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

”I have a way to fix that. Do you want to hear it?”

Ryuusei stiffened. When he turned around, he saw a man in a green cloak standing behind him.

The man was tall, with a slightly stocky build.

”Who are you?” he asked cautiously.

His room was protected by a powerful magic circle. If anyone tried to break in, it should have activated and warned him immediately.

But strangely, it hadn’t. The man had entered without triggering the magic circle at all, and that alone made Ryuusei extremely wary.

The man smiled faintly and stepped closer.

”You don’t need to worry about who I am. Rest assured, I’m here to help you kill a man named Nolan Lorian. After all, he’s our enemy as well.”

His voice was cold and indifferent, laced with intense hatred.

Ryuusei furrowed his brow, unsure whether to trust him.

But he currently had no way to kill Nolan. Perhaps this man could truly help him.

”Alright. I agree. Tell me—how?” he asked, his voice heavy.

The man explained calmly, ”It’s simple. I have troops stationed outside the capital of Hinode. However, because of the magical protection surrounding the Eastern Empire of Izanagi, they can’t break through. All you need to do is destroy the core of that magic. Once it’s gone, leave the rest to me and my troops. How does that sound?”

Ryuusei was taken aback by the proposal. If it were only about killing Nolan, he wouldn’t hesitate.

But this man intended to invade the capital of Hinode, and that would cost countless lives. There was no way he could agree to that.

”No, I won’t do it,” he refused coldly. ”Don’t expect me to help you. That would be no different from betraying my own empire.”

”Heh…” Instead of getting angry, the man in the green cloak only grinned. ”Are you sure you want to refuse? Think carefully—opportunities don’t come twice. I know about your ambition to become emperor, Ryuusei Taira. Your father, Ryuuten Taira, has never truly trusted you. Isn’t that right?”

His words were like a blade piercing straight through Ryuusei’s heart.

Ryuusei gritted his teeth and snapped, ”Shut up! You have no right to say that!”

It was a weakness he had concealed from everyone. As the first prince who was meant to inherit the title of Eastern Emperor, he had never received the trust and recognition that should have been his.

He never expected that man to know about it, and the revelation filled him with both anger and humiliation.

”Why? Are you ashamed of the truth?” the man sneered softly. ”Accept it, Ryuusei Taira. This has been your fate from the very beginning. But I can give you a path to the throne. Fulfill my request, and I guarantee you’ll become the next Eastern Emperor. What do you say?”

He folded his arms across his chest and waited calmly.

The easiest way to control someone was through desire and ambition.

Anyone who knew how to exploit those could easily make their target obedient.

In Ryuusei’s case, his ambition was clear—he wanted the throne. He wanted to become the next Eastern Emperor.

Therefore, he had no hesitation in using the throne itself as bait.

And if Ryuusei continued to refuse, he would not hesitate to take decisive action—he would kill him.

There was no point in letting a worthless prince like him live. He could become a threat and disrupt his plans.

This time, Ryuusei did not refuse immediately. He fell silent, his expression filled with doubt, anger, and fear.

He wanted to become emperor, but he had no idea how. Judging from his father’s attitude, ascending the throne was clearly impossible for him.

”Choose—take it or leave it. I won’t offer you a second chance,” the man added playfully.

Ryuusei remained silent, staring at him with an irritated expression.

”I… I…”

His lips trembled as he tried to speak, as if the words were too heavy to say. In the end, however, his ambition overpowered his reason.

”I… accept…”

…

”Hahaha! Cheers!”

Evalyn raised her beer glass and clinked it against Nolan’s before taking a sip.

Nolan merely smiled at her antics. He took a sip of his beer and let out a long breath.

”It tastes pretty good,” he said quietly.

He picked up a slice of grilled meat with his chopsticks and took a bite. Evalyn did the same, wiggling happily in her seat.

”It’s really delicious, Nolan!” she said enthusiastically.

Nolan nodded. ”You’re right. The meat is sweet, the texture is tender, and there’s a light smoky aroma that whets the appetite.”

”Pfft! You sound like an old man,” Evalyn teased with a giggle. ”But you’re right. How did you even find this restaurant? Did you ask Prime Minister Mikazura?”

Evalyn glanced around the restaurant’s interior in admiration. The restaurant, called Seiran Pavilion, was quite spacious.

There were between five hundred and a thousand tables, and the place was packed with customers.

Fortunately, she and Nolan were in a VIP room, so they had their own private space.

”No, I looked it up myself. This restaurant is quite famous among both commoners and nobles,” Nolan replied casually.

Of course, he was lying. Seiran Pavilion was a specialty restaurant from the Eastern Continent owned by the Blue Moon Trading House.

He rarely involved himself in the trading house’s affairs anymore, and the restaurant had been built based on Shion’s idea.

Even so, the concept of yakiniku-style grilled meat was originally his. He had also shared many food ideas—such as chocolate and others—with Shion and Claire.

So in truth, this restaurant owed its existence to him as well.

”Heh… I see. That makes sense.” Evalyn nodded lightly.

She took the sauce she had prepared, grilled a slice of meat, and once it was cooked, dipped it into the sauce.

The moment she took a bite, her expression brightened.

Then, as if recalling something, she asked, ”Oh, right. How did you feel after your name was engraved on the imperial family’s stone inscription? Did you notice anything unusual?”

According to Ayamori, the Taira clan’s stone inscription was no ordinary stone but an object that had fallen from the sky.

In the beliefs of the Eastern Izanagi Empire, it was a sacred stone sent from heaven by the Sun God to the Taira clan.

The Taira clan’s long-standing stability was also believed to be a blessing from the inscription.

Of course, Evalyn did not fully believe that. But out of respect for Ayamori’s faith, she chose to remain silent.

When he heard her question, Nolan’s expression turned serious.

He slowly raised his left hand and replied in a low voice, ”Actually, I wanted to keep this from you. But since you asked, I’ll tell you.”

Noticing the shift in his tone, Evalyn swallowed and bit her lower lip.

Nolan paused for a moment, his expression cautious, then continued, ”After I carved my name into the inscription, I felt a mysterious power flowing through me. It was so overwhelming that I could barely control it.”

Evalyn’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at him.

”Power? What kind of power?” she asked, her voice tense. ”Don’t tell me it’s connected to the Taira clan’s history.”

The Taira clan had existed for thousands of years—long before the era of the demon emperor Zerathos.

It wasn’t impossible that the power Nolan mentioned was related to that ancient past.

Nolan smiled playfully, withdrew his left hand, and resumed eating as if nothing had happened.

”No, I was just joking. There’s no special power. Sorry for getting you worked up,” he said casually with a soft chuckle.

In the next instant, the atmosphere turned cold and tense.

Nolan slowly lifted his head and saw Evalyn smiling stiffly, her right fist clenched tightly.

”Nolan… Lorian…” Her voice trembled with anger and killing intent. ”How dare you make a fool of me, you bastard!”

Bang!