When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 1



Only Krnovel

#01. Misaligned Gaze
2024.01.01.

Moonlight shone through the room where darkness had fallen. Unlike Emilia’s face, which was shining pure white in the blue moonlight, Enrico’s face, which was facing away from the window, was covered in shadows.

“Where are you going at this hour of the night?”

Emilia’s body staggered slightly as she stepped back. She fluttered her eyelashes as if she had stepped back without realizing it, and placed both hands on her chest as she watched Enrico approaching as he moved further away.

“… … What are you doing this late at night, Your Majesty?” She

was planning to leave quietly. The contract had already ended a long time ago, and since it was an unnecessary relationship for both of them, she thought it would be okay to leave now. In particular, his curiosity toward her had probably hit rock bottom and evaporated by now, so she thought there would be no variables.

Enrico took another step closer. No, he gradually closed the distance as if he had no intention of stopping.

“… … .”

Emilia instinctively stepped back, but when she felt the bed behind her, she tried to stop, but it was too late. With a thud, Emilia’s body collapsed on the bed, losing her balance and half-lying down.

Emilia tried to get up right away, putting strength into the arms that were supporting her upper body. However, the shadow that was cast over her was faster than her. As the long arms placed each side of Emilia’s face, she felt a cold wind along with a woody musk scent.

“Your Majesty.”

Unlike her calm voice, the end

of her words trembled. Emilia blinked anxiously at the hand that gently grabbed her chin. It wasn’t a strong force, but it was a hand that she couldn’t refuse.

As she followed the hand, her head turned and her eyes met Enrico’s, who was looking down at her.

It was truly strange. Her beautiful face, which had always been relaxed, was covered with indescribable, unfamiliar emotions. The dark purple eyes did not fall as if they would swallow her at any moment, but the blue veins on the back of her neck just took a deep breath as if she was suppressing something.

“… … Please get out of the way. And since we are not in a contractual relationship, please stop coming by like this.”

“When.”

“Huh?”

His frowning eyes twitched slightly.

“I’ve never finished it.”

He felt like a solid wall. To the point where there was absolutely no way to escape from him.

“What is that… … .”

In the end, Emilia trailed off and lifted her legs to get off the bed. There was a thud, the sound of her shoes hitting the bed and hitting the floor. The soles of her feet rubbed against the cool sheets, and her gesture of quickly stepping back while sitting up was suddenly stopped by a hand grabbing her ankle.

“… … !”

Her whole body froze as if she was bound in chains. Emilia’s two eyes shook violently.

“You can wear it when you’re dancing ballet, but don’t wear it when you’re running away from me.”

His hand grabbed her left ankle tightly and then slowly released it. His ticklish hands moved down to her toes and caressed her toes and insteps leisurely. When she flinched at the persistent touch and tried to pull it away, it slid up to her calf and then his other hand pressed firmly on her right thigh.

Enrico still kept his gaze fixed on her. However, the hand on her thigh slowly began to move up to her secret inner flesh. A surprised breath and a groan escaped her mouth.

“I have no intention of letting you go.”

Soon, his hand stopped moving precariously, and a low, murky voice whispered. And then her legs were lifted high.

Why on earth did this happen?

Emilia’s vision became hazy as if she was reminiscing about something from long ago, and the shadows began to lengthen.

***

The hem of her multi-layered fishnet skirt shook around her calf as if foam was breaking. Emilia Este, who was walking quickly, let out an anxious breath as she fastened the brown shawl over her white ballerina costume.

‘What’s going on all of a sudden?’

It was a day she had been looking forward to. She had endured people’s contempt and lived only by watching ballet, and now she thought that all that was left was to prove herself and remove the shadow that had been cast over her life. If only that shadow hadn’t come now.

Giorgio Este.

He was the one who had appeared at the writer’s house as soon as her parents passed away in an unexpected accident and introduced himself as a distant relative.

‘How did I come here… …’

She knew that Giorgio, who had not hidden his lustful eyes since the first time they met, would not leave her alone. However, this stage would provide Emilia with a foundation for independence as an adult, and it would be an opportunity for her to go to a foreign ballet company. It was natural for a ballerina who took on a leading role among the many dancers on stage to receive attention.

