In the Doghouse - Chapter 165
Sitting and waiting wasn’t going to ease her uneasy mind. After brooding alone for a while, Courtney finally decided to head to Richard’s office alone, without an attendant.
How was she supposed to bring this up? Their relationship was already tense, and asking out of nowhere where he’d gone last night seemed awkward. The closer she got to her destination, the slower her steps became.
As she shuffled along hesitantly, Courtney caught sight of a familiar face at the end of the corridor. Her gloomy expression brightened. She hurried over to the chief aide.
“Anton.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Greetings. His Highness the Crown Prince is inside,” Anton said, bowing politely as he spotted her and reached for the office door handle.
“No, it’s not that—I’m not here for him.”
Anton’s eyes widened. Though he’d anticipated her visit to see the Crown Prince, it seemed she wasn’t there to meet him after all. He looked at her with a puzzled expression as she glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then gently tugged his sleeve.
“Just for a moment, over here.”
Though confused, Anton followed her lead. They moved around the corner to a spot out of sight of the office door. Courtney looked around once more to ensure their privacy and finally spoke again.
“Did you accompany His Highness outside the palace last night?”
So, she’d already heard something. Anton recalled Richard’s stern warning disguised as a casual suggestion and replied cautiously.
“Um, I didn’t exactly go with him. I only escorted him to the gate, let’s say… saw him off, you could say.”
“Did he leave for somewhere?”
Here it was—the question he’d dreaded. Anton swallowed nervously, wondering why she was asking him and not Richard himself.
If he had to choose sides, his loyalty lay with the Crown Princess. But aligning himself with her over Richard wasn’t something he could easily do. After all, Richard wielded the power to enforce his will through both authority and force. Defying him was no simple feat.
I mustn’t slip up, Anton thought, the pressure almost tangible. He finally spoke, though reluctantly.
“Well… It’s not exactly my place to say. Not that it’s anything suspicious, of course, but not that it’s, well… not not suspicious either. Honestly, my elderly parents rely on me, so I’m sure you understand.”
He rambled nervously, struggling to make his point. Unfortunately, subtle nuances and navigating delicate power dynamics weren’t his strong suits.
Courtney frowned, not comprehending his roundabout explanation. Her voice was cold.
“I don’t understand at all.”
“Well, what I mean is… everyone only has one life to live. Myself included,” Anton replied firmly, nodding as if that clarified everything.
Courtney understood one thing clearly: he was afraid to speak because of Richard. That, at least, confirmed for her that Richard had gone somewhere she wasn’t meant to know about.
“I understand.”
And here, she turned sharply in the opposite direction.
“You’re not going to see His Highness?” Anton asked.
“No need.”
Ah, this isn’t good…
Anton was already imagining Richard’s disappointed expression. For all his confidence, things hadn’t gone as planned. Richard would surely be pouting, as if the world had collapsed.
Anton sighed, but Courtney, with her back to him, couldn’t see his regretful expression. She hurried down the hall, willing her mind away from unwelcome suspicions.
* * *
The odd occurrences continued. Despite her lack of appetite, Courtney made sure to come down to the dining room at mealtimes. But this time, Richard didn’t show up.
When she heard he had a commitment outside, she didn’t think much of it. After all, it was already unusual that they’d spent so much time alone without much interaction with other nobles.
But the next evening, just as she was preparing to go down for dinner, one of Richard’s attendants arrived with a message from him: he would no longer be joining her for meals.
‘Not that he couldn’t… but that he wouldn’t.’
Courtney was so taken aback that she couldn’t say anything.
Just recently, he’d acted as if he couldn’t live without her—so how could he act like this now? And to send the message through an attendant rather than saying it himself?
She was furious. Her face grew hot with anger.
