15 Chapter 15

"Now, you are probably wondering why I brought you here. I have a matter I need your assistance in."

"And what matter might that be Lady Melissa?"

"I need your help for my rebellion against the Crown Prince. Join me."

Duke Mason never had in a million years, expect Lady Melissa to talk about rebelling against the Crown Prince.

And out of all people, why had she asked him?

There were undoubtedly more talented individuals than him that would be a better tool in taking down the Crown Prince.

"I'm sorry to inform you this, Lady Melissa, but I won't be joining your rebellion against the Crown Prince any time soon."

"Are you sure about that? I have some evidence proving that you are the head of the Crimson Witch guild."

Duke Mason was shocked; nobody had known his identity, not even his co-workers or subordinates.

But Lady Melissa, a woman he had only met today and somehow knew his identity?

"If word of this gets leaked out, you know what the Imperial Family will do to you, right?"

Duke Mason Thaddeus Trafford sighed; he had lost.

But then a bright idea came into his head.

"What if I murder you right here and now? Nobody will notice."

It was a bluff, the guests would notice if Lady Melissa had died, as only Duke Mason Thaddeus Trafford was with her, and he would be the main suspect.

Duke Mason Thaddeus Trafford only said this to provoke Lady Melissa, and he wanted to know how she would react to this threat of his.

Without even wasting a single second, Lady Melissa quickly replied to Duke Mason's empty threat.

"Try it. I dare you."

Wow, she certainly lived up to his expectations; no, she had surpassed his expectations of her.

He wasn't bored anymore now, and he didn't need to mess with the noblewomen anymore. He could mess with Lady Melissa instead.

He finally had a toy to help his boredom.

"I wouldn't even dare of doing such a thing, my Lady! I was joking; you needn't act so serious. Lower your guard down with me, Lady Melissa."

"I promise you can trust me."

"Yeah, you're going to need to do A LOT more for me to trust you.

You don't look trustable at all."

"How dare you make such vile accusations! I'll let you know I'm a very trustable man."

"Enough with the jokes. Are you going to join me with my rebellion or not?"

Duke Mason released a sigh.

"I have no choice. Besides, this sounds fun enough. And you can ease my boredom for the time being."

"Looks like I'll be visiting the Shayla estate often now; I'll be looking forward to seeing your face MUCH MUCH MUCH more often, Lady Melissa Mendy Shayla."

"Now, if you have nothing more to say, I have to go back to the ballroom. I can't leave such single ladies alone!"

And once again, Lady Melissa was left alone.

Duke Mason had wanted to talk to her more, but he didn't want to seem clingy to Lady Melissa.

He decided to be more clingy with her when their relationship had deepened.

Ah, once a flirt, always a flirt.

Lady Melissa should have known, which meant only one more person remaining. She needed only one more person to ask, and she can start her preparations for her rebellion against the Crown Prince.

"Ugh."

Melissa tiredly said.

She was tired and wanted the party to end; she had been standing for hours and it felt like millenniums to her.

But she still needed to talk to the last person that would assist her in the rebellion against the Crown Prince.

And that person was Duke Alphonso Vincent Peagler, one of the closest people to the Crown Prince, Henry Dante Willis.

Duke Alphonso might've looked like an innocent person to many, but that couldn't be any further from the truth.

He had beautiful short blonde hair, and he wasn't as built as Duke Gaston or Duke Mason.

He was the shortest out of three of them and the least well built.

In the past, he was ridiculed by high society quite often; that was before he started working for the Imperial Family.

After he had started working for the Imperial Family, no one had dared to make fun or ridicule him anymore since he became one of the Crown Prince's closest aides.

Many had often referred to him as an 'obedient puppy.' He had often helped people regarding small matters like getting water for them, taking tissue, etc.

Because Duke Alphonso listened and helped these people with their requests, he was ridiculed. High society had only deemed it suitable for maids and servants to get items for nobles.

But if a noble did it? It would be deemed unsightly, disgusting and they would be made fun of by many.

And, of course, nobody would ever defend Duke Alphonso either. His origins weren't exactly...noble.

In high society, it was either be killed or kill.

Not literally, of course, but you get the message.

Duke Alphonso was mistreated at the Peagler estate before by his stepbrothers.

He was academically talented, which his step-brothers were not.

They were jealous of all his achievements and often bullied him both physically and mentally.

What was worse was that everybody in the estate, from the butlers to the maids, had not even defended Duke Alphonso or even tried to in that matter.

And their father? He had paid no mind to what his sons were doing to Duke Alphonso, but if there were even a single scratch on his sons, Duke Alphonso would get all the blame.

His mother passed away giving birth to him, and the reason his father had even taken him in was that he needed to cover up a scandal of his.

He had not even taken Duke Alphonso out of pity; it was simply for gain.

Nobody had tried to help Duke Alphonso, so he started getting used to the mistreatment of his family.

But he slowly started making higher achievements and even went so far as to gaining recognization from Imperial Majesty.

He was an illegitimate child, but he became the heir. When the King had asked him what he wanted the most, he replied, "I want my brothers and father to be punished accordingly for all the mistreatment they have; done to me."

And the Emperor complied with his wishes, and they were now rotting in a prison cell. Even money couldn't help them anymore.