ITD

CHAPTER XXlV

The blatant mockery reached Courtney's ears, and her insides boiled with anger.

Didn't they realize that such vulgar comments were essentially insulting the Crown Prince they admired so much?

But no matter how furious she felt, there wasn't much she could do. It wasn't like she could stand up and publicly reveal that the great Crown Prince was-indeed!-an utter pervert with peculiar tastes.

So, Courtney swallowed her anger and thought of Richard's handsome face. At this rate, she felt that the next time they met, she might just grant his wish and curse him out properly.

That opportunity came far sooner than she had expected.

"Oh my, Your Highness!"

When Marchioness Delvin exclaimed, Courtney raised her head from where she had been staring at the ground.

Under an archway of blooming white flowers, there stood the Crown Prince, dressed in his deep blue formal attire. As always, he wore a refreshing smile as he greeted the Marchioness.

"I stopped by to pay my respects. I hope I'm not intruding?"

"Oh, not at all! In fact, Lady Devon is here today as well. Is that why, by any chance...?"

"Did I make it too obvious? I'm completely smitten with Lady Courtney."

When Richard replied, he didn't just play along with the Marchioness's joke-he took it a step further. He had clearly overheard Patricia's boastful remarks from earlier.

Courtney, utterly embarrassed, lowered her head again.

After signaling his pardon to the Marchioness with a nod, Richard strode confidently toward where Courtney was seated.

"Courtney?"

She was too embarrassed to look up. Just because she was engaged to the Crown Prince didn't mean her status had truly elevated. She felt as if she were standing naked and exposed in a grand plaza, under everyone's gaze.

Richard let out a soft hum and suddenly knelt at her feet. Startled, Courtney raised her eyes. Richard looked at her with a serious expression, as if he understood everything she was feeling.

In a quiet voice, meant for only him to hear, Courtney whispered quickly,

"What are you doing?"

It was an undeniably romantic scene: the Crown Prince, kneeling before his fiancée at a tea party. The young ladies squealed, and even the more refined noblewomen couldn't help but react with excitement.

Unbothered by the commotion, Richard leaned in and whispered in a low voice, matching Courtney's volume.

"Courtney, who upset you? Just say the word, and I'll throw them all in prison."

"Pardon?"

"Or shall I have them executed instead? Just give me the order. We can come up with a crime afterward."

He spoke with such calmness that Courtney's eyes widened in shock. She had thought he was just a pervert, but now it seemed he might also be a budding tyrant.

She quickly looked around, worried someone might overhear them. Everyone was pretending to be deep in conversation but was clearly eavesdropping. Lowering her voice even further, she snapped at him.

"Stop talking nonsense, please."

"Hm? Then who was it? Who dared to upset my master?"

The term "my master" caused Courtney's face to flush red. She vaguely recalled the first chapter of that insane book, where there was an explanation of the "master's position".

She wasn't ready for this. Not yet.

With a look that screamed for Richard to stop talking, she hissed,

"You're the one making me the most upset right now, Your Highness."

Richard's eyes lit up, as if her anger delighted him.

"I'm glad to hear that."

His expression was far too enthusiastic. What is this lunatic planning to do here? Courtney's blood pressure skyrocketed. In some ways, dealing with Richard was even more difficult than dealing with Frederick.

"Please, just keep your mouth shut-or better yet, do nothing at all. That's not a request, it's an order."

"As you wish. I'll accept my punishment later, then."

Richard chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. Courtney, frustrated beyond belief, wished she could punch him right then and there. And honestly, had it not been for all the people watching, she might have done just that. Of course, knowing Richard, he probably would have been thrilled by it.

Richard stood up again, and Courtney cringed when she saw the grass clinging to his blue trousers. But he didn't seem to care, brushing it off lightly. Just like that, he transformed from an utter pervert back into the noble Crown Prince.

"Well then, I shall go and greet the other guests."

"Please do," Courtney replied curtly, pretending nothing had happened.

Richard's playful grin irritated her to no end. She could feel the envious glares from the other young ladies around her, but she didn't care anymore.

After giving Patricia a formal greeting, Richard began to make his way through the garden, stopping to greet noblewomen along the way.

Courtney stared after him absentmindedly. With that bright, sunny smile, he really did look like a prince straight out of a fairytale. How on earth had he developed such bizarre tastes?