When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 26



Only Noblemtl

#26. Scandal
2024.01.26.

“I’ve never liked it. It’s disgusting that a young person dares to be like me! When the superior says something, she should just say yes, but she keeps her eyes wide open and responds to every word. It’s because she’s so stubborn that she can’t get married!”

“Director, you’re being harsh!”

“Choreographer, just leave her alone. I’ll see how far she goes with her shit.”

“What, what? Shit? You’re calling me shit right now-”

It was total chaos. The dancers were groaning and the superiors were busy trying to stop the fight. Just when I was wondering how this chaos would end, the door opened loudly.

Boom! An old man appeared with a sound that sounded like the door was going to break. Unlike his thick white hair and wrinkled face, the old man was very neat and entered, banging his cane on the ground.

“That, the theater director?”

I wondered where I had seen him, but it seemed to be the theater director I saw in the newspaper. Emilia turned her head to the judge who had become quiet in an instant after looking at the angry theater director.

Director Carlo pushed aside the chief choreographer who was blocking his way and came forward, bowing.

“Director! What are you doing here?”

“Is this the market floor?”

“I’m sorry. I think my voice has gotten louder because I’ve been educating my subordinates.”

As if confirming that he was thick-skinned, Director Carlo naturally glanced at Vice Director Sylvia and made an embarrassed expression. The theater director, who had been staring at him, trembled his cheeks and ground his teeth with a face full of indignation.

“Isn’t the director in a position to educate anyone?”

“Huh? What do you mean? If not me, then who…?”

“I can’t even behave myself properly, so where am I supposed to be talking loudly!”

Director Carlo’s eyes widened at his sudden words and he raised his voice.

“I behaved badly? Where did such a rumor come

from!” As if he was shocked, the theater director let out a hollow laugh and gestured to the employee who followed him. The employee quickly handed one of the pieces of paper he was holding to Manager Carlo.

Manager Carlo, who looked back and forth between the employee and the paper with suspicious eyes, lowered his eyes with a nervous look.

“It’s a dismissal notice. The reason is written there, so take a look.”

“A, a dismissal notice? That’s ridiculous! What on earth is the reason for doing this to me? I’m being treated unfairly…?”

Manager Carlo, who had been shouting after reading only the dismissal part, hardened his face when he saw the reason written below it.

“Eva Faberia. You too, come out.”

“… … Yes? Did you call me now?”

Calling Eva? At this timing? Emilia felt like she knew for some reason. Eva, who had been holding her chest with an anxious face, came forward as if the dancers standing around her were pushing her forward.

“Come here.”

The theater director clicked his tongue briefly at Eva, who was standing far away. Eva shrugged her shoulders, her expression completely different from the excited person she had been a moment ago. The theater director placed Eva near the director Carlo, who had

turned pale after seeing the notice of dismissal, and gestured as before. An employee handed Eva a piece of paper. She creaked and shook her head, and the employee gave her the paper with a blunt face and stepped back. The paper fluttered as if it was blowing in the wind. Eva slowly raised her trembling hands with a face that said she didn’t want to see it.

“Huh… …!”

Eva put her hand to her mouth and opened her eyes wide. The dancers who had been quietly watching began to murmur in surprise.

“Are you sure Eva is getting fired too?”

“What the hell is going on? Does anyone know?”

The coaches and choreographers were also watching the situation with dumbfounded faces. The only one who was calm among them was Vice-President Sylvia.

Judging from her reaction, I felt like I knew more. I was a bit surprised that the theater director would come in during the audition like this after reporting it. Emilia looked back and forth between Eva and Director Carlo, puzzled.

“I, I’m being treated unfairly! This must be someone’s frame-up! Who said that I met Eva? Do you have any evidence?”

“Director! What if you say that out loud right now?”

“Be quiet! If you don’t explain this right now, you’ll just end up being embarrassed in front of everyone, and unlike you, I have social respect!”

“What, what did you say?!”

