In the Doghouse - Chapter 130
Using a tone noticeably higher and softer than usual, she asked Edvard,
“Is it good?”
“Yes! But… I like your butter cookies better, Auntie.”
“Eddy…”
Edvard’s innocent words brought tears to Courtney’s eyes.
Now that he had access to endless delicious treats every day, her nephew still remembered the simple butter cookies she had baked herself. Those cookies, made with cheap butter and a pinch of salt, might not have been much by taste alone—but what he cherished was the love she had poured into making them.
Courtney hugged Edvard tightly, touched by his affection.
As he snuggled into her embrace, Edvard’s green eyes—so much like hers—lingered on Richard. When Richard gave him a slight smile, Edvard quickly turned his head, still shy around the Crown Prince.
Reluctantly, Courtney released him and continued to serve him snacks with a warm, loving smile, filling his teacup and piling sweets on his plate.
“Eat while you drink, Eddy. Next time you visit, let’s bake cookies together. I’ll be ready for it.”
“Okay…”
They were unusually close for an aunt and nephew. Richard, who didn’t generally pay much attention to children, found it both curious and endearing how doting she was toward Edvard.
Sitting across from them, he found himself studying Edvard’s appearance—the blonde hair and green eyes. If he and Courtney were to have a child someday, they might look like this.
Courtney’s gaze was filled with honeyed affection, her attention solely on Edvard. She took in every adorable movement, from his little hands holding the teacup to his small mouth nibbling on cookies. Richard had become invisible, long forgotten in their shared moment.
“Eddy, how are your lessons? And your nanny?”
“They’re fine.”
“Is there anything you need? I’ll get it for you—just say the word.”
“No, thank you.”
Edvard shook his head without a trace of hesitation. Courtney’s gentle influence was apparent—he was a humble, selfless child. Richard could see why she was so attached to him. The boy’s innocence was undeniable.
Perhaps it was because Edvard bore her features, but for the first time in his life, Richard felt a glimmer of warmth toward a child. Still, that wasn’t all he felt.
“Ah, you got crumbs all over your face.”
Courtney brushed away the crumbs on Edvard’s cheek, playfully pinching and even gently biting his chubby cheeks.
“Auntie, that tickles!”
“I can’t help it—you’re just too cute.”
It was hard to tell if Courtney loved children in general or if Edvard held a special place in her heart, but it was clear she adored him completely. Her gaze was overflowing with affection.
Watching them, Richard began to feel an inexplicable heaviness in his chest.
As beautiful as the scene was, he found himself parched, his breathing growing more labored, his heart beating faster.
“Ah, you little rascal!”
“Aah! Auntie, that tickles!”
Watching a woman love and cherish a child could make a man naturally feel a sense of admiration and assurance that she would make a wonderful mother to his own children—an instinctual reaction.
But what Richard felt was something else entirely.
An intense feeling of envy had taken hold of him.
He didn’t envy Edvard because he wanted to be close to the boy, nor did he want to caress the child’s cheeks. He was overwhelmingly jealous of Edvard, and even of the unborn child he and Courtney might one day have together.
In that moment, he longed to be the one she doted on with such tenderness, someone so vulnerable that he couldn’t do anything for himself without her. He wanted to become utterly dependent on her, truly and completely.
It was a strange, foreign feeling, one he had never experienced before. Overcome with a sudden wave of emotion, Richard abruptly stood up and walked toward the door.
“Leaving already?” Courtney asked, surprised.
“Yes. I just came to say hello.”
She looked at him, puzzled by his expression, which seemed oddly stiff. Hadn’t he mentioned wanting to get closer to Edvard? She wondered what had suddenly changed.
But she didn’t feel the need to press him on it. Instead, she watched his retreating back with slight confusion as Edvard tugged on her sleeve.
“Auntie, I need to go to the restroom.”
“Alright, just a moment.”
Richard felt he couldn’t stay in that room a second longer. If he did, he feared he might do something completely out of place—begging her for attention or asking her to love him with that same warmth. He left the room almost as if fleeing, the door clicking shut behind him. Courtney turned her head, but he was already gone.
“What’s with him? Maybe he doesn’t like kids,” she murmured to herself, slightly bewildered.
Soon, however, she brushed it off, finding herself once again engrossed in Edvard’s delightful presence.
* * *
Before sunset, Edvard was sent back to the Devon household. But Courtney found herself unable to stop thinking about him, constantly wondering when they would meet again or what else she could do for him.
Even during dinner with Richard that evening, she couldn’t focus. She ate distractedly, recounting stories of her time with Edvard, constantly praising him for how much he had grown in their time apart, and sharing her plans for his next visit.
As Courtney’s excitement grew, Richard felt himself shrinking. He knew he could never be like Edvard to her, nor could he hope to hold a similar place in her heart. He felt small and foolish for wishing for something he would never have.
