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

Chapter 659: Escape Plan

”Speaking of that...” Nolan’s expression turned serious. ”I’m in a dilemma too. I’m sorry—I killed him on the spur of the moment without thinking about the consequences.”

He lowered his head, feigning a depressed look. Of course, it was just an act. How could he not know the consequences?

All the souls of the royal family were linked to the so-called soul tree, a high-class artifact hidden deep within the royal palace.

If a prince—or any royal family member—died, it would be detected immediately.

Only the Ancient Eron Royal Family possessed such an artifact. Not even the Great Velmora Empire had one.

That was also why he hadn’t killed Meliodas earlier. If Meliodas had died, it would have sparked a massive investigation that could have derailed his plans.

But he couldn’t let his sister see that. He didn’t want to worry Seira. Besides, he was used to executing his plans in secret, without needing to explain anything to anyone.

Seira’s pale expression softened. She reached out with her right hand and gently stroked Nolan’s head.

”Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle this myself,” she said calmly. ”I’m sure Melody and Gulvar will agree if I surrender and become engaged to another prince.”

There was no other choice. At least this way, their ultimate goal—securing the support and protection of the Singularity of Light, her grandfather—would still be achieved.

Nolan furrowed his brow. He grabbed her right hand and said coldly, ”That’s out of the question. What’s the point of killing Aldrian if you’re just going to fall into the abyss anyway? Sister, we’re leaving the Ancient Kingdom of Eron.”

”Leave the Ancient Kingdom of Eron?” Seira’s eyes widened. ”How is that even possible? The distance from the capital to the nearest sea is enormous—it takes two full days to travel. There’s no way we’d arrive in time. I’m certain Gulvar has already ordered the nobles and his massive army to capture us.”

Nolan smiled mockingly. ”Sister, do you really think that after what happened in the party hall earlier, the noble families would still side with the royal family?”

Seira flinched. Before she could respond, Nolan continued, ”Right now, the nobles hate the royal family more than anyone. Losing their heirs and children was a devastating blow. And now the royal family is pressuring them to accept peace. Can you imagine the depth of their hatred?”

Seira furrowed her brow, processing his words, and realized he was right.

She had overheard some of Aldrian’s ramblings before, one of which touched on the noble families. The royal family had offered them substantial compensation—but that compensation came at a cost.

The noble families were forced to sign a contract requiring them to forget the incident entirely.

Refusal was not an option. Only God knew what would happen to those who resisted.

”So, you’re saying they won’t follow the royal family’s orders to chase us?” Seira asked.

”Something like that. Even if they do, it would be half-hearted at best. This is our chance to escape,” Nolan replied earnestly.

Seira took a deep breath and quickly swung her legs off the bed.

”Then we shouldn’t waste any time. Let’s go!”

Nolan nodded but then remembered something and added, ”Wait a moment.”

He walked over, rifled through the scattered furniture, and found a piece of paper. Picking it up, he quickly wrote something down.

Then he moved toward the large hole left from his recent fight with Obsidia.

With a snap of his fingers, a crow appeared out of thin air. Nolan folded the letter and tied it securely to the bird’s right leg.

”Deliver this to him. Got it?”

Caw! Caw!

The crow cried loudly, flapped its wings, and shot toward the horizon.

Nolan turned back and smiled gently. ”Let’s go.”

...

”I don’t know if he managed to get Seira, but he should be able to,” Melody muttered.

She lathered high-quality soap over her body, a faint smile on her lips.

But suddenly, the back of her neck prickled. Her eyebrows knit together as she rubbed it, muttering, ”What’s happening? Why does it feel like this?”

She had never felt anything like it before.

”Could something bad be happening?” she wondered.

Her maternal instincts screamed, but she tried to ignore them and continued her shower.

Yet the uneasy feeling kept gnawing at her, growing impossible to ignore.

”I need to find out what’s really happening,” she said irritably, stepping out of the bathtub.

Once dressed, she hurried toward the throne room. Seated on the throne was Gulvar, deep in conversation with several ministers.

Seeing her approach, the ministers quickly excused themselves and left.

”What’s going on? It’s unusual to see you here at this hour,” Gulvar asked, curiosity in his voice.

Melody stopped beside him and spoke with concern, ”I have a bad feeling about Aldrian. This unease keeps rising, and I can’t shake it.”

Gulvar’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t dismiss her instincts—after all, she was a mother, and blood ties were the strongest bond of all.

Besides, there had been numerous assassination attempts on Aldrian. It wasn’t impossible that danger truly lurked nearby.

”Don’t worry,” Gulvar said soothingly. ”Aldrian is under the protection of the Ancient Mage Flugar. Even if danger approaches, anyone who tries to harm him will be destroyed before they reach him.”

Melody’s anxiety eased slightly at his words. She gave a small nod and replied in a heavy voice, ”I understand.”

Suddenly, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed outside the throne room.

”Your Majesty! Danger! Your Majesty, this is a disaster!”

An old man burst in, staggering as he called out in panic.

Gulvar and Melody instinctively turned to him, their faces filled with shock.

The man was the guardian of the soul tree artifact, a position of utmost importance. He rarely appeared except for critical meetings.

By protocol, he was supposed to remain at his post at all times, leaving only for matters of extreme urgency.

Now, his sudden arrival meant one thing—something terrible had happened.

Melody panicked, her breathing growing rapid and shallow. Gulvar, however, patted her shoulder to steady her and asked, ”What’s wrong? Why did you leave your post?”

The old man struggled to catch his breath. His face was pale, and his voice trembled as he spoke, ”Prince Aldrian’s soul lamp... has gone out!”

Those words hit Gulvar and Melody like a thunderbolt. Their breaths caught, and their eyes widened with fear.

”Aldrian’s soul lamp... gone out!? How is that possible!?” Melody cried, hysteria creeping into her voice. ”That’s impossible! You must be mistaken!”

”No, Your Majesty. I am not mistaken,” the old man said frantically. ”Prince Aldrian’s soul lamp has indeed gone out!”