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

”Lost? How is that possible!?”

In his study, Belfor roared furiously, his reddened eyes glaring at Rick and Erland, who kept their heads bowed timidly.

”Leader, please hear me out first. Actually...” Rick began, but Belfor hurled a glass at him, the edge striking his forehead.

A pained groan escaped Rick’s lips as he rubbed the reddened skin.

”Reason? What reason? Does it even matter now? Two accusations meant to destroy the Castellan family failed miserably—and instead, they backfired on all of us! Useless!” Belfor bellowed, slamming his palm against the table.

Bang!

The deafening sound made Rick shrink back in fear. Yet he couldn’t protest.

Reality was right in front of him—he lost, and the Red Obsidian Trading House suffered a devastating blow.

Damn it... Belfor growled, rubbing his temples.

His whiskers twitched while his left hand clenched into a tight fist.

He wanted nothing more than to beat Rick bloody and punish him harshly. But what good would that do? It wouldn’t change the outcome of a trial already decided.

Asshole! My billions of Sharn, gone just like that, he hissed through gritted teeth.

At first, he believed the trial would be his chance to bring down the Castellan family and reclaim his fortune.

But in the end, his hopes turned out to be nothing more than an illusion. They lost—and worse, it backfired.

The court ruled their investment in the Castellan family illegal. It was only a matter of time before the Austin family struck.

”Leader, we haven’t completely lost yet.”

At that moment, Rick’s nervous voice broke the silence in front of him. Belfor snapped out of his thoughts and shot him a cold glare.

”What do you mean?”

If not for the little affection he still held, Rick would already be dead.

Rick took a deep breath before explaining, ”We lost the second charge because Rovert turned out to have a child—an heir who will one day inherit the Castellan family. If we eliminate the child, everything changes. Without an heir, the Castellans would be bound by the laws of inheritance.”

A glimmer of joy crossed his face as he finished speaking. Ever since leaving the courthouse, this thought had lingered in his mind.

They hadn’t lost everything yet—there was still one last chance.

”What Rick said is true, Leader Belfor,” Erland added, his expression grave. ”This is our last chance. If we want to reclaim what we’ve lost, it has to be now.”

He too had suffered from their defeat. The chance to raise his family to the rank of Marquis had slipped from his grasp.

His ambition to rise wasn’t without reason. A Marquis family held privileges no lesser nobles could enjoy.

One of those privileges was full control over their own territory. The nobles from Baron to Count might appear to rule their lands, but in truth, they never truly owned them.

They still had to pay taxes to the rulers of their respective territories, such as the dukes and the center of power, the Imperial Palace.

The amount was quite large—20% of their income. Erland thought that percentage was too high, so he desperately wanted that privilege.

But the only way was to move up to a Marquis family.

Belfor fell silent at their suggestion. His brow furrowed as if he were weighing the choice.

The situation was indeed precarious and dangerous. Ever since the court deemed his investment illegal, the Red Obsidian Trading House had been under close scrutiny.

The palace would audit their finances, making any future move difficult. If they were caught getting rid of Rovert’s child, Belfor was ninety-nine percent sure the Trading House would collapse.

After five more minutes of struggling, he gritted his teeth. ”Alright—do it. But keep everything controlled and secure. If we’re caught, we’re all dead.”

He hated gambling, but he had no choice.

Two options remained: live in poverty for lack of funds, or risk everything to reclaim their former glory.

He chose the latter.

Rick and Erland sighed in relief. If Belfor had refused, the plan would have failed. Fortunately he agreed, so they could move.

”By the way, leader,” Rick said awkwardly, ”I’m in trouble. Can you lend me some money?”

Belfor frowned. ”Money? How much?”

Rick had worked with him for years; of course Belfor knew he had large savings.

”Not much—about ninety million Sharn,” Rick replied timidly.

Belfor froze, staring at him in disbelief.

”Repeat—how much do you need?” His voice wavered with anger.

Rick wanted to take it back but couldn’t. With his head bowed, he repeated, ”Ninety million Sharn.”

Bang!

Belfor slammed his right palm against the desk again with a loud crack.

”Ninety million Sharn? What the hell happened? How could you need that much money?” His breath hitched, chest trembling.

Rick shivered with fear and stammered, ”Just now, in the courtroom, the Castellan family’s attorney challenged me to a bet... and I lost.”

”Lost?” Belfor’s chest tightened. ”And the bet was for ninety million Sharn?”

It was an enormous sum—heavy even in their best days. Now their fortunes had plummeted.

Forget ninety million Sharn; even a single million was precious. And this fool had wagered ninety million. Belfor wanted to draw his sword and kill him on the spot.

”You misunderstand, leader,” Rick said timidly. ”The amount isn’t ninety million, Sharn—it’s one hundred million Sharn.”

Belfor: ”...”

...

Seven days passed quickly. During that time, the eastern region appeared more peaceful and secure—at least on the surface.

In reality, turmoil had erupted in the shadows, sparked by the trial’s outcome a week ago.

Although the Austin and Valmire families tried to cover it up, the news soon spread among other noble families.

The result was obvious—a major shake-up followed. On top of that, rumors had already been circulating that the balance of power in the eastern region was about to change.

Yet, in the end, nothing came of it. Most striking was the misfortune that befell the Red Obsidian Trading House. Their investment vanished without a trace, leaving many to feel pity for them.

”Alright, enough of this. You’ve done well,” Nolan said gently.

Anna, who had been taking notes, immediately stopped and gave a small nod.

”Thank you, Your Highness,” she said respectfully as she rose to her feet.

She began to tidy up her stationery, but Nolan’s voice came again from in front of her.

”By the way, today is the last day of classes. Starting tomorrow, you won’t need to come to my room anymore.”

Anna’s hands froze, and her face turned pale. But only for a moment—she quickly regained her composure.

”Very well, Your Highness. I apologize for troubling you this past week,” she said with a forced smile.

Nolan returned her smile and gave a slow nod.

After that, Anna walked away, her steps faintly drooping.

Once her figure disappeared, a playful voice rang out from behind him.

”Looks like that woman is in love with you. Tsk! You really are lucky to be adored by such a beautiful woman.”