ITD

CHAPTER XXXVlll

The incident itself wasn’t that serious. It had been resolved easily, and she had been through far worse. And it wasn’t as though she was moved to tears by the Crown Prince’s help.

She simply felt ashamed and miserable. It had been easier when she was struggling alone. Now, having to rely on his help before they were even married because of her family’s mistakes was unbearable. It felt like her deepest flaws were being exposed. Hiic, hiic. Courtney let out a choked sob, trying to hold back her tears.

“Courtney.”

Realizing what was happening a beat too late, Richard immediately moved to sit beside her. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, which Courtney snatched and began to furiously wipe her face with. But the tears quickly flowed again, making it pointless.

“I’m sorry, h-hic, just a moment, sniff… I’ll stop, hic!”

Courtney tried desperately to stop crying, but her emotions were overwhelming, and she couldn’t hold them back. She couldn’t even remember the last time she cried like this. She rarely cried at all, having grown tired of Elise bursting into tears a dozen times a day. Using tears as a weapon was something she despised.

She certainly hadn’t come here to put on a sorrowful act and shed tears. Besides, Richard liked her strong-willed nature. But knowing all this didn’t stop the cursed tears from falling.

Richard gently took the crumpled handkerchief from her hand.

“Courtney, if you rub your face like that, you’ll hurt yourself.”

He carefully folded the damp handkerchief and lightly dabbed at her tear-stained cheeks. Courtney looked up at him through tear-filled eyes.

“I’m sorry, sniff… I didn’t mean for this to happen…”

“Courtney, what are you sorry for?”

“For everything. For my father, for the mess Frederick caused… and, and for crying, hiic… I really didn’t mean to…”

More tears fell as she spoke. She tried to turn her head away, but Richard gently held her chin in place.

“Why is crying a bad thing?”

Richard carefully pulled her into his arms, and her head naturally rested against his chest. She could faintly hear his heartbeat through her cheek.

He didn’t offer any hollow words of comfort. Courtney bit her lip, trying to stop herself from sobbing, but the way her shoulders shook gave her away. Richard slowly stroked her back as if soothing a child, his touch gentle and entirely nons-xual. It was an honest gesture of comfort—something she had never received before.

Gradually, her crying subsided. Once she had calmed down, Richard finally spoke.

“This may sound wrong, but I’m a little happy.”

“Happy about what…?”

“That you’re crying in front of me.”

“Is that… one of your preferences?”

Courtney asked, and Richard chuckled softly. The rise and fall of his chest from the laugh subtly moved her cheek against him.

In her mind, he was likely just a perverted lunatic whose head was full of lust. Richard didn’t deny that, but he was sincere in his own way when it came to Courtney. He wanted to receive whatever emotion she gave him—whether it was anger, tears, or greed. Of course, he’d be especially happy if she used him as a target for her frustrations.

“You never need to apologize to me, Courtney. You’re someone who can use me anytime, for anything.”

“‘Use’ is a bit…”

“I’m just being honest. If you do, I’ll be glad.”

Courtney found it impossible to fully understand him, no matter how much she got to know him. But one thing was becoming clear… She didn’t need to hide her emotions around him.

She didn’t have to pretend to be strong, nor did it matter if she showed vulnerability. He would find some kind of strange joy in it regardless.

And for some reason, that made her feel incredibly at ease. Beyond his title as Crown Prince, the idea of being married to a man who offered unconditional devotion like this didn’t seem so bad. His broad chest felt reliable.

Feeling suddenly shy, Courtney murmured softly.

“Thank you, Richard. Really…”

Richard, who had been sitting stiffly, pulled her even closer. His body seemed to radiate more heat, and Courtney shifted uncomfortably, but Richard held her tight, his voice as heated as his body.

“My heart feels like it’s going to burst right now, but I’ll accept my reward three days from now.”

He pressed a brief kiss to her ear and pulled away. Courtney’s face flushed, matching the warmth of his body. She spoke with a hint of irritation, though she didn’t truly mind.

“Are you… aroused right now?”

“What do you think?”

“Get off. Now.”

“Just a little longer, please.”

Richard didn’t let go, and Courtney, pretending to be annoyed, allowed herself to stay in his embrace for a bit longer. As she stayed still, the sound of his heartbeat grew louder, thumping rhythmically in her ear. Maybe it was her own heart she was hearing.

Suddenly, it all became very real. In three days, they would be married. And today, she realized something important. She wasn’t marrying Richard out of necessity—because of her debts or her troublemaking family. She realized that she could forgive her useless family one last time.

Courtney thought to herself.

It’s a relief that Richard is a hopeless pervert. That’s why he chose me.