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

Chapter 627: Firmness and Courage

”Welcome, both of you. The journey must have been exhausting, wasn’t it?” Gulvar greeted them with a faint smile.

Nolan and Seira stopped three meters from his seat.

Seira smiled and dipped her head slightly before replying, ”It was exhausting, but also quite enjoyable. I had the chance to see the cities of the Ancient Kingdom of Eron, and all of them looked magnificent.”

One of the proper etiquettes when meeting a king or emperor was to praise their achievements. It was a basic courtesy Seira had learned since childhood.

As expected, a faint smile appeared on Gulvar’s face upon hearing her words.

”Thank you. It’s a pleasure to receive such praise from you, Princess Seira.”

Seira smiled in return and exchanged a few more words with him before Gulvar finally steered the conversation to the main topic.

”By the way, Aldrian has informed me of your refusal of this engagement. Would you care to explain?”

Gulvar’s voice suddenly turned cold. At the same time, a faint pressure emanated from his body, pressing down on Seira and Nolan.

Nolan gave a faint smile and released his aura. The pressure was instantly shattered, which caught Gulvar off guard.

He fixed Nolan with a serious, wary gaze.

’This prince is hiding his strength,’ he muttered.

Aside from his status as king, Gulvar was an exceptionally powerful swordsman. Compared to mages, his strength was on par with that of a Celestial Mage.

However, since the swordsman system lacked the detailed rankings found among mages, they could only gauge their strength against mage standards.

Yet the powerful aura he had released to suppress Seira moments earlier had been shattered with ease.

This immediately put Gulvar on guard, especially since he believed Nolan to be nothing more than an ordinary, powerless prince.

Seira, however, was unaware of Gulvar’s inner thoughts. Without a trace of fear, she spoke, ”I did refuse that engagement, Your Majesty, for my own reasons. First, I do not like Prince Aldrian.”

Her icy gaze pierced Aldrian like a blade. His breathing grew heavy, as if a massive weight had settled on his chest.

”And the second reason is because of the support you’ve given to my younger brother, Adalen,” Seira continued calmly. ”I don’t like being used as a bargaining chip between you and my mother. I am the first princess of the Great Velmora Empire. My status is exceptionally high—even my father respects me. Yet you dare to use me for your own interests. Do you take me lightly?”

Her eyes narrowed as she swept her gaze across Gulvar, Melody, Aldrian, and both the prince and the princess.

Gulvar frowned, not expecting Seira to defy him so openly. If it had been anyone else, they would have been killed on the spot.

However, Seira was the princess of the Great Velmora Empire. Harming her would be no different from declaring war on the empire.

Suppressing his irritation, he spoke in a softer tone, ”You seem to have misunderstood, Your Highness. Neither I nor anyone here has ever viewed you as a pawn in our dealings with your mother. On the contrary, this engagement is based on my son’s love for you. Am I correct, Aldrian?”

Aldrian quickly nodded. ”That’s right, Seira. Please don’t misunderstand us! I love you deeply, and this engagement is truly based solely on my feelings for you.”

If he had a tail, it would have been wagging to show his eagerness to please her.

The brother beside him frowned, clearly disgusted by Aldrian’s submissive attitude.

Nolan naturally noticed the shift in his expression. A plan began to form in his mind, though he still needed to refine it to ensure everything went perfectly.

Seira shot Aldrian a dismissive glance. What he said might be true—but what about Gulvar?

It was all nonsense. That man was simply exploiting his son’s feelings for his own gain.

Seira saw through it clearly and had no intention of believing him.

Even so, she couldn’t cut ties with Aldrian outright.

There were still benefits to be gained, and she intended to make full use of them.

”I don’t believe a word you say,” Seira replied coldly. ”But I’ll consider this engagement if you agree to my terms.”

”Terms? What do you want?” Gulvar’s brows furrowed.

Seira raised her index finger and said calmly, ”You must withdraw your support for Adalen in the battle for the throne. Otherwise, forget about this engagement.”

Her words were like a bomb, shattering the room. The throne room fell into silence, so tense that even breathing felt difficult.

A few seconds later, Gulvar regained his composure and spoke in a heavy voice. ”Are you certain, Princess? Prince Adalen is your younger brother—you should be supporting him.”

He was trying to appeal to her sense of morality. Unfortunately, that approach didn’t work on Seira.

With an indifferent expression, she replied, ”I’m sorry, but as I said, he and I have our own issues. I refuse to be used as a tool for his ambitions. So make your decision quickly. Otherwise, I’ll return to the empire and consider this engagement void.”

She wasn’t afraid to speak so boldly, because she knew Gulvar wouldn’t dare act recklessly enough to harm her.

”Father...” Aldrian turned to Gulvar, his face filled with fear and anxiety.

He couldn’t let this engagement fall apart. His dream of marrying her would vanish—and that alone was enough to drive him mad.

Melody glanced at Gulvar and whispered, ”Your Majesty, you must consider this carefully. This concerns the future of our kingdom.”

She was deeply displeased with Seira. Her attitude was far too blunt and arrogant, making her reluctant to see her son paired with her.

But what choice did they have?

This engagement involved many factors—such as the alliance with Clarise, Aldrian’s mental state, and other concerns.

Gulvar understood her meaning. He steadied himself before replying, ”This matter is quite complicated, Your Highness. How about giving us some time? In a week, I will provide a satisfactory answer. What do you think?”

Seira was not satisfied and was about to speak, but she remembered her brother’s advice from a few days ago.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

”All right. I’ll wait.”

Gulvar felt a sense of relief. At the same time, his annoyance toward Seira eased slightly.

”In that case, please rest for now. I’ve already ordered the servants to prepare rooms for both of you.”

He turned to his daughter, Alina, and said, ”Please show them the way.”

Alina nodded, then smiled at Seira and Nolan.

”Please follow me.”

With that, she walked out of the throne room, with Seira and Nolan following behind her.