In the Doghouse - Chapter 14
Courtney took a sip of tea, the soft madeleine melting in her mouth. As her excitement finally started to calm down, another worry arose in her mind. She had been too blunt and careless in front of the palace servants. What if Richard rethought marrying a wild girl like her?
Hesitantly, she spoke up.
“Please… go ahead and speak.”
“As you may have guessed, Milady, we are here under the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince. The items we brought are meant for your comfortable use, so please do not feel burdened by them.”
The chief attendant explained politely, however his words didn’t ease Courtney’s discomfort. Not to feel burdened? There couldn’t be a more burdensome statement. The madeleine she had just eaten now felt heavy in her stomach. She gulped down some hot tea before responding.
“Um… I appreciate the gesture, but it’s too much. We don’t have anyone here to manage all of this. Please take it back.”
“Do you mean all of it, Milady?”
The chief attendant raised an eyebrow slightly. Courtney, feeling conflicted, nodded. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but the reality was that they couldn’t handle it.
The chief attendant’s face showed a hint of discomfort. He had been forewarned, but the state of the Devon household was worse than expected. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke again.
“Until a steward is appointed, I will take care of managing things. We were all instructed by His Highness to serve you until the wedding. Additionally, the items sent are considered necessities. Above all, His Highness wishes for you to be as comfortable as possible before the wedding, Your Highness.”
“Pardon?”
Courtney’s eyes widened in shock. Just as she thought, this was all moving too fast.
The experienced chief attendant coughed lightly and corrected himself.
“Well, they are a bit luxurious.”
“No, not that… Did you just call me…”
“’Your Highness the Crown Princess’?”
Courtney’s face flushed red. She hadn’t misheard. She had barely spoken to the Crown Prince for the first time yesterday, and now she was already being treated as the future Crown Princess. She lowered her head, mumbling.
“…It’s too early for that.”
“Then, we will address you as Lady Devon. My name is Hanson, feel free to call upon me.”
“Thank you. Please do that.”
Hanson poured more tea into her empty cup, but the entire situation still felt incredibly awkward for Courtney. Most servants from other families would usually dismiss her, and the Devon household had only untrained staff. Hanson’s calm and respectful demeanor was something she was entirely unaccustomed to.
“I will inform His Highness of your decision. It’s not something I can decide on my own,” Hanson said.
Courtney reluctantly nodded. Ignoring such sincerity wouldn’t be proper manners. So, she finished her tea and dessert under his polite care.
But when she stepped outside again, she regretted her decision to give in so easily.
“Your Highness, should we prepare your bedroom now?”
“Your Highness, what color bedding do you prefer?”
“Your Highness, what would you like for lunch?”
“No! Stop calling me that! I’m not married yet!”
It seemed like the wave of goods she had seen earlier was just the tip of the iceberg. More carriages stretched beyond the gate, delivering an endless stream of items. And just as the amount of goods kept increasing, so did the number of attendants, enough to completely overrun the Devon household.
Courtney realized it would take her the entire day just to correct everyone on how to address her.
***
I hope the floor doesn’t collapse under all this weight.
Courtney found herself thinking absurd thoughts as she looked around the room that had been empty just yesterday. She couldn’t tell if the house would crumble first or if her body would give out from the overwhelming pressure.
Luxurious furniture, extravagant clothes, and shoes—nothing in the room seemed to fit, but the most out-of-place thing was Courtney herself. She stood, staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror.
The woman in the mirror looked like a stranger, someone she didn’t know. Her black hair was elegantly styled, adorned with various accessories, and she wore an emerald-green dress made of the finest fabric, threaded with gold. She felt like a crow, picking up every shiny thing it could find.
“Lady Devon, could you turn around for me?”
At the sound of a high-pitched voice, Courtney sluggishly turned her body. The crow she had envisioned disappeared from view as she turned.
The dressmaker inspected her work once again, while Courtney wheezed softly due to the overly tight waistline.
A maid, assisting the dressmaker, offered a suggestion,
“How about adding a dark belt around the waist?”
“That sounds lovely. Let’s use black to complement Her Highness’s lustrous black hair,” the dressmaker replied.
Courtney shot a sharp look at the dressmaker, annoyed. She had spent all day correcting the staff’s way of addressing her, and now the external vendors were getting it wrong too.
The dressmaker, realizing her slip-up, awkwardly pulled in her head like a turtle and wrapped a black belt around Courtney’s waist.
Courtney let out a tired sigh. Since her ankle had mostly healed yesterday, this was already the third dressmaker to visit. Two shoemakers and a merchant selling accessories had also come by. And in the afternoon, a line of jewelers was scheduled to visit.
It was all very generous, but she was already exhausted.
The dressmaker, satisfied with the fitting, cheerfully spoke again.
“Now, let’s try this one on next. His Highness the Crown Prince ordered the finest materials to be used—nothing but the best!”
Courtney’s gaze followed the dressmaker’s gesture to a dazzling, vibrant pink dress that almost made her dizzy just looking at it.
She wanted to refuse, but she already knew what would happen if she did. They would make an even bigger fuss, saying that none of the dresses suited the Crown Princess and bring something even grander.
So, Courtney resigned herself and let the dressmaker and maids do as they pleased.
