The Prodigal Prince - Chapter 9.2
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Due to the rain that fell late into the night, the road leading back to Hellbrunn Castle was cut off.
A section of the bridge had already been under repair in preparation for the upcoming cold wave, but the rain caused the construction equipment to collapse, resulting in a full closure of the route. Caught completely off guard, the group had no choice but to stop the carriage and find somewhere to stay for the night. Enze listened closely to the suggestion from Louis’s attendant.
“Shall we go to the townhouse in the city?”
“It might get noisy there.”
“True, reporters might swarm the place. Then perhaps a friend’s home, or… what about the Granzach Hotel?”
“Let’s go to the hotel.”
She kept silent and pretended not to care, but internally, she was surprised.
So in addition to a grand castle, he also owned a townhouse in the city. And the Granzach Hotel was known to cater only to the highest class of clientele. Choosing a hotel over his own townhouse likely meant the hotel’s security was tight enough that he didn’t even need to worry about the press.
The hotel was built in an old European style. After getting out at the private drop-off area, the two were led straight to their room by the manager. It was an entire floor set aside as a private suite. Once the manager had taken their requests and left, Louis gave a small nod to Enze, who stood awkwardly by the entrance.
“You can use that room.”
With just that cold remark, he disappeared into the room on the other side of the suite.
Left dazed, Enze stood blinking for a moment. Despite how awkward it was to be staying in the same suite, Louis kept his distance from her as if he didn’t want this situation to happen in the first place. It was a clear sign that he wouldn’t touch her carelessly.
Thinking it over again, she actually found that comforting. She decided to take it as a form of his consideration. If the other rooms on this floor were all like this, there might not have been a small, single-person room she could have stayed in separately.
She brought her bag into the designated bedroom and felt all her energy drain away. A cold shiver ran through her body. With no time to enjoy the luxurious space, she first took a hot bath. As she soaked in the steaming water, her body felt like melted butter, slowly unraveling.
While tying the sash of her nightgown, she heard a knock. Assuming it was room service, she opened the door without thinking.
“Clothes for tomorrow—”
Louis, holding several hangers at once, stopped mid-sentence.
His heavy gaze landed on the dip of her cleavage. His eyes didn’t move. It wasn’t that he meant to stare—his line of sight had just already been there before she opened the door.
Becoming aware of his gaze, Enze sucked in a breath. Her chest rose under the silk nightgown that clung closely to her curves.
“I’ll… leave them outside.”
Louis pointed toward one side of the living room, then calmly closed the door.
Left standing still, she blinked her eyes wide in surprise. Had she handled that well? Did she look frozen stiff?
It wasn’t like she was naked. No need to overreact just because she was in a gown.
In the male-dominated military, far more compromising situations had occurred. The barracks were separated, but there were still unavoidable moments of exposure. Every summer, soldiers in boxer shorts would jog through the training grounds, and the shower room door was open more often than it was shut.
Enze tidied her hair, took a deep breath, and stepped into the living room.
Louis was leaning against the liquor bar, pouring himself a glass of amber-colored alcohol. Unlike her, he seemed perfectly composed.
“Would you like a drink?”
“I’m fin—…”
She instinctively declined, then changed her mind. The way the drink poured so smoothly into the glass was oddly irritating.
“Just a little, please.”
She took a sip, ice clinking in the glass. It was strong enough to make her shudder. It would warm her rain-chilled body, but the heat was sharp enough to feel exactly where the alcohol slid down her throat.
Pretending to stay composed, Enze looked out through the wide window at the city. The dim street lights blinked weakly along the gray roads.
“Your clothes earlier… they were soaked. You must have been in the rain for quite a while.”
He nodded without a word. The air was awkward, and conversation didn’t continue easily.
“You said you fought with thugs before meeting me. May I ask what kind of people they were?”
She asked to make sure they weren’t people sent by her father.
“They’re all the same. Nothing worth mentioning.”
Louis leaned against the window, quietly staring at her. He wasn’t eager to reveal anything about himself, but he didn’t pry into her story either.
That sense of respect for boundaries helped her feel at ease.
“Please have a warm night’s rest.”
He turned to her.
“Is that all you wanted to say?”
The curve of his lips held a weight as strong as the liquor in his glass.
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