The Exiled Prince

The neon lights of Seoul flickered in the rain-soaked streets, but to Joon Ha, they felt hollow. The city that once belonged to him, where his name commanded power, now treated him like a forgotten ghost.

A sleek black sedan pulled up beside him. The tinted window rolled down, revealing Ha-Yoon. She stepped out, her beige coat wrapped tightly around her frame. The misty rain made her look almost ethereal under the dim glow of the streetlamp. But there was no softness in her gaze tonight.

“Get in,” she said, her voice steady, betraying none of the emotions she must have been feeling.

Joon Ha hesitated. He had nothing now—no wealth, no power, no home. What right did he have to pull her into this downfall?

As if sensing his hesitation, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the car. The door shut, sealing them away from the world outside.

For a long moment, silence filled the car, broken only by the rhythmic sound of rain against the windows.

“You don’t have to do this,” Joon Ha finally said.

Ha-Yoon turned to him, her expression unreadable. “And what do you expect me to do? Let you wander alone? Watch you fade into nothingness?”

“I have nothing left, Ha-Yoon.” His voice was quiet, almost defeated.

Her fingers curled into fists. “Then let’s build something from nothing.”

The car moved through the city, weaving through streets as if fate had already charted their course.

Joon Ha looked out the window. His world had collapsed overnight. But as long as she was beside him, he wasn’t completely lost.

The next morning, they arrived at a quiet, remote town on the outskirts of Seoul.

The house belonged to an old acquaintance of Joon Ha’s late father, a man who had once been a loyal friend. He had agreed to give them shelter, no questions asked.

It was nothing like the penthouses and grand halls Joon Ha once knew. The house was small, humble, with wooden walls worn by time.

But for now, it was home.

Ha-Yoon walked around, inspecting the place. “It’s… not bad.”

Joon Ha chuckled, shaking his head. “You don’t have to lie.”

She turned to face him, her eyes suddenly serious. “Joon Ha, do you know why I married you?”

He blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question.

“It wasn’t for the wealth or the power,” she continued. “It was because I believed in the man behind all of that.” She stepped closer, looking up at him. “You are more than your name, more than Haewon Group. And you will rise again.”

Joon Ha exhaled, his chest tightening with emotions he couldn’t express.

He had lost everything. But maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something greater.

Shloka/श्लोक/절

न हि कश्चित् कुर्वन् कर्म सर्वथा सुखमेधते।

कर्मणैव हि संप्राप्य लोके ख्यातिं च मोक्षकम्॥

na hi kaścit kurvan karma sarvathā sukhameḍhate।

karmaṇaiva hi saṁprāpya loke khyātiṁ ca mokṣakam॥

나 히 카슈찟 쿠르반 카르마 사르바타 수카메다떼।

카르마나이바 히 삼프라퍄 로께 캬띰 차 목샤깜॥

No one achieves true happiness without effort. Only through action can one gain both recognition in the world and ultimate liberation.

어떤 일도 노력 없이 이루어지지 않는다. 오직 행동을 통해서만 세상에서 명성을 얻고 궁극적인 해탈에 이를 수 있다.

Like Rama leaving Ayodhya with Sita, Joon Ha walks away from the world he once ruled—not as a fallen prince, but as a warrior who will rebuild himself. His exile is not the end—it is the test that will forge his destiny.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***