When Pride Falls at Your Feet - Chapter 15

Even though it was a short remark, it fully revealed his arrogant intention of telling me to entertain him. His obsession with dance was evident, making all the worries up to this point seem pointless.

“… Yes.”

It was a sudden change in attitude that could be considered startling, but no questions arose. Soon, Emilia took one step, two steps back with a calm face, and then quickly turned around.

As he said, she came here to dance, so she decided to focus only on finishing her task quickly and returning.

However, she deeply hid in her heart the thought that he seemed to be insanely, severely crazy beyond imagination.

Shortly after, as if signaling the start, Emilia came out and stood in the center of the stage. Enrico put down the wine glass he was holding and gestured to the butler who was waiting behind him.

Soft music began to flow inside the viewing room. It was one of the pieces of music prepared in advance on the phonograph. Normally, he would have brought a pianist for a perfect stage, but it was a choice made because no one could completely satisfy his temperament.

With the sound of toe shoes tapping on the wooden floor, Emilia’s body moved gracefully.

‘The sound of the phonograph has become richer than before.’

Although it was not as good as the sound of a real orchestra, it was still quite good.

As he invested in many places, he received many of the latest inventions as a priority, but among them, the phonograph was the only item that Enrico could use better than others thanks to the ancient magic materials he had.

In this era of advancing science, it was embarrassing to call it magic, as it merely had the added functions of storing multiple songs and amplifying sound, but it was not of bad value as it was the only remaining trace of ancient magic in this kingdom.

‘It should be fine to continue using it like this.’

He crossed his legs languidly and leaned his body comfortably against the backrest. From the beginning, he was satisfied as he intended to watch the stage once today and consider hiring a pianist if he didn’t like it.

There were occasional cases where he would rent a small theater outside and enjoy the performance of a sponsored performer alone, but in the first place, they were of a level that was not worthy of being brought into this mansion.

However, if he had to invite such people because of this stage, it would have been quite unpleasant in its own way.

‘It was indeed not a bad choice.’

His arrogant and intimidating eyes softened as if crumbling. Emilia Este, the only one recognized for her value, danced beautifully as if proving that his aesthetic sense was not wrong, just like the day they first met.

It was a pas de deux section where the two danced together, but Emilia danced in a way that made the absence of a partner not felt at all. Her natural acting and smooth dancing, as if swimming in water, were more than enough to fill the stage alone.

She was even adorably smiling, without a trace of the shivering and wary appearance from a moment ago.

The smile on his lips, which had been raised leisurely, slowly faded away. Like the male protagonist of [La Sylphide] who was infatuated with a fairy and unable to come to his senses, his gaze never left her for a moment.

His mind, which had been constantly evaluating, and his fingertips, which had been tapping the armrest to the beat, had stopped at some point.

The hot passion that dominated her surroundings like a burning phoenix gradually heated up the surroundings. Sweat drops flowing down her flushed cheeks landed on the floor with a plop.

I had a dream last night. Of a time in the past when I was strolling in the garden with my parents and dancing while laughing. The affectionate gaze of my parents looking down at me with satisfaction was so sweet that I didn’t want to wake up.

“… I miss them.”

As Emilia slowly opened her eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view. Her eyes, still half-asleep, were filled with a dreamy haze as if wandering in a dream.

Emilia placed one arm over her eyes. She wanted to savor the dream, but upon opening her eyes, only the feeling remained in her memory.

‘Should I have the bed warmed up?’

She tried to maintain that feeling somehow, but suddenly, yesterday’s memories crept in, and she sat up in surprise.

She got out of bed and found her fluffy slippers to put on. The fireplace that had been burning all night had only a small ember left as dawn passed.

She slowly approached the window. When she drew back the green curtains, she could see the white snow still falling. The road back last night was like this too. The weather, which had been calm before entering the ducal residence, suddenly changed, and a snowstorm swirled as she tried to return home.

As she was about to sit on the chair next to it, her eyes caught sight of a vase adorning the table that had been empty just yesterday.

