“As expected, I knew it. It wouldn’t make sense to drop you.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

“Look at this. Here’s the director’s dismissal notice.”

Emilia took in the names of Director Carlo and Eva Fabera, who were dismissed for tarnishing the theater’s reputation and violating internal regulations. She fell into thought while reading the sentence stating that the director’s position would remain vacant for a while.

She couldn’t understand why they did such a thing. Even if the director had significant casting authority, an unreasonable role assignment would have caused controversy, and looking at the roles Eva had applied for so far, there wasn’t anything particularly controversial.

Was it to slowly utilize the director’s power over time? Or was it just to torment her? If it was the latter, it seemed like they were getting worked up over something unnecessary. Emilia tilted her head and then looked back at her name written next to the role of Effie.

Out of a total of 10 performances, she would be on stage for 5. Considering the consecutive performance dates, it seemed they were scheduling it so that she would go on stage every other day, as it was common to cast two or three dancers for one role.

Emilia’s eyes sparkled brightly, then she turned her head at the sound of voices.

“Oh my, what? Isn’t that Eva?”

…Eva? Eva’s face, coming down the stairs from the upper floor, had deteriorated drastically in two days. A wet face, white cracked lips, and dark shadows heavily cast under her eyes. Without saying a word, it was clear she hadn’t slept well.

‘She couldn’t have met the theater director, so did she meet the vice-director?’

Everyone gathered in the hallway and those coming up the stairs all started murmuring at the sight of Eva. They thought she would never come back after being driven out on Saturday, but here she was. It was beyond shameless.

“Why did she come out? What is she doing here?”

“Did she think only the director would be fired? But really, she’s so thick-skinned. If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to show my face…”

“If she was in her right mind, she wouldn’t have done such a thing with the director in the first place. Honestly, I don’t understand why it had to be the director. She should have gone after someone higher up, the director is just someone who gets paid by the theater, how much power could he have that she would do such a thing with him… Ugh.”

“Could it be real love?”

“Gasp, I really hate that! I think I’m going to throw up.”

Mocking and contemptuous voices echoed through the hallway. Eva, who had been so confident, now blushed with shame, not knowing how to handle people’s gazes. Seeing Eva with tears welling up in her eyes, Emilia felt no sense of satisfaction. Of course, no sympathy either.

She should have just not come. What lingering attachment made her come here to be insulted like this alone? It was pathetic, but Emilia couldn’t even laugh at her, thinking that if she suddenly had to quit ballet, she might also be buried in regret like that.

People continued to come up the central staircase, and the mockery intensified. Eva, who had been surrounded by people in the middle of the hallway, soon ran towards the emergency staircase as if she couldn’t bear it anymore, pushing her way through.

With the sound of the door slamming shut, people’s interest dissipated instantly. Emilia glanced once at those who were looking at the bulletin board as if nothing had happened, then moved towards the changing room.

‘Too much time has passed. I need to warm up quickly.’

As soon as she entered, Emilia changed into her practice clothes and hurriedly left the changing room, walking towards the practice room.

However, at that moment, she suddenly felt a pulling force from behind. Emilia, yanked back, barely had time to scream before recognizing the person and furrowing her brow.

“Eva? What are you doing?”

“Stop talking and come with me!”

Emilia held onto the door, resisting Eva’s force pulling her towards the emergency staircase.

“Why are you doing this!”

“Huff- huff-. You, what exactly did you say!”

“…What?”

“What did you say to the vice-director!”

Eva, trying to catch her breath with her chest heaving greatly, shouted loudly as if she couldn’t calm down at all. People who had been watching Emilia being dragged away from afar began to murmur and approach.

“What are you saying I said?”

“Don’t play dumb! You must have said something about the director and me. If not, why! Why would the vice-director assume that I instigated the director to bully you! Didn’t you go running to tattle?”

“Don’t be absurd. That was something that could easily be inferred from the director’s behavior towards me during the audition. Do you know what your expression was like that day?”

“How could they know I told him to bully you just from that! That was all the director’s doing on his own!”

“Sigh… Is that important now? It’s all over anyway.”

