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

”Don’t drink it!”

Elina froze the moment she heard that voice. Her body stiffened, her heart pounding.

That voice... could it be?

She was thinking of the black shadow watching her—one of the subordinates of the Singularity of Chaos.

”Are you there? If so, explain why I can’t drink it,” Elina asked silently.

”The wine in that glass is poisonous. It’s not ordinary poison; it’s incredibly potent. It can not only kill you, but it will also turn you into a demon,” Malverna replied, her tone icy and filled with murderous intent.

Even without holding the glass, Malverna could sense the dangerously potent demonic energy radiating from it.

Unlike ordinary demonic energy, pure demonic energy was rare—found only in Malverna herself, the former ruler of the demon race, and her disciple, the Demon Emperor Zerathos.

Since the pure demonic energy in the glass wasn’t hers, there was only one possibility—it belonged to her disciple.

From the shadows behind Elina, Malverna’s gaze locked onto Cassian, her eyes crackling with lethal intensity.

Igris... You finally reveal yourself... Hehehe...

Igris was the name she had once given her disciple. Back then, he had been a weak, nameless demon.

Who could have imagined that this weak demon would betray her, kill her, and seize the power of the demon race to dominate the world?

And now, her ”beloved” disciple had returned—reborn in the body of Cassian, a prince, and the biological brother of Elina and Nolan.

Suddenly, a memory surfaced, and she smiled cynically.

So that’s it... No wonder I sensed a faint demonic energy in Cassian in the courtroom that day, Malverna muttered coldly.

During Belfor’s previous trial, the entire imperial family had been present in the courtroom.

By chance, she had sensed a faint ripple of demonic energy—so subtle she almost thought it was a hallucination.

Now she understood—the energy came from Cassian, or rather Ignis, who was on the verge of rising from the dead.

The desire to kill Cassian flared within her, so intense that Malverna’s breathing grew heavy.

But she forced herself to remain calm. No matter how much she hated Ignis, now was not the time for recklessness.

After all, Cassian’s identity was delicate. If he died without cause, it could put Elina in danger, and it was entirely possible she would be accused of his death.

Moreover, she recalled Nolan mentioning that Ignis had many fragments of reincarnation.

Who could guarantee that killing Cassian would truly destroy Ignis?

She had to report this to Nolan and seek his guidance.

Meanwhile, Elina, hearing Malverna’s explanation, shuddered in terror.

Her eyes were fixed on the red wine in her glass, trembling with fear.

Pure demonic energy... turn me into a demon?

Just the thought was horrifying. She never imagined that Cassian, who smiled so gently, could be capable of such cruelty.

Thankfully, she hadn’t drunk it immediately.

Otherwise, she would have become a demon and been labeled a traitor to the empire.

”What’s wrong, Elina? Why didn’t you drink it? Do you have a stomachache?” Cassian asked, his voice filled with concern.

Yet deep inside, he was seething. What happened to her? Why didn’t she drink it? Did she sense something strange about the glass? That shouldn’t be possible. She and Rafine both saw me take it from the servant.

Yes, he had planned everything with meticulous care.

With Zerathos’ help, he hypnotized the servant carrying the tray of wine glasses and deliberately staged a scene where he took a glass—one infused with Zerathos’ demonic power—from him.

He had done it to minimize the risk of being caught.

Yet unexpectedly, Elina didn’t drink it. She stared blankly, lost in thought.

Elina snapped out of her reverie. Her expression briefly turned cold, but she quickly masked it.

”It’s okay, I was just thinking about something.”

At the same time, she resumed her conversation with Malverna.

”So, what should I do? Should I expose him in front of everyone, or handle it another way?”

It was a delicate problem. Cassian, prince of the Great Velmora Empire, was secretly allied with a demon.

If this information spread, chaos would ensue.

Elina could choose a ruthless approach and reveal Cassian’s treachery publicly.

She was certain her father would sentence him to death.

His title as prince—and even his claim to the throne—would be stripped before everyone.

But would it end there?

Absolutely not.

Tonight’s party included many foreign dignitaries, some even kings—the supreme rulers of their own kingdoms.

If they discovered Cassian’s alliance with a demon, the imperial family’s reputation would be shattered in their eyes.

Her father would be humiliated before these kings, and worse, the people would express their anger and dissatisfaction toward him and the rest of the imperial family.

Once that happened, the imperial family’s name could never be restored. The disgrace would be permanent, etched into history.

Malverna, understanding Elina’s thoughts, reassured her. ”Just act as if you don’t know anything, then drink the wine. I’ll remove the poison.”

Thanks to the soul-strengthening potions Nolan had been giving her, Malverna had fully recovered.

Her power was now at its peak, making the removal of the pure demonic energy from the wine effortless—especially since her ”beloved” disciple had only recently regained strength.

His pure demonic energy was insignificant before her.

Elina trusted Malverna completely. After all, she had saved her countless times before.

A few seconds later, the demonic energy in the red wine dissipated, and Elina drank it calmly.

Seeing this, Cassian let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She drank it... hehehe... he thought, stifling his laughter.

He knew that in a few minutes, Elina would become a demon.

He had to leave immediately, leaving no trace of suspicion.

”In that case, I won’t trouble you any longer.”

With that, Cassian turned and walked away.

Rafine frowned and whispered, ”There’s something off about his behavior. Maybe you should get rid of that wine immediately.”

Her eyes stayed fixed on the glass in Elina’s hand. Elina had already taken a sip, and Rafine worried it might be dangerous.

Even though Cassian had picked it up casually, who could be sure he hadn’t done something underhanded?

Elina was taken aback by Rafine’s words. She hadn’t expected her to sense that the wine was truly dangerous.

As expected of the Austin family’s heir—she’s incredibly sharp, she thought with admiration.

”I understand your concern, but it’s fine. This wine isn’t poisonous,” Elina said with a faint smile, taking another sip to prove it.

Seeing Elina unharmed, Rafine exhaled in relief.

”Good to hear.”

From a distance, Cassian watched Elina with a cold, piercing gaze.

Let the spectacular show begin... hehehe... he whispered.