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

”Father? What are you doing?” Olivia shouted in surprise.

She stared at him sitting on the sofa, a glass of wine in his hand.

A bottle of wine stood on the table, its stains revealing that Glarvic had just opened it.

”Oh? Olivia, you’re here? Come in—let’s have a drink,” he said with a faint smile, raising his glass.

Olivia frowned, stepped inside, closed the door, and walked over to him.

”Father, why are you drinking? Didn’t the palace doctor forbid you from drinking alcohol again?” Her voice was heavy.

Her father suffered from a strange disease that made his body intolerant to alcohol.

If he forced himself to drink, the reaction was severe—he would get drunk to the point of vomiting.

The palace had tried everything to cure him.

Unfortunately, it was a congenital disease, nearly impossible to cure—except by a Celestial Mage specializing in extreme healing.

But finding one? That was harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

After all, not every Celestial Mage chose the path of healing. For most, it meant wasting their future.

Glarvic chuckled softly, leaning back and crossing his legs.

”What are you worried about, Olivia? The kingdom will soon fall. There’s no point fretting over small matters like that, right?”

He took another sip of wine, sighed softly, and gave a wry smile.

What was the difference between accepting Nolan’s terms and the threats now hanging over the kingdom?

The answer was simple—there was none.

Both choices would lead to the kingdom’s destruction. The only difference was the method.

In the first case, the Kingdom of Kaldarion would lose its sovereignty.

Its two most important ports would be handed over to the Great Velmora Empire, and Netherium—something that could have become the foundation of the kingdom’s future—would also fall into their hands.

In the second option, however, the Kingdom of Kaldarion would be completely annihilated, along with its very status as a kingdom.

There was no real difference, was there?

Moreover, Leina—the person he trusted most—had left him.

It felt as though the world itself had abandoned him, and Glarvic could no longer bear the weight of it all.

Olivia fell silent. She wanted to scold her father, but she realized she had no right to do so.

He had raised her with love since she was a baby.

Not only that, he had lost his wife because of her birth, yet still carried the burden of ruling a kingdom.

Honestly, if Olivia were in her father’s position, she might have already lost her sanity.

She lowered her head. Tears welled in her eyes as her hands clenched tightly.

”Father, forgive me. This is all my fault,” she said hoarsely. ”I’m useless to you. I’m just a burden. Forgive me...”

Her words struck like a bomb, tearing Glarvic out of the despair that had consumed him.

He froze for a moment before finally coming back to his senses.

”Don’t blame yourself, my daughter,” he said softly. ”This is all my fault. My brothers are right—I am not fit to be a leader.”

He stared at the wine glass in his hand before placing it down on the table.

”I was selfish, narrow-minded, and arrogant. Without realizing it, I hurt the people around me.”

He lowered his head, a deep sadness etched across his face. Only now did he truly understand his mistake.

He had relied too heavily on Leina and burdened her with far too much responsibility, slowly destroying her without even realizing it.

If he could rewind time, he would have slapped himself moments ago for his stupidity.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and said gently, ”Olivia—call the ministers. Tell them to gather immediately in the throne room.”

Olivia wiped away her tears and looked at her father in confusion.

Just moments ago, he had been drowning in despair. Now, that light had returned, filling her with relief and joy.

”Um! I’ll do it!” She nodded enthusiastically and turned to leave.

As he watched her disappear, Glarvic turned his gaze to the blue sky outside and murmured, ’Even if this kingdom is destined to fall, I must still fulfill my duties until the very end. That way, when I face my father and ancestors, I can meet their eyes without shame...’

...

After leaving the palace, Leina walked aimlessly, her expression dazed.

The cold, piercing snowstorm lashed at her from all sides, but as a Celestial Mage, it affected her little.

Still, she tightened her winter coat to conserve mana while warding off the chill.

”Was what I did just now a mistake? I slapped His Majesty... that’s a violation,” she muttered, guilt pressing heavily on her.

It was the first time she had openly defied Glarvic. She couldn’t deny feeling anxious and worried.

But when she remembered the harsh treatment Glarvic had given her after everything she had done for the kingdom, her guilt slowly faded.

He hadn’t respected her, hadn’t treated her like a true subordinate.

Why should she continue to serve him?

Leina pushed the thoughts aside and continued walking, directionless.

”Where should I go?” she murmured, covering half her face with her right arm.

The cold intensified, as if the snowstorm itself had a consciousness.

Her magical protection began to weaken.

Around her, only mist and endless snowstorms stretched as far as she could see.

She had two options: go to another kingdom or travel to another continent.

If she stayed in another kingdom, she could easily find work to survive.

In fact, with her current savings, she didn’t really need to work at all. She could live comfortably for the rest of her life.

But she couldn’t simply do that. Working had become a part of her life.

After five minutes of thought, she made her decision: she would go to another continent.

It wasn’t that she refused to go to another kingdom, but the northern continent held too many memories.

It was better to start a new life somewhere unfamiliar.

As she stepped forward, a black shadow appeared in her path.

Leina froze, eyes narrowing as she watched it warily.

”Enemy... or not?” she whispered.

The shadow moved closer, and a man emerged, cloaked in black and wearing a white mask.

”Who are you?” She asked, her voice sharp and cold.

The man stopped before her. Instead of answering, he said, ”What are you doing here, Prime Minister Leina? Has your relationship with King Glarvic fallen apart?”

Leina was shocked. Only Olivia knew about that.

Her senses sharpened to their peak, and a white light sparked in her left hand as she assumed a fighting stance.

”I’ll ask you again—who are you!?” Her voice rose, laced with warning.

The man remained silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.

”Don’t be so fierce. Do you intend to kill someone you’ve just spoken to?”

He lifted his mask, and in an instant, Leina’s eyes widened in shock.

”Prince... Nolan?”