The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

”Are you serious? The Caltheron family is supporting Princess Elina? You’re not joking, are you?”

In his study, Jason—who had been reviewing documents—froze at Fenric’s report.

”I’m not joking, my Lord,” Fenric replied, his voice trembling. He held out a piece of paper and placed it on the desk. ”Please see for yourself.”

Jason frowned and picked up the paper. Seconds later, his hands clenched so tightly that the document crumpled.

”Damn it!” he shouted, slamming his fist onto the desk.

Fenric flinched at the sound but did his best to remain composed.

Jason gritted his teeth, crushed the paper into a ball, and tossed it into the trash.

With reddened eyes and a restrained voice, he asked, ”When did this news arrive?”

”This morning, my Lord. It came from the spies we stationed at the Caltheron family mansion,” Fenric answered, his tone cautious.

”Bastards... I didn’t see this coming,” Jason growled.

He never imagined the Caltheron family would throw their support behind another contender—especially someone he had always dismissed: Elina.

Just days after the announcement of the succession, he had summoned representatives from every noble house in the southern region to rally behind his nephew, Aldric.

Although he hadn’t made any direct threats, his words had been laced with veiled intimidation. That alone should have guaranteed their obedience.

But to his surprise, the Caltheron family—one of the three Marquis houses—had dared to defy his command. Naturally, that enraged him.

”What’s the reason behind the Caltheron family’s support for Princess Elina?” he asked sharply.

As the ruler of the southern region, he was well acquainted with the leaders of the upper noble families, including Orlan Caltheron, head of the Caltheron household.

Orlan was cold, calculating, and enigmatic. Even Jason couldn’t read the man’s thoughts—it was as if some strange power veiled his true intentions.

More than that, Orlan was a genius known for his brilliant strategies. Under his leadership, the cities of Valmiris and Lunaris—both under Caltheron control—had thrived and grown immensely wealthy.

That was why Jason was certain Orlan had a solid reason for backing Princess Elina.

”There is a reason, my Lord,” Fenric said in a serious tone. ”You’re probably aware that Marquis Orlan’s wife and child have long suffered from a strange illness, yes?”

Jason narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. He took a sip of his coffee before replying, ”Yes, I know. If I’m not mistaken, his daughter—Alicia Caltheron—was cursed at birth with an extremely powerful spell. And his wife fell into a coma after giving birth, steadily losing her vitality over the past six years.”

The Caltheron family’s troubles were no secret in the South. Many knew that behind their splendor lay deep misfortune.

Most notorious of all was the curse that had afflicted Orlan’s daughter even before she was born.

Rumor had it the curse came from a mysterious black mage—part of a group that Orlan himself had wiped out years ago.

Naturally, there was no concrete evidence to confirm the truth of the rumors. Still, many believed them.

After all, curse magic was a forbidden art—something only high-ranking black mages could wield.

”According to our spy reports, Alicia Caltheron’s curse has vanished, and his wife has regained consciousness. She’s currently recovering and is expected to make a full recovery in the next few days,” Fenric reported carefully.

”What!?” Jason looked at him in shock. ”Are you serious? How is that possible? Wait—was it Princess Elina who healed them?”

”No,” Fenric replied, his eyes narrowing. ”The one who healed them was Prince Nolan Lorian.”

Jason’s body tensed. That name... it was the last person he would’ve expected to save Orlan’s wife and daughter.

”Nolan Lorian? The Sixth Prince of the Empire? That’s absurd. Can we trust this information?” Jason asked, his tone filled with disbelief.

Nolan Lorian was a well-known prince throughout the Great Velmora Empire.

He was seen as the embodiment of failure—a disgrace, mocked and ridiculed by many. Even his own blood, the Imperial family, despised him.

Rather than carrying himself like a prince, he behaved more like a thug—wild, violent, and completely out of place in the royal court.

Because of his terrible reputation, many had even questioned whether he was truly the Emperor’s biological son—or the result of an affair.

However, those rumors were quickly dismissed, as Elina—his twin sister—clearly bore the Emperor’s features.

And now, that so-called trash prince was the one who healed Orlan’s wife and daughter?

How could anyone believe that?

”I know this sounds unbelievable, my Lord. But it’s what we received from our spies,” Fenric said with a weary sigh.

Even Fenric himself hadn’t believed the report at first. It was difficult to imagine someone like Prince Nolan performing such a miracle.

Jason remained silent, his expression unreadable. Then, a possibility occurred to him.

Could it be that it wasn’t Prince Nolan who did the healing... but someone working behind the scenes?

If that were the case, then everything started to make a bit more sense. The only problem was he had no idea who that hidden figure might be.

But one thing was certain: he would uncover the truth. Orlan Caltheron’s support for Princess Elina was no small matter.

If left unchecked, it could pose a serious threat to his nephew’s claim to the throne.

Letting out a long sigh, Jason gave his command. ”Fenric, send word to the Black Veil intelligence unit. I want them to investigate who’s backing Prince Nolan. I expect results by tomorrow.”

”The Black Veil unit?” Fenric asked, clearly startled.

The Black Veil was the Malvain family’s elite intelligence unit.

As the name suggested, their role was to gather information, uncover secrets, and expose hidden truths—things not even the public was aware of.

They were one of the two core forces under the Malvain family. The other was the Hollow Eye—a shadowy protection unit tasked with guarding the family from behind the scenes.

Beyond their defensive role, the Hollow Eye could also be mobilized to eliminate the family’s enemies.

However, their existence was shrouded in secrecy—almost no one knew any real details about them.

Only the head of the family held the authority to command the unit. Even Fenric knew little of their inner workings.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Fenric cupped his hands and replied respectfully, ”As you command, my Lord.”

Without another word, he turned and left Jason’s study.

Once Fenric disappeared behind the door, Jason let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in his chair.

”First, the Silver Dragon Bank suddenly changed the previously agreed terms, leaving the Malvain family in a bind. And now, the Caltheron family has pledged support to Princess Elina...”

He closed his eyes for a moment, then muttered under his breath, ”Is this all just a coincidence... or is something stirring in the shadows?”