When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 66



Only Krnovel

#66. Gathering Rain Clouds
2024.03.06.

Just when Fabio was about to ask why his eyes were looking so complicated, Zaveta knocked on the slightly open door and came inside.

“Zaveta? What’s going on?”

“Then I’ll be going.”

Fabio and Zaveta passed each other in turns. Emilia, who was watching Zaveta approaching, turned around for a moment at the sound of the pouring rain and looked out the window.

“It’s pouring really hard.”

“That’s right. I think it would be better to leave tomorrow.”

“Leave?”

Emilia blinked at Zaveta again. Zaveta then clasped his hands together in front of his stomach and smiled.

“The Duke has given us permission to return home.”

“… … Really?”

For a moment, her gaze fell on the door and then dropped.

“Yes. But it’s raining too much today, so I guess I’ll have to catch the carriage that’s leaving tomorrow.”

When I asked Fabio to ask a little while ago, it was fine, but when I heard the news that Javeta could go, my mood strangely sank.

Did I think he would come looking for me if I asked him? Why are you looking for him?

Emilia’s fingertips trembled as she recalled her actions a little while ago. Does he really have no intention of fulfilling the contract anymore? Her small hands clenched into fists.

Behind her confused back, the sky briefly flashed. Bang, the belated sound and the light outside the window cast a long shadow into the room.

***

It seemed like the rainy season was still far away, but it wasn’t. Emilia sighed as she watched the rain that had been falling nonstop for the past few days.

“The ground is collapsing. Why are you sighing like that?”

Emilia, who was sitting on the floor of the practice room, blankly staring out the window, brightened up when she saw Giuliana sitting next to her.

“It’s just. It’s so cloudy that I feel depressed.”

“That’s true. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Except for the fact that I can’t use my body.”

“Kik, you can’t even stand that if I tell you to rest until this week?”

“That’s right… … It’s boring.”

Emilia returned four days ago, but was frustrated when she was told to rest for a week, even if her wounds weren’t completely healed.

She wanted to learn choreography as soon as possible, but watching others dance made her feel even more complicated.

Why was she so anxious? Since she couldn’t even do ballet, it felt like she had nothing left. Fabio took care of my parents’ investigation… Enrico… …

She bit her lip as another thought occurred to her.

‘It’s good if he doesn’t come looking for me. The annoying work will disappear. He’ll also keep my uncle from showing up… …’

Now that she thought about it, it had been a while since she’d seen Giorgio. She didn’t want to call him her uncle, but since they were currently entangled in the law, there was nothing she could do until he clearly stated that they weren’t related.

But how could that shameless person not show his nose like this?

Enrico’s position was realized anew. The stage accident also made Christina’s crime more punishable.

‘… … I’ve helped you more than I thought.’

I think I had a clouded view of the things he had done for me because I was always wary of him and only focused on the contract. I thought he was just punishing those who lowered the value of his product.

“Emilia.”

“Huh?”

“I have something to ask you… … .”

The practice room where they were alone was quiet. The sound of rain hitting the window occasionally echoed inside like the sound of a musical instrument. Emilia, who had been looking at Giuliana who suddenly whispered softly, looked at her as if to tell her to speak, urging her.

“What is your relationship with Duke Enrico Michele?”

My heart sank for a moment.

It was a different question from the time when I had asked him if he was interested in Enrico after reading a newspaper article about his visit to the concert hall. What relationship?

“… … Why all of a sudden?”

Emilia opened her lips and barely managed to speak.

Although she tried to hide it, Giuliana, who had always watched her closely, could not help but notice her momentary commotion. Giuliana brought her face closer to Emilia as if she could no longer take it anymore.

“There are rumors going around in the theater right now about you. That there is something strange between you and Duke Michele.”

“What?”

“Actually, it started coming up on the day of your accident. The rumors started spreading when people came forward saying that they heard the Duke call your name that day. That you only came to the theater on the days you were on stage, and that you even received a bouquet of flowers from her on the day of the performance.”

“… …!”

“They even suspected that the Duke gave it to you, so it has become almost an established fact and people are talking about it.”

“Ha… … . A rumor spread like this just because they heard my name called?”

“Rumors tend to spread faster in places like this.”

