In the Doghouse - Chapter 8
Courtney slowly processed her father’s words and replied in a sarcastic tone.
“…Have you gone senile?”
Patricia, pale with shock, jabbed her daughter in the side.
“Are you crazy? How could you say something so disrespectful… You should be more careful with your words!”
“And why should I? Who’s here to listen anyway?”
Nobles were supposed to maintain their dignity even in their own homes, but that was irrelevant in the Devon household, where only Martha, the lone employee, remained.
Unfazed by her parents’ excitement, Courtney continued in a calm and rational voice.
“Does it make any sense that His Majesty the Emperor would arrange a marriage with a near-bankrupt countdom? Father, are you sure you weren’t tricked again?”
“W-What! An imperial messenger came directly from the Imperial Palace! If you had seen it yourself, you wouldn’t be saying such things.”
“Then there must have been some mistake. Maybe they were supposed to go to the Levon family instead of Devon.”
Indeed, it would make much more sense for the Crown Princess to come from the wealthy and prosperous Levon family, which had large, fertile lands. And conveniently, they had a suitable unmarried daughter of the right age.
Hendrick’s confidence wavered at her words. In his excitement over the imperial messenger, he hadn’t even considered whether they had come to the right house. He knew that admitting such an oversight would only earn him more scorn from his daughter, so he tried to maintain his dignity as best he could.
“Enough talk. You must prepare to present yourself before His Majesty tomorrow.”
“If this is all a mistake, why should I bother going? I don’t even have anything proper to wear…”
“Then wear something of your mother’s!”
Even if it was a mistake, it was a subject’s duty to respond to the Emperor’s summons. Grumbling, but unable to refuse outright, Courtney relented.
“Fine. I’m going to rest now. And you two, don’t get your hopes up for nothing.”
Courtney wasn’t a little girl dreaming of marrying a prince on a white horse. She maintained her cool, rational demeanor as she headed to her room. With each step up the stairs, her injured ankle screamed in pain.
When Martha came to retrieve her shoes, she gasped at the sight of Courtney’s swollen ankle.
“Miss, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Martha, could you please bring me some cold water and a towel?”
As Courtney applied a cold compress to her ankle, she thought back to her father’s words.
Crown Prince’s consort.
Unless the definition had changed overnight, that meant the wife of the Crown Prince.
She recalled the image of the Crown Prince, Richard, the Emperor’s only heir.
During the past two years, she had attended the Empire’s Founding Festival, which was practically mandatory for all nobles of age. She had also crossed paths with the Crown Prince at various high society events and tea parties hosted by prominent families. There had even been a few instances where they’d seen each other when she accompanied her mother.
But she had no memory of ever exchanging words with him. In fact, whenever she attended such events, her attention had always been on making sure her father wasn’t getting swindled or her mother wasn’t buying some ridiculous trinket.
To be honest, she wondered, Does he even know my name…? He might remember her face—after all, she had caused enough spectacles similar to what happened at the Wrighton Duchy’s residence the day before. She was famous in a bad way, so it wouldn’t be surprising if her face was remembered.
The Crown Prince was known not just for his status but also for his impressive looks. He was praised for being skilled in both academics and martial arts and was known to be polite and kind to everyone. It was no wonder there were young noblewomen who practically worshipped him.
Of course, there were some unsavory rumors about him as well… but rumors are always like that.
Courtney shook her head, dismissing her thoughts. It would all turn out to be a misunderstanding by tomorrow anyway.
That night, Courtney dreamt.
By the time she awoke, the details had already faded, but one image remained vividly etched in her mind.
The golden-haired Crown Prince kneeling before her, swearing an oath at her feet, as if it were reality itself.
***
Courtney’s assumption that it was all some misunderstanding, either on the part of the Emperor or her father, turned out to be incorrect.
When she and her father stepped outside, dressed in their finest available clothes, they were greeted by a golden carriage bearing the Imperial seal. It was pulled by six white horses and accompanied by an impressive guard of honor dressed in elegant uniforms.
Even if they had come to the wrong house, the elaborate arrangement was over the top. Courtney approached the older gentleman standing by the carriage door and asked,
“Um… this is the Devon residence. Are you sure you’ve come to the right place?”
“Yes, Lady Courtney Devon.”
When he replied, he stated her name and title perfectly, leaving no room for doubt.
As the gentleman extended his hand to escort her into the carriage, Courtney had no choice but to step inside. He watched her closely as she winced from the pain in her ankle.
