Stupid Emilia. Why did you make the contract like that? Words of self-reproach seemed about to burst out of her mouth. Surely at first it didn’t seem like a contract that would disadvantage her, but with each passing day, the contract was tightening around her neck.

Was it because it looked good that she could just do ballet? A complicated feeling arose.

“……The information you gave me in advance was too little. It was just inferred content, and the investigation didn’t seem to make any meaningful progress.”

“That might be revealed more at the ball.”

“Ha, I’m starting to wonder what use the contract is. I’m even scared of what demands you’ll make using the ball as an excuse later.”

Her voice trembled, revealing her increasingly intense emotions.

“What can you give me? Is there anything more than showing that body?”

He said expressionlessly. His emotionless gaze slid over her body.

“Ah. Are you trying to use it in a different way?”

It wasn’t even a mocking tone. The low, husky, and utterly indifferent tone somehow sounded more humiliating.

Emilia’s face turned pale. As she stood there, looking like she might collapse at any moment, unable to say anything, Enrico rose from his seat as if he had nothing more to see. His indifferent gaze no longer reached her. Even as the sound of his footsteps faded away, she remained in her place for a long time, unable to move.

Emilia repeated her practice every day. Even when her whole body was drenched in sweat and her breathing became rapid, she didn’t rest. Her ankle, which used to ache occasionally, now felt almost numb as if it had lost all sensation.

“Emilia, take a break!”

Juliana quietly observed her, looking anxious as if chasing after someone. In the past, she might have nagged lightly about taking care of her body, but Emilia’s behavior of running forward as if she couldn’t hear anything was too strange to interfere carelessly.

“Haven’t you been practicing continuously since earlier? How many hours has it been now?”

“I’ve tried telling her several times, but she just answers that she understands without actually resting.”

“Ah….. I’m worried she might collapse at this rate.”

Antonio, who had been watching from afar, stood next to Juliana with a very worried expression. Even he, who almost always took the lead male role, didn’t practice this intensively.

The faces of the surrounding dancers were gradually becoming pale at the enormous amount of practice that even men would find burdensome. They certainly wanted to rest after working hard themselves, but seeing her like this made them feel guilty about taking a break.

“Is that how she got so good? I thought she was just naturally talented.”

A dancer lying on the floor with a tired face nodded towards Emilia.

“Really. She’s so intense.”

“In terms of practice time, Christina used to be the best, but this is even more than that.”

“Come to think of it, hasn’t Christina increased her practice time lately too? Though not to this extent.”

“It’s probably because it’s her first lead role. And it seems she’s going up with Emilia.”

“Gasp….. That must be pressuring.”

Christina was a ballerina in her late 20s who had taken the lead role for the first time in 7 years. She was a case of someone who had learned from afar, volunteering to clean just to be able to do ballet, and was fortunately scouted. She was a hard worker who had risen to the position of principal ballerina for the first time.

Knowing her diligent nature, everyone congratulated her, but on the other hand, it was a bit pitiful that she had to share her first lead stage with someone showing such monstrous growth.

“I just need to work hard.”

“Oh? Christina. When did you get here?”

“Just now….. I was going to rest a bit, but seeing Emilia makes me feel like I shouldn’t.”

“What are you talking about! Hurry up and rest. Geez, someone should go and stop Emilia too. There’s a limit to practice, really……”

Antonio sighed at the dancers’ grumbling complaints.

“Indeed.”

While it was good to see someone working hard, the current situation seemed more like abusing her body rather than practice. Antonio approached Emilia, who was moving restlessly as if she couldn’t stand still, feeling that something had to be done.

“Emilia.”

“……”

“Emilia?”

“……Yes?”

Emilia, who had stopped abruptly, panted, catching her breath. Her face, seen up close, was even worse. Antonio and Juliana, who had followed immediately, grimaced at her complexion, which looked like she might collapse at any moment.

“Come here. I need to make you rest, even if by force.”

“Huh? I’m fine.”

“What’s fine! What if you get sick on an important day because you pushed yourself too hard like this?”

“……Is that so.”

