Chapter 318

"WHAT?"

Lady Melissa asked, to say that she was surprised was an understatement- although she had imagined or even dreamt of something like this happening to her, she didn't think it would happen so soon, and that the first person who would try to court her would be none other than the man she shared a very intimate kiss with just a few hours earlier.

"I wish you luck Lady Melissa, I'm absolutely grateful to be able to have been by your side throughout your childhood- I'll continuously support both you and Duke Gaston when the both of you get married."

Derreck said, as he got down on his knees and being the overdramatic person that he was, he shed a few tears or so as Lady Melissa sighed in response to his reaction, she wasn't going to get married anytime soon right now.

"Oh please Derreck, the both of us know that I'd rather die and live in the maid's rooms rather than marry someone, plus why in the hell would you even think that I'd marry Duke Gaston or even accept his proposal to court me?"

Lady Melissa asked, as her mind wandered to yesterday's events, her cheeks blushing red as she remembered the intimate kiss that she had shared with Duke Gaston just a few hours before this.

"With all due respect Lady Melissa, if I was you, I'd tell you to keep your mouth shut first before you see the flowers that Duke Gaston has gotten you, now shall we go downstairs and have you look at them and take back your words?"

Derreck asked, a sly smirk on his face knowing that his mistress was going to be absolutely star-struck when she saw the beautiful flowers that Duke Gaston had prepared for her, as well as other items that the man had bought for her.

"Still not gonna marry him?"

Derreck asked, as Lady Melissa felt irritated with the tone of his voice- though the man did have a point, although Lady Melissa wasn't the biggest on flowers, the man had bought the most romantic ones, roses, specifically red roses.

Lady Melissa wondered how many shops the Duke had forced to make the number of bouquets of flowers that just filled her entire living room, so much so that she wondered what she'd even do with them.

She appreciated the gesture, she loved it, but roses? What was she even going to do with them? In a matter of days, they'd wilt, at best maybe a couple of weeks before they would end up wilting and dying, leading to a sad depressing fate for them.

"Oh please, it's going to take much more than a bunch of bouquets to have my hand in marriage, or for me to even go on a date with someone like Duke Gaston, now if there's nothing else, I have an urgent matter to attend to upstairs."

Lady Melissa said, as she was about to go upstairs, back into her room, before Derreck had stopped her, as Lady Melissa deduced that Duke Gaston had probably gotten her something else, something other than the flowers.

"Well, that's not the only gift that Duke Gaston brought to court you, if you exit the Shayla estate, there are a bunch of gifts on the doorway since the maids and servants weren't sure where to put them as the living room was full."

Derreck said, as the both of them made their way outside of the Shayla estate, Lady Melissa's heart beating quicker as she skipped a beat or two every couple of minutes or so, wondering whatever the man could've had gotten her.

It was a lie if she claimed that she'd never hoped for the man to ever share some sort of romantic feelings with her, yet she knew better than anyone that now wasn't the best time for relationships.

Not when she had too many things to deal with, not when she had the Crown Prince to face, and certainly not when she still had to take care of Lady Charlotte, though it did make her wonder.

It was never the right time for her, and it seemed like there never was a right time for her, hence should she make her own right time? Ignore all the rules, ignore everything that was happening and just do what she wanted?

Lady Melissa's eyes widened at the number of presents that were outside the doors, Derreck certainly wasn't lying about the fact that she shouldn't speak too early, as Lady Melissa slowly opened them one by one.

There, the jewel that she was holding, was one of the most prized family heirlooms from the Mieth estate, if not the most prized one, it was passed down from generation to generation and yet it was now in her hands.

Lady Melissa wasn't even dating Duke Gaston yet, and neither was she in any sort of engagement with him, she wasn't married to him either, and the ring was only supposed to be given to the wife when they were married.

The fact that Duke Gaston had ignored his family's tradition made Lady Melissa unsure whether to feel touched by his gesture or annoyed at it since, on one hand, he loved her so much that he had sent it to her and trusted her, and on the other, there was no guarantee at all that Lady Melissa would ever end up as his wife.

Lady Melissa eventually put on the ring though, it was a beautiful green colour, the ring was an emerald, and Lady Melissa knew how rare they were, it was so rare that she didn't have one, at least not until today.

Lady Melissa was a little nervous to open the next few gifts, as she was met with more and more jewellery, and especially more emeralds, as she wondered just how much Duke Gaston had spent on getting her all this.

More importantly, Lady Melissa was more concerned about how her parents would react to Duke Gaston courting her.