The Prodigal Prince - vanish into fiction

Was he always this kind? The way he instructed Karl to check the train schedule was calm and unbothered.

There was a train departing soon. Louis accompanied her to the platform and stopped in front of the car she would be boarding. As he swept back his wet hair, he raised the corners of his mouth out of habit.

“Wherever you go, I hope you stay safe.”

Touched by his words—exactly what Enze needed—she also considered what Louis might need most.

“I hope I’ll hear plenty of good news about Your Highness, even from afar.”

Even if he wasn’t truly ill, the public believed he was recuperating. She wished to hear of his recovery and hoped the scandals that had shaken the world would finally quiet down.

He let out a laugh—more like a hollow breath of resignation than amusement.

She was just as uneasy. Would she really be safe even after leaving this place? The fact that someone had been lying in wait near the station meant she could be caught anywhere. But Louis’s safety net extended only this far.

White steam burst from the preheating locomotive. The compressed air spread across the platform with a roar like the sigh of a mythical dragon.

In a way, Louis himself felt like someone unreal—a prince she’d only known through headlines and newspapers. Being held in his arms, kissing his cheek… those memories would linger for a long time.

Through the thick steam, she took the hand he offered and shook it before boarding the train.

Through the window, his tall, lean figure was still visible. As he held a cigarette to his lips, Karl approached to light it. But the match must have been wet—he struggled, striking the matchstick several times without success. Just as the cigarette dangled loosely from his lips, Louis, sensing her gaze, turned toward the window.

She was quietly grateful that he stayed until the train departed. After all, they were nothing to each other. There was no real reason for him to be this kind. Even aside from his famed appearance—worthy of being called the most handsome man in the world—he seemed genuinely good.

Enze began to wonder if leaving him like this really was the best choice. Her father, having posted missing person ads, would be actively searching. The military likely issued a heavy disciplinary order. If caught, she’d face court-martial. And she’d lose the chance to reveal the evidence of their crimes to the world.

What if—shameless as it was—she asked Louis for help?

Ding ding.

A station worker in a square cap rang the departure bell.

The fog in her mind cleared as if lightning had struck. As the screech of metal wheels echoed and the last few people waved farewell, she suddenly sprang from her seat.

She yanked open the closed door and jumped off the high step. Louis turned as he held the unlit cigarette between his fingers.

Her heart pounded like she was on the edge of a cliff.

“Just for a little while… could I rely on you a bit longer?”

He didn’t look thrilled. Tossing the cigarette away, he raised an eyebrow in a dry, troubled expression.

His eyes, staring into the tracks stretching out into the night, were cool and unreadable. His brow furrowed, and he absently ran his fingers through his barely dried hair, making it fall over his brow.

Enze clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, bracing for rejection.

“I’ll keep track of every debt I owe you… I’ll definitely repay them.”

As the station worker shouted for her to board quickly, Louis stared at her forlorn hand, his lips tightly pressed with deep hesitation.

Had she pushed him too far? He had plenty of troubles himself—maybe she had just added another burden.

There was no time left. The train was slowly beginning to move. Just as she reached to grab the handle in disappointment, he clicked his tongue softly.

“Karl. Take the luggage.”

Karl immediately came over, guided Enze safely back to the inner platform, and took her heavy bag.

Louis, flicking his fingers like he was in desperate need of a cigarette, turned and walked off quickly. He deliberately avoided her, as if to dodge any more words of gratitude.

Enze wasn’t a bad person. Her bold talk about repaying debts was actually kind of cute. She looked like she had nothing to offer, but her desperate struggle was oddly tolerable.

The real problem was Louis’s own messy situation.

Even after saying it out loud himself, he now wondered if he’d made a mistake.

‘I’m not sure this was the right decision… This isn’t the time to be picking up a rain-drenched chick.’