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

Bang!

The screech of iron bars slamming shut echoed through the prison.

”Please wait patiently, Your Highness. Once we receive word from headquarters, we will transfer you to the capital prison,” the warden said indifferently.

Nolan stood calmly and said nothing.

After the warden left, he was left completely alone.

The prison cell was quiet and suffocating. Since it was a private prison, there were no other inmates—only him.

”Huh…” Nolan let out a long sigh and slowly sat down on the floor.

He turned slightly to the side—or rather, toward his shadow—and asked calmly, ”What do you think?”

Buzz!

A beam of light appeared, and Malverna’s figure emerged from it.

She glanced around with a mocking gaze before turning to Nolan.

”No comment,” she replied casually. ”On the contrary, what do you think? Why were you thrown in jail right after returning from that kingdom?”

Although her tone sounded natural, a hint of sarcasm lingered beneath it.

Nolan stretched his stiff body and replied listlessly, ”Isn’t it obvious? That old man did it.”

He was certain his father already knew about Aldrian’s death, which he had caused.

So he wasn’t surprised at all to be thrown into prison.

Malverna smiled faintly and sat down beside him.

”Do you think you’ll be set free?”

She didn’t understand the laws of the Great Velmora Empire, but in her opinion, Nolan would soon face rather severe punishment.

”I’m not sure.” Nolan shook his head. Yet the calmness on his face made it seem as though he could already see how things would unfold. ”That old man is a strange one. Maybe he’ll set me free soon, or maybe he’ll keep me locked up for a few days. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Malverna stared at him in silence for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.

”You’re really strange.”

If it were anyone else, they would surely be terrified. Going to prison wasn’t just about losing freedom but also about a ruined reputation.

Yet Nolan remained calm, showing not the slightest trace of fear.

Most likely, his status as the Singularity of Chaos made him fearless toward anything in this world.

Or perhaps it was simply his trust in his father.

Malverna didn’t know. But one thing was certain—Nolan always seemed to come out on top.

That was how it had always been.

”By the way, I’m curious about something, Nolan,” Malverna said with genuine curiosity. ”What are you going to do about the Ancient Kingdom of Eron? You can’t just let them go, can you?”

She knew him well. On the surface, he appeared calm and gentle. But beneath that, he was ruthless and merciless toward his enemies.

Given that the Ancient Kingdom of Eron had dared to hunt him and his older sister, Malverna was certain Nolan wouldn’t simply let them go without retaliation.

Nolan rolled his eyes. ”Didn’t I already tell you I wouldn’t get involved anymore? You’re judging me too harshly.”

”It’s all your fault. You’re the one who built that image of yourself in front of me.” Malverna blinked innocently, as if her suspicion were completely justified.

Nolan gave a faint smile. ”Well, actually, what you suspect isn’t entirely wrong. I did leave something behind in the Ancient Kingdom of Eron.”

”Leave something behind?” Malverna raised an eyebrow slightly. ”What is it?”

Nolan kept smiling and replied mysteriously, ”You’ll see in the next few days.”

…

”What!? Nolan’s in prison!?”

Rafine shot up from her seat, her mouth hanging open.

Elina sat on the sofa, massaging her temples.

”That’s right.”

Rafine froze for a moment before asking in panic, ”What happened? Why is he in prison? Could it be…”

Her eyes widened as a possibility struck her.

”Because he killed Prince Aldrian of the Ancient Kingdom of Eron?”

This time, Elina was the one taken aback. She looked at Rafine in surprise.

”How do you know that?”

She was sure only she and Seira knew about it. In fact, Elina herself had only realized it after arriving in the Ancient Kingdom of Eron.

Rafine quickly realized Elina didn’t know about the letter Nolan had sent to Duke Austin, and she gave an awkward smile.

”I’m sorry,” she said, lowering her head in guilt. ”Actually, Nolan had already sent a letter to my father. He explained his plan to kill Prince Aldrian a few days earlier. That’s also why my father allowed you to bring thousands of soldiers to rescue Nolan and Princess Seira.”

Elina was speechless. Her expression stiffened, as if she couldn’t fully process what she had just heard.

”So you’re saying I was the only one who didn’t know why my brother was in danger… because he killed Prince Aldrian?” she asked in a shaky voice.

Rafine smiled sheepishly and nodded slowly.

”Something like that,” she replied softly. Then she quickly added, ”I know this was wrong, but my father and Nolan must have deliberately kept it from you because they were afraid you’d worry too much and lose control.”

Elina took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then nodded.

”I understand. Don’t worry, I’m not angry.”

It was a lie. She was clearly angry, but she still had enough reason not to show it.

What Rafine said was entirely true.

If she had known from the start why her brother was in danger, she would most likely have lost control and acted even more brutally toward the enemy forces.

She knew her brother was guilty. But did she care?

Of course not.

As long as it concerned her brother’s safety, she didn’t care who was right or wrong. She would save Nolan and wouldn’t let even a single scratch touch him.

Meanwhile, Seira, who had remained silent until then, narrowed her eyes.

’Nolan told Duke Austin about Aldrian’s murder… Could it be that he knew from the very beginning that the man would commit such a heinous act against me?’ she wondered.

As she pieced the timeline together, the possibility became clearer.

Ever since the incident where Aldrian nearly killed her, Seira had been urging Nolan to return to the Great Velmora Empire as soon as possible.

Strangely, her little brother hadn’t agreed right away and even asked her to wait a few more days.

The turning point came when Nolan asked her to accept Aldrian’s invitation to dinner.

In the end, that nightmare-like incident happened.

’So that’s how it is… It all makes sense now!’

Seira clenched her fists, frustration and anger building within her.

’So from the very beginning, you were just using me as bait, huh!? Just wait and see how I’m going to teach you a lesson later,’ she muttered through gritted teeth.

Elina and Rafine suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

They looked around nervously, then at Seira, who sat silently with a grim, frightening expression.

”Sister, what’s wrong with you? Do you have a fever?” Elina asked worriedly.

Seira immediately regained her composure. She shook her head and replied calmly, ”It’s fine. I was just thinking about someone who wronged me and what kind of punishment would suit them best.”

Although she was smiling, Elina and Rafine could feel a faint, piercing pressure coming from her.

The two exchanged glances and whispered in unison, ’Anyone who picks a fight with her is truly finished.’

…

”Achoo!”

Nolan suddenly sneezed and glanced around warily.

”Who’s talking about me?”