of the mansion, resembling a gallery brimming with paintings and sculptures, the conservatory fulfilled its intended purpose, filled with the fragrant aroma of flowers and a warm, inviting atmosphere.

 

While the mansion was equipped with every imaginable luxury, the conservatory, with its frescoed ceiling replaced by an open sky, seemed an odd addition to the otherwise opulent setting.

 

Enrico greeted her with a curt nod as she rose from her seat upon his entrance.

 

“Sit.”

 

“Yes. I intended to visit you earlier, but it seems I’m a bit late.”

 

Emilia Este maintained her composed demeanor. The only noticeable difference from their first encounter was that she had barely managed to conceal her nervousness then, whereas now she appeared emotionally detached.

 

Or perhaps it was simply an expression of indifference. After all, she had been practically dragged here by Fabio, whom she had encountered while waiting for a response to her application to join the Avalianche Ballet Company.

 

“You are late. Your uncle visited yesterday, so I expected you to come as soon as dawn broke.”

 

Tea and desserts were quickly served, placed before Emilia. In contrast, a transparent glass decanter filled with amber brandy stood before Enrico.

 

Enrico leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. He leisurely lifted his glass, slowly rotating his wrist, causing the brandy to swirl.

 

“Ah… I feared I might intrude upon your morning, so I waited until the afternoon. I didn’t realize you would be waiting for me, Duke.”

 

“I was about to get bored anyway. I wonder how long you’re going to waste my time trying to entertain me.”

 

Emilia’s eyes flickered with a hint of annoyance. Enrico, who was watching her with a sullen expression as if she was being insulted, nonchalantly took a sip of his brandy. The warm sensation that ran down his throat woke up his languid body.

 

“……I heard from my uncle. He said you were going to invest in his business. Is that part of the contract?”

 

“Yes. I don’t want to hear complaints that you’re not focused because of one thing or another. I’ll create an environment where you can focus solely on doing what I tell you to do, so you need to satisfy my eyes.”

 

Emilia hesitated, then nodded as if she had made up her mind.

 

“Then can you tell me more about the contract?”

 

“The contract is this. And this envelope is the first reward you’ll get if you sign the contract.”

 

Enrico pushed the prepared documents on the table towards Emilia. Her gaze fell first on the envelope that was said to be the reward, rather than the contract.

 

“……Is the truth about the accident you mentioned before written in it?”

 

“Not exactly, but it’s a fragment of the truth. The more you extend the contract, the more you’ll learn.”

 

“A fragment of truth,” Emilia muttered softly. It wasn’t a sign of hesitation. It was just a momentary expression of doubt, and she soon reached for the contract.

 

Enrico didn’t take his eyes off Emilia as he slowly brought the glass to his lips. Her appearance, with her platinum hair soaked in sunlight and flowing down her well-proportioned shoulders, was much more dazzling than when he saw her in the carriage.

 

Of course, it wasn’t as satisfying as seeing her dance, but it felt like it filled in the missing pieces, so it was quite satisfactory.

 

‘It’s a shame I can’t ask her to carry around crystal lights.’

 

Enrico thought about the crystal lights installed in every place where he displayed his artwork and leisurely drank his brandy. As the warm sensation went down his throat and into his chest, his gaze moved from her empty ears to her neck.

 

‘Maybe I should give her some jewelry.’

 

On a normal day, she looked better with clear diamonds than with colorful jewelry.

 

While it was true that he kept the original taste of the artwork intact when he discovered it, Emilia Este’s value was determined when she danced, so he thought he should find a compromise that didn’t compromise her appearance.

 

These were things he didn’t have to worry about when he sponsored other artists. It was refreshing. He just focused on the works they created or the sounds they played, and he never noticed their appearance in the first place, so this situation was now becoming interesting.

 

Of course, he would enjoy seeing her ballet again the most.

 

Enrico watched Emilia carefully read the contract and then gulped down the remaining brandy in one gulp.

 

“Should I prepare a room for you?”

 

“Huh?”

 

As Emilia raised her head with wide eyes, he pointed to the contract with his chin and put the glass on the table.

 

“I don’t think you’ll be able to read it all today.”

 

“Ah……. I’m sorry. It’s hard to read quickly because there are so many legal terms.”

 

“There shouldn’t be anything too confusing. It just says that if you dance three times at my mansion, I’ll give you one piece of evidence in return.”

 

His eyes softened, contrasting with his somber tone. Perhaps because he collected artwork but wasn’t the type to look at it often, his contract with her had to take several things into consideration.

 

It would be too much of a loss for him to give her the results of the investigation every time he saw her, and he thought that if he asked for too many times, the quality of the work would suffer. It also took time to collect evidence, so he decided that it would be appropriate to give her one piece of evidence every two weeks, which meant that three dances and one piece of evidence would be about right.

 

“Will you tell me one as soon as I sign the contract?”

* * * *

 

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