When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 56



Only Krnovel

#56. Trade
2024.02.25.

The dancers finally looked at Christina with pitiful eyes. They had judged their skills coldly and thought that this was the limit, but Christina, who had finally tasted the main role, would have a hard time letting go.

“Christina, cheer up!”

“Wow- your turn was good just now.”

Emilia’s eyes briefly fell on the dancers who were clapping, as if they had decided to cheer her on.

Even though she had lowered her voice, Christina might have heard it, but she seemed too complacent. They were talking like they were evaluating someone who was working hard. They were not even Enrico, so they were shocked.

Of course, even if Enrico had a high position and was capable, it was not right to evaluate someone like that, but on the other hand, she had nothing to say because she had signed a contract with him.

Emilia decided to just ignore it and slowly stretched for the practice that would soon resume. Soon, the chief choreographer and masters outside began to enter the practice room, and the pianist sat down at the piano, waiting for the dancers to stand in formation. When

the male lead actor pulled a chair and sat down in the middle, Christina stood next to him with a stiff face, ready. She needed to relax her expression, but her mood, which had been ruined by the dancers who had been talking lightly a moment ago, did not change.

‘… What do you know, you losers?’

Although she knew that her mood was ruined because her words were so sharp, Christina looked at the dancers as if she was looking at pitiful things and gathered her strength.

‘I just have to prove myself on this stage. If I do better than Emilia, that will definitely be taken into account and Giselle will be mine.”

Christina tried hard to deny reality, thinking that the judges had clearly chosen Emilia because they wanted to see a stage where she was the lead.

Soon, the sweet sound of the piano and the tips of her toe shoes lightly tapped the floor. With her twisted feelings underlying her beautiful gestures.

***

An elegant woman passed the entrance of the café and between the outdoor tables. The woman, wearing a small red and black hat and a two-piece dress, briefly looked at the dazzling midday light pouring into the interior through the wide windows before scanning her surroundings. The

spacious interior was divided in half, with tables on one side and sofas and billiard tables on the other, similar to a high-class salon. The woman briefly glanced at the men sitting on the sofa, smoking cigarettes, and chatting, then raised the corners of her mouth nobly when she saw a man sitting alone in a remote corner on the other side.

“Duke Michele.”

The woman slowly approached and called Enrico, who was sitting on a chair. Enrico seemed to have already known that she was there, and instead of answering, he politely gestured for her to sit across from him.

“Oh, aren’t you even going to stand up? How rude.”

When the employee who approached pulled out the chair, the woman smiled slightly and sat down.

Enrico slowly crossed his legs and leaned back against the backrest. The scent of rich red wine spread around him, following his gesture of gently shaking the wine glass, and tickled his nose.

“The princess said she wanted a free atmosphere, so I decided to accommodate her.”

“Hmm- You know that’s not the kind of freedom I meant.”

Vivian Karnt wrinkled her nose.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to talk to you today to find out.”

“You’re really boring. I was thinking of having a meal together, but I’ll just say what you want and leave.”

“Good idea.”

As Enrico elegantly curved his lips, Vivian gave him a nonchalant glare and picked up the menu. She immediately ordered the same wine and took off her translucent white gloves.

“I wanted to meet you somewhere quiet, but you’ve made an appointment in a place with open windows.”

“There’s no reason to meet in a secret room. So what’s the point of meeting?”

“You seem easygoing, but you’re actually impatient. I wanted to quench my thirst and talk.”

“You’re just coming out. “Hurry up and have a drink.”

Enrico stared at Vivian, who was drinking red wine, waiting for her to open her mouth.

When Vivian first contacted him a few days ago, asking if they could meet separately, he had ignored her. However, when she contacted him again right away, saying that she had a separate proposal, he wondered if there was some kind of ulterior motive. He also hoped that Alessandro would hear that the two of them had met and let his guard down a little, thinking that things were going his way.

“I’ll get to the point. Unlike you, Your Highness, I hate beating around the bush.”

