Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 46

The charity gala ball was hours away from starting, leaving Sophia and Nicholas practically half a day to go about Sanguis as they pleased.

For now, Sophia had decided to keep away, preferring to tour the palace with her personal maid – Angelica – as a tour guide.

After a tour of the palace swimming pools – both outdoors and indoors – as well as the palace’s fully functional gym, and the Sanguisian palace gardens.

“So this is the main ballroom used most frequently for balls and events.”

“As you can see, the charity gala ball you’ve been invited to will be held right here,” the maid informed Sophia as she gestured at the humongous ballroom that’d been stylishly decorated.

Sophia scanned the ballroom quickly, where people were in the midst of hanging up lights and setting up the tables.

She nodded, giving Angelica a sign that she was to be shown to the next facility the palace boasted. The ballroom wasn’t too impressive, possibly because it was decades too aged for her.

As Sophia sauntered the hallways, Angelica pursed her lips, deciding as to whether or not she’d ask Sophia what she’d wanted to ask her for quite a while. There was a reason she chose to be in charge of Sophia during her stay in Sanguis, one that concerned Nicholas more than it did her.

She shook the idea off for the meantime, knowing now was not the time to ask.

‘Later instead,’ she told herself.

By then, she and Sophia had reached the palace’s luxury movie theater.

She gasped. If it were one thing the Beldovian palace unfortunately lacked and the Sanguisian palace had, it’d be this.

Plush and vivid shades brought back the retro age to the lovely modern minimalist designs that used neutral shades in a simple yet effective fashion, as well as upholstered walls, the comfiest looking sofas out there paired with matching pillows and a sky-themed ceiling.

“Woah,” she said in pure amazement. She made a mental note to suggest a movie theater if ever renovations were to be made to the Beldovian palace, with the theater she was standing in as her source of inspiration for it.

She was interrupted when Angelica cleared her throat.

“Your grace,” Angelica called.

Sophia whipped around, facing Angelica.

“Yes?” She replied, her brow raised.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you a question,” Angelica told her, shifting uncomfortably.

Sophia blinked.

“Sure?” She answered.

“Shoot,” she told Angelica. She didn’t usually fraternize with the help, but this was an exception. She was curious as to what Angelica had to ask her.

Angelica was appalled by the fact Sophia had willingly allowed her to inquire whatever it was she wanted to inquire about without knowing what it was in the first place.

She mustered up the courage, asking, “What’s your relation to the prince?”

Sophia furrowed her brows, she slowed down her pace.

“I suppose he and I are acquaintances, and friends at best,” Sophia answered truthfully.

Angelica nodded slowly.

Sophia wondered why Angelica would ask her such a question before she asked, “Angelica, what made you ask me that question?”

Without any context, it made Angelica seem creepy and somewhat stalkery, although she was decades older than he was, so there was that.

Angelica shook her head, laughing softly, leaving Sophia appalled and taken aback, was Angelica laughing at her?

She murmured, ‘This is why I don’t fraternize with the help.’

Angelica didn’t seem to have overheard Sophia say that, although she explained herself, “I used to be the poor boy’s governess ever since he was in leading strings.”

Sophia’s eyes lit up. So she was his governess when he was extremely young. She strangely felt relieved.

“Oh,” Sophia said, realizing she’d jump to conclusions much too quickly.

“His governess,” she said, staring blankly at the carpet.

She was pathetic.

She then realized whom she was talking to. The lady who’d have the most embarrassing stories to tell of Nicholas.

She stifled a smirk and snicker.

She asked Angelica, “What was Nicholas like growing up?”

Angelica blinked. She’d not anticipated that. Her reaction towards Sophia’s question proved she was clearly hiding something.

She exhaled.

“He was quite the pitiful child, growing up,” she admitted.

“He was never properly treated by his family, and was ostracized,” she added.

“He was the outcast and the black sheep of the royal family, despite being the heir to the throne,” Angelica added next.

Sophia told Angelica, “In all honesty, I asked to get embarrassing or funny stories of Nicholas, not depressing ones.”

Truth be told, Sophia realized this heavily made sense. Why he was reserved and cold at times, and broody at most others. Poor guy didn’t have a childhood, it was all so very depressing to hear.

Sophia subconsciously decided she’d go easier on him, not because she pitied him or anything of the sort, but since she’d been harder on him lately, for some odd reason.

And she thought her childhood was rough enough, even whilst her’s didn’t compare to his in the mere slightest. It was safe to say she’d never be able to see him the same way again, although the same could’ve been said before Angelica told Sophia the truth of Nicholas’ childhood at the palace.