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

”I refuse...”

His answer hit Roswell like a rock to the head. His fists clenched tightly, as though he were struggling to hold back the storm raging inside him.

”M-May I know your reason, Your Majesty?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Ragan looked at him calmly before replying in an indifferent tone. ”I did give you the opportunity to make a wish in the past. But I also set clear boundaries. As long as the wish does not violate the rules, I will grant it. Your earlier wish violated the rules of the imperial court. Therefore, I cannot grant it.”

Those who wanted Cedric imprisoned, exiled, or executed finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Ragan’s firm response.

More than anything, they wanted Cedric out of the battle for the throne as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, those who supported Cedric could only grit their teeth in frustration after hearing Ragan’s decision.

Of course, they weren’t angry at Ragan but at the fact that Cedric was almost certain to face severe punishment.

Their own futures and fortunes were at stake if that happened.

Roswell’s body tensed, and his expression darkened. He hadn’t expected Ragan to stand his ground even after he’d invoked the ten promises Ragan had given him.

After a moment, he regained his composure and spoke in a heavy voice.

”What if I offer you the most precious thing I possess... along with those ten promises, Your Majesty?”

Ragan frowned.

”What do you mean?”

Roswell did not answer. He removed the golden bird-shaped medallion pinned to the right side of his chest, then walked over to Ragan and placed it on the table.

”Your Majesty,” he said, his expression solemn and resolute. ”I, the Prime Minister of the Great Velmora Empire, hereby resign from my position and return this insignia to you. But in exchange...”

He bowed at a forty-five-degree angle.

”Please do not punish Prince Cedric. Give him a second chance! I swear in the name of the gods and on my honor that I will personally keep an eye on him!”

As soon as those words left his mouth, the courtroom erupted into an uproar. No one had expected Roswell to give up the empire’s most prestigious position just to save Cedric.

”This...”

Aldric swallowed hard, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

He had wondered what Roswell would sacrifice to save Cedric. What he never expected was that Roswell would sacrifice his position as prime minister.

It should be known that the position of prime minister was an extraordinarily special one.

Whoever held the position was regarded as the most intelligent and capable person in the entire empire.

The prime minister also held immense authority.

At every event outside the empire, they represented the emperor in his place.

In a way, the prime minister was the emperor’s public face.

Their authority ranked second only to the emperor’s.

Even the dukes did not dare cross the prime minister, which showed just how powerful that position truly was.

But now... Roswell was willing to give up his position and status to save Cedric.

Aldric had never even considered such a possibility.

Adalen and Elina felt the same way. Their expressions darkened, especially Elina’s. She hadn’t expected things to go this far.

She had thought Cedric would be stripped of his position and removed from the race for the throne.

But it seemed that would never happen.

Unlike her siblings, Seira, who was sitting beside Eliza, remained calm, as if she had expected all of this from the very beginning.

”It’s a bold and unexpected move...”

Orlan let out a long sigh.

Aston swallowed hard before asking in a low voice, ”Orlan, did you see this coming?”

Orlan shook his head.

”No. I didn’t see it coming either.”

Aston frowned.

”But do you think Prime Minister Roswell’s gamble will succeed?”

Orlan fell silent for a moment before giving a wry smile.

”I don’t know. But I’d say the chances are pretty good.”

He had good reason to think so.

There were certain things known only to a select few—one of them being Ragan’s wariness toward Roswell.

Orlan had learned about it through the Caltheron family’s intelligence network.

According to that classified information, Roswell’s influence within the empire had grown too great.

As the saying goes, ”There can’t be two tigers on one mountain.”

Ragan was an emperor who had claimed the throne not through inheritance, but by defeating all of his brothers in a brutal struggle.

It was unthinkable that he would allow anyone else—let alone someone outside the imperial bloodline—to hold power equal to his own.

Unfortunately, Ragan couldn’t simply strip Roswell of his authority.

Doing so would shake the very foundation of the Great Velmora Empire.

After all, Roswell had served as prime minister for many years, and his influence had spread throughout the empire.

Now, he was willingly giving up both his position and his authority.

There was only one reason for that—he was sacrificing everything to save Cedric.

”What a strong family bond. I’m a little jealous of Prince Cedric,” Orlan said with a chuckle, shaking his head.

He didn’t know whether Prime Minister Roswell’s sacrifice was purely for Cedric’s sake or driven by his own interests.

One thing was certain: after this incident, everyone’s perception of him throughout the empire would surely change.

Prime Minister Roswell had always been known as a cold and ruthless man. Yet, in the end, he valued his family more than anything else.

Of everyone present, Cedric was undoubtedly the most shocked.

His face turned pale, and his body trembled. He was about to speak, but Roswell raised his left hand, signaling him to stay silent.

In the end, Cedric could only swallow hard and keep his mouth shut.

Ragan tapped the judge’s bench with the tip of his index finger. A heavy silence settled over the hall. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on him as he sat at the center.

They waited... waiting for the answer he would give.

Would he accept it... or insist on punishing Cedric?

As countless thoughts ran through everyone’s minds, Ragan took a deep breath before asking, ”Are you sure? Losing your power is the same as losing your weapon, you know?”

His eyes narrowed as he watched every change in Roswell’s expression.

Roswell gave a wry smile.

”Do I have a choice?”

He shook his head before his expression turned resolute once more.

”I’ve made up my mind, Your Majesty. I’m willing to give up my position and authority. In return, I ask that you reduce Prince Cedric’s sentence.”

Silence fell over the courtroom.

Ragan didn’t answer right away. He closed his eyes for a moment before slowly opening them again.

Then, he gave an answer no one had expected.

”…All right. I’ll accept it.”