Enrico nodded once instead of answering. Vivian slightly moved her head closer to the table and lowered her voice a little.

“Aren’t you interested in the parts monopoly?”

His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“How could I be interested if it wasn’t mine in the first place?”

“Then what if I give you the monopoly? Would you be interested then?”

“… … It’s so sudden. Didn’t we finish talking with the crown prince?”

“Yes. Since the royal family can’t have private property, Count Valemont will take care of this.”

Vivian furrowed one eye as if displeased.

“But I can’t stand to see that. An old man who’s about to be buried in a coffin keeps talking to me without even knowing his place, so how can I just let it go?”

“Ah. Count Valemont’s womanizing is truly amazing.”

On the day of the masquerade ball, Count Valemont kept glancing at Vivian and eventually approached her. Vivian felt her patience falter as he kept offering drinks, subtly touching hands, and appealing to his position in the kingdom. Even though Carnt was

a bit weaker than the Kingdom of Treano, how dare he, a count, talk to the princess of a country like this? He looked like someone who had fallen overboard.

I was going to just turn it over, but when I looked closely at Alexandre’s attitude of watching, I became even angrier because it was obvious who Count Vallemont trusted.

“So you came to me to give me a hard time?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think the crown prince will just sit still?”

“I didn’t break my promise. I said I would give it to the Kingdom of Treano, I didn’t say who exactly I would give the exclusive rights to.”

King Carent had already given Vivian full authority over this matter. As long as the deal went smoothly, it would definitely not matter what choice she made, so Vivian went to Enrico without hesitation.

“I saw that day that the Duke and His Highness the Crown Prince seemed a bit distant. It’s nothing special, but how about getting on their nerves a little with this deal?”

These words truly showed the princess’s personality. Honest and straightforward. Enrico ended up laughing at the boldness of hitting the back of the head of the person he invited just because he offended him.

“It would be fun.”

“You’re attracted, aren’t you? Since you’re a duke, there aren’t any restrictions on your private property. From what I saw that day, I thought you’d be willing to endure the inconvenience of teasing His Highness the Crown Prince. What do you think?”

“Well… … .”

Enrico trailed off vaguely and stared out the window. The Kingdom of Carent didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, but the Kingdom of Treano was currently putting all its efforts into developing automobiles more than expected.

They expected that once the automobiles were completed, they would export them and help the country become wealthier, so each and every part was important. They were

not only giving them exclusive rights, but they were also giving them a fixed price. If he, instead of Alessandro, had taken possession of this, the cautious king would definitely not be able to touch Enrico even more.

“It doesn’t seem bad.”

Of course, our arrogant nephew might go wild even more. It was something that could either shut its mouth or lead to self-destruction if it gradually watched and gave power to the second prince.

Vivian smiled brightly as if she had thought it through well.

“Then would you please prepare the contract? I will go with the same conditions as the crown prince.”

“I think we need to talk about that a little. I am going to endure the inconvenience, but shouldn’t there be some benefit for me? I don’t mind having an exclusive right, either way.”

“Ha… … . I really don’t like such a meticulous man.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Then please give me one too. It’s really nothing to the Duke.”

Enrico’s one eyebrow rose. Whether or not his reaction was good, Vivian suddenly grabbed his hands and whispered secretly, twisting her body slightly.

“Could you connect me with the second prince?”

“Hmm?”

“I saw you briefly at the ball that day, and you were just my style. You seem so cautious, oh my. Please forget what I said last time.”

Enrico, who had been staring at Vivian, who was covering her mouth and widening her eyes, raised the corners of his mouth in amusement.

It seemed like she would be a pretty good help to the second prince, who had been oppressed by the shadow of Alessandro’s dictatorship and had not been able to find a suitable fiancée, and if things piled up like this, the crown prince would have more things to worry about and wouldn’t the time he spent harassing Emilia decrease?

For the first time, an interesting light flashed across his previously indifferent purple eyes.