"Ah, then next time, I'll make sure to invite you into a more private place, then I can escort you freely into your carriage without any gossip or rumors about us."
'That's... cute.'
Lady Melissa thought he was doing so much, even going so far as to invite Lady Melissa into a more private place next time so that he could escort her into the carriage.
"I'll be looking forward to that then."
Lady Melissa gave Duke Gaston a wide grin, and Duke Gaston had felt butterflies in his stomach seeing her smile.
The servant came right through the curtains.
"Here's the bill Miss."
Lady Melissa quickly skimmed through the bill before paying, and she wanted to make sure that everything was the correct price and that she didn't pay too much or too little.
"Here's the money."
Lady Melissa put the gold coins together with the receipt before handing it over to the servant.
"The rest of the money is a tip for the workers. Make sure to share it with other employees."
Lady Melissa cooly said.
"Thank you so much for the tip, Miss!"
The servant happily shouted. Although many nobles had frequently gone to the dessert shop, only a few of them would even consider tipping the staff.
So it was no wonder the servant was so thankful to Lady Melissa.
"You're welcome."
Lady Melissa replied.
"Now, Duke Gaston this is where we part ways."
"Yes."
Duke Gaston replied with a saddened look on his face.
"You better look forward to our next meeting Lady Melissa."
"Don't worry. I'm already looking forward to it."
"Goodbye, Duke Gaston."
"Goodbye, Lady Melissa."
Lady Melissa looked at Duke Gaston for the last time before turning her back and exiting the dessert shop.
Lady Melissa jogged to her carriage and opened the door, only to be met with a sleeping Sophia.
Lady Melissa realized how selfish she had been this entire time; she knew that Sophia was tired, yet she still brought Sophia out to her meeting with Duke Gaston Berniece Mieth.
Lady Melissa had felt incredibly guilty, and she would try her best to make it up to Sophia later or tomorrow.
But the least she could do now was not wake Sophia up.
"Bring me back to the Shayla estate."
Lady Melissa ordered the driver.
She moved her body towards the left, only met with the beautiful scenery staring right at her.
In a few minutes, she had started to think about today's meeting with Duke Gaston.
'I don't think today's meeting was so bad, I mean, it ended up pretty well, and now I just need to prepare for my rebellion against the Crown Prince.'
'I wonder when I should introduce Duke Gason to Duke Mason and Duke Alphonso.'
'I should introduce them to each other a few more weeks after.'
Lady Melissa had been too immersed in her thoughts that she didn't realize the carriage had come to a halt.
"We're here, Lady Melissa!"
The driver shouted, shocking Lady Melissa and immediately snapping Lady Melissa out of her thoughts.
"Ah, okay, thanks!"
Lady Melissa shouted back to the driver.
Though Lady Melissa didn't want to wake up Sophia, she had to.
"Sophia, Sophia, wake up."
Lady Melissa said in a quiet tone, not wanting to scare Sophia off.
"Sophia, Sophiaaa, wake up!"
Lady Melissa started to shake Sophia's body, trying to wake her up.
Lady Melissa was now starting to get worried. Sophia wasn't waking up at ALL.
And Sophia had shown absolutely NO signs of waking up.
Lady Melissa quickly took Sophia's hand to check Sophia's pulse, hoping that her heart was still beating and that Sophia was still breathing.
'Please, I can't lose Sophia.'
Lady Melissa was on the verge of tears, quickly shaking Sophia's body harder and harder, desperately trying her best for Sophia to wake up.
For Sophia to greet her or something.
Luckily, Lady Melissa found out that Sophia was still breathing, and her heart was still beating as well.
Lady Melissa let out a sigh of relief.
'Why isn't Sophia waking up, though?'
'Is she okay?'
'I hope she is.'
Though Lady Melissa was less anxious, now she was still worried about Sophia.
'What happened to her?'
'I should calm myself down.'
'Deep breaths Melissa, deep breaths.'
'Breathe in and breathe out.'
Lady Melissa tried her best not to panic as it wouldn't help at all in her situation right now.
'I should rush out of the carriage and ask the servants and maids for help to carry Sophia towards the house.'
Though Lady Melissa had the physical strength to carry Sophia, she wasn't mentally stable right now, and all her thoughts were jumbled and a mess.
Lady Melissa kicked the carriage door open, quickly rushing out of the carriage, forgetting her heels.
Lady Melissa was desperately running, but she had accidentally slipped and fell.
Though it hurt, Lady Melissa quickly stood up and came back to running towards the entrance of the Shayla estate.
She opened the doors before shouting to the maids and servants.
'QUICKLY! I WANT ALL OF YOU TO GET INTO THE CARRIAGE AND CARRY SOPHIA OUT AND MAKE SURE TO BRING HER INTO ONE OF THE EMPTY ROOMS!'
Though the servants and maids didn't know what was happening, they knew something was wrong based on Lady Melissa's facial expressions and words.
She had never shouted at them before, so this proved that something urgent was needed.
All the maids and servants quickly dropped what they were doing and rushed outside to the carriage, quickly carrying Sophia.
"Don't follow them. I need you to call the Shayla estate's family doctor to come here as soon as possible."
Lady Melissa ordered her butler, and her butler quickly went upstairs to call for the Shayla family's doctor to come.
Lady Melissa didn't know what to do anymore, and she had already lost Sophia in her previous life; she couldn't lose Sophia in this life too. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she lost Sophia not once but two times.