ITD

CHAPTER XXXVl

Courtney irritably pulled out the necklace that had been hidden under her clothes. Suddenly, the key itself felt filthy to her. Richard, who had been quietly sipping his tea, smiled brightly as he saw her reaction.

“If my reflection wasn’t sufficient, I’ll write twenty more pages.”

“Shut up.”

「 Even while writing this reflection paper, it feels like my cxck is about to burst. I sincerely reflect on my actions. 」

It wasn’t worth reading any further. Courtney let out a sigh and tossed the reflection paper onto the table. It seemed as though everything was going according to his plan. She was now treating the Crown Prince similarly to how she treated the members of the Devon family.

Of course, delivering the reflection paper wasn’t the only reason Richard had visited today. Ignoring the worthless reflection paper, Courtney picked up another set of neatly arranged documents.

These papers outlined the wedding procedures in great detail, planned meticulously by the officials and the temple. A packed schedule, stretching from morning until night. The sheer complexity of the schedule was exhausting to read. No wonder she had to pick out five different dresses. Courtney sighed again.

“This is overwhelming.”

“It’s a once-in-lifetime event. It may be physically tiring, but if you think of it as a celebration for the empire’s people, it will put your mind at ease.”

Courtney stared at the Crown Prince in front of her. His response was surprisingly rational and sensible. It made sense, of course. He had been born as the legitimate Crown Prince, lived as such his entire life, and would become the next Emperor. Naturally, he’d received the proper education for it.

But to Courtney, it felt strange. She had only recently seen his perverse side, and now, seeing him act so serious, it was like when someone who’s usually wrong does something right—it gave her a weird feeling.

Richard continued speaking in a serious tone.

“Of course, if I were to be humiliated by you in front of the entire empire, I would find it incredibly thrilling.”

“Cut it out.”

Courtney’s voice was cold as she cut off Richard’s bxllshxt. It was clear his head was still filled with nothing but lust.

Two weeks remained. There were countless things to take care of before the wedding. After she left, the Devon family would likely fall into chaos. There were many matters to discuss with the butler Hanson had introduced.

“There was no need for you to come in person. If your business is done, you should leave.”

Courtney elegantly but bluntly told him to get lost. Richard’s eyebrows drooped in disappointment, but she didn’t hesitate to send him on his way.

She debated whether to throw away the reflection paper but ultimately decided to keep it. Then she immediately returned to her work. The fact that her future husband was a freak who could get erxct and ejxculxte eight times in one night was a problem for another time.

* * *

Three days before the grand wedding—

The atmosphere in the Devon household was as gloomy as if a funeral were about to take place. No one dared to speak under the piercing glare of Courtney, who sat in the seat of honor. The only sound breaking the silence of the reception room was the occasional sniffle from Elise.

“Haa…”

With a heavy sigh, Frederick slumped over, resting his forehead against the coffee table.

“Please, just spare me this once.”

His groveling was pitiful, but it wasn’t enough to sway Courtney. When she didn’t respond, Hendrick quickly bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry.”

How could they act like this in human skin? Courtney was so dumbfounded she was at a loss for words. Even though she had never had high expectations of her family, the betrayal made her tremble with anger.

While she had been busy preparing for the wedding, her father and brother had caused major disasters.

Hendrick had been swindled—again. Though pathetic, it was nothing new, so she could have overlooked it. The problem was that, in trying to fix it, he involved multiple people, making the situation worse.

And then there was Frederick, who had inherited all of their parents’ worst traits. He had been dragged away by the guards because the business partner he had teamed up with turned out to be a wanted criminal.

They were like flies drawn to filth.

Courtney was too exhausted to even get angry. The family no longer had debts or worries about money. They could live indulgently, enjoying life without having to lift a finger.

“…Why do you keep doing this?”

Her voice trembled with fury. She thought there was no further disappointment possible, but her family never failed to prove her wrong.

Hendrick lowered his head even further. This wasn’t the time to preserve his pride as the head of the family. Even though the wedding wouldn’t be called off over this, if Courtney cut ties with her family, the Devon household would be left destitute.

“I am ashamed. I’m sorry.”

That was all he said. The same as always—there’s nothing more to do once the mistake is made. Courtney no longer had any words left for them.

Patricia, caught in the middle, darted her eyes back and forth. Her daughter, who always ended up solving the problems despite her temper, remained silent. And now, she was no less than a golden goose, ready to lay eggs.