When Pride Falls at Your Feet (19 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 9
“Isn’t that place expensive? I mean, it’s not as pricey as Versicona, but still—it’s a middle-class residential district, right?”
“Hmm, it just sort of ended up that way. It’s a bit complicated.”
After all, it wasn’t something she’d secured herself. Emilia swallowed her last words and gave a vague, faint smile.
‘You’ll be living here from now on.’
It was the house Enrico Michele had practically forced upon her the very day he’d exchanged the contract.
Though the contract did mention financial support, she’d assumed that clause referred to Giorgio Este. She never expected him to offer her support separately as well. The moment she heard it, Emilia had been ready to refuse outright.
With her savings, she could easily afford a place alone in Cornilio—the district for the lower class. It was a bit farther from the theater, but as long as she stayed diligent, it wasn’t an impossible commute. Yet Enrico dismissed her words as if he wouldn’t even consider listening.
“With that paltry sum, you’d only end up in Cornilio. Just how far do you think it is from here? Why waste time like that?”
“I understand evening classes are optional until the performance. Couldn’t I just head straight to the duke’s residence after afternoon class?”
“What a pointless waste of time. Why not spend that time practicing dance instead?”
Enrico stood up from his seat, showing no room for compromise whatsoever.
Faced with his icy, overbearing demeanor, Emilia couldn’t argue back. After issuing a final warning—that he demanded a perfect stage, and if she failed while blaming her environment, she alone would bear the consequences—he left without even a farewell.
Later, Counselor Fabio appeared and gave her the address for her move. He said he’d provide the detailed schedule on moving day and wished her luck with the audition.
‘The duke seems less like someone who loves art and more like just a madman.’
Emilia frowned, recalling the incident from a few days ago. Though their meeting had been brief, his obsession—so extreme that his entire mindset revolved solely around art—made her slightly uneasy.
She’d signed in a blind rage over her parents’ situation, but the way he sometimes spoke as if she were his personal possession made her wonder whether this contract might be far more dangerous than she’d initially thought.
“Emilia?”
Lost in thought and staring blankly into space, Emilia blinked at the voice calling her name.
“Why’d you stop talking mid-sentence? What’s going on?”
Juliana’s curious, almost bursting-with-curiosity face came into view, her earlier tension completely gone. Emilia lightly brushed her fingertips over her lips and turned her head away.
“Ah… It’s complicated here. I’ll tell you later.”
“Later, when?”
“Let’s just wait and see—once I get into the troupe.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? When did we even arrive?”
Juliana, frowning a moment before, suddenly widened her eyes as she noticed the audition room right in front of her. They’d arrived at the third floor without even realizing it.
Relieved that the topic had shifted, Emilia patted Juliana’s shoulder. She silently repeated to herself, “Just focus on what’s right in front of you,” pushing away the man who kept intruding into her thoughts.
[This is the timeline separator]The audition was held in the ballet rehearsal studio. Since it served both as a new member audition and as casting for this year’s March production of “The Stubborn Daughter,” current company members had also gathered inside.
As the new-member audition came first, the existing members stood on the opposite side, their faces full of interest as they watched.
Though some applicants had come from other countries, most were from the Academy of Arts, so there were quite a few familiar faces, and some even exchanged greetings.
“Why’s she hogging a spot so early? Unless she’s desperate to make a good impression.”
Behind Emilia, who stood calmly gazing straight ahead, came a sharp, sensitive voice.
“Oh my, she’ll hear you.”
“Well, that’s the point! It’s not like I’m bragging—I’m just curious why someone already assigned a principal role is here so early.”
She didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. Eva Paveria—the same person who’d constantly needled her throughout their time at the Academy with envious glares—was unmistakable.
Emilia didn’t even deem her worth turning to. The sight of Eva leaning in close behind her just to mutter things meant only for her ears seemed utterly pathetic.
“She didn’t even show up at the after-party, so full of herself? Honestly, she didn’t even notice who came…”
Who even cared who showed up? It had nothing to do with her. What really bothered her was how Eva kept pressing her face right against the back of her head. She considered moving elsewhere and, to calm the trembling Juliana beside her, gently gripped her arm.
