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

”Investment?” Elina was shocked, covering her mouth with both hands.

What she needed most right now was indeed investment from trading houses in the capital.

After all, the town of Virella was surrounded by many natural resources, especially high-quality wood.

If it could be processed, it would certainly create many job opportunities and make the town more advanced than before.

Unexpectedly, Claire, the owner of White Lotus, suddenly offered her help.

How could she not be surprised?

Although the White Lotus Trading House was not as powerful as Blue Moon, that didn’t mean they could be underestimated.

They were the second most powerful in the Empire. Moreover, traces of the Red Obsidian Trading House were still visible in many places, especially in the eastern region, which used to be their main headquarters.

Coincidentally, the town of Virella was also located in the eastern region. So, assistance from White Lotus could definitely be distributed quickly.

Just as Elina was about to speak, Shion suddenly interrupted her in an unhappy tone.

”What do you mean, Claire? The investment should be mine, not yours.”

She then turned to Elina enthusiastically. ”Don’t accept her investment. Just accept mine. Don’t worry, I’ll give you plenty of support!”

Since Claire rose to become the leader of White Lotus, she has made major changes to the former Red Obsidian trading house, causing it to grow rapidly.

Within a year, Shion was convinced that Claire and White Lotus could match—maybe even surpass—Blue Moon.

That was because Nolan had intervened and given Claire a lot of help, allowing them to create innovations as impressive as Blue Moon’s.

And now, Claire wanted to compete with her for Nolan’s gratitude.

How could she let that slide?

”Why? Is that wrong?” Claire smiled faintly. ”All I did was offer an investment, okay? Meanwhile, what you did was a violation. You forced Princess Elina into an absolute choice. As the leader of the largest trading house in the Empire, you should know that investments can come from many people, not just one. That’s basically a monopoly tactic, you know?”

Claire blinked, as if mocking her. If it were her former self, there was no way she would dare say that to Shion, the leader of the Blue Moon Trading House.

But now, she was no longer the blind and helpless Claire of the past.

Nolan had given her a second life, and she had to become a strong woman.

Even if it meant going against Shion, she wasn’t afraid at all.

”You...” Shion growled angrily as she stared at Claire.

Claire didn’t flinch and met her gaze. These two, the most powerful women in the Empire, were now arguing fiercely just to invest in Elina.

Meanwhile, Elina and Rafine could only exchange glances, their faces full of confusion and surprise.

”Elina, you have to separate them immediately,” Rafine whispered. ”Otherwise, this could turn chaotic.”

From their actions, it was clear that both of them were serious about helping Elina, so Rafine hoped Elina could use this chance well.

Elina understood what she meant and immediately tried to calm them both down.

”All right, Sister Shion and Miss Claire. Can you two please stop fighting? Regarding the investment, I am completely open and happy to receive it from both of you.”

Shion and Claire snorted coldly, then looked away at the same time.

Shion’s sullen expression softened into a gentle smile as she said, ”All right, Princess. Since you said that, I’ll accept it.”

”Me too,” Claire added.

Come to think of it, there was no point in them fighting. Nolan would surely be happy to see them working together.

Elina felt relieved, as if she had just escaped a huge mess.

After all, the two women in front of her were the most powerful women in the empire—even her father had to respect them and act carefully around them.

”Before that, I need to explain what the town of Virella has to offer,” Elina said.

She then described the various resources available in Virella to both of them.

After ten minutes of explanation and a bit of persuasion, she finally stopped and looked at them nervously.

”What do you think? Are you interested?”

The timber industry itself was very profitable. Interior furnishings such as tables, cabinets, and many other items used wood.

Moreover, nobles especially loved high-quality wood. To them, it was a symbol of exclusivity.

And coincidentally, the wood in the Calvron Forest was exactly that—high-quality wood.

However, because the Calvron Forest—where the wood was found—was extremely dangerous, Elina wasn’t sure if the two of them would still agree.

But suddenly...

”All right, I agree,” Shion said without hesitation.

”I agree too,” Claire added firmly.

”Huh?” Elina blinked in surprise. ”Are you two sure?”

When seeking investment, she never wanted to rely on deception or sweet words that would lull investors into false expectations.

That was her brother’s advice from four years ago, back when she still had to attend the general economics classes required for every prince and princess.

She hadn’t fully understood his reasoning at the time, but the advice had stuck with her.

But now, even after she laid out all the risks, the two of them agreed without hesitation.

Weren’t they at least worried about investment failure or the possibility of monster attacks?

Sensing her confusion, Shion chuckled softly as she sipped her wine.

”Princess, based on what you’ve explained, I see enormous potential. How could I possibly refuse?”

And she wasn’t lying. From what Elina explained, she could already see a big chance to earn money.

By chance, a year ago, her master had given her a blueprint to further develop the timber industry.

Unfortunately, she had been too busy and lacked a suitable partner, so the blueprint remained neatly stored in her office.

And by sheer coincidence, the town of Virella—where Elina held authority—had abundant timber resources.

It was like killing two birds with one stone: she could complete her master’s order, gain his sister’s affection, and also earn her master’s gratitude for helping his sister.

No, calling it two birds was wrong—it should be three!

”Yes, I agree with Shion,” Claire said indifferently. ”If we can make money, why wouldn’t we agree?”

”But the Calvron Forest is very dangerous and full of monsters. Aren’t you afraid?”

”Afraid?” Shion smirked thinly. ”There’s no way we’d be scared of monsters like that. We can hire a Sage Mage or even a Celestial to slaughter all of them, right? And if that’s still not enough, we can just add two or three more Celestial Mages. Money isn’t a problem for me.”

”U-um, I agree,” Claire nodded slowly.

Elina and Rafine froze. They exchanged glances and exclaimed in their hearts, Is this the true definition of rich women?