The rainy season, which seemed like it would never end, was slowly coming to an end as the hours of rainfall decreased. Emilia sat in the practice room, stretching her body after a long time.

Although she had agreed to rejoin practice from today, the atmosphere within the ballet company was still awkward.

Deputy Director Silvia explained that there was absolutely no corruption in the audition, calling in relevant personnel to explain each scoring sheet and selection reason one by one.

Since there weren’t many who doubted Emilia’s skills in the first place, most accepted it, but some still clenched their teeth and turned away from the truth, saying they couldn’t believe it all.

It was a complex inferiority-driven stubbornness mixed with jealousy towards Emilia and a last bit of pride in believing their own words were right.

“The scoring sheets can all be manipulated. They’ve already selected her, so what can be done now? They have to push through with it.”

“True. I know Emilia is good, but even so, if it’s true she’s receiving sponsorship from Duke Michele, I don’t think we should just let it slide quietly. Something feels off about it, you know?”

The problem was that these people, perhaps due to their shamelessness, were quite loud. Even when others gave them looks, they kept grumbling about how they should at least speak up and not be intimidated. Emilia silently went about her business with an almost enlightened mindset.

Perhaps because she had half given up, she didn’t care much about what those people were saying anymore. She didn’t feel anger about having her skills denied, and was only concerned about Juliana refusing to talk to her.

“Emilia.”

As she was looking at Juliana stretching on the opposite side, three colleagues flocked over and surrounded her.

“Huh?”

“I heard an interesting rumor today. Can you answer something for me?”

This feels ominous somehow. Emilia raised one eyebrow instead of immediately opening her mouth. But the dancer didn’t seem to care about getting an answer in the first place and just blurted out what she was curious about.

“Are you acquainted with His Highness the Crown Prince by any chance?”

“…What?”

“There’s a rumor going around that you’ve known each other since childhood.”

“What are you suddenly talking about? Where did you hear this?”

“There’s an opera singer who attended a ball as a sponsor’s partner. She said she heard it there. Everyone in the opera company is talking about it.”

It was one thing after another. Emilia rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache. She couldn’t understand how this story had spread.

Did someone see the two of them together when they were young? But even so, how would they know it was her?

Emilia let out a big sigh at the absurd situation.

“Emilia, so is it true?”

“…We’re not acquaintances from childhood, but I did meet him briefly when I was young. I think that got distorted somehow.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes, but we’re not close or anything, and we haven’t kept in touch. I really think some kind of rumor has spread incorrectly.”

Seeing the person making a fuss, Emilia felt that if she stayed like this, they would keep prying further. She pretended to stretch again, deliberately avoiding people’s gazes.

The people who had crowded around retreated tactfully, but voices chattering loudly from afar began to fill the practice room.

“Didn’t they say she was from a fallen noble family? I thought I heard their family had completely collapsed, did they meet before that happened?”

“Right. They must have known each other then. But how could a family that was close enough to the royal family to be on speaking terms collapse so easily?”

“Who knows. How would we know? The story of that famous person.”

“It’s really something. First the Duke, and now the Crown Prince. No joke.”

They continued talking as if implying Emilia had seduced them. Those who had been skeptical of Emilia, saying they couldn’t believe the officials’ words, now chattered on and on as if they had found new prey.

“You really can’t tell by appearances. She acts so high and mighty, but who knew she was so loose.”

“Hey!”

Suddenly, a thunderous shout came from behind. When they turned around with wide eyes, Juliana was glaring at the gossipers, breathing heavily.

“Know your limits. We were told the judging was fair, so why are you still going on about it among yourselves!”

“What? I’m just saying I can’t accept it, what’s it to you?”

Juliana’s eyes widened as if she might rush over at any moment. Emilia quickly ran to her, grabbed her arm, and looked at the group.

“Then go tell the Deputy Director right now. Say you don’t understand any of the score sheets or explanations she gave.”

“W-what?”

“If you can’t say it directly, why are you grumbling behind my back? Have I done something to harm you?”

“That’s…!”

