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

”Yeah, she hasn’t done it in ten years,” Nolan confirmed.

Actually, he wasn’t sure himself. The older he got, the less time he spent with his mother.

So he had no idea whether she still performed the dance.

However, according to Miya and Maya, his mother’s loyal maids, she no longer did it, or at least did it very rarely.

Nolan couldn’t understand why she had stopped.

Maybe she had grown bored of it?

Kaede fell silent, her expression a mix of disappointment and annoyance.

Nevertheless, she quickly regained her composure and asked in a trembling voice, ”Did she ever mention anything about me?”

”No.” Nolan shook his head. ”Not once. She said her parents had died and that she was the only child in her family.”

Thinking about it now, his mother’s statement sounded rather cruel. She had even said it in front of him and Elina.

She had also disguised her name as ”Yuki Kiryuu,” dropping the ”Taira” at the end.

Because of that, Nolan couldn’t help but want to ask her why she had done all of it.

Kaede’s palms clenched tightly before slowly loosening.

Her expression turned calm as she looked at Nolan.

This was the first time she had seen Nolan’s real face. Although she had seen through his disguise before, it was still very different from seeing him like this.

It had to be said, Nolan truly resembled her father and Yuki.

He had inherited their hair, eyes, and nose. Just by looking at him, Kaede felt a sense of familiarity—of shared blood.

Shaking her head, she turned and said, ”I understand. Go back to your room. It’s late, and the air will only get colder.”

Without another word, she walked away.

Nolan had no intention of stopping her. He watched her retreating figure quietly.

”What a strange woman,” he muttered.

…

Five days passed quickly. During that time, Nolan and Evalyn lived comfortably in the imperial palace.

His grandfather, Ryuuten, and his grandmother, Ayamori, loved him dearly.

They both spoiled him—they did not leave him alone for even a single day.

Of course, ”not leaving him alone” didn’t mean Nolan was troubled—it simply meant they gave him too much attention.

Naturally, Nolan was not upset or resentful. Honestly, compared to the imperial palace of Velmora, he felt far more comfortable here.

It felt as though he had returned to his true home. There were no intrigues, no hatred, and no competition—Nolan had become the sole center of attention in the entire palace.

If he wanted to, he could renounce his status as the sixth prince of the Great Velmora Empire and become the heir to the throne of the Eastern Empire of Izanagi.

He was certain his grandfather and grandmother would gladly welcome that decision.

Unfortunately, he would never do such a thing. The battle for the throne was not over yet, and his younger sister had to win it, no matter what.

”So, when are you coming back?” Ryuuten asked curiously.

Nolan took a sip of the tea in front of him and replied, ”Probably in the next three days.”

”Three days, huh?” Ryuuten muttered thoughtfully.

Nolan looked at him calmly. ”Is something wrong?”

Ryuuten took a deep breath before explaining, ”Actually, in two days, there will be a ceremony to offer sacrifices to the Sun God. The imperial family will perform worship at the palace shrine. Since you’ve returned, I would like to inscribe your name and your sister Elina’s on the family stele. Would you mind?”

He had been thinking about this matter for several days. Inscribing Nolan and Elina’s names on the family stele was necessary.

After all, both of them were pure descendants of the Taira clan.

Moreover, they were his grandchildren—ones he had not seen for more than a decade.

He wanted their names recorded in the history of the Eastern Izanagi Empire.

Upon hearing this, Nolan smiled and gave a slight nod.

”Of course, Grandfather. How could I refuse?”

The Eastern Empire of Izanagi was well known for its many traditions related to the gods, especially the Sun God.

As such, he had no objection at all.

Ryuuten let out a sigh of relief. Nolan, after all, came from the Great Velmora Empire—an empire that did not care much for ancient traditions and such matters.

He had been worried that Nolan might feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, that was not the case.

The two continued their conversation until Nolan finally asked a question that caught Ryuuten off guard.

”Grandfather, there’s something that’s been bothering me. I’m sorry if this question offends you—you can refuse to answer it. Why didn’t you pass the throne to Uncle Ryuusei and instead choose to give it to my mother?”

Ryuuten fell silent as he sipped his tea.

Nolan did not press him and waited patiently. In truth, this question had been on his mind since he first set foot in the capital of Hinode.

By all logic, Ryuusei was the strongest candidate to inherit the title of Eastern Emperor.

He knew that the legend of ”Hikari no Futago” was the main reason.

But his intuition told him there was something hidden—something no one in the empire knew except his grandfather and grandmother.

He wanted to uncover that secret and finally put his curiosity to rest.

”Have you ever heard of the legend of Hikari no Futago?” Ryuuten asked.

”Yes. And I’m sure that’s not the main reason,” Nolan replied bluntly.

”Pfft.” Instead of getting angry, Ryuuten chuckled softly. ”You’re as straightforward as your mother. Yes, you’re right, Nolan. That legend is not the main reason I didn’t pass the throne to Ryuusei.”

He let out a sigh, his gaze dropping to the green tea in his cup, now only a quarter full.

”How should I put this… In short, Ryuusei was not the child I had hoped for.”

”Not the child you had hoped for?” Nolan frowned slightly. ”What do you mean?”

Ryuuten gave a faint smile and began to explain. ”A long time ago, there was a mysterious fortune teller—a middle-aged man in a gray robe. He told me that the legend of Hikari no Futago would come true and that it would begin with me. To be honest, I didn’t believe him at first. But the old man convinced me with his abilities, and in the end, I believed him.”

He paused, took a deep breath, and continued, ”The old fortune teller also said that behind every good, there must be evil. The first child born from my wife’s womb would be that evil. The news made Ayamori cry uncontrollably. But what could we do? Fate had already decided it.”

Nolan listened quietly, without interrupting.

”And as you may have guessed, Ryuusei is that evil,” Ryuuten said with a grim expression. ”He will bring disaster to this empire—that much is certain. If you were me, what would you do?”

His gaze shifted to Nolan.

Without hesitation, Nolan replied flatly, ”Kill him.”

Ryuuten did not get angry. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

”Yes, I should kill him. He is the source of disaster and must be eliminated,” he said earnestly. ”But…”

Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

”I can’t do it. After all, he is still… my son.”