Cawden Academy's annual ball officially started that evening and the entire ballroom was abuzz with a crowd of students mingling with each other.
Everyone was already busy when the doors suddenly opened. Two beautiful masked strangers entered the ballroom and caught the eye of the crowd.
"I don't rember anyone looking like that." A hushed whisper ca from a girl that found Nicholas' dark hair and amber eyes irresistible from underneath his mask.
"Can you recognize her?" A guy elbowed his friend and motioned to the beauty in her white mask and beautiful dress.
Both Sophie and Nicholas didn't pay any attention to them and instead simply paid attention to the sight of the ballroom. It was beautifully decorated and elegant as one might have recognized if they attended a lot of balls.
An accompanint of violin, flutes, and other instrunts played in the background as couples danced in the center of the room. Each one of their eyes only focused on their partners, if not for secretly glancing at the newcors.
Nicholas once again offered his hand to Sophie and grinned. "Will you have this dance with , my lady?"
"Of course," Sophie smiled back. "I didn't know that you also learned how to dance. Who did you dance with if you were taught by a private tutor?"
"Anybody, here and there. My tutor sotis," Nicholas explained as the two of them joined hands together and set off into the ballroom. "Why? Does the thought of dancing co off as strange?"
"Well, if you're curious about life in the academy, I'd say the sa applies to ," Sophie replied. "I can't recall anyone ever wanting to be privately tutored. We live in a society where mingling is necessary and academies are a chance to experience it beforehand."
"Ah yes, talking with gallant young lords and successful rchants," Nicholas chuckled. "I suppose that is necessary. Unfortunately, my parents think that not everything can be taught properly unless the attention of the teacher was solely on ."
"They must care about you a lot," Sophie said.
"And I'm sure that yours did as well," Nicholas smiled gently. "They'd be proud to see a beautiful, intelligent daughter that's also quite brave. I'm overjoyed to see you again, Sophie."
"Overjoyed?" Sophie raised a brow as the man spun her around. She looked up at his face and teased him. "That is quite a lot for soone who you barely knew, Nicholas. This is only our second eting. You must grow fond of people fast?"
"Well… it feels like I've already known you for quite a long ti." Nicholas chuckled. "Kindred spirits. Pairs? Do you get what I an?"
Contrary to what Sophie thought, Nicholas didn't grow fond of people fast, it was the opposite. He was a loner and didn't like people most of the ti. His sunny disposition only ca out when he was with the people he liked, and they were quite a few.
Sophie smiled at his words. "Ah, well, I have to admit that you're the only person around my age that I've t that I really get along with. I didn't think that you'd understand ."
"Well, everybody else must be a fool for not understanding you," Nicholas murmured. "Blinded by things like wealth, na and fa… they fail to see the beauty that is of knowing soone genuinely without those things."
"I can see that your tutor really must have taught you well," Sophie laughed a little.
Nicholas smiled sheepishly. "Well, the fact that you get what I an is a sign that you're also quite intelligent. Your teachers must have taught you well too."
"I did end up self-learning most of it, but that is also true." Sophie nodded.
Nicholas smiled but then asked her seriously. "Is there really no one else here that understands you? Is everyone really a bunch of bullies here in the academy?"
"Even if they don't bully , most choose not to approach to not get on my cousins' bad side," Sophie answered. "I'm sure that there are kind people here, but it's difficult getting on the bad side of soone powerful, right?"
"I know…" Nicholas frowned.
"Don't worry about it," Sophie smiled and decided to cheer Nicholas up. "It's not your problem. Instead, why don't we spend the rest of the evening having fun? Do you want to dance so more or to eat?"
Nicholas looked at Sophie carefully, before he gave her a twirl and then grinned back. "I think I'd like to dance with you more."
The night of the ball ended quickly for both Sophie and Nicholas. There was a good reason why Sophie needed to return ho fast, and Nicholas didn't want to stay any longer if it ant that he couldn't be with her.
"I'm sorry, but if I stay here too long and my cousins go back and realize that I'm gone, I'd be a goner…" Sophie gulped for a mont. "I prefer not to get into any trouble with my birthday coming up. I want to leave their ho and be independent without any trouble."
"There's no need to apologize, I understand," Nicholas said.
Even though he couldn't believe that there were people who were of the sa flesh and blood that would torture them… but then again, Nicholas' father might kill him if the truth about his secret ever ca out, so he wasn't that surprised either.
The two of them left together with Nicholas taking Sophie back to her ho earlier than the rest of the students. Although it left many wondering as to who the two of them were, Nicholas who heard them gossip clearly with his superior hearing didn't care.
All he had his eyes on was the lady in front of him.
His savior. Sophie truly didn't rember him. Ahh… he shouldn't reveal everything to her now. This was not the ti yet.
When the two of them arrived at Sophie's house, the two of them exchanged so more words. Sophie especially wanted to remind him of their deal.
Nicholas held Sophie's hand and bowed. "Thank you so much for accompanying to the ball, my lady."
"You know I only did it for the money, right?" Sophie said. "You don't have to thank for this much."
"Well, it'd be impossible for to have fun if it weren't for you being around. So I consider it as sothing to be grateful for."
"I see… then if you're truly grateful, I suppose you could help out as soon as you're ready, right?" Sophie said. "You'll probably need to send a letter to your contacts at the Rothschild's bank?"
Nicholas grinned. "Yes, you don't have to worry about it. You can trust to do it as fast as I can."
Sophie wasn't really sure if she could trust his words. Now that she thought about it… if this young man wanted to leave Hastings without ever contacting her again, that was also possible.
A huge disappointnt it would be, but Sophie would think of him as a clever bastard.
Nicholas seed to read the doubt on her face so the man took off his mask and placed it on her hand. "Consider this as an item for you to hold onto until I return."
Sophie didn't want to admit it, but the mask looked especially well-made. The moonstone was quite expensive too. Even if Nicholas didn't return, she could also sell this, together with the ring. She narrowed her eyes. "So, you an, I should keep this as collateral. If you don't return, I can sell this if I want to?"
Nicholas winced when he heard Sophie talk about selling another gift from him. This girl surely loved money, he thought.
"I really will co back, I promise." Nicholas insisted. If only Sophie stayed at Hauntingen back then, she would have known that he returned as he promised… However, she was already gone by then. Nicholas was only lucky to find her again, here in Hastings years later.
Sophie nodded. "Okay, I'll trust you."
"Thank you."
Nicholas wanted to make it up to her this ti and the prince now knew how he was going to do it.
***
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From Missrealitybites:
Does this scene remind you of Cinderella? XD
As I have ntioned so ti ago, this book is a reverse harem and I am finding myself enjoying the process of writing it. The two n are quite the opposite of each other.
One is warm like the sun, the other is cold like ice, one would remind you of Cinderella story, and the other of Beauty and The Beast. But I promise you will like them both being their own self.
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