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

Nighttime...

Knock! Knock!

”Your Highness Elina, it’s me, Velissa. May I come in?”

Elina, who had been waiting for her, immediately replied, ”Come in. The door isn’t locked.”

Clack!

The door slowly opened, and Velissa stepped inside, dressed in a nightgown.

”I’m sorry to disturb you so late at night, Your Highness.”

She bowed her head respectfully.

Elina waved her hand.

”Don’t worry about it. Have a seat.”

She pointed to the sofa across from her.

Velissa hesitated. After all, she was a servant, and sitting across from Elina like this didn’t feel right.

”Why are you just standing there? Go ahead and sit down. It’s fine.”

Hearing that, Velissa no longer hesitated and sat down across from her.

Elina smiled gently. ”You must be tired after everything you did today, right? Would you like some iced tea or hot chocolate?”

Velissa was startled and quickly waved her hands.

”N-No need, Your Highness.”

But Elina pretended not to hear her and asked again, ”What would you like?”

Velissa bit her lower lip, her face flushing slightly.

Since Elina had already asked twice, she felt like she couldn’t refuse. It would be rude.

”I-I’ll have iced tea,” she replied softly.

Elina stepped outside and asked a passing servant to prepare two glasses of iced tea.

Once she was done, she returned to her seat and asked, ”How’s work going? Is there anything bothering you?”

Velissa was clearly confused by the sudden question.

”I-I’m very comfortable here!” she answered nervously, though she tried to remain calm. ”Working here is much better than the job I had before I was kidnapped.”

”Oh?” Elina raised an eyebrow. ”What exactly did you do before?”

”I worked as a stable hand,” she replied shyly. ”I had to work twelve-hour shifts and only made five Sharn a day.”

Elina frowned.

”It must have been tough for you back then, right?”

Velissa gave a small nod.

”It was really tough. B-But that’s all in the past now! I have the life I want, and I’m really happy!”

Her voice was firm, without a hint of doubt.

Elina couldn’t help but smile at her words.

”Excuse me.”

A servant knocked on the door before entering and setting down the two glasses of iced tea.

Once the servant had left, Elina gestured for Velissa to drink.

Velissa didn’t dare refuse and immediately took a sip.

The sweet taste and cool sensation slowly relaxed her tense body.

”Don’t worry. I didn’t call you here to fire you or anything like that. I just want to confirm a few things. Can you answer a few questions for me?”

Although confused, Velissa agreed without hesitation.

”Of course, Your Highness.”

Elina had always been very kind to her. Without her help, Velissa knew her life wouldn’t be nearly as good as it was now.

Maybe... maybe she would have become a prostitute who could be discarded at any moment.

Just imagining it made her body tremble.

Elina took a sip of her drink, paused for a moment, then asked, ”Do you have a grandfather?”

”A grandfather?” Velissa looked confused. She shook her head. ”I-I don’t have one.”

”Really?”

”Mhmm! Really!” Velissa took another sip of her drink before continuing, ”I used to live with my father and mother, along with my two older brothers. Unfortunately, they were killed by bandits.”

Her voice trailed off as she said the last sentence.

Years had passed since that incident, but the pain it left behind was still deeply embedded in her heart.

Sometimes, she would even dream about them and wake up in the middle of the night.

Her life now was certainly much better than before. However, the price she had to pay for it was... very high.

Elina pursed her lips.

Could I be wrong? But I’m absolutely certain I saw a birthmark shaped like the tip of a sword on her right shoulder.

Her instincts told her that Velissa was most likely the granddaughter of the Crescent Moon Swordsman.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Elina sat up straight and asked cautiously, ”Just to be sure... I hope you’re not upset.”

Velissa gave a slight nod.

”Are you... adopted?”

Velissa’s eyes widened.

Realizing her reaction, Elina felt embarrassed and immediately regretted asking the question so bluntly.

”Velissa, I—”

”Your Highness, how did you know I’m adopted?”

This time, Elina was the one who froze.

”A-Are you really your parents’ adopted child?”

”Mhmm!” Velissa nodded honestly. ”I don’t remember exactly when, but if I’m not mistaken, it happened twenty years ago. At the time, I was only five years old when I was kidnapped by a slave-trading syndicate. I don’t know how I managed to escape from them. All I remember is waking up in a village, which eventually became my parents’ home.”

Thump!

Elina’s heart pounded, and her breathing grew heavier.

”S-So, do you have a sword-shaped birthmark on the lower part of your right shoulder?”

”Huh? How did you know that?” Velissa asked in surprise.

”This afternoon, I happened to see a sword-shaped birthmark in that area.”

”Oh, I see.”

”If it’s okay...” Elina’s face flushed slightly with embarrassment. ”Can I take a look?”

Velissa: ”...”

The tips of her ears turned red, but she didn’t refuse.

”Mhmm... Of course, Your Highness.”

Although she didn’t know why Elina wanted to see it, Elina was her savior. Showing her birthmark wasn’t a big deal.

Velissa stood up and turned around.

She slipped the right shoulder strap of her nightgown down, revealing the sword-shaped birthmark to Elina.

”T-That mark... It really is a sword!”

Elina could no longer remain calm.

”Huh? What’s wrong, Your Highness?” Velissa was startled by her sudden exclamation.

Elina clenched her teeth, trying to hold back the excitement and anxiety surging through her.

She stepped closer and firmly grasped Velissa’s shoulders.

The sudden change in Elina’s demeanor frightened Velissa.

”Y-Your Highness?” she called out shakily.

Elina took a deep breath, looked directly into her eyes, and spoke in a serious tone.

”Velissa, listen to me. I’m about to tell you something very important. It concerns the life and death of everyone in this mansion, including you and me. Do you understand?”

Though confused, Velissa nodded obediently.

”I-I understand, Your Highness.”

Elina took another deep breath before speaking in a heavy voice.

”Velissa, you...”

…

”Found her...”

Margaretta opened her pitch-black eyes.

”Elina has successfully located the granddaughter of the Crescent Moon Swordsman. The target is already in a mansion in the town of Virella. Her name is... Velissa.”

After saying that, her body went limp, and she nearly collapsed. Cedric, who was standing beside her, immediately caught her.

”Thank you for your help, my love.”

He kissed her forehead.

Margaretta smiled sweetly, as if that simple gesture were enough to restore her strength.

After laying Margaretta down on the bed, Cedric called out in a loud voice,

”Everyone, come here!”

Whoosh!

Ten people clad in black cloaks suddenly appeared out of thin air and bowed respectfully.

”What are your orders, Master?” asked the man on the left.

”The target has been identified. We will attack the town of Virella tonight and capture a woman named Velissa.”

”Orders received!”

The ten people vanished in the blink of an eye.

Cedric then turned toward the dark corner of the room and smiled cynically.

”You go too. Hold off the servant of the Singularity of Chaos. The longer you can keep him occupied, the better.”

Two red eyes appeared in the darkness before slowly fading away.