Emilia blinked blankly and belatedly realized the attention focused on her. Looking at the clock on the wall, she saw that practice time had long passed.

“Looks like you didn’t even realize how much time had passed.”

“Antonio.”

“It’s good to work hard, but you need to manage your condition well too. The performance is only a month away now.”

“……It’s already that time?”

“Yes. It’s already that time. Juliana, take her away quickly.”

“Ah, yes!”

While Antonio approached the dancers, Juliana pulled Emilia to a corner and whispered softly.

“Sit down. Is your ankle okay?”

“I think it’s fine.”

“Oh my, I’m the fool for asking. Take off your pointe shoes. No, let me do it for you.”

“Huh? Juliana. I’ll do it myself!”

Emilia hurriedly pulled her foot away as Juliana started to untie the ribbon.

“……Alright. Hurry and take them off.”

Seeing that Juliana might take off the shoes herself if she hesitated again, Emilia immediately complied. Her feet, which had felt numb before, suddenly started to tingle as if blood was flowing again, and soon her toes began to throb.

Her sweaty forehead wrinkled.

“Does it hurt? You really need to stop for today. Your toenails might fall off completely at this rate.”

“Hmm, I guess I should.”

“Did something happen recently? I thought you’d be relieved with Eva and the director both gone, but you don’t seem to care much.”

“Well….. I just want to do well, that’s all.”

“Come on, do it in moderation. You might be replaced without exception if you get sick at a time like this.”

“……I got it. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Please rest well at home tomorrow, seriously.”

Emilia blinked and then showed a look of realization. Come to think of it, it was already Sunday. A week had finally passed.

Although she thought he might call her due to his occasionally unpredictable whims, Enrico truly didn’t call for her.

‘I guess I’ll go as scheduled next week?’

She had to go to the masquerade ball on Thursday, so Tuesday was the only chance to perform at the duke’s residence. It was regrettable in many ways, as there might be days when she couldn’t keep her appointments due to increased night practice time for the upcoming performance.

‘Should I skip practice discreetly? Even if he tells me to take the lead role or something like that, he might force me to keep the promise if he feels like he’s losing out.’

Her mind became complicated again, thinking that there wouldn’t be time for most nights due to performance rehearsals. She had been constantly moving to clear these thoughts, but…

“Emilia, are you listening?”

“Huh? Oh. Where did you say the director went?”

Emilia unconsciously massaged her ankle as she listened to Juliana’s words.

“It’s not that the former director went somewhere, but his wife filed for divorce and left. I heard that the wife’s family was originally well-off, so he had been living cautiously, but now he’s really in trouble.”

“How did you know that?”

“The rumor has already spread widely. I’m telling you because I thought you might not know, and I was right. Then have you heard about Eva?”

“No.”

“Well, you know that back alley in Cornille? The red-light district before you get to the slums.”

“Ah? Yes.”

“Someone saw Eva on the street there.”

“……What? Why there?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure of the exact reason.”

Juliana murmured bitterly. Having barely graduated from the art academy from a poor family, and then being dishonorably discharged, Eva might be receiving poor treatment at home. However, she didn’t want to speculate that far, so she held her tongue.

“I really need to work hard too. The current salary is too tight for all of us to use together.”

“Juliana.”

“Can you watch me practice sometimes?”

“Of course.”

“Oh, thank you! Then I’ll have to practice more to make you rest.”

Seeing Juliana quickly erase her gloomy expression and smile brightly, Emilia slowly raised the corners of her mouth. Yes, she couldn’t live immersed in gloom forever.

Even if there might be something to cry about tomorrow, for now, she would focus on the task at hand. Emilia’s eyes deepened.

Surely there wouldn’t be something to cry about today.

Emilia calmly boarded the carriage heading to the duke’s residence. She no longer bothered to ask what business Enrico had for summoning her so abruptly by sending a carriage.

In a little while, the day when early spring sprouts would rise would come. As time passed, she had concluded to erase thoughts about him.

She decided not to question whatever he said or did from now on.

‘Anyway, it’s true that he asks for information.’

It was also a resignation, deciding to just accept whatever he gave, lest she miss the opportunity to receive information by rushing or irritating his mood.