Chapter 30
After getting fully dressed, I sat in the waiting area, watching the lively scene in the studio on the television broadcast.
This highly anticipated ballet competition was incredibly fierce—only fifty people had made it through the preliminaries.
Now, in the semifinals, the elimination rate had shot up to 60%.
That meant only twenty people would emerge victorious after the competition ended.
Breaking through among fifty exceptionally skilled dancers wasn't easy.
Adding the need to score highly with three judges made it even more challenging.
When the drawing began, I pulled number twenty-three.
Not a bad position.
The judges wouldn't be suffering from evaluation fatigue yet.
The high-difficulty moves I'd prepared should catch their attention.
I was about to return to my seat when Lillian blocked my path.
"Lucinda, don't be nervous—you're definitely going to lose this competition anyway!"
My heart lurched, but my expression remained composed.
"So eager to throw down the gauntlet? Looks like you're really threatened by me."
Lillian's pupils contracted slightly, then she sneered dismissively. "My number comes before yours. I hope you can maintain that confidence after watching my performance."
I frowned inwardly. What was she getting at by specifically telling me this?
I couldn't say much about other things, but I knew Lillian's abilities well. Beating her wouldn't be difficult.
"Look, is that ballet prince Ethan Guise? Oh my god, this is the first time I've been this close to him."
"Yeah, I go to the same school as him. He's still on our honor roll to this day—a true dance prodigy!"
"No wonder he's young enough to sit alongside two top ballet masters. Amazing!"
I didn't join their conversation, my gaze silently settling on Sophia beside Ethan. She wore an off-shoulder gown, sitting with graceful composure.
Lillian moved near me, deliberately speaking loudly to redirect everyone's attention. "Of course, he's impressive—he's a judge now. But what's even more impressive is Sophia. Even after being hurt by someone and unable to compete, she still gets to sit with the judges. Now that's what I call truly excellent!"
I turned to look and met her provocative, smug gaze.
"Some people act all high and mighty, thinking they're so amazing, but here they are working themselves to death competing!"
"Truly impressive people are already being held up like stars and treated as VIPs. They don't need to struggle and exhaust themselves. So really, people should have some self-awareness."
Her passive-aggressive tone was painfully obvious.
Almost everyone looked at me.
I calmly met their gazes before settling on Lillian, like I was watching a clown perform.
"Move along when you're done talking. You're blocking my view of the broadcast."
My neither humble nor arrogant tone made the others who wanted to see me embarrassed back down.
Lillian failed to show off successfully and grew angry.
But with so many people around, she didn't explode, stomping back to her seat in a huff.
Soon, the competition began.
You could tell everyone had prepared thoroughly for this competition.
Even facing three top judges, no one performed below their usual standard.
Everyone brought their absolute best.
This focus and dedication made me unconsciously nervous.
That's when I noticed Sophia in the frame, looking back, as if greeting someone.
The camera followed her gaze.
A tall, lean silhouette entered the frame, backlit.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, every inch of fabric conforming to his form, outlining his perfec,t broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted physique.
My heart inexplicably tightened. Had Leopold actually come?
The last time I'd seen him at a competition venue was years ago.
Ever since Sophia returned, he'd never come to my competitions again.
Obviously, this time he wasn't here for me either.
Just as I was about to look away, Leopold suddenly looked in my direction.
Through the screen, our eyes met.
My heartbeat suddenly accelerated, so fast it shocked even me.
After a few seconds, his gaze moved away coldly.
But my heartbeat took a long time to settle.
Even though I kept reminding myself that Leopold and I could never go back to what we were.
My heart still stubbornly beat for him.
Fortunately, it was Lillian's turn to take the stage.
My attention was drawn to her.
As soon as I looked up, I saw her make eye contact and gesture at me, reminding me to watch her dance carefully.
My expression remained flat, without the slightest ripple.
But once Lillian began dancing, an inexplicable unease surged through me.
Lillian's dance foundation wasn't weak, but her temperament was unstable, so many of her movements only achieved the form without the meaning.
This kind of dancing only looked beautiful but lacked soul, insufficient to capture people's attention.
However, just then, Lillian suddenly lifted onto the tip of her left foot and began a single-foot spin.
Her skirt flew with the rotation like a suddenly blooming flower.
Even the stage lights seemed to be chopped into countless tiny spots of light, dancing with her.
A full ten seconds later, she finally landed gracefully with a light back walkover.
The entire venue was stunned.
I shot to my feet, staring at the broadcast in disbelief.
Lillian's entire sequence—from the opening stance to the spin to the final pose—was identical to mine!
This absolutely couldn't be coincidental!
Lillian had stolen my choreography!
"My god, while this is a classic ballet move, being able to spin for ten seconds and still land steadily—that's something only a handful can do!"
"Right? When did Lillian become this amazing! To do a back walkover after spinning that many times!"
"A few years ago, I saw an upperclassman perform this move. She did it even more beautifully than Lillian—stable and gorgeous, like a fairy. Unfortunately, I could never find her again."
"I know that girl. She once studied under one of the country's top ballet masters. That master doesn't take students lightly—she's only ever had two. One is Ethan Guise, the other was her."
"The top ballet master you're talking about wouldn't be Victoria Salazar, would it? She's our national pride, the only dancer to win the ballet gold award five consecutive years. Even the ballet queen admits inferiority to her."
Hearing Victoria Salazar's name snapped me out of my shock.
I hadn't heard my teacher's name in so long. Never expected to hear it from a competitor's mouth.
I'd promised Ethan and my teacher I wouldn't let them down.
So I couldn't be defeated.
Though my choreography was stolen, I'd improvise new moves.
I'd dealt with this kind of situation before.
Because Lillian's ten-second single-foot spin was so dazzling, the judges rated her highly.
Out of ten points, two judges gave her nine points, and one gave her eight.
Making her first place directly.
Such a high score put tremendous pressure on the following performers.
Several consecutive dancers were affected by Lillian's exceptional performance and didn't dance very well.
Finally, it was my turn to take the stage.
As I walked toward the stage, I stretched my hands and feet.
The moment I stepped onto the stage, all distracting thoughts in my mind were instantly cleared.
Lucinda, you absolutely cannot lose tonight!