In the Doghouse - Chapter 88
Richard noticed Courtney first, surrounded by the servants. He immediately approached her with a friendly smile.
“Courtney.”
“Oh, Richard.”
Courtney lifted her gaze. When their eyes met, Richard offered a small smile. However, she only gave him a brief nod before quickly turning her attention back to the new maids he didn’t recognize.
“Isn’t this fabric too glossy? Won’t stains be too noticeable?”
“Then perhaps an off-white instead of pure white?”
Richard stood there, waiting quietly, but Courtney didn’t look back at him again. Soon, she moved to the other side of the room, seemingly forgetting his presence entirely. Richard turned away silently.
This had been happening frequently. Courtney often ate in her office, rushing through her meals. Even when they managed to dine together in the dining hall, she would shove food into her mouth and leave early.
Richard didn’t like seeing Courtney consumed by her work to the point of exhaustion. While he respected her sense of responsibility and determination, he worried she was overextending herself, acting as if one mistake would lead to disaster.
Finally, he had the chance to talk to her. When she came to the dining room again, Richard, having made up his mind, spoke seriously.
“Courtney.”
“Hmm… Yes?”
Courtney’s head snapped up in surprise. She had been dozing off, holding utensils in both hands. She quickly composed herself, but the sleepiness in her eyes was too obvious to hide.
Richard, usually with a playful expression, now looked at her with seriousness, almost reproachful. Courtney immediately felt like she had done something wrong and lowered her gaze. Richard spoke calmly.
“Courtney.”
“Yes…?”
“Look at me.”
Reluctantly, Courtney met his gaze. The moment their eyes locked, she realized he wasn’t trying to scold her—he was worried.
Richard had his own responsibilities. While Courtney handled most of the arrangements for the banquet, Richard was in charge of organizing the capital’s festival. Still, he made an effort to check on her regularly and offer to share her workload, unlike Courtney, who hadn’t even noticed how overworked she had become.
Courtney hesitated before speaking softly.
“I’m sorry… for making you worry.”
“No need to apologize. There’s nothing wrong with working hard. But…”
He furrowed his brows, concerned that his words might come off as meddlesome to her. Was there any way he could say this without upsetting her? He sighed lightly and continued.
“Courtney, it’s impossible to do everything perfectly.”
“What?”
“A few mistakes won’t cause a catastrophe.”
“But…”
Courtney’s wide eyes narrowed slightly. She wanted to bring up Duchess Herbert’s warnings but stopped herself. Maybe that would just be an excuse. Even without the Duchess’s words, she knew she would have still strived for perfection.
Richard’s voice softened as he spoke.
“No matter how much attention you pay, things will always go wrong, especially with big events involving so many people. Do you remember last year’s Founding Festival?”
“Um… Yes.”
“The white wine we were supposed to use for the opening toast went bad, so there was none to serve.”
“What? But I… I don’t remember that.”
Courtney tried to recall. In imperial events, it was tradition for the Emperor to make a toast with white wine at the start of a banquet. Though she rarely enjoyed the events herself, she would have noticed if red wine had been served instead of white—it would have been the talk of the court.
Richard chuckled, revealing the truth behind the incident.
“I borrowed wine from Duke Wrighton. The night before the banquet, no less.”
“Oh… I had no idea.”
“Mistakes happen all the time, but the events still go smoothly. There are so many people in the palace to help.”
The way he ended his explanation sounded a bit like a complaint to Courtney, as if he was saying, Stop acting like you have to do everything yourself. She looked at him with her brows and the corners of her eyes drooping, taking in his mock-sullen expression as he continued.
“And what do you plan to do with me? You can make full use of me anytime, you know.”
It wasn’t a complaint, but more of a playful remark. Courtney’s tense demeanor finally softened, and a smile crept onto her lips.
Courtney had always been used to doing everything on her own, facing challenges without help. She had forgotten that she wasn’t alone anymore.
“Thank you, Richard.”
The heavy atmosphere lifted, and Courtney picked up her utensils, cutting into her cold meal and quickly eating a bite. After chewing for a moment, she casually asked.
“Why don’t you come to my room tonight?”
Richard furrowed his brow in hesitation. No matter how much he desired her, he wasn’t about to ask for something intimate when she was already overwhelmed with her duties.
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“Neither did I,” Courtney replied playfully.
Her lighthearted tone made Richard smile. It dawned on him that a couple didn’t always need to visit each other’s rooms for anything other than sleep. He resolved to shift Courtney’s view of him, even if only slightly. Whether it would change anything, he wasn’t sure, but it felt important.
That night, Richard visited her room as promised. And just as they had agreed, nothing else happened. They simply lay beside each other, facing one another, and fell asleep.
Courtney found nothing strange about it, nor did she initiate anything. No words were needed.
They both learned that sometimes, just being together was more than enough.