“Now they’re saying it’s a bigger problem because I caused internal discord by using personal emotions. If it weren’t for that, I could have continued working here!”

Eva’s hands lost strength, but she didn’t let go of the wrist she was holding. Emilia put her hand that was holding the wall to her forehead and closed her eyes with a tired expression.

“Eva. Don’t lie.”

Her eyes, when opened again, were shining with determination.

“You should have at least managed your expression when the director was talking to me.”

“T-That…”

“You just crumbled under your own inferiority complex. Instead of thinking about working hard, you were too busy keeping me in check. Who wouldn’t know that?”

“What do you know! I worked hard. I really worked hard! Do you think I came here to listen to your lecture?!”

Eva threw off the wrist she was holding and stomped her feet like a madwoman. After jumping around in place as if she was going crazy, Eva anxiously bit her nails.

“T-This can’t be… I can’t go back to that filthy place…”

Seeing blood starting to show on her nails from how much she was biting them, Emilia slightly frowned.

“Leave before you get dragged out by security.”

She no longer wanted to care. Emilia wrapped her free wrist with her other hand and turned her back. She had felt a presence, but didn’t realize so many people had come this far. The entrance to the emergency staircase was completely blocked, making it impossible to leave.

“N-No, Emilia. I was wrong. I’ll apologize, so please put in a good word for me. Hm?”

She felt a hand grabbing her arm, leaving no room to escape. With a sharp motion, Emilia quickly and roughly shook off Eva’s hand and turned around.

“Why should I.”

“You haven’t lost anything. You’ll continue to do well in the future! So please help me… Please…”

“I haven’t lost anything… What does that have to do with you? If you apologize, do I have to accept it unconditionally?”

“T-That. I’m just asking for help this one time! I’m begging you like this!”

“Your attitude in asking is wrong to begin with. If you’re truly sorry, grit your teeth and start from the bottom again. Don’t just rely on others.”

Emilia shot a look at the people blocking the way, telling them to move aside. As she walked through the quickly parting crowd, Eva’s hysterical screams echoed behind her back.

Just then, as if someone had informed them, she saw security guards running from the stairway. The sounds of screaming and crying continued to echo through the hallway for a while.

“Emilia. I heard Eva came to see you. Are you alright?”

It was her first time in the vice-director’s office. Emilia stood up from her seat and slightly nodded to Vice-Director Silvia as she approached.

“I’m fine.”

“I should have handled it more firmly. I didn’t expect her to go all the way to the practice room.”

“Ah, did she come here first?”

“Yes. She kept muddying the issue and refusing to accept her dismissal, so I gave her a more definitive reason. But I didn’t expect her to go straight to you. It was my oversight.”

“No, it’s not. I was the one who first found her in the emergency staircase anyway. But is this why you called me here?”

Silvia hesitated for a moment, then gestured towards the sofa.

“Shall we sit and talk for a moment?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like some tea?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Alright. Um…”

Sitting across from her, Silvia interlaced her fingers and trailed off. Noticing her cautious demeanor, Emilia quietly looked at her.

“Actually, the reason I called you is because I think I should tell you about the person who helped resolve this issue.”

Someone who helped? But why does she need to tell me that specifically? Puzzled, Emilia’s head tilted slightly.

“I would have liked to handle it alone, but that person actually proposed it first. They said they would help push out Director Carlo and make me the director.”

“…”

“I naturally refused, thinking that with time, I could rise to the position on my own. But after seeing the director’s recent behavior, I decided that removing him quickly would be best for the ballet company’s future.”

“…Ah, I see.”

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Duke Michele resolved this entire incident.”

“Pardon?”

Did she just say Duke Michele? That Enrico Michele? Emilia blinked her eyes in disbelief.

“This year, when Duke Michele made a large donation to the ballet company, he made a separate proposal to me. He said he knew that being a woman and young, I couldn’t be guaranteed a position to rise immediately.”

“Ah…”

“He said he would create a vacancy in the director’s position. At the time, I didn’t understand his intentions, and I was worried that if I accepted his help, I might have to commit misconduct according to the Duke’s wishes, so I refused.”