It seemed that Zabeta had arranged the luxurious bouquet Enrico had given her last night on her behalf. Upon realization, the room, which was filled with the fragrance of spring, was in stark contrast to the cold weather outside, just like Enrico from yesterday.

‘He’s truly an unpredictable man…’

After the short stage ended yesterday, Enrico didn’t say a word for a while. He just stared at her intently as she caught her breath and lifted her tired body. Then, when Emilia was wondering what to do, whether to just slip off the stage, and wiped her cheek out of habit, Enrico nonchalantly spoke.

‘Just keep doing that.’

Perhaps because he was sitting in a relatively dark spot due to the stage lighting, his eyes seemed to be shimmering.

‘Then you’ll be able to gain even more.’

Yes, he looked extremely pleased. His smile, which drew a curved line on his lips as if everything was satisfactory, looked strangely distinctive.

Eventually, Enrico reached his hand back. Then, as if expecting it, an attendant appeared holding a huge bouquet. Enrico took the bouquet in one hand and stood up from his seat. Then, he strode towards the stage.

‘Congratulations on your first time on my stage.’

Standing right in front of the stage, he looked up at her, motioning with his chin for her to come closer. It was always her looking up at him, so the unfamiliar composition made Emilia hesitate as she narrowed the distance. She carefully bent her knees and reached out her hand. Soon, the fragrance of flowers filled her arms.

‘Shouldn’t we celebrate on the first day? I’ll be waiting in the banquet hall.’

‘What? No, it’s alright. I have to go out early tomorrow morning, so I’ll just−’

‘Emilia.’

Her shoulders flinched. His voice calling her name for the first time sounded so sickeningly sweet that it felt uncanny. He languidly brushed the back of his neck and slowly turned his head.

‘I’m in a very good mood right now.’

‘……’

‘So I’ll let you know just once.’

‘… Yes.’

‘Don’t try to disobey me. No matter what.’

It was an overwhelming presence that made her nod unconsciously. Even if her pride was hurt and it was humiliating, this contract was clearly divided into the superior and the subordinate from the beginning. She couldn’t risk losing the chance she had barely filled due to unnecessary resistance.

As Emilia’s head soon nodded slightly, his eyes, which had turned cold for a moment, softly curved.

As if praising her obedient attitude, he gently pushed up her small hand that was drooping the bouquet. As if telling her to take care of her belongings.

‘I’ll just have to leave it in the living room.’

She never thought she disliked flowers, but seeing the flowers he gave her from the morning made her mood plummet. Her plan to come home right after the stage ended turned to dust due to him treating her to a generous meal after the shower, and as it kept snowing heavily, the time to return home became much later.

Emilia now started stretching her entire body, as if she no longer wanted to recall yesterday. Slowly, heat circulated in her body that had stiffened from the chill.

“I wish time would pass quickly…”

Only Emilia’s listless words lingered in the air for a moment.

Daily life gradually became familiar. Waking up in an unfamiliar house, greeting Zabeta who was waiting for her at home, and performing her second solo performance at Enrico’s mansion.

The weather had been sunny ever since the snowstorm hit not long ago. Although she didn’t know when it would change, seeing the peaceful days being maintained, Emilia went to work at the ballet company today as well. Emilia stopped the carriage some distance away from the theater and slowly walked towards the left side leading to the emergency stairs, not the main entrance.

“Lady Este?”

The title that shouldn’t be called here caught her ear. Emilia’s two eyes, which had been lowered to avoid the cold, faced forward.

“Ah…”

Someone she didn’t expect to be here came into view. A man with a gorgeous appearance, with silver hair bathed in moonlight and much brighter purple eyes than Enrico’s, was smiling happily.

Emilia stopped with a start, then belatedly bent her knees slightly to show courtesy.

“Greetings to Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Alessandro Treano, the next owner of this kingdom. He quickly closed the distance and lightly grabbed one of Emilia’s arms, as if telling her to raise her head quickly.

Male lead is a Divorced Husband

She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”

Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.

After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.

She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.

But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…

Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!

――

This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!

The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.

That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”

Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”

The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”

That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”

Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”

The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.

Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.

“She was originally a ‘she’!”

At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.

The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”

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