Emilia blinked with a dumbfounded expression. She had tried so hard to be careful, but for some ridiculous reason, rumors about him were spreading.

But since she knew him, it was too risky to explain that it was unfair.

Even now, rumors had spread for reasons she had never thought of, and unless her relationship with Enrico ended, there was no way of knowing when, how, or for what reason they would come up again.

“… … But you really do know each other, right?”

“… … .”

“I was a bit suspicious that you asked about the Duke in detail at the Academy of Arts. I had some doubts back then. You’re not the type of person to do that.”

Her expression showed that she had already predicted it. Juliana laughed in vain, having hesitated to speak after thinking it over alone for so long.

“Juliana.”

“So you must have your own circumstances. I thought you would tell me someday… … .”

“I’m sorry. But there were circumstances that even I can’t explain. How did that come about-”

“No. I think I know why.”

Emilia grabbed Juliana’s hand urgently and lowered her eyebrows.

Emilia’s words, which were about to explain the situation even now, were cut off by Juliana shaking her head. Juliana looked down at her caught hand, then slowly pulled it back and turned her head.

“But I can’t help feeling upset. Please understand this.”

Emilia was even more shocked by her avoiding eye contact.

Juliana had always been there for her, smiling and giving, but she couldn’t trust her friend because of her own insecurities, and it seemed like it was too much of a mistake for her to let her know. She

could have trusted her at least once. Why did she put up a wall and keep her mouth shut?

Seeing Juliana’s disappointed face for the first time made her feel so upset and heartbroken. Emilia slowly clenched her hands in the air with a helpless expression and pursed her lips.

“I’m sorry… … I’m sorry. I tried to tell you… … .”

“Emilia. I don’t blame you. “I’ll be okay if I just collect my thoughts for a moment.”

Juliana got up from her seat with a complicated expression. Emilia also got up and followed her.

“I’ll wait. I’m really sorry… … . I was serious about inviting you to my summer vacation.”

I had to tell her about the contract back then. I had to tell her, just to Juliana. I had been putting it off, thinking to myself, and it seemed like it was coming back to me.

I should have just said what I was going to say anyway. I was resentful of myself for putting it off.

“I was going to tell you everything back then.”

“… … Okay. I’ll warm up now. I think it’s time for people to come.”

Emilia always had a habit of coming to work early, so she would have come out as usual even if she didn’t practice, but she understood why Juliana had come out so early today.

She probably wanted to tell her about Enrico in advance. She couldn’t stand watching Emilia, who didn’t know anything, talk behind her back these past few days.

“Thank you.”

Emilia said sincerely. Juliana paused for a moment and went to another seat to warm up. And after a while, she heard people coming from the hallway.

“So is it true?”

“I don’t know. Someone, ask them yourself.”

“Hey, how can you ask someone who just got hurt?”

“We don’t even know where they got treatment. Who the hell took them?”

“Nobody knows that. Why is it so noisy this year? It’s a bit too much to say that it’s because the ballet company has grown in size… .”

“Isn’t Emilia at the center of all incidents? Eva was actually famous for hating Emilia a lot, wasn’t she?”

Emilia’s expression hardened. Juliana, who had been warming up, also stopped and listened to the voices getting closer.

“Hey, that’s a bit too much. What does her hating Emilia have to do with her having an affair with the director?”

“It’s just a bit… . Anyway, it’s clear that Christina did this because she was jealous of Emilia, and now there’s an affair rumor with Duke Michelo, so people are making a fuss around here!”

“To be honest, it’s not like I met a married man like Eva, and I think that kind of affair rumor would actually be good for our theater’s promotion.”

The people who arrived at the door were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t seem to have any intention of coming in right away. I could hear the sound of the doorknob being grabbed, but through the unopened door, I could clearly hear them talking even quieter than before.

“Hey, you shouldn’t think so simply.”

“Then? Ah! Let’s start from the practice room. Bring me the clothes I took off last time.”

“If we really have a relationship, you can look after me, right? No matter how well you do, how can you be chosen as the main character right away?”

/20240306171103335320_EC98A4EBA78CEC9DB4+EBB09CEB819DEC9790+EB96A8EC96B4ECA1.png alt=””>