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

Nolan sat beside the bed, relaxed, and quietly opened a book to read.

The room was dim, since the magical circuits that powered the lights throughout the palace were still down.

On top of that, the royal palace was still under Meliodas’s control, so the situation would likely continue for quite some time.

Nolan’s gaze drifted to the bed. His sister lay there with her eyes closed. Her breathing was weak but steady.

’Why is it taking so long? he wondered. I healed her wounds, and the token I gave her saved her life… Could she be suffering from trauma?’

His brow furrowed at the thought.

Trauma was far more serious than ordinary wounds. It affected the soul, and healing it required more than simple medical treatment.

As Nolan considered different ways to help his sister recover, a faint moan escaped Seira’s lips.

Her eyelids trembled, then slowly opened, revealing her beautiful eyes.

Nolan let out a quiet sigh of relief. He stood, sat on the edge of the bed, and asked gently, ”Are you okay?”

He gently stroked her forehead. For a moment, Seira’s expression went blank as she stared at Nolan’s face.

Then, without warning, tears welled in the corners of her eyes. She lifted her right hand and reached for Nolan’s face.

”You… you’re still alive. I thought you died in that accident. Thank goodness…”

Nolan froze. ”Accident? What do you mean?”

Seira didn’t answer right away. She sobbed for a moment before saying, ”Just now, I had a nightmare. In the dream, I saw you in an accident. Your body was mangled… only your face was still intact. A lot of people were gathered around, and they were wearing strange clothes I didn’t recognize. But…”

She bit her lower lip, wiped her tears, and looked at Nolan with a sad, shaken expression.

”There was a burning black box near your body. The flames were so intense that everything around it felt scorching hot. I was terrified… I was so afraid of losing you. But thankfully, it was just a dream. You’re right here beside me.”

”There was a burning black box near your body. The flames were so intense that everything around it felt scorching hot. I was terrified… I was so afraid of losing you. But thankfully, it was just a dream. You’re right here beside me.”

As she finished speaking, a smile slowly bloomed on her beautiful face.

However, Nolan remained stiff after hearing her story. His heart pounded wildly, and his breathing turned ragged.

His eyes widened, fear clear in them.

”An accident, you said? A burning black box?”

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead as a memory surfaced in his mind.

’Could that have been an accident from my past life?’

That was the only explanation for his sister’s dream.

In that accident, Nolan had died. Yet his soul had drifted for a while before being pulled away by a mysterious force, while his body lay in the hospital.

For that reason, he remembered every second of what happened after the accident.

’But how is that possible? How could my sister know about that? Could she be…’

A bold guess surfaced in his mind. But the next moment, he shook his head and dismissed it.

’No… that’s impossible. It can’t be. But what if she really is that woman?’

For the first time, Nolan felt an overwhelming fear rise within him.

Even facing a catastrophe-level dragon in the capital hadn’t shaken him.

But now, the fear he thought didn’t exist had finally surfaced, sending chills down his spine.

”Nolan? Why are you so pale?” A weak voice filled with concern came from in front of him.

Nolan snapped out of his thoughts and forced a stiff smile.

”I’m fine. I just thought your dream was a bit strange,” he replied softly, then changed the subject. ”By the way, how did you get hurt like that? Was it those assassins?”

Seira tried to sit up, but her body felt unbearably weak. Nolan quickly helped her up and gently leaned her against the headboard.

”No. I wasn’t hurt by them… I was hurt because of Aldrian.”

Her answer startled Nolan. His eyes narrowed sharply.

”Aldrian? What do you mean? Explain it to me.”

Seira nodded and began recounting what had happened earlier.

The more Nolan listened, the angrier he became. His murderous intent surged, as if it could tear the royal palace apart.

But he quickly restrained himself and took a deep breath, forcing his rage back down.

”I understand,” he said coldly. ”Do you want revenge?”

Seira shook her head. ”No. That’s not necessary. After all, what Aldrian did was completely reasonable, and I don’t blame him.”

Even though she hated Aldrian, Seira was still a rational person.

If she had faced the same choice, she would have killed Aldrian without hesitation. She didn’t want to be a hypocrite.

Still, because of that incident, the negotiations between her and the royal family over the engagement had officially fallen apart.

There was no reason to stay in the royal palace any longer.

Nolan stared into his sister’s eyes for a moment before giving a slight nod.

”I understand. We’ll be home in seven days. Can you wait that long?”

Seira raised an eyebrow and asked hesitantly, ”Do you still have something to do?”

”Yes. There are a few matters I need to take care of. So I hope you can wait a little longer.”

Seira didn’t say anything else and simply nodded.

”I can. When it comes to you, what wouldn’t I?”

She reached out with her left hand and gently stroked Nolan’s face.

Nolan smiled without meaning to, quietly enjoying her touch.

After that, he stood up and walked out. The moment he closed the door behind him, the smile on his face vanished, replaced by a terrifyingly cold expression.

”Meliodas… you’ve crossed the line. Don’t blame me for what I do next.”

Whoosh!

His figure vanished from sight.

***

Inside the room, Meliodas stood with a furious, frustrated expression. An hour had passed, and there was still no word from Arkash.

According to the plan, news of Aldrian’s death should have reached him half an hour after he gave the order.

But it hadn’t. And that only fueled his anger and frustration.

”Something’s wrong… Could the Void Reaver Disc have taken over Aldrian’s body?” His face darkened at the thought.

The Void Reaver Disc was an immensely powerful artifact, dating back to the founding of the Ancient Kingdom of Eron.

Since the Demon Emperor’s destruction a thousand years ago, the disc had never chosen another successor—only Aldrian had ever gained its recognition.

But Meliodas had once read in an ancient text that the Void Reaver Disc possessed a consciousness of its own.

Sometimes, that consciousness could take control of Aldrian’s body, turning him into someone entirely different.

It was possible that the disc had taken over and killed the mercenaries he had sent.

”No… I hope that hasn’t happened. Otherwise, all my plans will only be half finished,” he muttered, biting his thumbnail.

At that moment, footsteps echoed from outside. The door creaked open, and Arkash entered, his face pale.

”Your… Highness…” he said in a hoarse voice.

Meliodas turned to him, confusion flickering across his features.

”What’s wrong? Is the assassination plan complete?”

Arkash didn’t answer. His lips moved, opening and closing as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t.

Finally, a single word escaped him before he collapsed to the floor.

”Run…”