When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 52



Only Krnovel

#52. Cinderella
2024.02.21.

The order went by one by one, and finally, the applicants for the main role waited for their names to be called. Then Emilia glanced at the dancer who had been fidgeting next to her.

It was Christina Firdana, who had dark wine-colored hair and amber eyes, and a colorful appearance but whose presence felt weak. I heard the dancers talking about her as a hard worker, but she seemed to be the type who got nervous easily.

Still, since Christina became the principal ballerina this year, she was also given the main role in [La Sylphide] for the first time, and since she was the one who was going to go up on stage that day, I was a bit excited. Lately, whenever we practiced together, I felt like she was secretly avoiding her, which was a shame, but since it wasn’t a role that I would meet, I understood.

“Christina Firdana.”

When it was finally Christina’s turn, I heard her take a deep breath. She raised her hand, went to the center, stood, and started dancing to the sound of the piano.

‘Are you too nervous?’ She

did well, but it felt a little disappointing. Should I say that the tempo was a little fast? As Emilia’s head tilted slightly to the side, the chief choreographer, who sometimes made a comment during the audition, opened his mouth.

“Too fast. Focus on the music!”

At those words, Christina blinked her eyes quickly. The chief choreographer frowned at her, who took a deep breath as if trying to calm down and continued dancing.

Since the skills of the dancers in the ballet company were not standardized, there were only one or two dancers who could be chosen as the main characters. However,

since they chose two or three main dancers for the long performance period, the remaining spot was usually filled by dancers with mid-to-higher skills, and Christina was the one chosen from that competition. Christina

had never been on stage as a first soloist in seven years, but he had given her a chance this time because he highly valued her sincerity, but he couldn’t help but feel disappointed every time he saw her.

Soon, Emilia did not look at Christina, who quickly returned to her seat with a pale face. If others would feel disappointed, how much more disappointed would she be? She would know her own skills better than others, so she would feel bitter.

Soon, Emilia also became the judges, and she stood in the middle, showing off the dance she had prepared. The people were in an uproar because it was so different from Christina’s performance earlier. They were saying

that she would lose the leading role.

They said that Emilia had never auditioned for the leading role in the first place, but if her skills were good enough, Emilia would have taken Christina’s place.

The hurtful words stabbed Christina’s heart like a sharp knife. Her face turned bright red. She felt ashamed and as if she was going to cry.

Christina glared at Emilia, who was dancing beautifully in front of her, and then turned around. The beads of sweat that had formed on the tip of her chin fell to the floor.

And a few days later, the [Cinderella] casting announcement was posted on the bulletin board.

“Wow… … . Isn’t this the first time? Who has been given the lead role in such a short period of time since joining?”

“Yes. But she danced so overwhelmingly well.”

“That’s right. I’m not even jealous. It’s embarrassing to compare.”

The conversations of the dancers who came out to the hallway after morning practice and looked at the bulletin board were all coming together. This time, it was Emilia Estero who had been given the lead role.

Among the ballet dancers, she had been given the lead role in the shortest period of time, just one year after joining, but this time, a ballerina who had been in the lead role for less than half a year had taken it. The problem was that when someone like a rising star appeared, the original occupant would be pushed out, so the conversation gradually turned to the latter.

“But it was as expected. Christina was pushed out.”

“Actually, Christina’s skills were ambiguous for her to continue to play the lead role. I think she’ll probably be cast alternately in the second part in the future… … . It’s a bit disappointing.”

The dancer clicked her tongue briefly and looked back and forth between the role of Cinderella and one of the stepmother’s daughters.

“I think it’s really unfortunate that I practice so hard but my skills can’t keep up.”

“Well, who would worry about whom… … . After all, Christina is old. If her skills aren’t up to par this year, she’ll probably naturally retire.”

“Oh, because I have to get married? But isn’t it too late now?”

“Well, that’s true, but it’ll be even later next year, so I have to make a decision this year.”

