For three full days, the dance auditions continued non-stop. I hadn't expected the interest to be so high—even more than the number of my fingers counted multiple times.
They all came, dancers from various regions of this kingdom. Everyone wanted to be part of Lady Liliane von Hohenberg's "secret project."
"Oh my, how famous my audition is."
The sight was truly unbelievable. The front courtyard of the Hohenberg residence had turned into a carnival of nervous curtsies, trembling knees, and hopeful eyes. I had to stand tall—chin high, fan in hand—pretending I was a perfectly calm noble lady conducting a grand audition, while in truth, I was sweating from both excitement and the mental math of how much this would cost me.
However, after various considerations that were truly painful (both for my heart and my wallet), I had to re-select. Meaning: several people had to be cut again.
