The dancers who were wiping their sweat stopped their hands. Assistant director Silvia slowly looked around and continued.

“The performances for this season will be announced sequentially. For now, the next schedule is the Opera Ball, where we plan to present two stages of group waltz and pas de deux. And next is [La Sylphide], with auditions to be held early next month. Hmm, I’ll post the details on the bulletin board, so please check it separately.”

“Yes!”

“Seeing everyone working hard, I’m already looking forward to the performances. Then I hope you’ll do your best for the remaining afternoon practice.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

As soon as Assistant Director Silvia, who gave a short notice, disappeared from view towards the door, excited voices popped out from here and there.

In addition to auditioning for the next performance, everyone seemed to be thrilled about being able to attend the Opera Ball.

It was a gala performance and party inviting the sponsors of the Avaliant Opera House, and it was also a place to showcase opera, orchestra, and ballet in turn.

Since they could catch the eye of nobles or local figures attending the party here, there were some who paid more attention compared to other performances.

Emilia left the practice room, leaving behind the dancers who seemed busy talking in excitement. Juliana also looked excited like the others, so Emilia quietly slipped out to rest in a quiet place, but ran into Assistant Director Silvia, who was talking to the choreographer in the hallway.

“Ah, Emilia. Do you have a moment?”

Emilia blinked her eyes once and slowly approached her. The choreographer greeted with her eyes and left first, and Emilia moved her legs, following Assistant Director Silvia who was walking slowly.

“It’s just that I have something to say about the corps de ballet. I saw earlier that you dance well as expected.”

“…Thank you.”

“But it’s a problem because you dance too well.”

“Pardon?”

“The point of corps de ballet is to blend in with your surroundings. Whether doing the same dance or different dances, no one should stand out. But Emilia, you stand out too much.”

Emilia’s mouth closed at the unexpected criticism. When attending the art school, she only danced in corps de ballet when she was young, and after becoming skilled to a certain extent, she always took on solo parts, so she didn’t think to be careful.

“Having good jumping power and turning well can be poison in corps de ballet. You need to know how to match others to a reasonable degree.”

“Yes… I understand.”

“Of course, it would be nice to match based on doing well, but realistically that’s difficult, so Emilia has no choice but to match those around you. So from now on, make sure to audition for solos.”

Her voice was soft, but the content was firm. She seemed to strongly want Emilia to do so. Emilia slightly widened her eyes and nodded.

“I understand. Thank you for the advice.”

“Calling it advice is a bit embarrassing since it’s not really a nice thing to say. It’s originally telling you to hold back your skills.”

Assistant Director Silvia stopped in front of the stairs and Emilia looked at her. The ballerina on stage, whom she had seen from afar, had passed her fresh appearance and was now shining with mature beauty in front of her eyes.

“Emilia, you can be a bit more ambitious. Your talent is more than enough for that.”

Emilia’s eyes shook for a moment at her confident gaze.

This winter felt particularly long. The subtle gloominess that settled after yesterday’s conversation with Assistant Director Silvia continued until today.

When she finished the afternoon practice and came out, it was hard to see ahead due to the thick fog that had descended early in the dark world. It was strange because this usually doesn’t happen in winter.

With only the streetlights seeming to be the entire world, even the nearby main gate was not visible at all, making it feel like there was no one around. At that moment, deep fatigue showed on Emilia’s face.

‘Why is time passing so quickly.’

The day when she had to dance only for Enrico inevitably came. Thinking about it, rather than wanting to quickly finish practice and go home to rest, she had the absurd thought of wishing the sun hadn’t set today.

‘Still… today is the day I can hear information, right.’

That fact was at least a consolation.

If it weren’t for Enrico’s persistent gaze that scrutinized her from head to toe, one by one… she wouldn’t have hated going this much.

Just standing in front of him made her feel like she was being stripped naked, making her uncomfortable.

His beautiful face that looked emotionless and his gaze that was different yet insanely blatant made her feel like he was looking into her deep inside, occasionally making her want to escape his sight.

“Sigh…”

With a deep sigh, white breath flowed out and mixed into the fog. Emilia glanced around the empty theater with only night security, then slowly moved her feet again towards where the street carriage Enrico had disguised was. But not long after, she saw someone approaching quickly from the opposite direction.

