When Pride Fell at my Toes

“Isn’t that expensive? Of course, it’s not comparable to Versigny, but it’s still a middle-class residential area, right?”

 

“Well, it turned out that way. The situation is a bit complicated.”

 

‘It wasn’t me who found it.’ Emilia swallowed the last word and raised the corners of her mouth ambiguously.

 

‘Live here from now on.’

 

It was the house that Enrico Michele had handed over almost forcibly on the day they exchanged contracts.

 

The contract mentioned financial support, but she thought it was a clause referring to Giorgio Este. But she didn’t expect him to support her as well. The moment she heard that, Emilia was about to refuse.

 

With the money she had saved up, she could buy a house in Corniglio, a slum area, where she could live alone. It was a bit far from the theater, but it was okay as long as she moved diligently, and it wasn’t a distance she couldn’t travel. However, Enrico seemed to be unwilling to listen to her.

 

‘With that little money, all you could get is Corniglio. How far is it from here? Are you going to waste that time?’

 

‘I know that night classes are at my own discretion until the performance. Can’t I just come here right after the afternoon class is over?’

 

‘You’re wasting your time doing useless things on the road. How about thinking about dancing instead?’

 

Enrico stood up as if there was no room for compromise.

 

Emilia couldn’t refute him any more in his cold and arrogant atmosphere. After leaving a final warning that he would be responsible if she couldn’t deliver a perfect stage and blamed the environment for her failure, he left without a word.

 

After that, his aide Fabio appeared and told her the address she was supposed to move to. He said he would give her the details of the schedule on the day she moved in and greeted her to do well in the audition.

 

‘The Duke seems more like a madman than an art lover.’

 

Emilia frowned as she recalled the incident a few days ago. Although their meeting was brief, his appearance, obsessed with everything revolving around art, was a bit worrying.

 

She had signed the contract because she was blinded by her parents’ affairs, but sometimes he talked about her as if she were something he owned, so this contract seemed to be a more dangerous thing than she had thought.

 

“Emilia?”

 

Emilia, who was lost in thought and staring blankly into the air, blinked at the voice calling her.

 

“Why did you stop talking? What’s the matter?”

 

Juliana, who was looking at her with a tense expression that had disappeared and a face that seemed to be curious, caught her eye. Emilia turned her head away, gently wiping her lips with her hand.

 

“Ah… I’ll tell you next time, but not here.”

 

“When next time?”

 

“Well, let’s think about it once we join the company.”

 

“Huh? What’s that? What do you mean? When did we get here?”

 

Juliana, who had been frowning, opened her eyes wide as she looked at the audition room in front of her. It seemed that she had already arrived on the third floor without any thought.

 

Emilia patted Juliana on the shoulder, relieved that she was able to change the subject somehow. She pushed aside the man who kept coming to mind, determined to do well with what was in front of her first.

 

* * *

 

The audition was held in a ballet practice room. Since it was both an audition for new members and an audition for the role of “The Stubborn Daughter” to be performed on stage in March of this year, current members were also gathered inside.

 

First, the audition for new members took place, so the faces of the current members standing on the opposite side watching were filled with interest.

 

There were even some people who had come from other countries to audition, but since most of them were graduates of the art academy, there were quite a few familiar faces, so some people were even greeting each other.

 

“Why did she come early and take a seat? She’s not the kind of person who’s in a hurry to get her stamp.”

 

A sharp and sensitive voice came from behind Emilia, who was calmly staring straight ahead.

 

“Oh, she can hear that.”

 

“I’m not saying it for her to hear. I’m just wondering why someone who got a regular role is here early, even though it’s not a show-off.”

 

Even without looking back, she knew who it was. Eva Faber, who had been picking on her and giving her envious looks throughout her time at the art academy, so she couldn’t help but know.

 

Emilia didn’t even look back, thinking it wasn’t worth talking about. She was just heartbroken that she was bending over her back and whispering in her ear so that only she could hear it.

 

“She didn’t even come to the after-party because she did so well? Oh my, who knows who came…”

 

What does it matter to me who came? Why is she getting closer and closer to the back of my head? It started to bother her even more. She gently grabbed Juliana’s arm, who was fidgeting next to her, thinking about moving to another seat or something else, as if to calm her down.

 

“I guess she was confident on stage? But it didn’t look very good to me.”

 

“Who are you talking about right now?”

