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

’Where am I?’

Nolan opened his eyes and was greeted by the ceiling of an unfamiliar room.

He tried to move his right hand, but a sharp pain made him hiss.

’What the hell is going on? Why does moving my hand hurt so much?’

His brows furrowed.

He lowered his gaze and found himself lying on a bed. A white blanket covered the lower half of his body.

’A bed? Am I in a room?’

He carefully looked around. The room was spacious, resembling a luxury hotel suite.

On the nightstand to his right sat a small monitor, emitting a steady beep... beep...

Nolan recognized the device. It was a cardiac monitor used to track a patient’s heartbeat.

At the far end of the room stood two beautifully carved wooden cabinets, while three large windows lined the wall to his left.

Sunlight streamed through them, filling the room with warmth. The temperature inside was pleasantly comfortable.

’Is this... a hospital room?’

His eyes widened.

Only then did he realize an oxygen mask covered his mouth, the kind usually worn by critically ill patients.

While he was still trying to make sense of everything, the door suddenly opened, and a woman in a nurse’s uniform stepped inside.

She held a document in one hand and a pen in the other.

At first, she didn’t notice that Nolan was awake. Her attention was completely focused on the report in her hands.

But then she suddenly felt someone watching her. She looked up and found herself meeting Nolan’s purple gaze.

They held each other’s gaze for a few seconds.

Then the nurse suddenly let out a panicked cry.

”T-The patient is awake!”

...

”This is truly a miracle! How could a patient who was on the verge of death possibly survive?”

An elderly doctor stood beside Nolan’s bed. A name tag reading Johan was pinned to the left side of his chest.

He was relatively tall. Although his face was lined with wrinkles, he still radiated the vitality of a much younger man.

Several nurses stood beside him, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion.

”What are the odds of something like this happening, Doctor?” asked a brown-haired nurse standing to his right.

Johan took a deep breath before answering with a serious expression.

”Very slim... less than one percent.”

”Less than one percent!?” the nurses exclaimed in shock.

In the medical world, there were no absolute certainties. Even when a patient was on the brink of death, no doctor would ever dare say the patient would definitely die.

There was always a chance of survival, no matter how small.

Some people called it a miracle. It had happened before, but cases like this were extremely rare.

And now, they were witnessing one firsthand.

Opportunities like this didn’t come around often.

”All right, don’t just stand there.” Johan waved his hand. ”Hurry and prepare the report. Bring some fresh clothes, food, and anything else he might need. The patient has been in a coma for two years, and his body has grown very weak during that time. He needs proper nutrition to speed up his recovery. But before that...”

He checked the cardiac monitor, then nodded in satisfaction.

”Ask Dr. Reina to come here. We’ll need to run a few tests before we can fully assess the patient’s condition.”

The nurses nodded and quickly left to carry out his orders.

Soon, only Dr. Johan and Nolan remained in the room.

Johan didn’t say anything right away. Instead, he gave Nolan a quick examination while finishing up his medical report.

Five minutes later, he finished and pulled a chair over from beside the cabinet before sitting next to the bed.

He looked at Nolan, who was quietly staring back at him.

”How are you feeling, Nolan Frey? Are you experiencing any discomfort?”

Nolan didn’t answer immediately. He still couldn’t process everything that had happened.

’A two-year coma? Was it because of the accident?’

But he clearly remembered dying. His body had been torn apart. So how was he still alive? And why had he been in a coma for two years?

Nolan tried to think of every possible explanation, but none of them made sense.

”Hmmm? Can’t speak, huh? Did your internal injuries affect your ability to talk?”

Johan’s brows furrowed.

Just as he was about to stand up, Nolan finally spoke.

”I... can talk.”

”Oh!” Johan’s eyes lit up. He sat back down with a relieved smile.

”Thank goodness... Thank goodness! So you can still talk. It’s wonderful to see you awake again, Nolan Frey!”

Nolan gave a weak nod.

”Actually... what happened to me?”

Johan let out a long sigh. He fell silent for a moment, as if debating whether he should tell him the truth.

After a brief pause, he made up his mind.

”You were in an accident,” he said calmly. ”And it was a very serious one.”

”A serious accident?” Nolan frowned. ”Then how did I survive? Shouldn’t I have... died?”

The moment he uttered the word ”died,” his throat tightened.

The memories of becoming a spirit and watching his loved one cry until she collapsed came rushing back, making his chest tighten.

Johan gave a wry smile and shook his head.

”To be honest... I don’t know.”

He let out another soft sigh, still unable to hide the awe on his face.

”By all accounts, you shouldn’t have survived. The odds were incredibly slim—almost impossible. Yet a miracle happened, and you were given a second chance at life. It’s nothing short of a blessing from the gods.”

Nolan fell silent, unsure of what to say.

His memories as Nolan Frey and his life as Nolan Lorian began to overlap.

He even started to wonder if his life in that other world had been nothing more than a dream.

”Oh, right! I forgot to tell the Frey family the good news! Wait here for a moment!”

Johan slapped his forehead, then got to his feet and hurried out of the room.

Once again, Nolan was left alone.

Unable to move, he could only lie there and stare blankly at the ceiling.

”So... does this mean my journey back was a success?”

He had thought he would return as Nolan Lorian, just like Rei Lionheart and Lucas Asbourne, who had arrived in his world in perfect condition.

But reality was completely different from what he had expected.

He hadn’t returned as Nolan Lorian. Instead, he had awakened in the body of his former self, Nolan Frey.

”Everything feels so strange...”

Nolan let out a long sigh before closing his eyes.

”...I just hope things aren’t as bad as I think they are.”