By the time she narrowed her eyes and hesitantly stopped walking.

“Emilia!”

Uncle Giorgio appeared in front of her eyes.

After being quiet for a while, he came to the theater this late at night. Emilia’s brow furrowed.

“…What’s the matter?”

Fortunately, it was foggy. After quickly scanning the surroundings, Emilia pulled Giorgio to a corner and asked in a small voice.

Fortunately, Giorgio followed obediently without resisting, and suddenly grabbing both of Emilia’s arms, he shoved his greasy face close.

“Emilia, cancel the sponsorship right now!”

“What? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“I’m telling you to cut ties with the Duke’s sponsorship!”

“Quietly! Please, lower your voice.”

Emilia, who was whispering through gritted teeth, scanned Giorgio up and down, who somehow looked impatient.

The thick body wearing a high-quality fur coat and the shoes he was wearing under his short legs still looked luxurious beyond his means.

If there was any difference from usual, it was that the ends of his curled mustache drooped a little, but just from that, his glossy complexion looked too good to infer that he was doing this because he lacked money.

“…What is the reason for suddenly doing this?”

“You don’t need to know that, just do as I say.”

“Uncle… You know well that it’s difficult to do that.”

Emilia called Giorgio like a sigh, swallowing her annoyance. The contract had already been signed. Moreover, there were even circumstances that the accident of her parents might have been someone’s intention, so there was even more reason for her not to give up the contract now.

‘Did he perhaps catch a good connection somewhere?’

Regardless of the reason, there was no need for her to go along with that whim. Emilia struggled to push away Giorgio’s hand that was painfully gripping her arm.

“I have to go to the Duke’s residence today. If you want to cut off the sponsorship, you’ll have to prepare a valid reason. You’ll also have to return what you’ve received so far.”

The thick fingers that had been gripping her thin arm tiresomely while trembling finally loosened their strength.

“I can return what I received. So I’m telling you to talk well!”

“Uncle.”

Emilia took a step back and called him in a low voice. What does he mean he can return it? It seems he really has someone he trusts, but the strange thing was that he couldn’t be sure who it was.

“But will that person really just take back what they gave?”

Giorgio’s bloodshot eyes trembled anxiously.

“Damn it! Do you think I don’t know that? That’s why it would have been easy if you had acted coy and flattered from the beginning!”

Rather, if he likes it more, he probably won’t let you terminate it. Does he even know what he’s saying? He usually spouts nonsense well, but today he seemed more crazy.

Emilia looked at Giorgio, who was stamping his feet alone, pathetically, then turned her head. Whatever stupid things he was doing and wherever he was doing them, she hoped he wouldn’t drag her into it.

“…I’ll get going now. I need to go to the Duke before it’s late.”

Fortunately, Giorgio didn’t grab her. Emilia sighed at the sound of him spewing curses behind her. White breath mixed into the fog again.

On the day of the third dance, it was finally the day she could be rewarded.

Emilia quickly erased her tired appearance and performed her best dance on Enrico’s stage. What she danced today was the solo part of the lead role in [The Stubborn Daughter], and it was also the first time she showed someone the dance she had been practicing alone in the practice room.

The jade-colored eyes that looked lifeless with an expressionless face as she entered the ducal residence and stood on stage changed as soon as the music flowed. Enrico coveted her dance with his persistent gaze again today, looking at her smiling happily with eyes that seemed to have truly fallen in love.

“I will guide you this way.”

After showering and changing clothes, the place the butler guided her to was the dining room. Since it was a day to hear information anyway, Emilia obediently followed.

The mansion was so large that she passed the splendid chandeliers in each corridor and reached the dining room.

As the door opened, the ceiling with a magnificent fresco painting came into view first, and below it, the gold candlesticks crafted with elaborate patterns illuminating the large table caught her eye.

Emilia sat in the chair the butler pulled out for her and quietly looked at Enrico sitting across from her. Perhaps because the jewels embedded in the gold candlesticks shone as if stars were twinkling, it seemed to make Enrico’s beauty even brighter today.