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

”Welcome, Your Highness Sharon, Your Highness Nolan, and the two Mages of the Constellations, Cassiopeia and Draco. I warmly welcome your arrival.”

In front of the Anderson family mansion gate, a middle-aged man bowed his head respectfully.

He had a slightly fat build, a bald head, and a friendly face with a short beard hanging from his chin.

He was Loid Anderson, the head of the Anderson family.

Standing beside him were his two sons and his wife, accompanied by several servants and guards.

Responding to his greeting, Sharon smiled faintly and said, ”Thank you, Viscount Anderson. I hope our arrival hasn’t caused you any trouble.”

Loid raised his head and chuckled softly.

”How could that be? We’re truly delighted by your visit,” he replied politely. ”Alright, enough formalities. You must be tired. His Majesty informed us of your arrival three days ago, so please rest first.”

Sharon and Cassiopeia nodded slightly, then stepped into the mansion courtyard.

The mansion was quite large, though still within reasonable limits.

The courtyard was spacious, decorated with ornamental plants and statues lining both sides of the two-lane path leading to the main building.

”I received word from His Majesty that you plan to depart tonight. Is that correct?” Loid asked calmly.

Sharon and Cassiopeia’s eyebrows rose slightly. They exchanged brief glances before looking back at Loid.

”Yes, we’re leaving tonight. Is there a problem, Viscount Anderson?” Cassiopeia asked curiously.

Loid just smiled and shook his head slowly. ”Nothing special, exactly. It’s just that the sea is often home to dangerous things. I’m sure you know what I mean, right?”

His gaze carried a hidden meaning, which Sharon and Cassiopeia immediately picked up on.

They both understood at once and asked in unison, ”The sea monsters?”

Sea monsters in the open ocean were well known among sailors—even ordinary people.

Merchants often shared stories about them, and those tales quickly spread among the populace, so they were no longer a secret.

”Yes, sea monsters are a concern, but that’s not what I mean,” Loid chuckled softly. ”I’m talking about a ghost ship. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”

This time, it wasn’t just Cassiopeia and Sharon who were intrigued—Nolan and Draco also turned their full attention, ready to hear the story.

Loid studied their expressions one by one before continuing. ”In the past few days, the ghost ship has appeared several times in the middle of the sea. At first, many thought it was just a legend, but it turned out to be real. I even saw it myself a few days ago.”

Nolan rubbed his chin and asked instinctively, ”Shouldn’t the ghost ship appear in the open ocean, not near the surrounding seas? How could you have seen it?”

From his sister’s story a few days earlier, he recalled an important detail—the ghost ship usually appeared in the middle of the ocean, not in the seas near the eastern region.

Therefore, hearing this directly from Loid felt quite strange.

”That was the case at first, Your Highness Nolan,” Loid said, running his hand slowly through his beard. ”However, there are rumors that a Celestial Mage planted a magic flag in the middle of the ocean to drive them away.”

”After that, the ghost ship disappeared. But about a month ago, it reappeared—not in the ocean where it should have been, but in the surrounding sea, maybe a hundred to two hundred kilometers from here.”

”Coincidentally, I was trading with a neighboring kingdom and happened to see it. Not only me, but other ships witnessed it as well. Luckily, I wasn’t caught by them. Unfortunately...”

He sighed softly with a wry smile. ”Several merchant ships weren’t so lucky—they were caught in its trap and disappeared without a trace.”

Sharon, Cassiopeia, Nolan, and Draco immediately turned serious.

If this were just a story, they wouldn’t have reacted. But now, knowing there were real victims, the matter clearly demanded their full attention.

”My dear, they’ve just arrived, and yet you’ve already made His Highness Nolan, Her Highness Sharon, Mage Cassiopeia, and Mage Draco anxious. You really are out of line,” Loid’s wife complained, her tone annoyed.

Loid immediately realized his misstep and quickly apologized.

”I’m sorry, Your Highnesses, Prince and Princess, and you two, Constellations Mages. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He gave a shy, slightly awkward smile.

Sharon smiled and waved her hand. ”It’s alright. The information you provided is very valuable. We are the ones who should be grateful.”

Cassiopeia, Draco, and Nolan all nodded in agreement.

Loid breathed a sigh of relief, and without saying much else, he led them into his mansion.

***

Nighttime...

Nolan was relaxing while reading a book when a knock suddenly came from the door, followed by his sister’s voice.

”Can I come in?”

He closed his book and replied, ”Yes, come in. The door isn’t locked.”

Clack!

The door slowly opened, revealing his sister standing there in a casual dress.

Her figure was beautiful, but that dress made her curves stand out even more, giving her an extra touch of charm.

Of course, Nolan didn’t have any improper thoughts about her. In a lazy tone, he asked, ”Do you need something from me?”

Sharon swallowed nervously but tried to stay calm as she stepped inside.

”Did you get enough of a nap?” she asked casually.

”Yes, I slept well. How about you?”

Sharon sat beside him and nodded slightly. ”I slept well too.”

”I see...” Nolan leaned back on the sofa. ”So, what brings you here? There’s still an hour before we leave, isn’t there?”

Sharon cleared her throat and rested her head on his shoulder.

”Are you displeased with my arrival?” she asked in a playful tone.

But Nolan wasn’t fooled by her act. He pinched her right cheek and said, ”Stop pretending. Now, tell me—what’s your real purpose?”

How could he be fooled so easily?

His sister had clearly come with a specific purpose, though he didn’t know what it was yet.

Sharon felt embarrassed that her thoughts had been seen through. She sighed deeply and admitted, ”Yes, I came to talk about something. It’s about the ghost ship that Loid Anderson mentioned.”

”Oh? Why did you suddenly bring that up? Don’t tell me...” Nolan’s eyes flashed mischievously. ”You’re afraid of that ghost ship?”

Sharon’s face stiffened, but she quickly regained her composure.

”Afraid? Me? Are you kidding?” She snorted coldly. ”I just wanted to make sure you’re not scared. After all, I’m your sister, and it’s my job to protect you, isn’t it?”

After saying that, she felt a little more at ease. Of course, she was lying. Nolan had perfectly picked up on her emotions—she really was scared.

But there was no way she’d admit it in front of him.

”Heh...” Nolan smirked faintly. ”So that’s how it is. I see. Alright then, my dear sister, make sure to protect me later, okay?”

Sharon’s face brightened. ”Of course!”