In the Doghouse - Chapter 125
IX.
As soon as the festival ended, the palace returned to its usual tranquility, as though the recent flurry of activity had never happened. Most of the servants had finished their cleanup and left for their alternating vacations, so fewer people than usual were stationed in the palace.
But even with the peace, Courtney couldn’t fully put down her work. The winter season was fast approaching, and she had to oversee the preparations for the cold months ahead.
Today, however, her headaches had little to do with the palace or its routines. After much deliberation, she asked Richard again.
“Are you sure this is the best way?”
“Yes. We can’t keep him under house arrest indefinitely, after all.”
The two of them were having tea in the greenhouse. Though it was supposed to be a casual tea time, it had become an unofficial, secretive meeting about a delicate matter. The discussion concerned the Devon family at large but, specifically, the issue of Frederick Devon’s current situation.
The morning after the banquet, as Crown Prince, Richard had officially ordered Frederick Devon to be placed under indefinite probation for his disrespect toward the Crown Princess and for causing a scene in the palace. Naturally, the Devon family had no choice but to accept. Although Elise had sent Courtney a letter full of resentful, that was the extent of their protest.
Courtney admitted that Richard’s swift handling of the situation was excellent. Not only did it serve as a warning to the Devon family, but it also subtly distanced her from them in the public eye. By demonstrating that he wouldn’t grant special treatment to his wife’s family, Richard had effectively prevented any other noble families from expressing discontent.
But even if this incident was resolved, the future was still a problem. There was a clear reason Courtney couldn’t just turn her back on her family’s constant demands for financial assistance.
“I’d really love to ignore it,” she said in a disheartened tone.
Frederick, confined to his home, had resorted to a low tactic. He had decided to take advantage of her love for her nephew.
Following the banquet, Courtney had invited Edvard to the palace, as she had previously promised. But instead of Edvard, she received a reply from Frederick, saying that Edvard had come down with a severe fever and could not visit. Additionally, he requested that she not visit the Devon household for a while, as a ‘precaution’.
Naturally, this was a fabrication. After confirming with Wigg, it was clear that Frederick had fabricated the story, but she could do nothing. The Count and Countess of Devon remained silent, backing their son, and as the child’s father and legal guardian, Frederick had every right to prevent her from visiting Edvard.
Though stuck in this frustrating situation, Courtney hesitated to accept Richard’s proposal. Her spirits low, Richard tried to persuade her confidently.
“You want to see your nephew, don’t you? It’ll work out as you wish.”
“But what if it just backfires? What if my brother starts making even more trouble?”
“I’ll assign a reliable officer to oversee things and monitor him closely.”
With his repeated reassurances, Courtney picked up her teacup and fell deep in thought.
Richard had presented an idea that Courtney hadn’t anticipated—giving Frederick a minor position overseeing the western district of the capital. As Richard explained, it was a position that came with little actual power but was just prestigious enough to appease someone like Frederick, who enjoyed showing off.
Richard believed that by giving Frederick a taste of honor, he might become more conscious of how others saw him. Yet Courtney wasn’t entirely convinced. On the surface, it would look as though Frederick Devon was only in the role because of her influence.
Still, there wasn’t a better alternative. Richard had even offered to exile the entire Devon family from the capital and take Edvard in as their own child, but that was an even more far-fetched idea. Who knew what kind of issues that could cause later?
In the end, Courtney reluctantly agreed to Richard’s compromise.
“All right. Do you have someone in mind to serve as his assistant?”
“I was thinking of assigning Bassen.”
Hearing his answer, Courtney recalled Bassen, whom she had encountered a few times.
Bassen was one of Richard’s most trusted aides, often seen in the palace. He had risen to deputy commander of the imperial knights before retiring due to an injury. Having served as a knight since his youth, he was a man of unwavering principles and integrity—exactly the type to keep a loose cannon like Frederick in check.
Nodding readily, Courtney agreed.
“That sounds good, then.”
At that moment, Richard’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Before Courtney could wonder about the sudden shift, he replied in a slightly offbeat tone.
“It seems you have a rather high opinion of him.”
“Who? Sir Bassen? Well, yes, I suppose.”
Her straightforward answer caused a deep crease to form between Richard’s brows. Why was he acting this way all of a sudden? Courtney tilted her head in confusion, unable to make sense of his behavior.
Richard had been the one to suggest Bassen, and she had merely agreed. Yet he wore an expression of displeasure, as though things hadn’t gone as he’d hoped.
It was as if he suspected she had ulterior motives for agreeing to Bassen’s appointment.
Courtney scowled. Jealousy was one thing if it had context or reason, but this was nonsensical. She set her teacup down with a loud clink and said firmly,
“Stop entertaining such ridiculous thoughts.”
“And why is it ridiculous? He’s single, reasonably good-looking, and it’s not unheard of for noblewomen to take lovers.”
Once Richard started venting, he let it all out, sounding almost like someone afflicted with the worst kind of jealousy.
