Emilia was slowly nodding her head, but her gaze was directed toward empty space. Enrico’s lips pressed tightly shut at her face, which seemed lost in thought.

‘Is there anything more to doubt? Father himself warned to be careful of snakes and lions…’

Though there was no physical evidence, the circumstantial evidence was clear. Instead of just waiting for him to provide information, shouldn’t she do something on her own now?

Emilia’s gaze slowly moved to stare at her empty hands. The water glass she had been holding just moments ago was now naturally in his hand.

She wasn’t a baby bird always seeking protection, and the thought suddenly struck her that if she stayed like this, she might end up complacently trapped in the cage Enrico had made.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Her eyes lifted at his question, which somehow seemed accusatory. A hint of uncharacteristic anxiety seemed to flicker in the purple eyes looking down at her arrogantly.

‘Yes, I need to get rid of these thoughts too.’

Why did she keep trying to read his expressions? This situation of being emotionally swayed by him wasn’t right to begin with. If her parents’ accident was intentional, she couldn’t let it go like this.

Whatever feelings of attraction she had for him, the top priority should be finding the culprit in place of her parents and ensuring proper punishment.

Yes, the only path left for her was revenge.

“I was just thinking about my parents.”

His brow furrowed slightly at her response that came after a long pause. His eyes deepened, as if displeased that she was constantly thinking of others besides him, and an uncontrollable possessiveness bubbled up.

“I’m going to take care of everything anyway, so what is there for you to think about?”

Emilia’s brow furrowed slightly.

“…Of course there is.”

“Like what?”

“I need to piece together the fragments so far and make plans for what to do next.”

“What plans…”

A low voice leaked out, as if through gritted teeth. Emilia looked at Enrico with wavering eyes as he twisted his lips into a smile.

“I’m going to keep giving you what you want anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to just wait here quietly?”

“Here?”

“Stay here from now on.”

His suddenly chilled voice issued the order.

“…Pardon?”

“Everyone knows what kind of relationship we have anyway. There’s no reason to be discreet anymore, is there?”

“No! Staying at the Duke’s residence would only add fuel to those rumors. It’s just a sponsorship relationship, so what if there’s unnecessary misunderstanding?”

“Just? Why, what’s wrong with a misunderstanding?”

Enrico roughly set the water glass down on the table. Emilia’s eyes narrowed at the sharp sound that seemed like it might shatter at any moment.

“People don’t view sponsorship relationships as innocently as you do. Or are you pretending not to know? Someone in your field should know that many sponsorships involve the body as payment.”

Enrico was smiling casually, but the words he was spitting out were strangely rushed, as if he was being chased. Unlike the person who had been caring for her so kindly just moments ago.

Was his capriciousness that made her so wary of him emerging again? Emilia blinked calmly and opened her mouth softly.

“…But you haven’t done that kind of sponsorship so far. People will think it’s nothing, just like always.”

“What if people ask?”

“I’ll say it’s a sponsorship relationship.”

“Well. To say it’s just that…”

His hand reached toward her. His large palm cupped her chin and cheek, his thumb pressing firmly on her plump lower lip.

“It seems we’ve been too close to say we’re nothing to each other.”

She froze in shock. His thumb that had been rubbing her lip as if caressing it slowly slipped its tip between her lips. Belatedly, she grabbed his hand with both of hers.

“I have no intention of lying. I’m quite an honest person, you see.”

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to want to resist as his hand moved away as she pushed it. Her face flushed red with shame as she released his hand into the air as if flinging it away and stepped back.

His gaze that had been directed at her red lips traveled up her cheeks to linger on her jade-green eyes that shimmered with moisture.

Emilia merely moved her lips. She could only manage to breathe heavily due to her blank mind.

“Well then. Will you stay like this? Or shall we clarify the sponsorship relationship?”

“…You coward.”

“Coward? You won’t particularly lose anything by staying here. In fact, weren’t you the one who didn’t care what others said as long as you could get information? Don’t be stubborn for no reason and stay here to focus on me who’s right in front of you.”

Enrico slowly closed the distance that had opened between them. As the familiar scent of tobacco and cologne brushed her nose, she somehow felt even more cornered.

“Emilia.”

“…”

“Stop thinking useless thoughts and just listen to me.”

Emilia was in constant conflict over whether she should flee this room or push him away again as she watched him drawing closer.

