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

Chapter 647: Accusations From Karakh

”You have a way?” Aldrian’s eyebrows lifted slightly at the suggestion. ”You’re not just talking nonsense, are you?”

Because of that voice, he had stabbed Seira, and to this day, he still regretted it deeply. So it was hard for him to trust it.

”I’m not lying. Your obsession with that woman has been bothering me. So we should settle this as soon as possible.”

Maybe because he had reached a dead end and didn’t know what else to do, Aldrian gritted his teeth and agreed.

”Alright, I’ll trust you. But if you fail, don’t expect me to listen to your nonsense again.”

The voice didn’t respond. But if it had a physical form, it would surely be wearing a mocking smile.

...

Nolan strolled leisurely through the palace grounds as the maid guided him toward an area he had never seen before.

It was most likely a courtyard reserved for princes and princesses.

Soon, they stopped in front of a door, and the maid turned to him.

”Prince Karakh is inside, Your Highness. You may go right in.”

Nolan nodded and opened the door. A classically decorated room greeted him.

Two bookshelves stood neatly along the left wall, while two sofas faced each other in the center.

Between them was a rectangular table. A man sat on one of the sofas, reading a book.

Noticing Nolan’s presence, he looked up and smiled.

”Welcome, Prince Nolan,” he greeted, closing the book. ”Come in.”

Nolan stared at him calmly, then stepped inside. He didn’t bother with formalities and sat down directly across from him.

”What would you like to drink?” Karakh asked.

Nolan was about to say coffee, but he’d had it too often lately and was starting to get tired of it.

”A glass of iced chocolate,” he replied.

Karakh looked slightly surprised, but he said nothing. He immediately called a servant from outside to prepare Nolan’s drink.

”So,” Nolan said, crossing his legs lazily. ”Why did you call me here?”

”If I told you I just wanted to have a casual chat, would you believe me?”

Nolan remained calm, his expression unchanged.

”Tch.” Karakh chuckled softly. ”You’re something else, Prince Nolan. Many people say you’re a worthless, good-for-nothing prince. But is that really true? Your achievements may be few, but every one of them is remarkable. I’m not sure the other princes could have done the same. And—”

Before he could finish, Nolan yawned and waved his hand.

”Enough with the nonsense. Tell me—what do you want?”

Karakh froze for a moment, then smiled faintly.

”You’re so blunt that I almost doubt you’re even a prince.”

Conversations between high-ranking individuals usually began with polite small talk, so Nolan’s bluntness was unusual.

”Alright, I’ll get straight to the point,” Karakh continued. He straightened his posture and stared directly into Nolan’s eyes. ”Prince—no, Nolan Lorian. You’re the one responsible for what happened two days ago, aren’t you?”

The atmosphere instantly grew tense and silent. Nolan remained calm, as if Karakh’s words hadn’t affected him at all.

Just as he was about to speak, a servant stepped inside and placed the iced chocolate on the table.

Nolan took the glass, sipped it, then asked, ”And on what grounds are you accusing me of that, Prince Karakh?”

”Because you’re the one who benefited the most from that incident,” Karakh replied coldly. Then he began listing several points he believed were proof of Nolan’s involvement.

Nolan listened quietly while sipping his drink. But the more he heard, the more silent he became.

’This man’s imagination is too wild,’ Nolan thought, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Karakh’s arguments did sound convincing at first, but they were full of holes.

One of them was the timing—and Nolan’s presence. Nolan spent most of his days in his room and rarely showed himself unless he was meeting Alina.

Those accusations might have made sense if Karakh knew Nolan’s identity as the Singularity of Chaos.

But no one knew that. Which meant every point Karakh raised was nothing more than speculation.

Letting out a small sigh, Nolan set his glass down on the table and leaned back against the sofa.

”Thanks for the explanation, but none of it makes sense,” he said calmly. ”First, I have no reason to do that. I have no interest in harming the young nobles at that party. Second, I don’t even have the time. Every day, I stay in my room and occasionally go out to chat with Alina—that’s all. Third...”

A faint smile appeared on Nolan’s face as he looked at Karakh casually.

”I actually suspect you’re the culprit, Your Highness.”

Karakh’s expression stiffened. A moment later, he slammed his hand on the table and snapped, ”Impossible! How could I have done that!?”

He loved his kingdom dearly. Even though his father had unfairly named Aldrian as crown prince without explanation, it didn’t diminish his love for his homeland.

”You sound very confident in your innocence,” Nolan said calmly. ”Then where does your certainty come from that I’m the culprit?”

Karakh froze. Before he could respond, Nolan continued.

”If your accusations actually made sense, your father would’ve interrogated me already. But he hasn’t. On the contrary, you, Meliodas, and the other princes are the ones under suspicion now. If you don’t believe me, just wait a few days. Your father will definitely summon you and your siblings.”

After saying that, Nolan leaned back lazily and took another slow sip of his iced chocolate.

Of course, Nolan already knew who the culprit was—Meliodas. After the torture Nolan had inflicted on him, Meliodas had suffered a mental collapse. One could even say he had gone mad.

Nevertheless, Nolan kept it to himself. He didn’t want the truth to come out too soon.

He wanted Gulvar to live in fear, trapped in uncertainty.

That way, the politics of the Ancient Kingdom of Eron would become unstable, which would benefit the Great Velmora Empire.

”Ugh...” Karakh was cornered and didn’t know what to say.

In truth, he wasn’t even sure Nolan was the culprit. If anything, he suspected Meliodas or one of the other princes instead.

But without proof, voicing those suspicions could easily backfire on him.

”Alright, let’s put these suspicions aside, Prince Karakh.” Nolan’s teasing voice rang out. ”There’s something I want to ask you. Do you want to become king?”

”Become king?” Karakh was startled by the question. ”What do you mean?”

”Don’t play dumb,” Nolan said with a faint smile. ”Just by looking at you, I can tell you’re hiding ambition. You want to become the next king, don’t you?”

Nolan’s smile deepened. ”Actually, I’ve wanted to discuss this with you for a long time. Coincidentally, you invited me here today, so this is the perfect chance.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. ”Karakh Lyren, do you want to become the true ruler of this kingdom? If so, I have a way.”

Nolan leaned forward, staring at him with meaning.

”I’m just curious... are you interested in my proposal?”