“You must’ve felt confident on stage, huh? But honestly, I thought you were pretty awful.”
“Are you talking about me?”
Juliana finally spun around, unable to take it anymore. Eva crossed her arms with a smug twist to her lips.
“Hm?”
“Aren’t you the last person qualified to judge others? In my eyes, you’ve always been the awful one anyway.”
“Oh please—I just had bad luck and missed the lead role. But you? You’ll forever be stuck as an extra. Who are you to call anyone else awful?”
“Aah—really? That’s exactly what I should say to you. I know my own shortcomings well—I’m not even angry. But comparing you to Emilia? The gap in skill is so obvious; trying to pit yourselves against each other shows you’ve got no conscience at all.”
“What?!”
As tensions rose, people’s attention began to gather. Emilia quickly grabbed Juliana’s wrist and pulled her behind herself.
“Stop it. This is an audition room.”
Eva’s already sharp eyes looked even fiercer due to her tightly pulled-up orange hair. Emilia met her vivid blue eyes—filled with petty emotion—with quiet calmness.
Perhaps irritated further by Emilia’s complete lack of reaction, blue flames seemed to spark in Eva’s eyes—but only briefly, as she noticed staff members entering the room and quickly backed down.
“…Honestly, the way you two stick together is just pathetic.”
Eva muttered resentfully under her breath, frustration still unresolved. Having picked the fight herself only to storm off in anger, her behavior left Juliana rolling her eyes in disbelief.
“Why does she keep provoking us every time when she never actually wins?”
“Just ignore her.”
“It’s one thing to ignore her once or twice. But she constantly shows her jealousy toward you and tries to stir up trouble—it’s happened more than a few times! If we keep letting her be, she’ll cause a huge mess someday.”
Emilia gave a faint smile at Juliana, who was fuming as if it were her own problem.
“Thank you. You always help me out.”
“Help? I’m just not as calm as you—I can’t control my temper, that’s all.”
“Being honest about your feelings is a good thing. Honestly, I envy that about you.”
“Why do you always say such corny things?”
Juliana mumbled shyly and turned her eyes toward the judging panel.
“But who even came to that after-party for her to act so haughty…? I was there, you know—wait, huh? That person…?”
Juliana’s eyes suddenly widened as she whispered, trying to change the subject.
“What? Someone you know?”
“She dropped by briefly at the after-party. Oh! It must’ve been the Director.”
Emilia looked toward the man Juliana pointed at.
He appeared to be in his fifties—extremely thin, with meticulously slicked-back black hair that tolerated not a single strand out of place. His thin mustache was twisted upward, adding an even sharper edge to his already sensitive-looking features. His gaze, scanning the room while adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, stopped on Emilia.
His eyes swept over her from head to toe as if appraising an object, and a strange conflict flickered across the Director’s face. Narrowing his serpent-like eyes as though calculating something, his expression briefly clouded with disappointment before he withdrew his gaze.
Although Juliana had spoken first, she seemed to have refocused already and added nothing more about the Director. Only a fleeting sense of unease—noticeable solely to Emilia herself—lingered.
‘Am I imagining things…?’
Emilia tilted her head slightly, her eyes briefly lingering on the Director’s profile, especially his unusually prominent nasal bridge.
“The audition today will be judged by Director Carlo Visconti, Deputy Director Silvia Petrucci, and Chief Choreographer Chiave Della Torre. Masters and coaches will serve as assistant judges, and pianist Tommaso Paola has kindly agreed to provide accompaniment.”
As the judges were introduced one by one and took their seats with nods to the audience, Emilia pushed aside her discomfort and focused on the task ahead.
“As stated in the official notice, results will be announced immediately after the new-member audition concludes. Those who pass may immediately join today’s afternoon audition for roles in ‘The Stubborn Daughter’ if they wish. Attendance is optional; those who leave now will automatically be assigned to the ensemble. Any further questions may be directed to the front desk after the schedule concludes.”
The host finished the announcement, bowed quickly, and exited the audition room. The brief murmuring in the room quieted as the man previously introduced as a coach began calling names in order.
Since participants had already been warming up, those whose names were called stepped one by one to the barre set up in the center and assumed their starting positions.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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