She couldn’t think of anything to say at all, and all she could think of was that she wanted to get away from him right now.

However, even that felt like her ankles were being held to the ground, unable to move an inch, and finally he approached close enough to look down at her again.

“…The contract was only for ballet from the beginning.”

The words she had rehearsed countless times spilled out like a habit. At her trembling voice, even the faint smile disappeared from his lips. Her mouth closed hesitantly at the sight of him with a chill premonition flowing across his face.

“That damn contract…”

The words he spat out as if grinding them were very harsh.

She nodded her head again as if to emphasize, meeting his gaze directly again that she had been trying to avoid, at his attitude of still trying to force his will as if angry that things weren’t going his way.

A gloomy silence seeped into the space like fog at dawn. Even in that silence that seemed to tighten around her neck, Emilia did not avert her gaze.

Rather, the silence scattered as Enrico, who had been staring persistently without taking his eyes off her, turned his head first.

“Fine. You just do ballet as per the contract.”

It was a cold and overbearing voice. She felt her chest tighten incomparably more than before at his gaze looking down at her again as if assessing her worth, just like the day she first met him.

“But will you be able to satisfy me with your mind so distracted?”

She somehow felt small under his gaze that scanned her up and down. However, not wanting those inner feelings to be revealed, she stubbornly just kept looking at him.

Keeping her mouth tightly shut, feeling that trying to argue back would only lead to more emotional drain from wanting to avoid him.

“If the stage is even a little bit unsatisfactory, be prepared to obey my words without hesitation.”

Her eyes did not waver as she stared at his broad back turning away. However, a chill slowly began to frost over her pale face that had been overshadowed by a forlorn shadow just moments ago.

‘This won’t do.’

She glared at the spot where he had left without moving an inch. A resolve that had not been shown for a while glowed darkly in her jade-green eyes.

Sunlight filtered through the window, casting shadows on the carpet that gleamed like soft velvet.

The chandelier adorned with massive crystals sparkled, scattering light in all directions, and a lukewarm breeze swept through the interior between the wide open balcony doors.

Enrico sat on the sofa, quietly gazing at the scene before bringing the cigarette hanging from his right hand back to his lips.

As the cigarette ash tinged red burned down, it released wisps of white smoke. In his hazy vision, Enrico reflected on yesterday’s events.

‘I gave her too much information.’

When the lawyer said he was coming, I should have met with him first and carefully selected what information to pass on, but to bring Emilia along to that meeting. It was unlike me to be so careless.

If Emilia had wanted to see the lawyer directly, I could have just instructed Ranileo, who came instead, to only mention a few things.

But why did I think at that moment that revealing everything would make her rely on me more? I should have released the information bit by bit like before. Looking back, it was rash.

Did I want Emilia’s approval? Or did I hope she would open her heart to me?

Perhaps the problem was that I kept seeing Emilia’s image from Bakorta, where her attachment to family seemed strong.

As she said, it’s just a contractual relationship, so giving her information won’t open up her stubbornly closed mind anyway.

‘Consideration, what nonsense…’

Enrico took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled toward the faint smoke lingering in the air. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the mixing smoke.

The more he craved Emilia, the hazier his vision became, just like the smoke now. His mind was filled with thoughts of how to make her look at him, how to make her want to be with him.

Then when he didn’t get the response he wanted from her, his pent-up feelings would burst out, leading to situations like yesterday.

‘But no matter what I do, she’s a woman who will only cling to dead people anyway.’

If she had no room to see him right now, it seemed only natural that he would have to at least keep her by his side for now.

He didn’t want to repeat that dirty feeling of heating up only to be doused with cold water at the end, but he also didn’t want to let her go like this.

Should he just break her ankle to keep her by his side? He didn’t want to see her turning away from him, but should he endure it? Countless conflicts and agonies tested him again and again.

‘What contract.’

She who was quiet when benefiting, how quickly she brought up the terms when demanding something. It was truly contemptible.

Even if he expressed wanting more than their current relationship to her, who seemed to have no intention of listening to him right now, she would likely just ignore it.

She would surely recoil in disgust, asserting her noble pride and asking if he wanted a purely physical relationship or a mistress-like lover.

The problem was that if she actually asked that, he still hadn’t decided exactly how to answer.

If it wasn’t those two options, it meant he should seriously date and marry her, but him marrying a lowly ballerina?