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

Among all illegal businesses, one stood above the rest as the greatest taboo—the slave trade.

Ever since Ragan ascended the throne, he had enforced an absolute law against slavery. Anyone involved in the slave trade faced severe punishment.

Whether noble, merchant, or commoner, no one was permitted to own slaves.

Because of that law, Ragan was deeply respected by the people of the empire.

Five years ago, however, a group of people dared to defy it.

They built a hidden facility where they kept children and young women captive before selling them into slavery.

Somehow, the authorities found the hideout. The moment Ragan heard the news, he ordered it destroyed.

Everyone involved was sentenced to death, even those with only minor involvement.

The investigation didn’t stop there. Before long, the authorities uncovered a link between the hideout and one of the count’s families in the western region.

Ragan stripped the family of its noble title, sentenced the count and his wife to death, confiscated all their assets, and exiled the rest of their descendants.

From that day on, no one dared to engage in the slave trade, let alone kidnap innocent people and sell them into slavery.

And yet, Jakes was doing exactly that, and Cedric was now being forced to become involved in the operation.

Cedric suppressed the unease rising inside him. His expression darkened, and the hand holding his wine glass trembled slightly.

”Jakes, are you serious? The slave trade? Do you realize how dangerous it is... and what will happen if you’re caught?” he asked, his voice trembling with anger.

Jakes merely smiled faintly. Crossing his legs, he slowly swirled the wine in his glass.

”I wouldn’t joke about something like this, Your Highness. I’m completely serious,” he said calmly. ”And I know the risks. But what choice do I have? I’ve been running this business for years, and no one’s ever reported me. Besides...”

He took a sip of his wine before looking at Cedric with a casual smile.

”The profits are simply unbelievable. Just think about it. Getting slaves is incredibly easy. All I have to do is send my men into the slums and give the parents a little money. In return, they hand over their children. Then I feed them well for a few months before selling them. By my calculations, I can earn a profit of up to five thousand percent on my investment. Tell me, Your Highness... how could I possibly walk away from a business like that?”

He waggled his eyebrows with a broad grin.

Cedric’s heart pounded.

He had always known that illegal businesses were far more profitable than legitimate ones.

Even so, hearing the numbers firsthand still sent a chill down his spine.

”A profit of five thousand percent...”

What did that even mean?

If he invested one hundred million Sharn, the returns alone could reach five billion Sharn.

It was an unbelievable amount. Cedric was certain that no legitimate business could ever produce profits on that scale.

On top of that, the slave trade didn’t require much investment. There were hardly any operating costs, let alone expenses such as advertising.

All he had to do was order his men to kidnap children, take care of them for a few months, and then sell them at a high price.

Cedric wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.

He had already agreed to Jakes’ request, so there was no turning back now.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and said with a hint of irritation, ”I feel like you’ve tricked me, Jakes.”

”Pfft!” Jakes let out a soft chuckle. ”My apologies, Your Highness. But you really didn’t have a choice. After all, we’re in the same boat now.”

Cedric rolled his eyes and took a sip of his wine.

Once he had calmed down, he set the glass back on the table and asked, ”So, how can I help?”

Jakes smiled, clearly pleased with the response. He sat up straighter before explaining, ”It’s simple. I want to expand my business into the eastern and southern regions, but the Austin family won’t allow it. Merchants from the north can’t enter those regions without the Ashvale family’s approval. That’s why I need your signature, Your Highness.”

Cedric immediately understood the situation.

Ever since Duke Austin had chosen to support Elina while Duke Ashvale had backed him, the two ducal families had imposed restrictions within their respective territories.

Any merchant from the northern region who wanted to open a business or expand into the eastern region had to obtain an official seal from the Ashvale family.

The same was true in reverse. Merchants from the eastern region also needed an official seal from the Austin family if they wanted to do business in the northern region.

Naturally, this policy made life difficult for merchants.

Even so, there was nothing they could do about it.

The battle for the throne was an opportunity for the ducal families to demonstrate their support for their chosen heirs.

Since he and Elina were rivals, the Ashvale and Austin families naturally regarded each other with caution.

”Since you want to expand your slave trade, does that mean you’re disguising it?” Cedric asked.

”That’s right.” Jakes nodded. ”My plan is to open a branch under the name Mermaid’s Tear Restaurant. We’ve already found the perfect location, so there’s no way anyone will find out.”

Cedric understood Jakes’ plan immediately. Mermaid’s Tear Restaurant was his most famous legitimate business in the northern region.

With its reputation, expanding into the eastern region wouldn’t be difficult. All they needed was the Ashvale family’s official seal.

”One more question.”

Cedric raised his index finger.

”You’ve already built a strong foothold in the northern region. Why do you want to expand into the eastern region? The Austin family holds authority there. What if they—”

Before Cedric could finish, Jakes cut him off with a dismissive wave.

”They won’t. I’ve already made sure everything is taken care of. You can trust me on that.”

Cedric fell silent. Since Jakes was that confident, there was nothing more to say.

”Give me the documents.”

Jakes picked up the prepared documents and handed them to Cedric.

Cedric opened them and carefully read through their contents. They were permits to open Mermaid’s Tear Restaurant branches in various cities throughout the eastern region.

At first glance, everything looked perfectly legitimate.

But Cedric knew these papers were nothing less than a contract with the devil.

If anyone discovered that the restaurants were actually fronts for a slave-trading operation, and his name appeared on the permits, his life would be over.

Even so, things had already gone this far. He had no choice but to see it through.

”I hope this is the right decision,” he muttered as he signed the documents with a trembling hand.