ITD

CHAPTER XLV

Typically, the husband would go to the wife’s chamber for the wedding night, but it was decided that their first night together would take place in the Crown Prince’s room. While others might have been curious about this decision, Courtney had a good idea why.

He had probably prepared something beyond her imagination.

Courtney walked down the brightly lit hallway. One of the pros and cons of the palace was its vastness, and there was also a peculiar belief among the imperial family—something she found hard to understand—that the further apart a couple’s rooms were, the better their marriage. This meant that in the middle of the night, she had to walk through endless halls, followed by a line of maids.

She glanced out the window. Unlike the brightly illuminated interior, the garden outside was pitch-black. For a fleeting moment, a ridiculous thought crossed her mind.

‘What if I just run away.’

She scoffed at her own idea. Running away? Maybe before the vows, but now? It was absurd. Even if she were caught, which was inevitable, being caught wasn’t the real issue here. She habitually reached to tug at her hair but stopped herself, letting her hands fall.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Eventually, she arrived at the closed door. A waiting servant bowed politely.

“When you enter, there are two doors inside. The one on the left leads to His Highness, the Crown Prince’s room.”

The maids stepped back with respect. If she asked them to come in with her, the entire capital would be buzzing by morning with gossip that the Crown Princess had lost her mind. And surely, there’d be rumors that the Crown Prince wasn’t in his right mind either, especially considering the peculiar sight she’d likely find on the other side of that door.

Courtney decided to stop avoiding reality and grabbed the doorknob. With a cautious creak, the door opened. The room inside was dim. As soon as she stepped in, the door shut behind her with a loud thud.

‘Is this hell…’

She turned her head and looked around. It was a spacious room with only a large desk and a cabinet—clearly a place for simple work. For some kind of mood lighting, the magical lamps had been deliberately turned off, leaving only the soft glow of candles to light the room. Through the crack of the door on the left, light spilled out—unnecessarily so, in her opinion.

With a deep sigh, Courtney slowly walked toward the light. Even when she reached the door, she couldn’t summon the courage to open it immediately. Instead, she pressed her ear against it, ready to bolt if she heard anything suspicious.

The room was dead silent. Fine, then. Let’s do this. She steeled herself, ready to give him a piece of her mind if things got out of hand. With resolve, she yanked the door open.

And immediately regretted her rashness.

“What… are you doing?”

“Courtney, you came just in time.”

Richard greeted her with a bright smile. He was shirtless, and his pants were halfway off—a ridiculous sight. To top it off, his left hand was raised and fixed to something above.

He waved his free hand, gesturing for her help.

“This thing won’t fasten properly. Can you tie it for me?”

“What… exactly are you doing?”

Courtney’s gaze drifted upward. Incredibly, there was a metal hook embedded in the ceiling of the Crown Prince’s chamber. A chain hung from it, connected to a shackle on his wrist.

Just like the time in the basxmxnt.

The memory hit her like a ton of bricks, and she felt dizzy. Richard smiled sheepishly, looking almost bashful.

“I thought it’d be more comfortable for you if I tied myself up.”

“What about that would, would make me comfortable?”

It was an honest question, but the way he blushed made her wonder what kind of fantasy he was entertaining. Courtney felt a headache coming on. She tried to maintain her composure, speaking gently to avoid upsetting him.

“Richard, how about we take things… a little slower? Step by step?”

Even as she spoke, her eyes darted around the room. Peculiar objects were poking out of wooden boxes here and there, likely all the ‘gifts’ he had bought at that suspicious shop. Richard, with a strange expression, unshackled his left wrist.

He seemed disappointed, and Courtney fidgeted nervously, wondering if she had upset him. Gently, Richard took her hand.

“Courtney. Come here.”

He led her to the bed, which, at least on the surface, appeared normal. She sat on the edge, and Richard knelt in front of her.

Courtney met his gaze, silently asking for an explanation. Richard spoke in his usual gentle tone.

“Courtney.”

“Yes.”

“I know this must be overwhelming.”

“Well…”

It was true, but Courtney found it difficult to admit. She thought she had prepared herself for this moment, but the closer it came, the more unsure she felt. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. That would feel like breaking a promise, almost like deceiving him.

“You don’t have to worry about my feelings. If I get carried away, you can scold me. It would be my fault.”