 

In the end, Juliana looked back as if she couldn’t take it anymore. Eva folded her arms in front of her chest, twisting her lips as if she had done well.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You’re not really qualified to judge anyone, are you? In my eyes, you’ve always been pretty lame.”

 

“Oh my, I just didn’t have the luck to be the main character, but you’re just an extra forever. Who’s lame to whom?”

 

“Ah- is that so? But that’s exactly what I’m talking about. I know I’m lacking. I’m not even that mad. But comparing you to Emilia is a bit off. How much difference in skill is there, and you’re trying to rub it in? You have no conscience.”

 

“What?!”

 

As the atmosphere grew tense, people began to stare. Emilia quickly grabbed Juliana’s wrist and pulled her behind her, saying,

 

“That’s enough. This is an audition room.”

 

Eva’s eyes, which were already slightly raised, were even more sharply raised because her bright orange hair was turned up all the way. Emilia’s two eyes, which met the sapphire eyes filled with intense emotions, were calm.

 

As if her lack of any change in emotion made her even angrier, Eva’s eyes sparked blue flames, but that too subsided when she saw the staff members coming in.

 

“…Anyway, you’re just playing around.”

 

Eva’s voice, which she muttered mockingly, was filled with unresolved resentment. Juliana widened her eyes as if she couldn’t understand why Eva was stepping back after starting the fight first and only getting angry.

 

“I don’t understand why you always argue like this when you don’t even win.”

 

“Just ignore her.”

 

“It’s not just once or twice that I’ve ignored her. It’s also not once or twice that she’s made her jealousy and attempts to sow discord obvious. If I leave her alone, she’s going to cause some big trouble someday.”

 

Emilia smiled faintly at Juliana, who was chirping away like it was her business.

 

TL/N: Where to find a friend like Juliana…? ;(

 

“Thank you. You always help me.”

 

“I’m helping because I can’t be calm like you. I’m losing my temper because of this.”

 

“It’s good to be honest about your feelings. I envy you for that.”

 

“Why are you saying strange things again?”

 

Juliana mumbled softly as if she were embarrassed and looked up at the judges’ table.

 

“But why did you avoid attending the after-party like that? I was there too, you know? Oh, that person…”

 

Juliana’s eyes widened as she whispered, trying to change the subject.

 

“Why? Do you know him?”

 

“He came for a while during the after-party. Oh my, I guess it was the director.”

 

Emilia looked at the man Juliana was pointing at.

 

The thin man, who looked to be in his fifties, carefully brushed back his oiled black hair, which seemed to tolerate no messiness, and twisted his mustache in an annoying way to accentuate his sharp impression. As he looked around, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze fell on Emilia.

 

A strange conflict crossed the director’s face as he scanned Emilia up and down, as if evaluating an object. The director’s narrowed snake-like eyes, like someone calculating something, were tinged with regret as his gaze was withdrawn.

 

Juliana spoke first, but she didn’t say anything more about the director, who seemed to be concentrating now. All that was left was a fleeting moment of awkwardness that only Emilia, the person involved, could notice.

 

‘Is it just me…?’

 

Emilia’s head tilted slightly to the side. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the director’s profile, whose nose bridge was particularly prominent.

 

“The judges for this audition will be Carlo Visconti, the director, Silvia Petrucci, the associate director, and Chiabe della Torresi, the chief choreographer. The masters and coaches will serve as assistant judges, and pianist Tommaso Paolo will be accompanying us.”

 

However, as the judges were introduced one by one, greeting the audience and taking their seats, Emilia pushed aside her uncomfortable feelings and focused on what was in front of her.

 

“As stated in the announcement, the results of the audition will be announced immediately after the entrance audition is over. Those who pass will be able to participate directly in the [The Stubborn Daughter] role audition to be held this afternoon. Those who are interested in participating can stay, but it is not mandatory. If you do not participate, you will be automatically assigned to the corps de ballet. For any other questions, please inquire at the front desk after the schedule is over.”

 

TL/N: In ballet, the corps de ballet is the group of dancers who are not principal dancers or soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers. A corps de ballet works as one, with synchronized movements and corresponding positioning on the stage. [Wikipedia]

 

As soon as the moderator finished his instructions, he greeted the audience and left the audition room. The murmur that had been going on for a while subsided as the man who had been introduced as the coach earlier called out names in order.

 

The participants had been warming up since earlier, so those whose names were called stood one by one at the barre that had been prepared in the middle and took their ready positions.

* * * *

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