Eva shouted with a face full of indignation. Director Carlo approached the theater director as if he didn’t care about Eva and pleaded as if he really felt treated unfairly.

“Director, this is really not true! “ How can you kick me out like this after all the years I’ve dedicated to this place!”

“I made this clear when I founded this place. I don’t mind receiving personal support, but if there’s even the slightest rumor going around within the theater, I’ll kick you out without mercy.”

“T, that’s… .”

“I’ve always told the higher-ups to do this, don’t you? Especially the director, you’ve been here for so long that you should know better than anyone, but how dare you have an affair with a ballet dancer at my theater!”

“That’s why I’m telling you to make it clear. How can you trust a statement without any evidence? We have no relationship!”

“You’re shameless to the end. How many witnesses are there? How careless must you have been to get caught like that! Do you know where I came from? I’m from the newspaper! Do you know how shocked I am when they show me the article that will be published in the newspaper tomorrow?!”

Director Carlo, who had been brazenly talking, closed his mouth. If it was from the newspaper, the theater director would have come running to resolve this matter immediately.

Eva sat down in her seat with a blank expression. The faces of the two people who had been so arrogant just a moment ago suddenly turned into the faces of the dead.

“Both of you, pack your bags and get out of here right now. This is a restricted area for outsiders.”

Knock, Captain Carlo also knelt down weakly, as if his legs had given out.

***

The audition resumed as soon as the two were dragged out by the security guards who had come at the theater director’s direction.

Vice-Captain Sylvia conducted the audition smoothly with a calmer and more relieved face than anyone else, and the rest, except for Emilia, barely finished the audition in a chaotic atmosphere.

And that was just yesterday.

Emilia came out of the room wearing a blue gown that she wore indoors with a tired face. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the house, as if she was preparing a meal.

She always woke up late in the morning on Sundays, but since the time was similar, it was now becoming routine for Zaveta to prepare a meal at that time.

“Good morning.”

“Are you awake, Miss? How are you?”

“I’m fine. I don’t have any pain.”

Zaveta’s questions had become the same since the day she visited the duke’s house. Did Enrico say anything? Emilia felt somewhat bitter, feeling as if she was being watched by Enrico even though she was at home. Emilia

turned her head after watching Zaveta moving busily. She thought that it was natural for her to follow Enrico’s orders, so she couldn’t help it, and walked toward the dishes, thinking that she would help prepare a meal.

But then the sound of a carriage outside the house caught her ear. Since it was a place on the outskirts where people rarely came, Emilia turned to the window with a puzzled face.

“Huh… … .”

A breath escaped her. Enrico, who absolutely should not be here, was getting out of the carriage.

Enrico’s figure, his long black coat fluttering, looked

like a painting. I don’t know if it was because of his sculptural face exposed to the bright sunlight, or because his head, which rejected this reality, wanted to accept him like a painting, but unfortunately, when Enrico found Emilia through the window, she realized that she could not deny reality.

This was a pretty nice house, but it looked so shabby with Enrico nearby. Enrico quickly approached the door with his long legs.

Emilia gulped at the polite knock. Javeta, who had been busy working behind her, belatedly noticed the carriage outside the window and approached Emilia with a surprised face.

“Miss, please change your clothes first.”

“Ah… …”

Although she had washed up roughly, she looked like someone who had just woken up. Emilia nodded roughly and quickly headed to her room. She heard Javeta opening the door behind her and Enrico’s voice.

“What about Emilia?”

“She went to change her clothes.”

“Ah… …”

Emilia briefly considered changing slowly, but decided to quickly say goodbye and send her off rather than upset him and make him tired.

She took out a two-piece dress made of a white blouse and a long green skirt from the closet. I quickly changed into clothes that were easy to wear alone and tied my hair up into a bun.

I was momentarily dumbfounded as to why I had to do this. However, I didn’t want to give him an excuse to show me a shabby state that I had just woken up in, as he was obsessed with art and pursued beauty, and I thought he would frown and regret signing the contract.