Soon, Enrico’s gaze turned towards the window. Through the slightly fogged glass, the heavily falling snow came into view, reminding him of the cold reality.

As long as she shows the appearance he desires, at least during ballet, it shouldn’t matter much.

His eyes slowly closed and reopened, once again fully taking in Emilia.

“You seem quite busy at this late hour.”

The silence that had filled the air finally dissipated. Emilia’s eyes briefly wavered.

“This isn’t the way to an after-party, and your luggage seems too large for a simple walk…”

“…”

“Are you running away?”

“…Of course not.”

Along with the ambiguous answer, Emilia’s gaze slightly shifted to the side. After observing her for a moment, Enrico let out a chuckle and pulled out an ornate silver cigarette case from a compartment in the carriage wall. A cigarette was placed between his smooth lips, and a brief flame flickered from the lighter in his hand.

With a soft hiss, a small flame appeared, briefly illuminating his handsome features before white smoke rose up, as if to obscure them. The acrid cigarette smoke gradually filled the carriage.

“Let’s leave it at that. It’s not that important anyway.”

“*cough* May I ask why you’ve come looking for me at this hour, Your Grace?”

“Ah. To offer patronage.”

“Pardon?”

“I quite enjoyed your ballet performance. I’d like to see more of it personally.”

“Are you saying you want to sponsor me?”

“Hmm, did I phrase it too complexly?”

Why can’t you understand in one go? Enrico’s words flowed out with the white smoke, sounding almost like a sigh. Faced with his gentle yet chilling demeanor, she reflexively held her breath.

“…I apologize. It’s just something I never expected.”

The window opened, letting in a cold breeze to the warm interior of the carriage. Enrico nodded very slowly as he tapped cigarette ash out the window with his long fingers.

“So, what’s your answer?”

“Thank you for the wonderful opportunity. However…”

Enrico’s eyes narrowed.

“Due to personal circumstances, I’m no longer able to continue with ballet. Please forgive me for having to decline.”

“You’re saying you won’t do ballet anymore?”

“Yes.”

He let out a low breath, “Hmm.”

“…”

“How strange… You don’t seem to have much going for you besides ballet, yet you say you won’t do it?”

His expression slowly hardened. While beautiful works of art can exude their value simply by existing, the woman before him was like a ballerina in a music box – only complete when dancing.

“I came here personally to make you a good offer, yet you so easily spout useless words with that pretty mouth of yours.”

His gaze turned cold towards her, who dared to diminish the perfect value he had assigned to her – a woman who couldn’t manifest her worth by simply existing, now saying she wouldn’t do the very thing that made her valuable.

“…I don’t think any offer will change my decision.”

Their gazes clashed in mid-air. Her jade-colored eyes trembled slightly, revealing an obvious wariness.

“Any offer, you say. Is that so?”

Watching Emilia press her lips together as if clinging to her resolve, Enrico’s eyes suddenly relaxed. As if enjoying this moment, Enrico slowly narrowed his eyes. Then, he elegantly brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled slowly. The sound of the reddened ash burning could be heard.

“I was going to tell you about the death of the Este Viscount couple.”

Soon, a low whisper flowed out along with the white smoke.

“Could you please repeat that?”

Emilia’s voice trembled at the end. As if relishing her evident confusion, a languid smile spread across Enrico’s lips.

“Gladly. I said I have something to tell you about your deceased parents. Specifically, about their mysterious accidental death.”

His tone was gentle, as if his sharp attitude from earlier had been a lie.

“You make it sound as if there was something more to the carriage accident.”

“Now you understand properly. Are we finally starting to communicate?”

Emilia’s face hardened. Who could remain calm when someone suddenly appears to poke at old wounds? Despite her attitude now openly displaying displeasure, a stark contrast to her earlier timidity, Enrico merely smiled nonchalantly.

“Your Grace. They passed away long ago. I hope your words weren’t spoken lightly.”

Even as Emilia’s bold words continued, Enrico’s expression remained unchanged. He simply threw the cigarette out the window as if going about his business, then rested his chin on the window frame, lazily closing and opening his eyes.

“I came to propose a contract, so it’s not particularly light. Though it might become light depending on your choice.”

