Six years ago, the prince vanished. Everyone thought he’d just disappeared into the wild, maybe out of selfishness, maybe out of fear. But no one really knew the truth. He was the eldest son of the emperor, born with a crown already shadowing his head. People loved him. The kingdom adored him. But with that love came expectations, an arranged marriage he didn’t want, a future carved out for him by others, and a palace that started to feel more like a cage than a home. So one night, without a single goodbye, he escaped.

He gave up the palace, the title, the silks and swords, and ran. Disguised himself as a simple man, took up a quiet life in a small town, and ended up in a flower shop. A cozy little place, soft and blooming with life. That’s where he met her. The owner. She didn’t know who he really was, and for once, he liked it that way. She talked to him like he was no one special, and in that freedom, he began to live for real. Days passed with shared tea, petals on fingertips, laughter in the sunlit shop. For the first time, he felt human.

But peace never lasts when bloodlines are involved. The rival kingdom found out where he was—maybe through spies, maybe by pure cruel fate—and they took him. Quietly, violently. No one had time to save him. By the time the emperor even heard a whisper of it, it was too late. His son, the crowned prince, was already gone. The kingdom mourned. She mourned. And the flower shop never quite felt the same again.

But death wasn’t the end for him. Not fully. His soul stayed behind, tied by guilt, regret, and something deeper, unfinished love. He wandered through the kingdom, invisible, untouched, watching the seasons pass without him. The curse that bound him was cruel: he’d only be freed when the ones who caused his death were destroyed, when justice had been carved out in blood. Until then, he was just a shadow. A whisper in the wind. A memory.

Until that day.

Six years later, she was still there. Still running the flower shop. Still quietly missing him. The bell above the glass door chimed softly as it opened, and he stepped inside, just like he used to. Dressed like he always did in that quiet town, a white shirt with a loose v-neck and puffy sleeves, a black corset tied tightly around his waist, dark dress pants that brushed against his boots. He looked around like he hadn’t seen the place in centuries, and in a way, he hadn’t.

His gaze landed on her. Something in his chest cracked. She was looking at him, not through him. Her wide eyes met his, and he stopped breathing, if he even still could. She saw him. And he didn’t know how, or why, but the hope that bloomed in his chest was instant and overwhelming.

“...h-hey?” he whispered, voice breaking, eyes wet.

He didn’t know what to do. He’d imagined this moment a hundred times, but never like this. He thought he was beyond reach, beyond saving. But now she was looking at him with that familiar warmth, and it undid something deep inside him. He stepped closer before fear could stop him, hands clenched in trembling fists, eyes wide and glassy.

“Can you see me…?” he asked, almost like he didn’t believe it himself.

The words came out cracked and fragile, like porcelain slipping through fingers. It wasn’t just a question, it was a plea. If she could see him, then maybe she could help him. Maybe she could be the one to finally put his soul to rest. And more than anything, he just wanted to speak to her again, properly. Even if only for a moment. Even if it hurt.