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

”N-Nolan!?”

Sharon froze, unable to believe her eyes. Even though the picture didn’t show the prince’s face, she couldn’t help but think it was Nolan.

The two shared very similar body shapes.

”Nolan?” Ayakami gasped at Sharon’s words. ”Wait—Sharon, do you mean Nolan… your brother? How is that even possible?”

Thinking about Nolan’s image made Ayakami’s face flush. She had fallen for his lazy, handsome features.

Though she had never met him in person, she was certain he was the love of her life. Yet Sharon’s words didn’t make sense.

Nolan was the prince of the Great Velmora Empire. There was no way he could also be a prince from Yuki Taira’s lineage.

Sharon snapped out of her daze and gradually calmed herself. She had almost forgotten that Nolan was the prince of the Great Velmora Empire.

How could he be the prince in that picture?

Yet strangely, her instincts told her it was indeed Nolan. It was a sister’s intuition, and she trusted it fully.

’Maybe it’s just my imagination,’ she muttered, frowning.

She pushed aside her hesitation and asked, ”In that case… do you have any other information about him? Maybe the color of his hair or eyes?”

Ayakami shook her head. ”As I said before, I don’t have much information because of my position at the academy. I’ll share more once I learn something.”

Sharon let out a soft sigh and nodded faintly.

”Thank you.”

...

”So… how do we start?” Nolan asked, curious.

”Wait a minute,” Jorgan said, wiping the last glass before placing it carefully on the wooden tray at his left. ”Come with me.”

He turned and stepped away from his spot. Nolan glanced at Seira, who gave a small nod in response.

The two followed Jorgan into a room on the right side of the bar. Inside, they saw a simple, unadorned interior.

”Is this your room?” Nolan asked casually.

”Yes. I use it to sleep after closing the bar,” Jorgan replied honestly.

He stopped in front of a closet and pulled it aside, revealing a hidden passageway.

’A secret passageway? As expected of the leader of the Phantom Chain—impressive,’ Nolan muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice.

In truth, he wasn’t very surprised. After all, Jorgan’s work involved gathering intelligence and recording it in the Phantom Chain archives. Having a few secret passages was normal.

”Let’s go,” Jorgan said, stepping inside.

Nolan and Seria followed him at once. The passageway was surprisingly long, and the walls were clean, showing that Jorgan and the Phantom Chain members took good care of it.

Two minutes later, they reached the end. The room was dark and empty.

Suddenly, Jorgan raised his right hand and swung it downward.

In an instant, a bright red portal appeared before them, glowing steadily.

”A portal?” Seira gasped.

Teleportation portals could only be created by Celestial Mages, which meant some members of the Phantom Chain had reached that level.

Nolan felt the same shock as Seira, but after a moment, he realized it made perfect sense.

According to his father, the Phantom Chain had existed for five hundred years. It was only natural, then, that some of its members had reached the Celestial level.

Jorgan stepped into the portal and vanished. Nolan and Seira followed.

Seira felt briefly dizzy and nauseous, but it passed quickly. When she opened her eyes, they were in a spacious hall.

Several people moved about with stern expressions, clearly unwilling to be disturbed.

”Welcome to the Phantom Chain headquarters,” Jorgan said with a smile. ”Please follow me, Your Highnesses.”

Nolan and Seira nodded and followed him to a room that looked like his office.

Jorgan sat in his chair, while Nolan and Seira took the seats across from him.

”Victor,” Jorgan called.

Whoosh!

A man in a blue robe appeared beside him, placing a hand on his chest and bowing respectfully.

”What can I do for you, Leader?”

Jorgan glanced at Nolan and Seira. ”They are our guests. His Majesty the Emperor has ordered us to help Prince Nolan find someone. Please take your brush and sketchbook to record the characteristics of the person His Highness is searching for.”

Victor turned to Nolan and Seira, his expression calm and unreadable.

”Please wait a moment.”

He vanished and, a few seconds later, reappeared carrying a sketchbook and brush.

”Your Highness Nolan, please describe the characteristics of the person,” he said politely.

Nolan was momentarily silent. To be honest, he had no idea what the incarnation of the Goddess of Life looked like.

But since she wielded the power of life, he began piecing together her characteristics based on what he knew.

”She has long green hair, and her eyes are the same shade. She…”

Victor began sketching carefully. A few minutes later, Nolan finished describing her, and Victor set down the brush, having completed the drawing.

He studied it for a few seconds, then turned it around to show the three of them.

”I’ve got this. Are you sure it’s her?”

Seira examined the drawing closely. The woman in the sketch was stunningly beautiful, her features perfect, as if sculpted by master artisans from the palace of the gods.

Her smile was gentle and captivating, framed by green eyes that could hold anyone’s gaze.

Even as a woman, Seira couldn’t help but feel both admiration and envy toward that face.

’Could Nolan have fallen for her and asked the Phantom Chain to find her?’

The thought crossed her mind, and a flicker of jealousy stirred within her.

She knew her brother could choose any partner he wanted, yet a strange reluctance filled her heart, as if her favorite doll were about to be taken away.

”Is she the one you’re looking for, Your Highness?” Jorgan asked, glancing at Nolan.

Nolan remained silent, his expression dazed, as he looked at the image Victor had drawn—it was Seria.

Although he had used Seria’s features as a reference, the result matched the real Seria perfectly, leaving him feeling helpless and embarrassed.

He wanted to say ”no,” but couldn’t explain why. After all, he didn’t have a clear image of the goddess’s incarnation.

”Ahem!” Nolan coughed, embarrassed. ”Yes, she’s the one. But my memory is a bit unclear. The drawing might not match the person exactly. One thing is certain: that woman has extraordinary healing abilities. If you find an ordinary woman—someone who isn’t a mage—who possesses the miracle of curing all diseases, let me know. Even if her appearance doesn’t match this picture, still inform me. Understand?”

That was all he could do for now. By using her healing abilities as an additional clue, the chances of finding the goddess’s incarnation increased.

”I understand,” Jorgan replied respectfully. ”We’ll handle it.”

Nolan felt a wave of relief. After a few more exchanges, he and Seira were escorted away by a member of the Phantom Chain.