Emilia bit her lower lip hard. She seemed to be in deep conflict. While she appeared reluctant to respond hastily to his words laced with warning, she also seemed hesitant to inquire directly about the contract.

A man who suddenly appears in the middle of the night. A man who mentions long-deceased parents. Everything was suspicious, yet difficult to simply dismiss. Silence fell, and Emilia’s lips moved several times without sound.

The silence filling the carriage was occasionally broken by the sound of wind coming through the slightly open window. At some point, Enrico’s fingertips, which had been naturally tapping on the window frame, gradually slowed, and boredom began to show in his eyes.

“…What kind of contract do you want?”

Emilia’s mouth finally uttered words, judging that she could no longer delay. It was too simple a question for something she had pondered for so long. However, even for that, Emilia’s fists were trembling as if she had made a big decision.

Enrico’s long fingers moved slowly, as if wandering across the window frame. His hand, which had been moving as if wandering through space, soon closed the open window.

After the sound of the window closing passed, the ticking of the clock’s second hand began to flow through the carriage, barely filling the silence.

Enrico closed his eyes tightly, as if enjoying the rhythmic ticking sound.

His slightly downturned eyes beneath thick eyebrows made him appear even more languid, and his sharp nose bridge and jawline blended elegantly, creating a sensual atmosphere.

It was a beauty that would make anyone who had seen Enrico’s appearance even once involuntarily groan, but Emilia merely swallowed dryly, waiting for his eyes to open again, as if impatient with this silence.

“My condition is simple.”

The words came after a long while. As he slowly raised his eyelids, which looked as if they had been painted on, Enrico also raised the corners of his mouth, his amethyst-like eyes gleaming darkly.

“You just dance. Like a living doll.”

His gaze looking down at her arrogantly fully revealed the image of a man who had lived at the top his entire life. Emilia’s face, which had been flushed from the cold, instantly turned as pale as moonlight. Shame briefly flashed in her eyes, which were shaking like trees in a fierce storm.

“Then I’ll tell you about your dead parents.”

As if completely uninterested in her changes, he simply uttered scathing words in a gentle voice.

“Don’t you want to know the truth?”

Her intense gaze that he had seen on stage finally appeared. Her eyes, sparkling like starlight, transformed her atmosphere from that of a delicate flower petal scattering in the wind and rain.

Now that’s more like it, a satisfied smile belatedly appeared on Enrico’s lips.

The night’s snowstorm had left only slushy traces under the sunlight before departing. Emilia, who had been staring blankly into space with a sleepless face, turned her head at the rattling window sound.

She saw bare tree branches trembling against the strong cold wind, shaking off the snow that had settled on them. In summer, these trees would burst with purple flower buds and spread a deep fragrance, but their current shabby appearance only made her mood sink further.

‘Just like me yesterday.’

The image of herself trembling helplessly before that arrogant man flashed through her mind again. Though their meeting was brief, Enrico Michele had left her deeply troubled throughout the night.

‘Wanting to know the truth…’

It was a short phrase, but one she couldn’t dismiss. All this time, she had thought her parents had unfortunately passed away in a carriage accident, but suddenly that wasn’t the case? Even amidst the insulting words demanding she become a doll that only dances, the two words “the truth” had gripped her ankles like quicksand.

‘…Couldn’t you tell me even a small part of that truth?’

Yesterday, if not for the thin thread of reason that remained, she might have agreed to the contract right then and there – it was an offer that left her mind in a daze. Emilia asked, her eyes growing increasingly stinging as she strained to keep them open.

‘Well. I only know part of it myself, so it’s rather difficult to share.’

‘What? Only part of it?!’

‘However, once the contract is made, what I can do for you is a detailed investigation into that accident. Think of it that way.’

‘No, that doesn’t seem right. How can I blindly enter into a contract without knowing what that “part” entails?’

‘My, you certainly have a long-winded way of saying you don’t trust me.’

‘It’s not that, but rather, shouldn’t I at least know the general content before I can consider agreeing to the deal?’

Enrico stared at Emilia silently for a moment before bluntly stating:

‘Who do you think you are?’