The other person rolled their eyes around and looked at the people around who had been agreeing with them, but they too had nothing to say, so everyone suddenly shut their mouths. Someone watching from the side kept poking the instigator before finally sighing and dragging them out.

Emilia let out a deep sigh and gently shook the arm of Juliana, who was still glaring at the others.

“Juliana, are you okay?”

Although it was an irritating situation, her mood lifted when Juliana suddenly took her side. Since Juliana’s distance had been what bothered her most, just having her speak to her like this made her happy.

Emilia naturally took Juliana’s hand and led her to a corner seat.

“…Why wouldn’t I be okay? They were all talking about you.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to this much by now.”

“You must feel great. How can you smile?”

“I’m just so happy to be talking with you after such a long time. That’s why.”

Juliana’s gaze lingered on Emilia for a while. Emilia calmly accepted that gaze before carefully opening her mouth.

“I’m sorry. I should have just told you right away instead of just worrying. I couldn’t tell you not because I didn’t trust you, but I think I just wanted to deny the reality I was in.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Not because of the situation, but because I really want to tell you now, do you have time? Do you want to come to my place?”

A smile suddenly bloomed on Juliana’s face. Seeing her pretty appearance like a fully bloomed sunflower, Emilia smiled along.

Emilia took Juliana to her house and told her everything. She thought about leaving out the story of her parents, but she felt that if she only chose to tell some things after deciding to open up, it might cause even greater disappointment.

Juliana’s face, which had been listening with a surprised expression at first, filled with shock, then became strange, and finally ended up shedding tears.

When she asked if Emilia was still of noble status now, Emilia was worried she might feel uncomfortable, but seeing her smile and say it was fortunate Emilia hadn’t lost her status, she felt she had done well to tell her after all.

‘But does Duke Michele really see you as just a thing?’

Juliana’s last words bothered Emilia a bit, but she quickly brushed it off, saying it was only natural.

Having lived only in the art academy after leaving the baron’s household, inviting someone to her home felt very unfamiliar. But seeing her friend’s smiling face made her feel she had made the right choice.

She sympathized so well with Emilia’s story that when talking about Giorgio, she got even more heated than Emilia herself, looking as if she would grab Giorgio by the collar if he were right in front of her.

‘Come to think of it, Enrico said he wouldn’t show up, but I didn’t expect my uncle to be completely absent like this.’

She wasn’t even sure if he was really her uncle, but in any case, it was nice not to see his face.

However, it was a bit unsettling that it was so quiet. She wanted to use this opportunity to really confirm if they were of the same bloodline, but it was frustrating that the world didn’t have the technology for that yet.

A week after resuming practice like that, a summons came from Enrico.

It had been a while since she came to the Duke’s residence. Thinking he might tell her to perform again now that she seemed fully recovered, she was about to enter the place where she usually changed clothes when the butler guided her in a different direction, saying it wasn’t that way.

‘So he didn’t call me here to put me on stage?’

The place Emilia arrived at was the bedroom where she had stayed when she had a fever. As the butler opened the door for her, she reluctantly entered to find Enrico sitting on the edge of the bed.

Why is he waiting here? Surely he’s not really going to force something? Remembering his strange words from before about taking her body, she stepped back hesitantly.

“…Why did you call me here?”

Enrico twisted his lips and slowly got up from his seat. Instead of saying anything, he kept closing the distance. Emilia kept backing away, considering whether to turn around and run out, when she felt the hard door against her back.

He showed no sign of stopping. Just as she thought this wouldn’t do and slightly turned her body to open the door, she saw his hand brush right in front of her eyes and rest on the door.

Emilia blinked her eyes in confusion and was about to turn her head towards him. But then she saw a familiar man standing in the corner and her mouth fell open.

“What were you thinking?”

“…Pardon?”

“Why are your ears so red? Did you perhaps imagine something strange?”

Seemingly having forgotten their fierce argument at home, Enrico spoke to her as if nothing had happened. Emilia covered her ears with both hands and shook her head slightly. Then she nodded a greeting to the Duke’s family doctor who had been standing quietly in the corner all along.

Seeing this, Enrico turned around as if deflated.

“Get an examination.”