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

Chapter 801: Firm Rejection

”I’m sure you’ve already prepared it, haven’t you?”

The atmosphere instantly grew tense, and the smile on Ereina’s face stiffened.

However, she was a woman who had stood at the pinnacle of power for many years. She quickly regained her composure and restored her smile.

”Regarding that...” she said softly, ”I would like to discuss it with you privately, Your Highness. May I?”

Nolan remained silent, as though he had been expecting that request.

”In the betting event earlier, you won every category,” Ereina continued calmly. ”You wagered ten million Sharn on the first category, twenty million on the second, and another twenty million on the third. Am I correct?”

Nolan nodded. ”That’s correct.”

Evalyn, who sat beside him, was surprised. She hadn’t expected Nolan to bet as much as fifty million Sharn on her.

Combined with the money he had wagered on the match against Cedric, the total reached one hundred seventy million Sharn.

She knew Nolan was wealthy, but that kind of money was not something a person could easily spend.

”Could it be that he doesn’t actually have that much money and was simply confident he’d win both bets?”

As the thought crossed her mind, Evalyn fell silent. It was the only explanation that made sense.

”What a crazy man,” she muttered, both annoyed and impressed.

Evalyn would never dare do something so reckless. Only Nolan... only he would be bold enough to take such a risk—and actually succeed.

Ereina nodded and continued, ”The total prize you have won is two billion four hundred million Sharn. That amount already includes the tax deduction for the imperial palace.”

Hearing that number, Evalyn was stunned once again. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart.

The amount was simply staggering—equivalent to three months of income for a Duke’s family.

”But, Your Highness...” Ereina said with an awkward smile. ”The Red Rose Trading House does not have that much liquid capital available at the moment. So, may I make a proposal?”

”Go ahead.”

Nolan did not object. He crossed his legs and calmly waited to hear what she had in mind.

Seeing his response, Ereina felt slightly relieved. At the very least, Nolan had not rejected her proposal outright.

”The Red Rose Trading House will pay you a quarter of the amount upfront—around six hundred million Sharn. The remaining one billion eight hundred million Sharn will be paid in installments over the next ten years. What do you think?”

She interlaced her fingers as she spoke.

The Red Rose Trading House was facing a serious crisis. Their cash flow was only sufficient to maintain operations and working capital for the next few years.

Ereina herself wasn’t certain whether they could survive the pressure from two giant trading houses like Blue Moon and White Lotus.

However, she had already prepared a blueprint that she believed could shake both giants to their core.

Unfortunately, the plan required an enormous amount of capital. Her original intention in organizing the betting event at the arena was to raise additional funds to bring that plan to life.

The outcome, however, was far from what she had hoped for.

Not only had her son suffered a crushing defeat at Evalyn’s hands, but the Red Rose Trading House had also incurred a massive loss.

Nolan’s wager had been enormous, and as a result, the payout was equally staggering.

Even the money collected from all the other bettors combined was not enough to cover what he was owed.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t angry, especially after watching the son she loved and cherished get brutally beaten by Evalyn. But there was nothing she could do about it.

If she chose to clash with Evalyn, she would only suffer even greater losses.

Just as Ereina was hoping Nolan would accept her proposal, a soft chuckle suddenly echoed through the room.

”Lady Ereina, do you think I’m... stupid?”

Ereina stiffened.

”Six hundred million Sharn, you say?”

Nolan lowered his legs, rested an elbow on the sofa’s armrest, and rested his chin on his palm.

”And pay the rest in installments over ten years? Pfft! Does that really make any sense?”

Ereina’s smile froze.

”W-What do you mean, Your Highness?”

”Simple—I want the full payment upfront,” Nolan replied bluntly, without the slightest hint of sympathy. ”According to imperial palace regulations, all winnings from bets or gambling must be paid immediately, regardless of the amount. If the organizer refuses to pay, severe punishment will follow. So, are you prepared for that?”

Ereina tensed. She quickly explained, ”But I never said I wouldn’t pay, did I? I was only asking for some leniency.”

”That’s true. But did I agree to it?”

Nolan’s response instantly left Ereina speechless.

She had indeed requested to pay in installments, but if Nolan rejected the proposal, she would still be obligated to pay the entire amount.

”B-But...”

Before she could finish, Nolan interrupted her.

”I get your situation. This has something to do with the Red Rose Trading House’s budget, right? In that case, why not pay me with some of your assets instead? We can split it evenly between cash and assets. I’m fine with that.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

”Or, you could use the blueprint you’re working on as part of the payment. If I’m not mistaken, it’s some kind of transportation project, right?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Ereina’s body stiffened.

It felt as though an invisible hand had suddenly gripped her heart.

”H-How do you know about that?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

The transportation project was a blueprint she had developed together with the Red Rose Trading House’s core team. Its purpose was to establish a transportation network connecting cities across the empire.

Ereina knew that sectors such as daily necessities and technology—especially products like recording stones—were already dominated by the Blue Moon Trading House.

Entering those markets would be no different from courting disaster. That was why, several years ago, she began searching for a way to break into the transportation industry.

Since most merchants still relied on horse-drawn carriages, the transportation sector had yet to be fully dominated by any single force.

She was convinced that this project would become the turning point that would restore the Red Rose Trading House to its former glory.

But now, Nolan knew about it.

The project was supposed to be a closely guarded secret known only to the inner circle of the Red Rose Trading House.

”That doesn’t matter.”

Nolan waved his hand dismissively.

”You only have two choices left—hand over some of your assets or give me the blueprint.”

In truth, Nolan was highly interested in the project. A transportation network connecting multiple cities was a massive business opportunity with enormous profit potential.

He had already included a similar project in his long-term plans, but he had yet to implement it. After all, he had introduced many ideas from the modern world, and each of them required time and resources to develop.

If he could obtain Ereina’s blueprint, it would save him a great deal of effort.

However, there was no way Ereina would agree to that.

”No way! I will never give you that blueprint!”

Nolan merely shrugged.

”Then I assume you’ve chosen to pay the full amount with your assets.”

He rose from his seat and turned to leave.

”I’m giving you one month. If you fail to pay within that time, I’ll take this matter to court. Remember that.”

Evalyn stood up and followed him out of the room, leaving Ereina sitting alone on the sofa, looking both furious and helpless.