So she wanted to ignore him whether Giorgio called her or not. It would have been like that if it weren’t for the words the servant who came to the dressing room told me.

‘If you don’t follow me, I’ll come and drag you out myself.’

Emilia swallowed a deep sigh and hurried her feet as she realized that the man who threatened her like a thief was her uncle.

It was fortunate that she had the dressing room to herself, but if there had been more people, she would have definitely received strange looks from the servant’s appearance.

In the world of ballet, where most people were from commoners or fallen families, if it had been revealed that Emilia had been working while hiding her noble status, there was a high possibility that she would be restricted by her teachers who felt burdened by the unwanted attention of her fellow students.

Furthermore, since finishing the stage safely today was the priority, she couldn’t just provoke Giorgio and start a commotion already.

Her anxious heart soon became like running, and soon the emergency exit came into view. It was a hallway that connected to the second-floor box seats, but since it was a remote place, she didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the doorknob and ran out at the same time.

‘… … Huh?’

And at that moment, Emilia’s two eyes widened. A large figure suddenly appeared, as if to overturn the thought that there would be no people. She instinctively raised her arm and tried to stop it belatedly, but there was no way to prevent her body from colliding with it. In the end, her arm hit her hard back with a thud and her body was pushed back as if it were bouncing.

“Oops… …!”

Fortunately, she did not fall over. Emilia instinctively put strength into her hand that held the wall and supported her staggering body. Then she raised her head and looked for the person she had bumped into.

‘I said it was a place I don’t go often, but is it a staff member? Oh… … .’

Emilia’s gaze stopped at one place. A tall man who had to look up at his shiny shoes for a long time was going his way as if nothing had happened. She held her breath for a moment and stared blankly at the indifferent back of him as he continued walking. The man wearing a luxurious black coat was dressed in a way that made it obvious at a glance that he was a nobleman, but not only his appearance but also his atmosphere gave off an aura that made it difficult to approach him.

“Lady, are you okay?”

“… … Yes.”

Emilia blinked her eyes for a moment and opened her mouth. It was fortunate that the noble was not making a fuss about being rude, but on the other hand, she was treating him like a nobody, so she wondered how she should react.

Should she wait until he leaves first? Should she at least apologize to the back of his head? A momentary conflict flashed across Emilia’s face. And soon, as if she had made up her mind, her lips, which had been closed for a moment, opened again, and suddenly a man came in from the side and stood in front of her as if to block the noble from her view.

“I’m sorry-.”

“If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know.”

“I’m fine. But… … .”

“I’m glad that the lady is fine.”

Emilia glanced at the noble who was leaving, and the man in front of her smiled and cut her off again. It was as if he was reluctant to even mention the noble.

‘Oh, so you just want him to leave quietly.’

Emilia closed her mouth and nodded slightly. She was busy anyway. Rather than holding on and arguing, Emilia took a step aside, smoothing her disheveled shawl. Then, as she was about to give him a quick nod to go ahead, the nobleman standing in front of the audience entrance suddenly opened his mouth.

“Fabio.”

A low and cool voice like the sky at dawn pierced her ears.

“Yes! Your Highness the Duke.”

Emilia’s eyes shook.

Your Highness the Duke? He was an unexpectedly great nobleman. Emilia clasped her hands together in front of her chest and stepped back, and at the same time, the man turned around and bowed his head politely in response. The duke still had his back turned. However, as he slowly turned his head to the side, his side profile was slightly revealed.

‘… … Enrico, Michele?’

She recognized him right away. Emilia, who had lost her parents and was only doing ballet and was unfamiliar with nobles, had heard about them from her colleagues many times, and it was impossible not to know him since he was a noble man whose existence was not hidden in the first place.

Because he was the current king’s younger brother and the richest man in the kingdom.

“Bring me a new coat.”

The black coat that was draped over his broad shoulders fell to the floor. His high, sculpted nose and deep-set eyes were revealed, and only the man named Fabio had amethyst eyes that briefly flashed. Even though only half of it was visible, Enrico Michele’s face was strikingly beautiful and as merciless as the cold weather outside.

Emilia stared at the man’s back as he disappeared with a calm expression, then suddenly raised her head at the sound that pierced her ear. Ding- ding- The sound of the bell indicating the entrance filled the theater. This was not the time to be doing this.