In the Doghouse - Chapter 140
Richard was entirely serious as he spoke, leaving the Devon siblings momentarily speechless—the one who had been fiercely beating and the one who had been thoroughly beaten alike.
Both of them understood perfectly well, without a single word spoken, that if Courtney were to stab Frederick right here, the Crown Prince would dispose of the body in the palace gardens without so much as a change in expression.
This jolted Courtney back to reality, snapping her out of her rage.
“I-I’m calm now,” she muttered.
“Good. Now, how would you like to proceed? Whatever you decide, I’ll make it happen.”
Without hesitation, Richard gave Courtney full authority over Frederick’s fate.
She glanced over at her brother. Having been locked up by the guards all night and then brought here to face her fury, he was already a pitiful sight. But no sympathy stirred within her. Nor did she feel satisfied by having taken her anger out on him.
“Don’t release him, but is there somewhere he could be kept? Like a dungeon?”
“Understood. Then that’s what we’ll do.”
With that, Frederick’s fate was decided. Only then did it dawn on him that his despicable little sister now held his fate in her hands—all because the spineless Crown Prince was utterly bewitched by her. He desperately spoke up.
“Wait! Little sister, please! I’m sorry! I swear I’ll never gamble again! For Eddy’s sake, just let me go this once, won’t you?”
Courtney shot a cold look his way. Even now, he shamelessly used his son to bargain for himself, purely out of selfishness.
All this time, she had told herself that Eddy was still better off with a father, even a terrible one. But now, she was certain that this belief had been wrong. Frederick would only poison Eddy’s life forever.
“It’s too late,” she replied firmly.
“Come on, you little—no, Your Highness, please. What should I do, then? Should I get on my knees?”
He half-heartedly began to kneel, but even this was a mere gesture, glancing around for any sign that it might help. It was clear that he wasn’t sincere in the least.
Courtney felt an overwhelming wave of futility. Had she really expected someone like him to change? The person who needed a reality check was herself.
Richard turned her gently away from her brother to spare her any more of the humiliating sight.
“Courtney, enough. Go rest now. I’ll take care of this.”
She looked at him intently for a moment before nodding. Whatever had started this, Richard had consistently stood by her side. Even if his motivations weren’t always pure, she felt a certain solace in his steadfast support.
Richard led her to the door. Outside, Isabella and Rebecca were waiting with worried expressions; it wasn’t every day the Crown Princess stormed down the hall with a maid’s duster in hand. Courtney left the room without a word, exhaustion written across her face.
“Your Highness, are you alright?” asked one of her attendants.
“Yes…”
As the door shut behind her, Sir Bassen quickly entered the room, while Courtney headed directly back to her chambers.
“Get off me! I can walk by myself!”
Frederick’s loud protests echoed down the hall, but Courtney didn’t look back. She was tired to the bone, far more in spirit than in body.
* * *
Though she had never been down there herself, Courtney had heard that the Imperial Palace did indeed have a dungeon beneath it, albeit unused for over a century. Yet, they hadn’t locked Frederick in that dungeon. Richard had explained that the palace’s special prison was unlike any ordinary cell—it was a place with neither guards nor exits.
“Once someone enters, they could never leave, even in death. I could send him there now if that’s what you wish, Courtney.”
“No, that’s… a bit much.”
Courtney shook her head vigorously in response.
As much as she was furious, the thought of consigning him to such a place was too severe. What could she even tell their parents, Elise, or Eddy? That Frederick was locked away in a dungeon from which he might never return?
Thus, Frederick was confined instead in a luxurious guest room, with three meals a day delivered to him. For a prisoner, it was an extraordinarily indulgent arrangement. Yet, somehow, this leniency left Courtney feeling worse than ever.
Richard stayed by her side through it all.
“Richard… what’s the right thing to do here?”
Her voice was tinged with despondency. Despite her family troubles, Courtney had always managed to find solutions with determination and resilience. But this time, the weight of disappointment was almost too much to bear.
For the first time, she doubted whether her choices had truly been for the best. Perhaps she should have cut ties much sooner—left her family behind when she married, rather than trying to keep a hand in and help. Maybe then they would have found their own way by now.
