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

Margaretta sat in her office, sorting through the stack of documents on her desk.

Ever since her father handed over most of his authority to her, she had been responsible for all the Ashvale family’s internal and external affairs.

The workload was exhausting, but she never once complained.

She had dreamed of the day she would have complete control over the Ashvale family.

As for her younger brother, Allen, he would never hold any real power. He could spend the rest of his life as a loser, living off the monthly allowance their father gave him.

Just as she was absorbed in her work, a series of urgent knocks echoed from the front door.

”Y-Young Lady, bad news!”

Margaretta paused and looked up, her expression unchanged.

”What happened?”

”P-Prince Cedric... he’s been arrested!”

...

Duke Ashvale sat in the living room with a grim expression. Across from him, Allen remained calm and unfazed.

The duke fixed Allen with a cold stare.

”Was Prince Cedric’s arrest your doing, son?”

Allen stiffened. Looking up, he met his father’s piercing gaze.

”Father, have you lost your mind? How could I possibly have the means to frame Prince Cedric?”

Duke Ashvale frowned, still unconvinced. But after thinking it over, he had to admit Allen’s words made sense.

Allen spent his days fooling around and had never accomplished anything worthwhile.

How could someone like him possibly have framed Cedric?

Even so, Duke Ashvale still couldn’t put his mind at ease. Cedric’s sudden arrest by the central authorities had left him with a splitting headache.

After all, Cedric was the candidate he supported in the battle for the throne.

”Father!”

Margaretta’s panicked voice echoed through the room.

Duke Ashvale let out a sigh of relief when he saw her. He immediately walked over.

”You’re finally here! Do you have any idea how shocking this news is?”

Margaretta took a deep breath to steady herself before asking, ”What exactly happened? Why was Cedric arrested?”

This was the Northern Region—Duke Ashvale’s domain. Cedric was also a prince, so no ordinary authority would dare arrest him so brazenly.

”I don’t know either.” Duke Ashvale shook his head. ”But according to eyewitnesses at the Mermaid’s Tear restaurant, soldiers in black armor stormed the VIP room and arrested Prince Cedric while he was meeting with Jakes.”

The moment she heard the words ”black armor,” Margaretta’s eyes widened.

There was an unwritten rule within the empire. The imperial army wore white armor and was stationed across the four main regions.

Their duty was to defend the empire against external threats.

However, there was one special unit established directly by Emperor Ragan several years ago.

The unit was known as the Phantom Guard. They were not bound by standard military regulations and operated from the shadows.

Their mission was to apprehend high-profile criminals, including slave traders, members of heretical cults, and other dangerous offenders.

”Father, don’t tell me it was the Phantom Guard that arrested Cedric and Jakes?”

Duke Ashvale’s expression stiffened. His heart pounded as a cold sweat ran down his back.

”M-Margaretta, are you sure?”

”I can’t be certain, Father. But it’s the most likely explanation. The Phantom Guard isn’t bound by the empire’s usual rules. Emperor Ragan personally granted them that authority.”

Margaretta shook her head helplessly.

She had no idea what Cedric and Jakes had been discussing in the VIP room at the Mermaid’s Tear restaurant. But the Phantom Guard’s involvement could only mean they had been talking about something important—and illegal.

What worried Margaretta the most was the mastermind behind all of this.

Who was pulling the strings?

And why had everything happened at such a convenient time?

No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t find an answer. In the end, she decided to put the matter aside.

”Father, let’s go to the detention center!”

Duke Ashvale nodded.

Ignoring Allen, who was sitting comfortably on the sofa, the two of them quickly left.

Allen, however, seemed completely unconcerned. If anything, he was delighted.

”Hehehe... You guys finally got what you deserved,” he sneered.

Only he knew how miserable his life had been ever since Margaretta took control of the Ashvale family.

His spending was tightly restricted, and he was treated like an outsider with no rights in this house. Naturally, it made him furious. He was the rightful heir to the Ashvale family, yet that damn woman had simply stolen his position.

”But I am curious...” He rubbed his chin as he rested his feet on the table. ”Who was the one who set Cedric up? If I could find out who it was...”

A smirk slowly spread across his face.

”I wouldn’t mind becoming friends with them...”

…

”Elina, big news!”

Rafine burst through the door to Elina’s office.

Elina looked both startled and confused.

”What’s going on?”

Rafine was out of breath. After taking a moment to catch it, she looked up and said excitedly, ”I just heard that Prince Cedric has been arrested!”

”Arrested?” Elina’s eyes widened. A moment later, she remembered Nolan’s earlier plan, and her body immediately tensed.

”Did my brother do it?”

”Who else?” Rafine chuckled. ”The evidence we gathered must’ve already reached the Phantom Guard. That’s why Cedric was arrested along with Jakes, the wealthy businessman from the northern region.”

She had thought it would take Nolan much longer to carry out his plan, but it happened far sooner than she’d expected.

”Let’s go see my brother!” Elina said.

Rafine nodded. A short while later, the two of them headed to the living room.

Nolan was sitting there, casually sipping a glass of wine. His calm and composed demeanor impressed Rafine.

”Have you heard the news?” Rafine asked.

Nolan opened one eye and gave a slow nod.

”About Cedric’s arrest?”

”Exactly! I didn’t expect you to handle it this quickly, Nolan.”

Rafine grinned as she patted him on the shoulder a few times.

Nolan chuckled softly before taking another sip of his wine.

”This is only the beginning. The Northern Region is about to be thrown into chaos. Cedric will definitely turn to Prime Minister Roswell for help. I can already imagine how desperate he’ll become.”

Rafine and Elina both tensed, exchanging uneasy glances.

Although they couldn’t picture the expression on Cedric’s face, they were certain he would be suffering immensely.

”You’re really cruel.” Rafine let out a long sigh before breaking into a smile. ”But I like it.”

Nolan rolled his eyes. Sitting up straight, he asked, ”Have you gathered the evidence against the Malvain family?”

”I have.”

Rafine walked over to the cabinet on the left side of the room and pulled out a stack of documents about a finger’s width thick.

Handing them to Nolan, she said, ”All the evidence of their crimes is right here. But I should warn you—once you hand these over, the empire will be thrown into chaos. Are you ready to face the consequences?”

Elina looked at Nolan with a hint of anxiety.

Nolan simply waved a hand.

”Don’t worry. That’s exactly what I’m aiming for.”