In the Doghouse - Chapter 178
XIII.
The physician placed a large magical device on Courtney’s belly, casting a sidelong glance behind him. There was the crown prince, his eyes red and swollen from tears, smiling foolishly with relief.
Anyone could tell he had begged and pleaded his way back into forgiveness. Though it was a relief to see the malice drained from his expression, it was unsettling to see he seemed to have lost some common sense along with it.
Courtney, leaning comfortably against a pillow, spoke up.
“Stop smiling like that. You look foolish.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Richard quickly wiped the grin off his face. The physician suppressed a chuckle, covering it with a cough.
Courtney looked curiously at the rounded magical device on her stomach, which was growing warmer. Complex patterns appeared and disappeared on the smooth, mirror-like surface of the metal plate. After examining these symbols for some time, the physician removed the device.
“Everything is stable. Since there’s been a sudden change in weight, a little light movement would be beneficial.”
“All right.”
Courtney’s response was nonchalant, but Richard watched her examination with eyes that shone with an intense focus. Feeling his gaze, Courtney tugged the blanket up to cover her stomach, feeling oddly self-conscious.
Richard turned to the physician with a curious look.
“Do we know the gender yet? Can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl?”
Courtney frowned, irritated. So that’s why he came to every single appointment, even when they were repetitive. He was hoping to find out the baby’s gender? While a daughter wouldn’t be without any inheritance rights, it would bring more challenges and opposition than a son’s succession would.
But Courtney had no desire to worry about such things before the baby was even born. Ignoring the physician’s presence, she spoke sharply.
“Why does it matter so much to you?”
“It doesn’t… I just thought it’d be nice to know in advance…”
Richard’s voice was subdued, and the physician felt both satisfied and a bit sympathetic toward the prince. It seemed he would be living on edge like this for the rest of his life.
Sharing his experience as another husband who lived under his wife’s thumb, the physician kindly replied.
“The earliest we might be able to tell would be spring.”
“I see.”
As Courtney responded, the physician gathered his tools and excused himself from the room.
And as soon as the physician left, Richard quickly perched himself at the edge of the bed, gazing at her stomach, though he restrained himself from touching it. Courtney, still a bit annoyed, asked coolly,
“You’re hoping it’s a boy?”
“No.”
He answered without a moment’s hesitation, though she continued to eye him skeptically. Seeing her doubtful expression, Richard rolled his eyes and spoke again.
“To be honest… whether it’s a girl or a boy, I hope they look like me.”
Courtney’s frown deepened. She admitted he was certainly handsome, but openly wishing the baby would take after him? Seeing her skeptical gaze, Richard rushed to clarify.
“I just… well, if they look like you, I might lose my mind. I’d probably give away the entire empire if they asked me to. Oh, but as for their personality… I hope they take after you.”
A child with his looks but her personality—that would truly be a disaster. Seeing Richard’s horrified expression, Courtney’s own softened a bit.
After all, there was some truth in it. It was far better for the baby to have his appearance paired with her temperament than the other way around.
Feeling her irritation ease, Courtney pushed the blanket off and said,
“Would you like to touch?”
“Is that really okay?”
Despite his words, his eyes already gleamed with excitement, his face lit up with eager anticipation. If he were an actual dog, his tail would be wagging frantically.
Though Courtney had ‘for now’ accepted Richard’s apology, she had made it clear this was only a temporary reprieve.
He was far from forgiven. It was too infuriating to just let him off that easily. So, as part of his punishment, he was strictly forbidden from any physical contact, even so much as touching her.
When Courtney nodded in silence, Richard carefully reached out a hand. He swallowed hard, his throat visibly moving as he gulped. There wasn’t anything to feel yet, but his excitement was over the top. Courtney, a bit exasperated, patiently waited for him to get over himself.
Richard’s hand, trembling with tension, finally came to rest on her slightly loosened waistline.
“Ha…”
He let out a sigh of awe immediately, and Courtney, though she’d offered, found herself feeling a bit embarrassed and looked away.
“Courtney, you’re truly incredible.”
Richard fawned over her, showering her with praise as his hand gently stroked her barely noticeable belly, almost reverently. Then he began, rather earnestly, to press and knead her stomach.
“That’s just belly fat.”
She finally slapped his hand away with a slight scowl. He looked openly disappointed, but Courtney, without a trace of sympathy, ordered him to leave.
“That’s enough for now. Go on.”
“Yes…”
Richard rose, looking back at her, reluctance written all over his face. Courtney suddenly felt an urge to tease him. After all, this was a chance to get back at him, and she wasn’t one to let such an opportunity slip by.
As he turned reluctantly toward the door, she casually called out.
“How’s that vow of chastity working out for you?”
Considering it had been quite a while since that failed night, Courtney figured he must be feeling restless every night. Yet Richard responded as if it were nothing at all, his tone surprisingly nonchalant.
“Fine.”
“What if it has to be forever?”
“That’s fine too.”
His easy answer made Courtney oddly irritated. While she didn’t want him to act overly eager, pretending it didn’t matter to him was equally unsatisfying.
Richard, noting her displeased expression, hastily added an explanation.
“It’s just that… there’s something about being ignored, a sort of thrill in it. It’s… not all that bad, in a way…”
This wretched deviant.
He was supposed to be reflecting on his behavior, but here he was, finding excitement in being denied. With swollen eyes, no less.
When Courtney glared at him sharply, he quickly adopted a sheepish expression and darted for the door. She snatched up a pillow and flung it at his retreating head.
“Get lost!”
A few days later, a very specific order was placed at a certain shop hidden in the back alleys of the western market district.
The Crown Princess herself had requested a specially designed chastity belt, one that was heavy, sturdy, and absolutely unbreakable without the key.
