The Prodigal Prince - Chapter 4.1
***
Because of the thick bandage wrapped around her palm, her movements were clumsy, as if she were wearing mittens.
People often said Enze was a girl whose thoughts were impossible to read. It was because she frequently imagined a world filled only with beautiful fantasies as a form of escapism.
She knew well that a part of her heart was broken. A hand that didn’t move properly seemed fitting for someone like her.
Perhaps out of consideration for her condition, the next morning’s breakfast consisted of food that could be eaten with just a spoon. The maid who served chicken soup, a croissant, and bite-sized fruit was polite and formal. Enze wondered if the kindness was due to the maid not knowing she was in hiding from pursuit.
How long could she stay here? A week, or maybe a month?
Thinking back on Louis’s attitude, it seemed he had helped her out of a whimsical curiosity. In any case, the longer she could stay, the better her chances of surviving.
Enze, who had no interest in national affairs, only knew Louis was a prince—she didn’t know anything about his background. She’d always been too busy just trying to get by. At best, she skimmed headlines at street kiosks or overheard people chatting during meals.
Even that became rarer once she entered military service. Only a few copies of the paper circulated inside the base, and she became increasingly unaware of what was going on in the world.
Trying to learn more about the prince, she asked the maid for a newspaper. The maid looked troubled, but after a while, she returned with a thick bundle of papers and mentioned that His Highness didn’t seem to mind.
The moment she opened one, Enze understood why.
Prince Louis filled the front page. A palm-sized illustration depicted the prince—drawn with exaggerated, oily features—physically threatening a woman. The image bore no resemblance to his actual appearance but was clearly a satirical drawing meant to serve the article’s tone.
“Shock! A prince diagnosed with an STD!”
According to a reliable source, Prince Louis had contracted a serious sexually transmitted disease. An informant claiming to be the prince’s physician revealed the exact diagnosis and stage of the illness. The prince had been infected with syphilis, which is highly contagious, and was already in stage two.
Even more shocking was the recent revelation that Rose Ulrich was pregnant. This was the same Madame Ulrich whom the prince allegedly got drunk and slept with. Given the circumstances, it was highly likely the prince had infected her, and there was now a risk the baby would be born with the disease.
‘Oh my God. A newborn with an STD?’
It seemed that God was not only cruel to Madame Ulrich and the baby but was testing the entire nation of Rondobark. The thought of a shameless prince inheriting the throne was terrifying—one could barely imagine what that future would look like.
It was said that Prince Louis was currently recovering at a residence outside the city. The fact that his side remained silent even as the situation escalated said a lot.
She looked through other newspapers.
A high-pitched ringing echoed in her ears. The words she was reading didn’t feel real. Enze felt dazed, as if she’d been struck on the back of the head.
The content was mostly the same. There were horrifying speculations that the decadent, promiscuous prince—his body teeming with bacteria—was already hunting for his next victim.
Another satirical cartoon included a speech bubble: “A dog’s habit of chasing tail never dies.”
Turning the page, she found more detailed information about the prince’s scandal partner, Madame Ulrich.
Salacious articles ran wild with speculation: Did the married Madame Ulrich seduce the prince and commit adultery? Did she fall for the prince’s seduction? Or was it a forced relationship? The articles used vulgar language and fed provocative rumors.
She was shocked by the crude content, but even more by the fact that the press was condemning the prince so mercilessly. In the past, such articles wouldn’t have been written in such a strong tone, and the royal family or government was treated with a degree of respect. Had the tone of the times changed while she wasn’t looking?
Enze closed the newspaper with a suppressed sigh. Things were unbearably chaotic, but now wasn’t the time to worry about someone else’s problems.
‘I need to figure out how to survive first.’
Scandalous gossip like this didn’t mean much to her. The only reason she looked into Louis at all was to find a clue that might help her escape.
She wanted to retrieve her lost belongings and find out what had happened to the hot-air balloon. But it was too dangerous to wander the halls carelessly.
There was no telling whether the Capital Defense soldiers who had passed through the castle last night might come back. The massive balloon crashing over the outer wall and hitting the main castle had been witnessed by many, and it seemed word had reached the soldiers’ ears as well.
It was an accident that couldn’t be hidden. Louis had cleverly disguised someone else as Enze to avert the crisis, but if anyone who recognized her face reported it, everything would be for nothing.