No matter how much they whispered, they couldn’t help but be heard by those around them. Christina’s eyes, which were standing at the very back and looking at the bulletin board, were bloodshot. Her fists were clenched so hard that her arms were shaking.

A few dancers who realized it too late were terrified and avoided it, but the ones at the front had no way of knowing, so the conversation continued.

“This performance will be a lot of pressure, too.”

“Why the performance?”

“Emilia and Christina are scheduled for the same day.”

“Oh my… … . But there is no scene where Silphi and Epi meet… … . Huh.”

“Why, ah… … Christina.”

Those who found her late apologized with embarrassed faces.

“We’re not saying this with bad intentions, we’re just worried about you… … .”

Christina’s neck gradually turned bright red. As the murmurs grew louder and people showed no sign of leaving the bulletin board, the people who came to see the audition results slowly gathered together.

Emilia was one of the people who came to the bulletin board with Juliana late. She quietly headed to the spot where the bulletin board was visible due to the unusual atmosphere. Then, she tilted her head when she saw Christina standing still with a stern face.

“Emilia, congratulations on your leading role!”

Juliana, who had seen the bulletin board first, shouted, and Christina’s gaze turned to Emilia. Emilia’s mouth, which was about to go up, hardened slightly because of the fierce gaze.

Soon, Christina turned around and at the same time, Juliana grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the bulletin board, telling her to look at it herself. After seeing the casting, Emilia looked at the spot where Christina had disappeared. She

knew better than anyone that talent comes first and that it was an unavoidable reality, but she still felt strange because the two people’s fortunes had changed just like the roles they had been cast for.

***

Emilia changed into a comfortable indoor dress and picked up a book for the first time in a long while.

Normally, on Sundays, she would not change into pajamas unless she had an appointment and would just walk around in a robe, but now she was thinking that she should change her lifestyle a bit.

Of course, she didn’t have time to read books because she was doing ballet, but when she got home, she just rested and did nothing, so she could count the number of times she had read books on one hand.

‘Actually, this is not the time… … . I can’t go to the duke’s residence on Sunday just to look at the materials in the box… … .’

Emilia decided to kill time by reading a book today and went to the living room sofa and settled down comfortably. She thought she would fall asleep right away if she read a book in her room, so she came to the living room, and it seemed like a good choice.

The warm spring sunlight streamed in through the window, and the pleasant scent of flowers wafted in through the slightly open window, making her body feel tired.

‘If it was my room, I would have slept earlier… … . I’m so sleepy right now… … .’

Emilia barely managed to read the book with her hazy eyes, even though she hadn’t read a few pages. However, her efforts crumbled in an instant, just like her heavy eyelids, after a few minutes.

Gibbetta, who had been watching Emilia in the kitchen, smiled faintly and took the blanket. However, just before she reached her, there was a small knock on the door. Gibbetta

opened the door carefully and greeted Enrico Michele, who had naturally entered, in a small voice.

Enrico, who was putting down what he had brought on the shelf in the hallway, looked at her, wondering why, but soon found Emilia dozing off on the long sofa in the living room, and stopped for a moment.

The curtains fluttered in the wind, casting a shadow that touched her slightly and then moved away. The soft sunlight was somehow bright, as if it were sprinkled like gold dust.

‘… … You’re sleeping well.’

Enrico motioned for Zaveta to step aside and sat down on the single sofa near her sofa. She was sleeping with her head leaning against the backrest, as if the position was not uncomfortable. She had a book open on her legs and was resting her right hand on the paper. His

head tilted slightly. A neat nose bridge, nicely placed between her two eyes that were closed in a delicate curve, a cheek as pink as a ripe peach, and red lips like a rose.

He looked at her pale face one by one, and belatedly slowly closed and opened his eyes.

The house was so quiet that all he could hear were her small breathing and the ticking of the clock on his wrist. He wanted to approach her and touch her, but for some reason he didn’t want to.

The ticking of the clock’s second hand continued to move. The clock that I never missed was the only thing that kept me from the loneliness that made me feel alone, but for the first time, this sound bothered me.

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