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

”Nathan, you lost...”

Hearing those words, Nathan froze.

”Lost...? I lost?” he repeated, staring blankly ahead.

As soon as the words left his mouth, fragments of the match came rushing back. A sharp pain shot through his head, but it faded almost immediately.

And with it, everything came back to him.

He had been completely defeated by Evalyn.

”Yeah, you lost.”

Ereina sighed wearily and massaged her temple.

”But that’s okay. What matters is that you’re alright. Don’t think about it too much.”

Even so, Ereina was far from calm. It wasn’t only because she had watched her son suffer serious injuries, but also because the loss had cost her a staggering amount of money.

Moments earlier, she had received a report that an unknown man had wagered one hundred million Sharn on Evalyn’s victory—and won.

As a result, the Red Rose Trading House was forced to pay him three hundred million Sharn.

Combined with the two billion four hundred million Sharn owed to Nolan, the total payout reached an astonishing two billion seven hundred million Sharn.

Just thinking about that enormous sum leaving the trading house’s coffers made Ereina’s heart ache as though it had been run through by a sword.

But what could she do?

The betting scheme had been her idea from the very beginning. She had hoped to use it as an easy way to raise additional funds for the transportation project under development.

Who could have imagined that it would end in such a devastating loss?

She couldn’t simply ignore the situation. If the Red Rose Trading House failed to pay, the Imperial Palace would inevitably drag both her and the trading house to court—especially after Nolan’s earlier threat.

”Evalyn must have cheated!” Nathan protested unwillingly. ”How could she possibly be that strong? I’m certain she used some kind of special potion before the match!”

He had already inherited the power of the Dark Hero, while Evalyn had yet to receive the inheritance of the Light Hero.

It was a fact acknowledged by both the Lionheart and Asbourne families.

Yet the outcome had been the exact opposite—he had lost.

No matter how he looked at it, it simply didn’t make sense.

Ereina remained silent. It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered such a possibility, but the odds were incredibly slim—almost nonexistent.

Before every match, inspectors appointed by both families carefully checked all participants to make sure no one was cheating.

Since Evalyn had passed the inspection without any problems, there was no reason to suspect she had used potions or any other forbidden methods.

”Get some rest. I still have some work to deal with, and your father will come by later.”

With that, Ereina got to her feet and headed for the door.

Soon, Nathan was left alone in the room with his thoughts.

...

”Hmm~”

Rafine hummed to herself as she watered the row of potted flowers in front of her.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a warm golden glow.

”There. That should do it.”

Satisfied, she set the watering can aside and headed for the bathroom.

A short while later, she came back out in a loose green dress, looking relaxed and comfortable.

A few drops of water still clung to her hair and neck, slowly trailing down as she moved.

With the soft morning light, it gave her a fresh, almost refreshing kind of charm.

Picking up a towel, she began drying her damp hair. As she did, Nolan’s face suddenly appeared in her mind, and a faint smile unconsciously curved her lips.

”I wonder what that man is doing right now. Is he with Evalyn?”

The moment the thought crossed her mind, her smile disappeared. A chilly expression replaced it before she even realized it.

”Tch... That annoying man,” she muttered under her breath.

Settling onto the sofa, she continued drying her hair.

Then suddenly—

Knock! Knock!

”Rafine, it’s me, Elina. Can you open the door? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Startled, Rafine turned toward the door.

”Come in. It’s not locked.”

”I can’t. You have to open it yourself. Hurry, it’s important!”

Rafine frowned.

She and Elina had an unspoken understanding: if either of them had urgent business, they could enter the other’s room without bothering to knock.

So why was Elina asking her to open the door herself?

A trace of suspicion surfaced in her heart.

This wasn’t like Elina at all.

Still, she quickly dismissed the thought. Perhaps Elina really was dealing with something unusual and couldn’t open the door for some reason.

Rising from the sofa, she walked toward the entrance.

Just as she was about to grab the doorknob, a voice suddenly rang out in her mind.

”Don’t open it.”

Rafine froze. Before she could gather her thoughts, the voice continued.

”The person outside isn’t Elina. It’s an assassin sent by the enemy. Stay where you are until I tell you to open the door. Understood?”

Rafine nodded stiffly.

”I-I understand.”

She recognized that voice immediately—the guardian assigned to protect Elina, a being sent by the Singularity of Chaos.

Never in her wildest dreams had she expected that figure to come to her aid. Had the warning come a moment later, she might already be dead.

Knock!

”Rafine? Why aren’t you answering? Open the door, please. Hurry! This is important!”

Knock!

Knock!

The pounding grew louder with every passing second, and so did the unease in Rafine’s heart.

Something felt wrong.

Elina had never knocked like this before. Even when ignored, she would simply leave rather than insist so forcefully.

”Rafine! Hurry! It’s important!”

As the voice outside became increasingly desperate, the mysterious voice echoed in her mind once more.

”Open the door. Now.”

Though fear gripped her, Rafine obeyed. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the doorknob and slowly pulled the door open.

Whoosh!

A blur shot toward her the instant the door opened.

It was a dagger—small, razor-sharp, and aimed directly at her throat.

Just before it could hit her, a translucent barrier suddenly appeared in front of her. The blade slammed into it and bounced right off.

The attacker’s eyes widened in shock.

They tried to strike again, but a crushing pressure suddenly bore down on them, forcing them to the ground.

A figure then appeared out of nowhere—Malverna.

A half-mask covered most of her face, leaving only her cold, emotionless eyes visible.

Her gaze settled on the woman in the black cloak.

”Who are you?” she asked coldly. ”And who sent you?

Rafine didn’t say anything. She just watched, her gaze lingering on Malverna with a hint of curiosity.

”So she’s Elina’s guardian...”

If she wasn’t mistaken, this woman had appeared when Cassian was about to attack Elina at the previous Empire Day celebration.

Back then, she had been too far away to get a clear look at her. Now, seeing her up close, Rafine couldn’t help but admit that the woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Even the half-mask concealing much of her face failed to diminish her charm.

”Damn it...” the woman in the black cloak hissed through clenched teeth. ”Who are you? Why are you interfering with my plans?”

She could sense the terrifying power emanating from the woman in front of her. It felt as though she were facing an ancient monster that had long been dormant.

Malverna ignored her question. She raised her hand, and the pressure the woman in the black cloak felt grew even stronger.

Her bones began to shatter, and her tendons and muscles snapped one by one.

”Tell me,” Malverna repeated coldly. ”Who are you, and what is your purpose in coming here?”